Considerations on the BAWI 2024 event, competencies and complexity, by Michele Maritato, President of IIBA Italy Chapter, and by Volunteer Gustavo Vizzoni.
On 25 October 2024, IIBA Italy Chapter organized the BAWI (Business Analysis Workshop Italy) congress. The BAWI 2024 edition was dedicated to the theme of Underlying Competencies, the skills required by Business Analysts in the era of complexity.
The event saw the participation of 19 Speakers belonging to companies, associations, NGOs, such as UN Global Service Centre, IIBA, PMI-Northern Italy Chapter, GUFPI-ISMA, DXC, Leonardo, Andest Consulting, AssoChange, Randstad HR Solutions, Eni Plenitude, Capgemini, Softengi, TIM, Enel, BA’s Without Borders.
Over 400 professionals registered for the event followed the interventions of the national and international speakers, who took turns telling examples and experiences of developing “Underlying” skills (or soft-skills, or power-skills) in the context of their own organizational realities .
The Key Message
From all the speakers at BAWI 2024, the importance of developing skills in each sector emerged, which arises from the need to understand and manage a change in context that is increasingly highly complex, unstable, ambiguous and dynamic. Theme also analyzed at the PM&BA 2023 event.
Now the need for every professional to build a skills updating path (hard-skills and soft-skills) that is continuous and personalized clearly emerges. Continuous development of skills is necessary to understand the complexity of the economic and social context and its evolutions, and must be aimed at developing leadership skills, critical thinking, systemic thinking and resilience in adapting to change.
New technologies offer great potential for enriching skills and must necessarily be understood and used wisely, paying attention to the opportunities and risks that arise from them.
We must not be afraid of change, but we must be aware that today more than ever it is an essential part of our personal and professional life. Only by continuing to increase our skills can we prepare to manage complexity, and not suffer it.
Morning Speeches
The morning of October 25th began with the speech of Paola Pinto of the UN Global Service Centre, who presented the UN 2.0 skills development model with the 5 fundamental skills in which the United Nations organization is investing.
We then continued with the speech by Michael Augello of IIBA, who, underlining the great changes that we are all experiencing, invites us not to be afraid of them but to understand them and be aware that change is an integral part of our lives.
Giusi Meloni, President of PMI-NIC, helped us understand how important it is to be aware of our own intelligence, which is multifaceted, and which evolves and changes according to the changes we are experiencing. Giusi made us understand that the world of complexity is generating a new humanism: the “evolved” man at the center of complexity.
The speech by Luigi Buglione of GUFPI-ISMA drew attention to the ability to measure in order to govern, highlighting how it is sometimes difficult, but not impossible, to make the soft skills of professionals measurable.
The morning then closed with speeches by Teresa Romeo and Marco Perrotti of DXC. With them we explored some of the potential, and limits, of Artificial Intelligence applied to the world of Business Analysis.
To tell you how the afternoon continued, I asked volunteer Gustavo Vizzoni for help to tell us his impressions of BAWI 2024. Volunteers are the driving force of our association, and for some years the Chapter has started a volunteer development program. I pass the pen to Gustavo.
Michele Maritato, IIBA Italy Chapter President
My Experience at BAWI 2024: Fundamental Competencies of the Business Analyst in the Age of Complexity
On October 25th I had the opportunity to participate in BAWI 2024, organized by the IIBA Italian Chapter, in the afternoon session. With the main theme “Business Analysis Underlying Competencies in the Era of Complexity”, the event explored the key skills that Business Analysts (BAs) need to develop to meet challenges in an increasingly complex and rapidly evolving business environment. Several experts shared their perspectives on technical, strategic and interpersonal skills. They offered a comprehensive overview of how to adapt to the demands of transforming industries such as defense, high technology and finance.
This day was a valuable opportunity for learning and professional growth for me. In the following paragraphs, I will try to share in a simple way the points that struck me the most. I believe that they can be of value to all colleagues and members of IIBA. For those who want further information, the link with the complete event and access to the documentation presented is available on the IIBA Italian Chapter website.
Afternoon Speeches
In the afternoon we started with Angelo Pansini, Business & Operations Chief of Staff at Leonardo SpA, who presented Managing the Complexity: The Crucial Role of Business Analysis. Angelo highlighted the fundamental role of BAs in high-tech sectors, such as aerospace and defense. He explained how BAs in these contexts must combine technical, analytical and interpersonal skills to manage complexity. He also shared how Leonardo supports the growth of its employees through an internal platform that identifies and develops talent across the entire organization. It was inspiring to see how a large company invests in the development of its human resources. And how BAs can make a difference in advanced innovation sectors.
