Why do so many organisations still struggle to deliver great customer experiences?

In this episode of BA Brew, Stuart Mullinger speaks with Dr Debra Paul and Jonathan Hunsley about their new BCS book, Service Design: A Practical Guide to Creating Customer-Centric Services, and explores why service design has become an essential discipline for organisations seeking to improve customer experience and business transformation.

The discussion covers practical service design techniques, professional standards, collaboration across change professions and how organisations can design services that create better outcomes for customers.

In this episode you'll learn:

✔ Why service design matters more than ever

✔ How to improve customer experience through service design

✔ The Service Design Framework explained

✔ Why business analysts, service designers and business architects work better together

✔ Practical techniques including the Service Definition Canvas and Minimum Viable Service

✔ How AI is influencing the future of service design

✔ Where the profession is heading over the next decade

Whether you're a service designer, business analyst, business architect, digital transformation leader, customer experience professional or change manager, this discussion offers practical insights into creating better organisational services.

Learn more about Service Design

➡ Service Design Guide: https://www.assistkd.com/Why-AssistKD/service-design-training

➡ Service Design Courses: https://www.assistkd.com/courses/service-design-courses

Subscribe for more BA Brew discussions on business analysis, service design, business architecture, digital transformation and organisational change.

Technical skills are only part of becoming a successful Business Analyst.

Learning how to communicate with confidence, influence stakeholders and ask the right questions is what helps great Business Analysts stand out.

Jonathan Hunsley is joined by Emily Saunderson, Head of Profession for Business Analysis at the Department for Education, and Dr Carlos Pullen-Ferreira, Principal Consultant at AssistKD, to discuss how Business Analysts can find their voice, build confidence and increase their influence.

Whether you're new to Business Analysis or an experienced Business Analyst, this discussion explores practical ways to increase your influence, develop professional confidence and grow your Business Analysis career.

In this BA Brew episode:

• What it means to find your Business Analysis voice
• Building confidence as a Business Analyst
• Speaking up in stakeholder workshops and stakeholder meetings
• Influencing business decisions
• Becoming a trusted adviser
• Business Analysis leadership
• Mentoring and coaching
• Networking for Business Analysts
• Developing your Business Analysis career
• Helping the next generation of Business Analysts

Emily also shares the remarkable story of being told she would never become a successful Business Analyst before eventually leading the business analysis profession at the Department for Education.

LEARN MORE

• BCS International Diploma in Business Analysis Courses
• BCS Advanced International Diploma in Business Analysis Courses:
• Business Analysis Career Guide
• BA Brew Podcast Hub
• Business Analysis Conference Europe

Service frameworks are a powerful yet often overlooked tool that can fundamentally change how teams understand, collaborate, and achieve outcomes.

In this episode of BA Brew, Jonathan Hunsley from AssistKD is joined by Chris Pyatt and Victoria Banner to discuss how service frameworks help business analysts, business architects and service designers clarify their value, improve collaboration and navigate complex organisational change ecosystems.

The discussion covers:

• What a service framework actually is – and how it defines the value a role delivers
• Why business analysis, architecture and service design overlap more than we think
• How frameworks create clarity on roles, responsibilities and boundaries
• The role they play in reducing confusion, conflict and duplication across teams
• How they support career growth, capability building and even recruitment decisions
• Practical advice on getting started – and why you don’t need to build everything at once

Whether you are a business analyst, business architect, service designer or other digital change professional, this episode offers practical advice for improving conversations and outcomes.

EXPLORE ASSISTKD TRAINING

AssistKD offers Business Analysis and Service Design training online, in person and through eLearning, with over 30 years' experience in professional development.

