Do Business Analysts Need to Code?

Whether or not a Business Analyst needs to code depends to some extent on their specific set of circumstances. Certainly, it might prove extremely useful. At the very least, Business Analysts work closely with IT professionals to develop IT processes and systems; even if the coding is left up to Programmers, being able to understand and communicate about the fundamental principles at play is an enormous strength.

That said, coding does not make up a big part of most Business Analysts’ typical day; while they need to be familiar with a broad range of tools and platforms, coding isn’t necessarily a hard requirement. Instead, a Business Analyst takes more of a zoomed-out view – a comprehensive perspective of the business’s processes, managerial structure, and so on.

Where learning to code would prove most useful to a Business Analyst is in the area of database management and data analysis. Especially when it comes to documentation, a strong grasp of central concepts and the language that Programmers and Engineers use to discuss them can be a valuable asset.

Instead of asking whether Business Analysts need to use Python, a better question might be to ask how useful it can be. The job title of “Business Analyst” now includes a wide range of specializations, some focused on agility or user engagement, others on crunching financial data; how useful Python or R would be to a Business Analyst will depend to a large extent on their field.

Where learning Python would be most useful to a Business Analyst is in positions where working with raw data is at the fore – financial forecasting, for example, or decision modeling based on financial data. In these cases, a bit of skill with data manipulation and a mastery of data visualization tools could prove highly useful – and may even be a hard requirement.