LCBS5059 Reflective Journal: Business Analyst Internship Experience

This reflective journal details a student's internship experience as a Business Analyst and Project Consultant at SLA IT Solutions. During a short tenure of 60 hours, the student undertook business analysis and project management functions, analyzing company reports, financial records, and market situations to identify operational loopholes and recommend strategic improvements. The journal reflects on the challenges faced, including difficulties in assessing client requirements and developing project schedules due to insufficient communication and unclear goals. The student also highlights the importance of empathy in decision-making and the value of practical experience in understanding real-world business situations. The experience provided insights into software development methodologies, organizational structures, and the importance of effective communication and teamwork. The student also reflects on the need for clear identification of the organizational goals and the benefits of the project in the organizational model.

Reflective journal
Intern as a Business analyst and project consultant

Reflective journal
• I served as an intern in the organization SLA IT Solutions ltd while operating
as the as the Business Analyst and Project management
• Knowledge on the different organizational structures enabled me in
developing an insight on the issues that might be faced by the organization
while operating in the different markets
• My part of the job was to identify the structure of the organizations and the
manner in which the same might operate as per the needs of the strategic
goals
• During my short tenure of two and a half days (60 hours) I was entitled with
the task of completing 10 business analysis and 5 project management
functions

Reflective journal
• As a business analyst my supervisor shared company information in the
form of company sustainability reports, annual reports and business process
reports
• I studied the different financial records of the organizations and thereby
identified the loopholes which affected the rate of operations of the venture
• On the first go it was quite difficult for me as I have never been into the task
of analyzing the organizational position
• I was entitled with the responsibility of analyzing the different sources of
information that are freely available on the organizations and the manner in
which the data might be processed

Reflective journal
• My sense of understanding the state of the organizations enabled me in developing
recommended course of activities for improving the operationalization of the venture in the
different markets
• I was asked to assess the macro and micro environmental situations that are faced by the
organizations with the objective of improving the rate of operations of the venture
• I faced significant issues in examining the situations that are restricting the growth of the
ventures
• I undertook active experimentation on the job responsibility of an analyst which again
helped me in developing effective knowledge on the different issues that are being faced by
the organizations
• I rechecked the feasibility of the case organizations and thereby processed data from
different reliable sources with the objective of developing strategic recommended activities
for the case organizations

Reflective journal
• The field experience was based on the purpose of providing the interns with a
knowledge of the different real life situation that are faced by the organizations
and the manner in which the same might be analyzed for the recommended
course of actions
• I was bestowed with the responsibility of proposing the software development
methodology to the case study organizations
• Prior knowledge on software development contributed towards my efforts of
proposing recommendations to the business cases while reflecting on their
respective positions
• I assessed different factors like human workforce, the field of operations of the
venture, the business model, the financial position and the macro-micro
environment while providing recommendations to the case organizations

Reflective journal
• I believe that I was fortunate enough to receive the cooperation and support
of my team members and supervisors while identifying the situations and
the diverse changes that might be initiated by the businesses
• my task was to develop innovative recommendations for the organizations
while reviewing their existing models, frameworks and the market situation
• I was assigned with the responsibility of communicating directly with the
client organizations and thereby identify their software based requirements
• interactions with the entrepreneurs and managers in the different
organizations supported me in developing insight on the type of problem
and analyze the same instantly while providing the same with proven
solutions

Reflective journal
• The identification of the business situations and the manner in which
the same might be executed as per the software development needs
permitted me in suggesting recommendations to the organizations
• in-depth analysis of the organizational positions enabled me in getting
an insight on the viable options
• My superiors commented on my decision making skills stating that I
must develop my decision making criteria based on empathy
• lack of empathy affected my rate of decision making skills while
analyzing and suggesting activities for the organizations

Reflective journal
• I realized that different changes that are undertaken by the organizations are specifically
reliant on the effective study of the macro- micro environmental situation
• I worked upon the different projects that are being planned by the management of the case
organizations
• My textual knowledge of identifying the type of projects and segregating the activities as
per the agility contributed to my operations as a consultant
• I must admit that I faced significant issues in developing the schedules for the organization
due to the reason of insufficient communication with the client organizations
• The unclear goals and perceptions of the organizations towards the project also restricted
me in developing the schedule and segregating the tasks effectively
• The applicability of the project in the organizational model relied on my job as a business
analyst which enabled me in identifying the prospects for change and the benefits

Reflective journal
• I faced significant issues in identifying the requirements of the clients in my short tenure as an
intern
• I was empowered by the support and guidance of my supervisors which permitted me to
work independently while deciding the methodology that should be followed by a project
• I coordinated with the supervisors and my team members with the objective of identifying
the best possible mechanism that might be implemented in the projects
• I believe that the short span of time rarely contributed to my capabilities of developing in
sights on the different activities that might be initiated as per the needs of the entrepreneurs
• operationalization of the different departments are specifically based on the schedule that
was prepared by me
• My chief role as an intern was to segregate the tasks and thereby develop methodologies in
orientation with strategic requirements of the organizations for supporting competitive
benefits

Reflective journal
• During my tenure as an intern in the organization I faced significant issue in
developing a budget for a client’s project
• The plan for a project is specifically based on the assessment of
organizational requirement and feasibility of the option that is being chosen
by the venture
• as a project planner I was assigned with the responsibility of developing
estimated outcome for which I needed explicit knowledge on the benefits
that are derived from the projects after implementation
• My knowledge on strategic management and the manner in which
organizations behave contributed to my job responsibility of understanding
the feasibility of the option in the organizational model

Reflective journal
• I attended meetings for 15 minutes with the stakeholders of the five
case companies with the objective of identifying the concerns that are
being faced by the ventures
• I faced significant issues in handling adverse situations which again
incapacitated me in improving my performance
• lack of proficient management qualities in adverse situations apart
from the textual knowledge affected my capabilities of dealing with
the requirements of the clients
• The lack of clear identification of the organizational requirements
related to the project affected my capacity of allocating resources

Reflective journal
• The delineation of the project methodology is an important part which
enables an organization in improving the rate of performance of the project
while operating in the different markets
• I undertook steps to develop methodologies as per the organizational
project based requirements through consultation with my peers and
supervisors
• through the internship program I learned the manner in which I must react
to different practical situations
• However, I believe that the time duration that was allocated for the
internship program was shot enough to disable a consolidated study of my
job responsibilities which I would undertake in the coming years