Relevant courses for this episode:

• BCS Business Analysis Practice - https://www.assistkd.com/courses/business-analysis-diploma-courses/bcs-certificate-business-analysis-practice
• BCS Business Architecture - https://www.assistkd.com/courses/architecture-courses/bcs-certificate-business-architecture
• A4Q Business Service Design - https://www.assistkd.com/courses/service-design-courses/a4q-certificate-business-service-design

WATCH THIS EPISODE

Watch all episodes of the BA Brew on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxdeXIxtEOU&list=PLEvIolukjrawamafeBkNM3pELcNqVrPN6

Once you learn business analysis skills, do they ever really switch off?

In this episode of BA Brew, Mike, Ruth, Kerry and Stu discuss how BA thinking becomes embedded into everyday life - shaping how we solve problems, make decisions and interact with others.

The discussion covers:

• Why BA skills naturally carry over into everyday situations

• Real-life examples of using BA thinking outside of work

• When analysis and problem-solving can be unhelpful

• The risk of “analysis paralysis”

• How to recognise when to switch off BA mode

• Techniques like circles of control, root cause thinking and options analysis in daily life

• The importance of empathy, presence and reading the room

Whether you're a business analyst, change professional or team leader, this episode offers practical insights into balancing analytical thinking with real-world human situations.

EXPLORE ASSISTKD TRAINING

AssistKD offers Business Analysis and Service Design training online, in person and through eLearning, with over 30 years' experience in professional development.

Relevant courses for this episode:

• BCS Certificate in Business Analysis Practice
• BCS Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis
• BCS Certificate in Modelling Business Processes

Eexplore AssistKD's full range of Business Analysis training courses here: https://www.assistkd.com/our-business-training-courses-classes

Informal networks are one of the most powerful – and often overlooked - forces in organisations. For Business Analysts, understanding how information really flows can make the difference between struggling with change and successfully influencing it.

In this episode of BA Brew, Jonathan Hunsley is joined by Michelle, Fiona and Carlos to explore the role of gossip and informal networks in the workplace – and how they impact organisational change.

The discussion covers:

• What “gossip” actually means in a workplace context

• Why informal networks exist and how they create psychological safety during change

• The difference between formal communications and how information really spreads

• How informal networks can support better stakeholder engagement and change outcomes

• The risks of negative gossip, politics and organisational culture

• How Business Analysts can use informal networks to sense-check, influence and support change

Whether you are a Business Analyst, change professional, service designer or team leader, this episode provides practical insights into the human side of organisations – and how to work with it, not against it.

EXPLORE ASSISTKD TRAINING

AssistKD offers Business Analysis and Service Design training online, in person and through eLearning, with over 30 years’ experience in professional development.

Relevant courses for this episode:

• BCS Stakeholder Engagement

• BCS Digital Business Change

• BCS Benefits Management and Business Acceptance

• BCS Modelling Business Processes

Explore AssistKD's Business Analysis full range of training courses here: https://www.assistkd.com/our-business-training-courses-classes

Active listening is one of the most valuable skills a Business Analyst can develop — and one of the easiest to get wrong.

In this episode of BA Brew, Jonathan Hunsley from AssistKD is joined by Craig Rollason and Corrine Thomas to discuss how active listening helps business analysts build trust, improve stakeholder conversations and gather better requirements.

The discussion covers:

• What active listening really means for business analysts

• Why listening is central to effective stakeholder engagement

• Common unhelpful listening behaviours and how to avoid them

• How to prepare yourself to listen properly

• The value of summarising, silence and open questions

• How teams can practise and improve their listening skills together

Whether you are a business analyst, service designer, change professional or team leader, this episode offers practical advice for improving conversations and outcomes.

EXPLORE ASSISTKD TRAINING: AssistKD offers Business Analysis and Service Design training online, in person and through eLearning, with over 30 years' experience in professional development.

Relevant courses for this episode:

• BCS Stakeholder Engagement
• BCS Requirements Engineering
• BCS Advanced Requirements Engineering
• BCS Business Analysis Practice

LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE: Find BA Brew on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and all major platforms.

What’s it really like starting out as a Business Analyst - and how do you avoid feeling isolated, overwhelmed or “behind” in your early career? In this episode of The BA Brew, Mike is joined by Joe and Jo from the Young Business Analysts (YBA) - a fast‑growing, volunteer‑led community designed to support Business Analysts aged 35 and under.

