In This Article
Business analysts help organisations make sense of numbers and data to guide them in making important business decisions. They employ various analytical and statistical tools and transform data into actionable solutions, promoting business growth and operational efficiency.
Pursuing a bachelor’s degree is essential if you have long-term professional goals in this field. Formal education can help you learn fundamental technical skills and knowledge needed to jumpstart your career.
This article explores details about the duties of a business analyst, how much they earn and the steps involved in becoming a professional in this space.
What is a business analyst?
A business analyst identifies, develops and executes improvement strategies to help an organisation achieve its business goals. They understand and analyse business data to derive insights that help companies make well-informed and profitable decisions.
Business analysts typically work with colleagues and other analysts to retrieve data and determine business goals. They may also collaborate with IT staff members such as developers and system architects. These professionals may communicate with mid-level and senior executives to recommend changes and solutions to solve various business dilemmas. This role may also require business analysts to interact with various stakeholders to explain complex business procedures.
These professionals may work in a permanent, freelance or consultant capacity in diverse industries that rely on their analytic skills, such as IT, accounting and investment banking.
What are the roles and responsibilities of a business analyst?
Business analyst roles and responsibilities may vary depending on their company and industry. Some of their duties may include:
- reviewing the company’s existing business procedures to find areas for improvement
- finding new business opportunities
- having discussions with management and various stakeholders to comprehend business issues better
- conducting data discovery, analysis and modelling procedures
- developing and utilising reporting tools
- preparing reports and visualisations to help employees and stakeholders understand business performance
- developing solutions tailored to the company’s needs and objectives
- providing organisational recommendations to management
4 steps to becoming a business analyst in Malaysia
Check out this step-by-step guide to get a general idea of how you can pursue a business analyst career path in Malaysia.
-
Acquire an undergraduate degree
After obtaining your Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) qualification or equivalent, pursue a diploma in business, finance, IT or a related field. A diploma programme typically takes two to two and a half years of study. You can also enrol in a pre-university programme such as foundation, A-levels or Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia (STPM).
Once you have completed your diploma or pre-university course, pursue a bachelor’s degree in business analytics, business management, computer science or another related area. A bachelor’s programme usually takes three years to complete.
You will learn fundamental knowledge and skills relevant to your career path, with subjects like Business Database Management, Data Analytics for Business Decisions and Business Intelligence Applications.
Obtaining a bachelor’s degree is essential as many roles in the business analytics field require this qualification. If you are a working professional with a different educational background aiming to change or advance your career, you can also pursue this qualification to add more skills to your repertoire.
-
Gain practical experience
Before entering the job market, you can acquire hands-on experience in various ways. You can complete an internship or do volunteer work. These experiences can help build your portfolio to show to prospective employers.
Your career typically begins with an entry-level role. As a junior business analyst, you may provide assistance to senior analysts in collecting, documenting and verifying information. Use this time to learn how businesses work and how to conduct data analysis effectively.
When you progress into a mid-level role, you may get more involved in analysing business data, developing strategic solutions and communicating these plans with stakeholders. As you continue working, you will be exposed to different analytical techniques and which types of methods work best to solve various problems.
The more experience you gain, the higher the chances for you to advance into a senior business analyst role. You should also utilise the first few years of your career to explore and determine which area and industry you want to work in.
-
Get a postgraduate degree
Consider pursuing postgraduate studies to upskill if you want to take on a managerial role. You can obtain a Master of Business Administration (MBA) to develop a solid understanding of various study areas, such as business, marketing and finance to help you become a competent manager.
You may also build upon the knowledge you gained from your undergraduate degree by enrolling in a master’s programme specialising in business analytics. This qualification can serve as evidence of your mastery in this field, helping you to stand out from other job candidates.
The common study duration of a master’s course is one to one and a half years.
-
Obtain professional certifications
You can find various certifications in business analytics offered by globally recognised organisations. Having additional qualifications can boost your credibility and allow you to connect with other professionals within the same field.
