PM and BA: Why keeping roles separate drives better outcomes
Picture building your dream house. You wouldn’t expect the architect to swing a hammer or the builder to sketch blueprints, right? Both roles are indispensable but distinctly unique pieces of the same puzzle. The architect (business analyst or BA) designs the perfect house that meets your needs, while the builder (project manager or PM) ensures it’s constructed on time, within budget, and to plan.
In the world of projects, the BA ensures the solution is valuable, solving the right problems with the right approach, while the PM ensures everything runs smoothly, from start to finish. But when one person tries to juggle both roles, cracks inevitably start to appear!
The unique strengths of the PM and BA
The PM and BA are the ultimate project dream team because their skills complement one another:
- The BA digs deep: They uncover the "why" and "what" behind the project, gathering requirements, analysing needs, and crafting a solution that aligns with business goals.
- The PM delivers: They focus on the "how," managing timelines, budgets, and resources to ensure the project stays on track and on schedule.
While the BA is busy refining the vision, the PM makes sure it becomes a reality. It’s a delicate balance, and combining these roles can lead to challenges.
Click here to read more about these distinct roles and how they work together >
Why one person shouldn’t wear both hats
Here’s why expecting one person to juggle both roles often leads to trouble:
- Conflicting mindsets: PMs are execution-focused, prioritising deadlines and deliverables. BAs focus on value, ensuring the solution is solving the right problem. These perspectives are equally important, but they’re hard to balance simultaneously.
- Cognitive overload: Switching between big-picture strategy (PM) and detailed analysis (BA) is exhausting and increases the risk of mistakes.
- Lost collaboration: PMs and BAs challenge each other’s assumptions, identify blind spots, and strengthen the overall approach. Without this partnership, critical gaps can go unnoticed.
- Diluted expertise: Both roles require specialised skills. Asking one person to master two demanding roles usually results in underperformance in both.
Why separating roles leads to success
When you separate the PM and BA roles, you unlock the potential for stronger, more successful projects:
- Clear ownership: With distinct responsibilities, each role can focus on what they do best.
- Stronger outcomes: Collaboration between PMs and BAs creates more innovative and effective solutions.
- Risk mitigation: Two perspectives mean fewer oversights and a better balance between strategic and tactical goals.
In small, low-stakes projects, it might make sense to combine the roles. But for complex or high-value initiatives, separating them is critical to avoid burnout, ensure clarity, and achieve better results.
The project manager and business analyst aren’t interchangeable—they’re complementary. Like the architect and builder, each brings unique skills that, together, make the project a success. Separating these roles isn’t just practical—it’s the smartest way to deliver projects that are both efficient and valuable.
Ready to strengthen your team?
Fast Track Learning Solutions offers tailored training for project managers, business analysts, and the teams that rely on them. Need senior management buy-in? We offer half-day sessions showcasing the value of keeping these roles distinct.
The content shared on the FTLS blog and social media reflects the opinions and perspectives of the authors and is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to be professional advice, as it does not take into account your unique environment or circumstances.
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