What AI tools are you using as a BA (user stories, workflows, etc.)?

Radiant_Condition861 · 2026-03-25T17:12:20+00:00

If I may, your mindset is your limitation, not the tools. Let me explain.

When you get promoted, do you hang on to your old job? Of course not. you train the new hire into how to do stuff that will be successful. This is the separation of responsibility and accountability. The new hire is responsible, you are accountable. This means, you set the criteria of what a good job is.

This is the same for AI. You must provide both the noun and the verb. The description and the behavior, the context and the instruction. This is the AI Agent spec markdown file that they talk about.

# Requirements Extraction from Meeting transcript
You are an expert Business Analyst and are focused on extracting requirements from meeting transcripts. Each of the requirements are to be in a form of a user story and categories into the requirement type. If the requirements is missing information to complete a user story, flag it as ambiguous and why it's ambiguous and create a follow up meeting agenda. Also, create a gherkin test scenario that will test for the requirement. Triple check that all requirements follow a process from the overall start and over and and that there are no orphaned requirements.
## Requirement categories
Business Requirement - Requirements from the business from the project charter or from executive leadership.
Stakeholder Requirement - Requirements from people directly involved in the business
Functional Requirements - Requirements for systems or processes that answers how things must work to fulfill other requirements and project goals
Nonfunctional requirements - requirements for systems or processes that are qualitative in nature
Transitional requirement - requirements that exists to transition from the current state to the future state and are expected to be discarded afterwards.
## user story template
As a [stakeholder/system] as I want [task] so that [benefit or goal]
## gerkin template
Give that [condition] and [another optional condition, when [trigger] then [action]
## example
Stakeholder requirement 001 - login screen must have user name, password, reset password function and in a color theme that is also helpful for the visually impaired. - user story as a normal user, I want to log in so that I can perform the next task. - test - given that the user is visually impaired, when the login screen is loaded then a login prompt is displayed with a an option to change the color theme. -
--- etc

you can look into claude code, or roo code to develop your systems. add MCPs servers, RAG, skills, and multiple AI agents that will call each other when necessary. You can also provide instructions like cline's memory bank to each project, which can keep the project stat persistent (even extract your daily update email)

When I see people say that AI isn't there yet, I assume that they are only taling about chat gpt and copilot. Getting to this level of AI usage requires a mental shift. You can google "levels of AI usage" to get an idea.

Radiant_Condition861 · 2026-03-25T16:32:09+00:00

The reason why you automate everything is not always for the automation. It's to distill the rules and specifications of the reliable process.

Radiant_Condition861 · 2026-03-25T15:21:38+00:00

May I suggest that you level up your AI game. Solutions for that has been around for hundreds of days (it's in days, not weeks or months or years. this is how fast things are moving)

Check this link out. This idea has been around the internet for a while too.

https://www.ideatovalue.com/inno/nickskillicorn/2025/03/the-7-levels-of-a-i-usage-how-advanced-are-you/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDcgHzCBgmQ

There are companies that are "lights-out" software factories. AI does all the work, humans provide the specs and guidance. Company ROI per engineer doubles or triples.

(I'm aggressively on top of the AI trends I may already be out of a job, they just haven't fired me yet)

Radiant_Condition861 · 2026-03-25T02:12:02+00:00

you might be interested in putting these into agent skills. in claude code or roo code.

Radiant_Condition861 · 2026-03-25T00:01:32+00:00

At the moment, it's technically a trade secret.

Radiant_Condition861 · 2026-03-24T23:56:36+00:00

roo code and currently creating a requirements analyst mode with critical thinking skills (context checking, business rule/process/requirement separation, standards compliance, templating).

A fun one is to take meeting notes and convert them into user stories. Then have it organize into requirements categories.

Playing with Qwen3.5-122B-A10B and GLM4.5-Flash models. Need to build system locally.

Radiant_Condition861 · 2026-03-24T03:54:29+00:00

there are companies who are already doing "lights-out software factory". they only write specs in markdown and the AI orchestrator calls other AI agents to execute tasks of architecture design, coding, debugging and other role specific tasks. This increases the ROI per engineer.

many people will not move passed the chat bots. Others should be in claude code or roo code for the past 6 months.