The round table – part 1
Subsequently, a panel discussion was held attended by several experts, including Esther Mui of Andest Consulting Inc. (Canada), who spoke about the challenges and emerging trends in global banking and other sectors. Esther focused on how BAs face challenges such as rising costs, cybersecurity and high customer expectations in a context of digital transformation and fintech disruption. The discussion highlighted the importance for BAs to combine technical expertise with a global strategic vision. With the aim of adapting to the needs of a constantly evolving financial market.
Daniele Cantore Vice President of AssoChange presented Change Manager Future (and Current) Skills, a reflection on the future of Change Management in a context in which projects are increasingly rapid and simultaneous. Daniele spoke about the importance of agility, specialization and the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously. His message on the importance of a strategic vision and clear communication made me reflect on the relevance of these skills to lead effectively in times of continuous change.
Randstad’s Janet Faccio presented What Challenges for Today’s Professionals?, identifying current challenges for professionals, including the pressure to adapt quickly, the need for advanced technology skills and work-life balance . These skills are essential for BAs to remain competitive and relevant in the job market. An interesting idea is the evolution of corporate leadership, which must be increasingly visionary and capable of building the context in which the potential of collaborators can emerge.
Federico Cairola of Eni Plenitude, described some actions carried out in the company to enhance the skills of collaborators, including the importance of sharing Lessons Learned, both in cases of success and failure, which also involved C-levels.
The round table – part 2
Alessandra Miata of Capgemini then presented Why DEI is Relevant for Business Analysis, highlighting how Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) is not only an ethical issue, but also a driver of innovation. Alessandra explained how BAs must adopt DEI principles to work in multicultural teams and apply advanced technologies, especially in a context where artificial intelligence is transforming the job market.
Maurizio Demarch reiterated the importance of the topic of Artificial Intelligence which is affecting all corporate contexts. Maurizio recalled the importance for BAs of developing skills in this context, but also of knowing how to use these tools with critical thinking.
Francesca Funaro of TIM spoke about the recent spin-off of the network that involved TIM and the investments in training made which involved more than 28,000 company employees. TIM has created a catalog of over 170 training courses, leaving the employee the choice to follow the courses, with some company guidelines. In the world of complexity it is important that the training need emerges from below, but that the company gives guidelines. It is important to note that the choice of training courses by employees has given priority to the development of transversal skills and leadership (soft-skills).
After the break
The interventions of Walter De Santis and Maria Sommella of Enel were also interesting. Walter gave a short speech on Design Thinking, an indispensable approach to tackling complex problems. Maria recounted some training experiences on managing emotions and relationships. He underlined the importance of building the context in which each person’s potential can emerge and inspire others.
Emilio Monastero of Enel spoke about the need (and responsibility) of professionals at a certain point in their career to update their background of technical skills, always essential, and expand it with relational skills. The pressures are mainly dictated by the evolution of the context, which is increasingly dynamic and varied. For this reason he decided to undertake a practical MBA master course that can help consolidate and develop new skills.
The president of the IIBA Italy Chapter, Michele Maritato, then presented The Business Analyst competencies in the era of complexity. Michele has taken up the BA Core Concept Model scheme adapted to the world of Complexity. He underlined how the BA profession is a driver of transformation and continuous improvement. Michele highlighted the ability of BAs to act as change agents in their organizations. His speech left a deep impression on me about the importance of developing BA skills and the need to adopt a holistic approach in professional development and service to companies.
The last presentation was by Heather Mylan-Mains, who discussed the topic of Emotional Intelligence in an AI World. He spoke about emotional intelligence as a key skill in a world where artificial intelligence is increasingly widespread. Mylan-Mains highlighted the importance of self-awareness and emotion management for BAs. He presented Plutchik’s Rueda de las Emociones, a useful tool for understanding how emotions influence our work and collaborations in complex projects.
Reflection and Questions
BAWI 2024 gave me a broad view of the technical and human skills needed to thrive in the age of complexity. The sessions encouraged us to reflect on the impact BAs can have in their organizations, leaving me with some important questions:
- How can Business Analysts balance technical and interpersonal skills to add value in high-tech industries?
- Are we ready to integrate new technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain into our business analysis practice?
- What innovative methodologies are we adopting to tackle complex problems, such as Design Thinking?
- How can we BAs promote the values of diversity, equity and inclusion in our daily practices and use of advanced technology?
- How important is emotional intelligence in an AI-driven context, and how can it improve our interactions and decisions?
Conclusions
BAWI 2024 was a precious opportunity to learn and reflect on the topic of skills and complexity. And a further opportunity to connect with the community of Business Analysts in Italy. He reiterated that, in an ever-changing world, our profession must not just adapt, but lead the transformation. It was an enriching experience that reaffirmed the importance of strengthening our technical and human skills, to face future challenges with confidence.
Gustavo Vizzoni
Business Analyst @ agap2 Italia | LinkedIn Top Business Analysis Voice 2024 |
Master in Data Analytics | Process Improvement |
www.linkedin.com/in/gustavo-vizzoni