From the course: Business Analyst and Project Manager Collaboration

Why collaboration is key

From the course: Business Analyst and Project Manager Collaboration

Why collaboration is key

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- Pat the PM and Bailey the BA are about to start a new project together. They're working together to plan out key aspects of the project and they have a sensitive stakeholder. For a moment, let's imagine that we're that stakeholder, Jennifer. As Jennifer, you're a full-time manager of a payroll department. Your days are filled managing a large staff, vendors, technology and payroll cycles. You're dealing with expectations, regulatory changes, taxation, operational quotas and deadlines. And your customers, or employees that get payroll, just want to be paid on time and paid correctly. You're put on a new project that's looking to improve the systems that make all this payroll happen. Suddenly, in addition to your normal and stressful responsibilities as a payroll manager, you get meeting invites from three or four different people on the project team. You don't really know who they all are or their roles, and the demands, emails and meetings just keep coming. You simply don't have time for all this nervous space in your brain to keep any of it straight. You've got a department to run. Now, let's imagine it differently. Instead, for the project, you first meet Pat and Bailey. They explain their roles as the PM and BA, how they work together, and with you, they determine a schedule of meetings and expectations that works for you. You now know why it's important to go to certain meetings, and discuss with them what you actually have time for. Communications, emails and meetings are coordinated so that it makes sense to you and the team and it's organized from your perspective. This type of collaboration Pat and Bailey demonstrate is not by accident. When a PM and BA work together in managing stakeholders, communications, risk and scope, it builds trust, reduces risk and engages stakeholders. This leads to better quality products and great relationships that ultimately leads to getting the project done on time, within budget and while meeting the needs of stakeholders and delivering value. Many things go into successful projects, and there is no doubt that collaboration is at the top of the list.

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