They discuss:

• Why YBA was created and the gap it set out to fill

• How safe spaces help early‑career BAs ask the questions they’re afraid to ask at work

• The impact of volunteering on confidence, networking and public speaking

• How YBA has grown into a 2,500+ strong community across online and in‑person events

• Why experienced practitioners still have an important role to play

From first‑job nerves to conference speaking, this is an honest conversation about growth, connection, and building a career in Business Analysis - without doing it alone.

FURTHER RESOURCES

YBA

• YBA Website

• YBA LinkedIn

BA Brews

• BA Brew 9: Young BA Special

• BA Brew 77: How to start your BA Career

• BA Brew 88: BA Apprentice of the Year

Articles

• The Young Business Analysts: How It All Began

• Where are They Now? Business Analyst Apprentices

What does it really mean to be a “professional” Business Analyst? In this episode of BA Brew, Kerry is joined by Laurens and Lisa to explore professionalism in business analysis – from preparation and mindset to qualifications, growth, and career progression.

They discuss:

• What professionalism means in a BA context
• Their journeys through the BCS International & Advanced Diplomas
• Achieving CITP status
• The path to becoming an Expert BA
• Practical advice for BAs looking to advance their careers

If you're considering the BCS Advanced Diploma, CITP, or the Expert BA route, this conversation is packed with insights from real practitioners who’ve been there.

FURTHER RESOURCES

BA Brews

• How to Become a Business Analysis Professional
• Transferable Skills
• Communities of Practice
• Self-Assessment and Development Tools
• I’m a Business Analyst — How Did That Happen?

Articles

• No Limits to Learning
• Elevating the BA Voice
• Skill Development of the Business Analysis Practice
• From Junior BA to BA Manager: A Business Analysis Journey

Qualifications

• BCS International Diploma in Business Analysis
• BCS Advanced International Diploma in Business Analysis
• Chartered IT Professional (CITP)
• The Expert BA Award

Being part of a Community of Practice allows BAs to share knowledge and best practice, mentor or be mentored, and have a clear understanding of their role and responsibilities. But some of the benefits are less tangible.

In this lively chat, Anthony Thompson and Mark Thompson of Close Brothers discuss the value of Communities of Practice with the Brew Crew.

Anthony Thompson and Mark Thompson are both Lead BAs at Close Brothers.

FURTHER RESOURCES 

BA BREWS

• BA Brew 29: The Invisible BA
• BA Brew 35: The BA Service Framework

ARTICLES

• Ten Reasons to Establish a Centralised Community of Practice
• Ten Top Tips on Building a Community of Practice
• Running a Centralised Business Analysis Community of Practice: The Top 10 Financial Benefits
• Keeping a Community of Practice Alive and Kicking

COURSES

• BCS Certificate in Team Leadership

In this informative BA Brew Adam Pearson talks to the Crew about why BAs need to develop an accessibility mindset and how he, as a registered blind person, has used his BA skills to help to make it easier to both generate and consume accessible content.

Topics discussed: why accessibility must be considered from the start of every project; useful tools for generating accessible content and for consuming content; the difference between usability and accessibility; how AI tools can support accessibility; why making mistakes and learning means you are doing it right; and more.

As Adam says: “The more we all do as a collective, the fewer barriers there are into this fantastic field of work.”

Adam Pearson is now a Business Analyst at The RNIB.

FURTHER RESOURCES 

BA BREWS

• BA Brew 20: Resilience (feat. Corrine Thomas)
• BA Brew 27: The BA Apprenticeship

ARTICLES

• Resilience Resources
• Strengths Spotting - Achieve your goals by leveraging your strengths
• AssistKD’s Business Analyst (Level 4) Apprenticeship Scheme
• AssistKD BA Career Planner Tool
• 10 Top Tips for Entering the Business Analysis Profession