Hendrick Kganyago South Africa Business Analyst and Data AnalystWhat's the Difference? The job titles of business analysts and data analysts may seem interchangeable because both jobs use data to make informed business decisions. Hendrick Kganyago However, data analysts primarily focus on analyzing and processing data sets to identify trends and uncover insights. Data analysts also tend to be more proficient in programming and data processing than business analysts.
The role of a business analyst is to use data to solve existing business problems. Business analysts typically work under the business intelligence team, which is tasked with providing past and current views of business operations. Hendrick Kganyago Think about streamlining processes or optimizing the performance of a business segment. "Business analysts often tell the story of what's going on in the company today," Britton said. "They'll say, ok, this is what's going on, this is how, and this is why we're doing this."