These days I am working on a project for one of the prominent retailers in the US. This is my first assignment as a Business Analyst in retail and somehow I landed up working on the pricing system of this retail giant on my first assignment itself, that too without a degree in business. The work is amazing. A complete insight into all the headache that goes behind those simple and attractive labels on the shelves in the stores. The process is anything but simple and the work of a BA on the IT side of it is even more complicated than that on the strategy side. On the strategy side, a bigger role is played by the common sense and innovative thinking whereas on the IT side an additional comfort with multiple technologies is needed. You can't help feeling miserable when different technology teams give you their analyses in total technical terms. What is abcd to them is total greek to me. The learning on this project is tremendous.
The project was floated by the vice president of strategic initiatives for IT here and is being managed by the senior director of IT. It's a delight to observe the way of thinking of these senior people when I sit across the tables with them for weekly updates. At times I am totally awed by the confidence and experience they have. I feel so conscious of every single word I tell them. The feeling is very different; All that I have been doing in my academics and career of last 3 years is outstanding, perhaps comparable to what they did in their times, but still somewhere I feel small before these people. When this Sr. Director of IT poses a question and looks at me - 'Me' !! of all people, 'Me'! Not that Business relationship manager, not that GRM, but 'Me' - that's what goes in my mind in that fraction of a second, before I compose myself and reply. He looks at me because he knows I am handling this project and the BRM or GRM are only my managers. But still, all the respect that I have been taught to give my elders all through my childhood, brings up that instinct in me to stand up and look down with my hands tied at my back and head nodding at every word. I have to fight that tendency every time. I have to work hard to bring that mature and thick accent to my voice during those moments.
