Business analysis is the fastest growing field in business today and the role of the business analyst is both strategic and tactical. At the strategic level, the focus is on understanding the needs of the business as a whole, its strategic direction, and identifying initiatives that will enable the business to meet its goals. At the tactical level, the discipline originally emerged from work previously done by project managers, such as gathering high level business requirements, and work done by systems analysts, such as designing functional requirements for software behavior. Business analysts are part strategist, part program or project manager, part architect and part systems analyst. They work as a liaison among stakeholders in order to elicit, analyze, and communicate requirements for changes to business processes, policies and information systems. Business analysts combine technical and communication skills to improve business by deciphering processes, making realistic, feasible recommendations and facilitating implementation of effective solutions.  Early works on business analysis suggest that use of specific diagrams, possessing a technical background or being a strong facilitator is what makes a successful business analyst. Seven Steps to Mastering Business Analysis  advances the field by illustrating how all of these factors combined, along with many others, are the key to success. This book gives insight into the ideal skills and characteristics of successful business analysts and provides a foundation of learning for effecting business analysis work. This guide will also help prepare you for business analysis certification by explaining the tasks and knowledge areas in the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK).  Seven Steps to Mastering Business Analysis will help build the skill sets of new and experienced analysts, and those currently doing analysis work including project managers, system analysts, product managers and business development professionals. Human resource professionals who are working to establish business analysis job descriptions and career paths in their organizations and executives who may have responsibility for managing and evaluating the success of business analysts will also find this book useful.