In my view, this may lead to a lowest common denominator of what constitutes business analysis.

The skills required to qualify as a “professional” Business Analyst will be filtered down to things that can be measured. Heaven forbid that it will also be determined by a level of competency in a list of tools (for example, Visio, ReqPro, etc.)

With over 20 years as a practitioner in business analysis (12 of that in a freelance capacity) I’ve never considered being a “tool head” as important. First and foremost, a Business Analyst, needs to have those interpersonal skills that are more born than taught, and therefore more difficult to quantify and measure.

Business Analysis is about relating to people, trying to understand their problems, their needs and their fears about change, and being sensitive about how those problems, needs and fears are presented to the relevant decision makers in the organisation.