# BA roles across the implementation lifecycle

*Business Analyst Study Guide · Customer Discovery · Last updated October 15, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/business-analyst/customer-discovery/ba-roles-across-the-implementation-lifecycle*

What the business analyst owns in each phase of a Salesforce implementation, how the role differs from admin, developer, architect, project manager and business owner, and why the BA supplies analysis and raises gaps while others decide, design and build.

- Certification: Salesforce Business Analyst
- Exam section: Customer Discovery
- Study guide: https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/business-analyst

**Official exam objective:**

> Understand and explain Business Analyst roles and responsibilities in different phases of the implementation lifecycle.

## What the exam expects

- Separate BA responsibilities from those of the admin, developer, architect, project manager and business owner or sponsor.
- Name what the BA does in each phase: discovery, design, build, test and deploy.
- Explain the liaison role: translating business needs for the technical team and technical constraints back into business impact.
- Respond when asked to make a decision that belongs to someone else: provide the analysis, facilitate, let the owner decide.
- Raise a gap between an approved requirement and the proposed design instead of fixing or hiding it.

Key terms: **liaison** (the BA as interpreter between business and IT); **business owner or sponsor** (the person who sets priorities and accepts the solution); **implementation lifecycle** (the phases a change passes through, from discovery to go-live); **out-of-role work** (tasks the exam guide says the BA is not expected to do).

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Role type | BA is project-based business improvement; admin is operational | [Compare the Admin and Business Analyst Roles](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/salesforce-admins-and-salesforce-bas-quick-look/compare-the-admin-and-ba-roles) |
| Core BA work | Elicit, document and analyze requirements; interpreter between IT and business | [Exploring the Salesforce BA Role](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/salesforce-business-analyst-quick-look/learn-about-the-salesforce-business-analyst-role) |
| When BAs join | From the get-go, not only after kickoff | [Exploring the Salesforce BA Role](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/salesforce-business-analyst-quick-look/learn-about-the-salesforce-business-analyst-role) |
| Not expected | Change management, project management, ROI, custom code, technical design, ongoing administration | [Salesforce Certified Business Analyst Exam Guide](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/help?article=Salesforce-Certified-Business-Analyst-Exam-Guide) |
| May need assistance | Stakeholder conflict, setting priorities, signing off UAT | [Salesforce Certified Business Analyst Exam Guide](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/help?article=Salesforce-Certified-Business-Analyst-Exam-Guide) |
| Discovery | Where the BA does most of the groundwork | [Explore Techniques for Information Discovery](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/business-analyst_skills-strategies/explore-techniques--information-discovery) |
| Testing step | Build training material and record feedback for the next iteration | [Exploring the Salesforce BA Role](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/salesforce-business-analyst-quick-look/learn-about-the-salesforce-business-analyst-role) |
| Admin tasks | Org, users, security, objects, automation, sandboxes and production | [Compare the Admin and Business Analyst Roles](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/salesforce-admins-and-salesforce-bas-quick-look/compare-the-admin-and-ba-roles) |

## Check yourself

- Why does the BA raise a design gap rather than fix the design?
- When do BAs join a Salesforce project?
- What separates the admin role from the BA role?
- Why is a BA central to UAT?

## Sources

- [Exploring the Salesforce BA Role](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/salesforce-business-analyst-quick-look/learn-about-the-salesforce-business-analyst-role)
- [Compare the Admin and Business Analyst Roles](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/salesforce-admins-and-salesforce-bas-quick-look/compare-the-admin-and-ba-roles)
- [Salesforce Certified Business Analyst Exam Guide](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/help?article=Salesforce-Certified-Business-Analyst-Exam-Guide)
- [Explore Techniques for Information Discovery](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/business-analyst_skills-strategies/explore-techniques--information-discovery)
- [Learn About User Acceptance Testing](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/user-acceptance-testing-video/learn-about-user-acceptance-testing)
- [Implement Scrum](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/scrum-and-kanban-at-salesforce/implement-scrum)
- [Understand the Value of Business Analysis](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/business-process-mapping/understand-the-value-of-business-analysis)
- [Discover the Top Business Analyst Skills](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/business-analyst_skills-strategies/discover-top-business-analyst-skills)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 8 linked practice questions, and unlimited timed mock exams are included with the Business Analyst pack (USD $19): https://www.certifyforce.com/practice-exams