Executive Summary (This is a document excerpt)

Business analysts have always been an important part of any information and process-oriented IT initiative. They serve as intermediaries between business and technology stakeholders, analyzing the business processes that create, update, and consume information, as well as developing the business requirements, rules, and policies to support those processes. As the business analyst role evolves, links to the business grow even stronger. Don't think of this deepening relationship as a threat to your role — instead, embrace the opportunity to get better insight into the needs of the business users you serve. Information and knowledge management (I&KM) professionals should seek to optimize the effectiveness of business analysts involved in I&KM initiatives.