What does a business analyst do?

A business analyst studies how an organization works, finds problems and opportunities, and defines what needs to change, usually as requirements for a new or updated system or process. They sit between the business and the people building the solution.

What is the difference between functional and non-functional requirements?

Functional requirements say what a system does, for example "users can submit an expense claim". Non-functional requirements say how well it does it, for example "pages load in under two seconds" or "data is encrypted at rest".

Business

Business Analyst Mind Map Template

By RP Hobbyist · Updated October 2026

A business analyst's job is to understand how an organization works today and what has to change, then turn that into requirements a team can build from. That means keeping a lot of threads in view at once: processes, rules, requirements, and the people and tools involved.

This template puts BUSINESS ANALYST at the center with four branches: PROCESSES (Workflows, Analysis), RULES (Compliance, Policies), REQUIREMENTS (Functional, Non-Func) and RESOURCES (Team, Tools). Use it as a one-page overview of a project, or as a checklist so nothing gets missed during discovery.

Business Analyst template as a mind map — The Business Analyst template as it opens in the editor.

It opens as a new map with 13 topics already filled in. You don't need an account.

Open in the editor

When to use a Business Analyst

Starting discovery on a new project or system change
Preparing for stakeholder workshops or interviews
Sorting requirements before writing a specification
Joining a project that someone else started

What goes in each branch

PROCESSES: Workflows describe how the work happens now, step by step. Analysis is where you note problems, delays and what the future process should look like.
RULES: Compliance covers the laws and regulations the solution has to follow. Policies are internal rules, such as approval limits or how long data is kept.
REQUIREMENTS: Functional requirements describe what the system must do. Non-functional ones describe how well it must do it: speed, security, availability, accessibility.
RESOURCES: Team lists the stakeholders and who decides what. Tools lists the existing systems the change has to work with.

Example: Replacing a paper expense claim process with an app

Processes: claims are filled in by hand, signed by a manager, then typed in again by finance. An average claim takes 12 days.
Rules: receipts must be kept for six years, and claims over $500 need a director's approval.
Requirements: staff can photograph receipts in the app (functional), and the app works offline on phones (non-functional).
Resources: finance, two pilot teams and IT. The app has to connect to the existing accounting system.

Tips

Ask why a step exists before you write it down. Some "rules" turn out to be habits.
Note where each requirement came from, so you know who to ask when it's unclear.
Use colors to mark requirements as must have, should have or could have.
Keep interview notes in node notes instead of adding more nodes, so the map stays readable.

Using this template in Neuron Mapping

Click Open in the editor. The template opens as a new map.
Select a topic and press Tab to add a branch under it, or double-click a topic to change its text.
Select a topic to change its color and shape, or add notes to it in Markdown.
When you're done, export the map as a PDF or PNG, or save it to keep editing later.

Everything runs locally in your browser: your map is saved on your device, works offline, and can be exported as PDF, PNG or an editable .nmm file.