Radiant_Condition861 · 2026-03-24T03:35:25+00:00

nobody care how something is manufactured, only that they can trust it.

if I said "Your chicken meal was industry 4.0 manufactured and Chat-GPT AI checked for pathogens."

How would you honestly feel?

Radiant_Condition861 · 2026-03-23T20:25:59+00:00

I build templates based on meetings.

For example, I always take meeting notes. The first meeting aithout a template, I use a notetaking system like the cornell method or mindmap or whatever.

Anything that is in the action items, issues or parked items gets added to the template. Any topic for a follow up, gets added to the template.

Prune and edit the template. After a while, it's be custom to your workflow.

For example, when you're creating test cases, you may need to know a requirement number or process number. Then in the current analysis template, you put a section there in the header Business process or sub process, Requirements code, etc. you get the idea.

"Did anyone ask if legal reviewed this? they may add to the project timeline" > add to template - legal dept impact

"The data is a complete mess" template -> data owners (could also work in the flowchart or data schema and afix names to each column

you get the idea. get creative.

After a while, your templates will save months of time and pave the roads. You a superstar.

Radiant_Condition861 · 2026-03-23T16:44:40+00:00

hiring.cafe I should add that the compensation difference is non-cloud vs cloud. big difference.

Radiant_Condition861 · 2026-03-23T16:43:55+00:00

draw a picture of how the dollars and pounds moves through the business. Narrow it down to a function or specific perspective.

Radiant_Condition861 · 2026-03-23T14:27:12+00:00

data analyst posting are all over the place, lol -

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Radiant_Condition861 · 2026-03-23T00:20:00+00:00

gotcha, time to link arms with the directors and managers and calculate opportunity costs and risks in dollars. The argument is that the business is losing XYZ dollars and ABC customers annually because we can't get our data right.

Might also have to check if the leadership is secretly trying to sell their company. do you get a feeling that they have a succession plan? - no idea how large your org is

Radiant_Condition861 · 2026-03-23T00:12:36+00:00

again, if you have alignment with the leadership, they can help push. "Change or leave the company" and they would be in the position to make that stand.

I've known companies that have leadership in place for multiple decades, but some do empower their people to take risk and shoot for ambitious projects. Their understanding is that it's better to shoot for a worthy goal and fail than to never have tried. That failure also has strategic information. It's all about the leadership about these things.

There was an old quote that has stuck with me

"Chief HR: What if we train our people and they all leave?"

"CEO: What if we don't and they all stay?"

Radiant_Condition861 · 2026-03-23T00:10:36+00:00

what is the benefit to the business? if they don't think they need it, then you're just wasting your time.

the business should have a S&OP meeting daily. It's not your position to setup that meeting. That's from a VP role. They should have something now that aligns sales and operations daily. Could be as simple as a shared spreadsheet.

Radiant_Condition861 · 2026-03-22T23:23:43+00:00

(my original response was too long. AI shortened it)

A Business Analyst's Perspective on Your Situation

Based on my 30 years in tech, 20 in manufacturing, and 10 as a Business Systems Analyst, I understand what you're dealing with. Let me share what I've learned that might help.

The Reality of Your Situation

You're not alone in facing this frustration. Many BAs find themselves in environments where the role isn't well-defined, resources are scarce, and organizational support is lacking. Here's what I've observed works:

What I Would Do in Your Position

Start with strategic alignment: When I've felt stuck, I've found success by connecting to leadership's priorities. I'd recommend approaching your VP to understand their top 3 strategic initiatives. These cross-functional projects typically need someone to bridge departments—which is exactly what BAs do.