The following certifications are designed to acknowledge your competencies and work experience, helping you elevate your career as a business analyst:
• The Certified Foundation Level Business Analyst (CFLBA) by the International Qualification Board for Business Analysts (IQBBA)
• The Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP) by the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA)
• The Professional in Business Analysis (PBA) certificate by the Project Management Institute (PMI)
Business analyst salary in Malaysia
According to Indeed, the average monthly salary for a business analyst in Malaysia ranges from RM5,000 to RM6,000. The table below shows the average salaries by state and territory.
| State/territory | Average salary per month |
|---|---|
| Sarawak | RM8,000 to RM9,000 |
| Kuala Lumpur | RM5,000 to RM6,000 |
| Labuan | RM5,000 to RM6,000 |
| Perlis | RM5,000 to RM6,000 |
| Selangor | RM5,000 to RM6,000 |
| Melaka | RM5,000 to RM6,000 |
| Perak | RM5,000 to RM6,000 |
| Kelantan | RM5,000 to RM6,000 |
| Pahang | RM5,000 to RM6,000 |
| Terengganu | RM5,000 to RM6,000 |
| Johor | RM4,000 to RM5,000 |
| Penang | RM4,000 to RM5,000 |
| Putrajaya | RM3,000 to RM4,000 |
| Negeri Sembilan | RM3,000 to RM4,000 |
| Sabah | RM3,000 to RM4,000 |
| Kedah | RM1,000 to RM2,000 |
What skills do business analysts need?
Here are some of the essential business analyst skills you should have to build a successful career.
Soft skills
Problem-solving: In this role, you assist businesses to find solutions to their problems. Having good problem-solving skills can help you understand an issue and produce a solution to overcome it.
Critical thinking: You must have the ability to critically assess different methods to enhance an organisation’s profitability and productivity before choosing the best one for the business. This skill allows you to make well-informed decisions with all the information you have.
Communication: This role requires strong communication skills as you need to provide recommendations and explain complicated processes to a variety of people in a way that’s easy to understand. You also need this skill to collaborate with other teams and managers to achieve shared goals.
Attention to detail: You must be highly focused when gathering and analysing data to ensure all information is accurate. This skill also helps to identify potential issues within business procedures.
Hard skills
Technical proficiency: Every business analyst needs to have a variety of technical competencies to perform tasks efficiently. Some of these skills include different programming languages, business intelligence (BI) tools and database awareness.
Data analysis: This skill is essential as you will need to collect and interpret data to gain meaningful insights to help businesses make informed decisions. This may involve using various data visualisation tools and statistical analysis software.
Technical writing: One of your duties as a business analyst may involve helping clients understand complex procedures and systems through user manuals, guides and other training material. Having this skill allows you to communicate your messages clearly by simplifying processes which can improve efficiency.
Business process modelling: A business analyst helps a company comprehend and optimise its workflow by creating a graphical representation of key business processes. This skill is important as you can identify potential issues and automate processes effectively.
Business analyst jobs in Malaysia
Business analysts work in a wide variety of industries with various roles and responsibilities. The table below explores some of the fields that hire these professionals.
| Industry | Responsibilities |
|---|---|
| Healthcare |
A business analyst in this industry evaluates a healthcare facility’s data to find operational challenges and develop strategies to overcome them. This can simplify business procedures, save costs and improve patient experience. |
| IT | As an IT business analyst, you may be responsible for reviewing an organisation’s IT systems and policies using data analysis methods to create and execute improvement strategies. You may also develop business requirement documents, prepare training for new processes and systems, and perform software testing to verify its functionality. |
| Finance | In this industry, you could help a company develop strategies by examining its historical financial information and business model. Your responsibilities may include evaluating market trends, finding opportunities to automate financial procedures and ensuring that financial data is compliant with the appropriate regulations. |
| E-commerce | As an e-commerce business analyst, your role could entail looking into the performance of an e-commerce website and interpreting its data to gain actionable insights. Other tasks may involve conducting competitor research, executing strategic e-commerce plans and analysing consumer trends in the market. |
| Tourism | Business analysts in the tourism industry collect and examine tourism data such as visitors’ preferences and behaviour. These insights can help companies understand tourists’ needs, develop strategies and predict trends. You may also look for potential risks that your company may face by evaluating factors such as natural disasters, changing visitor preferences and the state of the economy. |
Guide businesses with data-driven solutions
Business analysts contribute to an organisation’s growth by tailoring the best solutions to tackle business problems. This versatile discipline allows you to specialise in different areas and work in various sectors. Receiving formal education is a great way to kickstart your journey. Discover various programmes offered by top universities in Malaysia here and enrol in a business analytics course today.