Differences between Scrum Master and Business Analyst

Technological advancements are procuring the agile transformation of companies. While new sets of values kick in, interchanging roles are standard, primarily between business analysts and scrum masters. So businesses consistently assign these specific roles.

Many companies recruit people with the same qualifications for both roles. It is because the requisite skills are somewhat similar, although the responsibilities aren’t identical.

This article will discuss the difference between scrum masters and business analysts. Further, you will learn the commonalities. Plus, you will also know their key responsibilities. Keep reading to know more.

Why is the Role of Scrum Master and Business Analyst Common?

The primary qualities of both scrum masters and business analysts are similar. This makes companies think that they can share the roles. In this section, we will look into the commonalities between the two. Let’s begin.

●      Facilitation

Facilitation skills are essential for both scrum masters and business analysts. From a team retrospective to stakeholder requirements, facilitation is necessary. This allows the entire business to achieve the desired objective.

●      Communication

Communication skills are essential for both business analysts and scrum masters. With good verbal and non-verbal communication, they uncover motives. Besides, it also helps in strengthening communication skills amongst themselves.

●      Negotiation

Both execute negotiations for priority features. It is either for a backlog or for tackling work. Thus both scrum masters and business analysts use negotiation skills. They do this to achieve product success.

Despite having so many commonalities, a single person cannot play both roles. A scrum master entirely focuses on the team for continuous improvement. At the same time, an analyst focuses on stakeholders, product backlogs, and customer requirements.

Regardless of having shared skills, one person cannot play two roles simultaneously. Whenever a single person plays two roles, various issues come up. The issues include focus, bandwidth, and domain knowledge.

However, a thing to note is that although the roles require different experiences, the parts are distinct and significant in large projects. Whereas in small projects, the roles are minute. As per the company’s requirements, the roles are to be assigned.

Business Analyst and Scrum Master – Who are They?

This section will significantly discuss their roles. Let’s dig in.

●      Business Analyst

A business analyst takes care of core business processes. They focus more on improving these procedures. Besides, they accentuate grooming and suggest improvements wherever applicable.

●      Scrum Master

A scrum master acts as the leader of the firm. It is to say, they lead in every aspect. They regularly organize and hold team meetings. Further, they address and guide the developers and product owners.

This procedure is undertaken to prioritize the scrum backlog in various projects.

Know the Responsibilities of Business Analysts

Listed here are the primary responsibilities of business analysts:

• They mainly assist in formulating user stories. It is primarily based on the requirements with applicable customer requirements.
• Business analysts work with stakeholders and product owners. It is for understanding the scope and suggesting requisite improvements.
• They work and emphasize preparing document requirements. Besides, they also prepare wireframes and user stories.
• In some organizations, product owners formulate user stories and acceptance criteria. This is when business analysts review and analyze the documentation. They also have to elaborate for better understanding whenever required.
• Lastly, they take care of the overall business procedures. They extensively analyze and suggest requisite improvements. In other words, they work on the top level of the hierarchy.

Know the Responsibilities of Scrum Masters

Listed here are the critical responsibilities of scrum masters:

• Scrum masters mainly conduct meetings and coach team members. This usually happens during the term of an ongoing project. Listed here are the critical responsibilities of scrum masters:
• They help in addressing any issue and guide them accordingly. This allows companies to understand the functional requirement. It usually happens during any significant sprint development.
• Scrum masters are given the task of responsibly checking business productivity. They conduct their inspection at regular intervals. This helps them in ensuring team engagement. Besides, they also check whether there is work consistency.
• They usually work on a comparatively lower level of the project development lifecycle. They handle the entire team and their productivity.

Commitments of Business Analysts

Here is a comprehensive listing that scrum masters are committed to performing. They are:

• Assists in formulating user stories
• Exquisitely define requirements
• Outwardly represents the development team
• Creates a definition of system behavior
• Executes outstanding vision.

Commitments of Scrum Masters

Here is a comprehensive listing that scrum masters are committed to performing. They are:

• Assists in practicing scrum theory
• Incorporates Scrum and agile knowledge
• Assists in working effectively using Scrum
• Removes all kinds of impediments]
• They facilitate scrum ceremonies
• They train companies to adopt Scrum

Business Analyst Vs. Scrum Masters

Business analysts help in bridging the gap between businesses and technical parts. The business requirements are input, while the technical specifications are output. Scrum masters help in understanding scrum empiricism. They also work to improve business interactions and effectiveness. Thus, they are considered facilitators, coaches, and guides.

There is no way their features match. So organizations should hire different people for both positions. This will benefit the company. Nevertheless, a business analyst can become a scrum master. But they have to re-skill and learn some new ones. The present world is all about changes and adaptation. So adopting different roles by accepting leadership changes is crucial. It will help businesses succeed in every way possible.

In conclusion

Individuals can perform any of the two roles. However, they need to have definite knowledge. Besides, playing an appropriate role will allow them to perform exceptionally well. Every role comes with different and unique requirements. So taking each role individually creates more focus and offers better valuation.