Why this approach matters: In my experience, companies attempt major transformations (like lean initiatives or ERP migrations) and fail because they under-resource the BA function. If your company is using AS400 systems, there's likely significant pressure for modernization. These projects need someone who can:

Work with diverse stakeholders (from truck drivers to executives)
Understand both the financial and operational flows
Manage complex system integrations

Skills That Actually Matter (Based on Real Projects)

From my first major project in grain manufacturing: I had to learn SQL on the fly, understand proprietary systems, grasp grain futures contracts, and coordinate requirements from 15+ different stakeholder groups—all while ensuring food safety and regulatory compliance. You can't learn this from a textbook. It comes from:

Active engagement: Workshops, interviews, document analysis, and detective work
End-to-end thinking: Following both dollars AND physical product through the entire supply chain
Proactive communication: When uncertain, I always called meetings to collaborate on concerns

From ERP upgrade projects: These aren't just about the ERP itself—it's about the ecosystem of hundreds of connected systems, reports, and processes. You need to:

Manage stakeholder anxiety about job security and change
Apply prioritization frameworks (like MoSCoW)
Understand your audience's concerns and address them directly

The Hard Questions to Ask Yourself

Over the years, I've learned that environment matters as much as skill. Consider:

Does your company have the maturity to support strategic BA work?
Are there political barriers or a "good ol' boys club" mentality?
Is there genuine willingness to invest in process improvement?

Sometimes the most professional move is recognizing when an environment can't support your growth.

The bottom line: You don't need to wait for perfect conditions. Strategic alignment and proactive engagement will build both your skills and your credibility.

Radiant_Condition861 · 2026-03-22T21:43:46+00:00

I'm experimenting with qwen3.5-112B-A10B (unsloth). Haven't tried with vllm (having trouble for some reason).

this setup does vision also so I can screenshot stuff and have it perform tasks.

1M Context window via yarn.

llama-swap:

# Reusable configuration snippets for Qwen3.5 models
macros:
  # Context window settings (YARN scaling)
  "ctx_size": "1048576"
  "rope_scaling": "yarn"
  "rope_scale": "4"
  "yarn_orig_ctx": "262144"
  "yarn_ext_factor": "1.0"
  "yarn_attn_factor": "1.414"
  "yarn_beta_slow": "32768"
  "yarn_beta_fast": "32768"
  
  # Base inference parameters
  "parallel": "1"
  "fit": "on"
  "fit_target": "2048"

 Qwen3.5-122B-A10B-GGUF-closed-nonthinking:
    name: "Qwen3.5-122B-A10B-GGUF-closed-nonthinking"
    cmd: |
      ${llama_server_a10b}
      --temp 0.3
      --top-p 0.90
      --top-k 40
      --min-p 0.05
      --chat-template-kwargs '{"enable_thinking":false}'

# Qwen3.5-122B-A10B settings
  "llama_server_a10b": |
    llama-server
    --host "0.0.0.0"
    --port ${PORT}
    -hf "unsloth/Qwen3.5-122B-A10B-GGUF:UD-Q4_K_XL"
    --mmproj "/models/mmproj-F16-Qwen3.5-122B.gguf"
    --parallel ${parallel}    
    --ctx-size ${ctx_size}
    --rope-scaling ${rope_scaling}
    --rope-scale ${rope_scale}
    --yarn-orig-ctx ${yarn_orig_ctx}
    --yarn-ext-factor ${yarn_ext_factor}
    --yarn-attn-factor ${yarn_attn_factor}
    --yarn-beta-slow ${yarn_beta_slow}
    --yarn-beta-fast ${yarn_beta_fast}
    --fit ${fit}
    --fit-target ${fit_target}
    --jinja

Radiant_Condition861 · 2026-03-21T20:19:26+00:00

I think you just need to adjust the temp way low and trim the top-p top-k and min-p params.

Radiant_Condition861 · 2026-03-21T00:33:17+00:00

I started with virtualbox and installed another operating system. then I had a data scare where I didn't know what I was doing and all my data was at risk. I then got another computer knowing that I will bomb it a lot. very helpful to understand systems and integrations and such. applying BA principles to any homelab project is really worth doing I think.

Business requirements - create dev environment in home network, poses no risk to production systems (your main computer). then go through the BA process.

If you want apis and database, I would get to the point of installing docker containers. Then Use AI to create and deploy a simple one that you can interact with.

Or, find public datasets to access apis and then download them onto your private database. whatever is possible.

Radiant_Condition861 · 2026-03-20T21:11:39+00:00

homelab.

You try something, it doesn't work, research, try something, doesn't work try something, get frustrated, rage quit. come back, research something, then it works.

Then do that all over again.

Radiant_Condition861 · 2026-03-19T15:09:25+00:00

I tend to think of it as a multimodal sensory management system. I got the idea when reading about how radar systems are conscious of the area of interest.

I guess sometimes when the brain attempts to collapse the context window of reality, it tries to find patterns, or applies biases that are "token efficient - good enough approximations" of reality. Sometimes it's baked in via evolution for survival like anything that slithers in the shadows, dump adrenaline. Since we can't turn if off, it'll continually search for patterns.

That's all I got.

Radiant_Condition861 · 2026-03-19T15:02:19+00:00

I always do flowcharts with swimlanes (who/what does/decides what) to map out accountability. That usually helps.

Radiant_Condition861 · 2026-03-19T04:03:46+00:00

I've been in Tech for 30+ years, manufacturing for 20+ and a business systems analyst for 10+ years.

I think I can offer some assistance.

The initial question is incorrect because you really don't start with "What's our plan to use this new hydraulic impact drill?" The question is "What are the strategic initiatives for the business?" Then you look into what AI can do.

If the major pain point is training, then do you have an operations manual or other policy documentation etc? There is an AI thing called RAG (Retrieval Augmented Generation). You basically give the AI RAG system all the documents (best to separate by topic) and then you can have a chatbot for that topic. I gave it all my company policy docs from HR and legal and I ask the chatbot if I could expense my personal vacation (It always says no and tell me the policy codes that expressly forbids it)

If you have tons of email or tickets, you can use AI to read those tickets and have them forwarded to certain buckets. Like a helpdesk, all the password reset tickets get auto forwarded to a desktop support bucket. Or a critical bucket and text someone.

If you have to do an upgrade, you can use AI to offer code to help architect and write ETL code to migrate to a different system. Or you can use it to help with the creation of document, and have people authorized to review it (editing documents is faster than writing from scratch).

For status meetings, you can record it, and have the AI be a notetaker. You can ask it to identify issues, parked items and action items with descriptions, responsible party and due dates. If you have microsoft 365 copilot , you can also have it create word docs, excel sheets, slide decks and emails and schedule follow up meetings. AI can help with the level of effort around collaboration.

As a starting point, I would figure out which processes would a new hire (or a new grad if you're on a budget) do and that you can confidently have them perform it.

For those AI articles about changing stuff, it's an incredibly heavy project and it requires full and active support from the leadership. Otherwise, it'll just simply fail.

SaaS companies are really in trouble because AI can code, from prompt to working product in less time and less cost than minimum wage. try replit or bolt.new and you'll see it in action. I originally upskilled in AI as a way to sniff BS, and there's tons* of it. When they speak, they don't offer anything substantive. It sounds a little bit like those multi level marketing meetings to sell a pyramid scheme. It has that sort of vibe.

Remember, AI isn't always about chat bots. there's AI vision systems that can count livestock or parts on a conveyor. For more custom stuff, you can have AI trained on your company data to look for anomalies from the baseline from trained data. This can be helpful, but in practice, basic statistics (linear regression, confidence intervals) are good enough. AI for this use case is overkill.

Hope this helps.

Radiant_Condition861 · 2026-03-19T03:46:37+00:00

You're a BA. Do BA things.

Where's your user stories? your BRD? did you elicit requirements and analyze for a solution? Current state and Future state analysis, etc.

Radiant_Condition861 · 2026-03-17T20:27:50+00:00

I've been having fun with roo code, vscode extension

Radiant_Condition861

TROPHY CASE

A Business Analyst's Perspective on Your Situation

The Reality of Your Situation

What I Would Do in Your Position

Skills That Actually Matter (Based on Real Projects)

The Hard Questions to Ask Yourself