The Business Analyst's Glossary: 580+ Essential BA Terms Explained Simply

Stop Googling jargon mid-meeting. 580+ business analysis terms, explained the way a mentor would explain them.

Ever sat in a meeting and heard a term you didn’t know, then spent the next 10 minutes pretending you did?

You’re not alone. Business analysis comes with its own language of acronyms, frameworks, techniques, and tools, and nobody hands you the dictionary when you start.

The Business Analyst’s Glossary is your pocket reference to 580+ essential BA terms, explained in plain English, the way I’d explain them to a mentee, not a textbook.

What’s inside

• 580+ terms in strict A-Z order, so you can find anything in seconds
• Core BABOK concepts and knowledge areas
• Agile and Scrum terms (sprints, backlogs, epics, user stories, and more)
• Requirements, elicitation, and modelling techniques (BPMN, UML, RACI, MoSCoW, SWOT, and more)
• Data, testing, and technology terms (APIs, ETL, UAT, SIT, data governance)
• Finance, strategy, and process-improvement terms (ROI, NPV, Lean, Six Sigma, KPIs)
• Popular BA tools (JIRA, Confluence, Visio, Lucidchart, Draw.io, Balsamiq, and others)
• Certification terms (ECBA, CCBA, CBAP) explained simply

Who is this for?

• Aspiring BAs and career switchers breaking into the field
• New and junior business analysts building confidence on the job
• Anyone preparing for a BA interview
• Students studying for ECBA, CCBA, CBAP, or similar certifications (use it alongside the BABOK)
• Project managers, product owners, and team members who work with BAs

How to use it

• Read it through once to start recognising the vocabulary
• Use it as a lookup when you hear an unfamiliar term in a meeting or job description
• Use it as a study aid to reinforce definitions in plain English

Why you’ll love it

• Beginner-friendly: no jargon explained with more jargon
• Clean, easy-to-navigate layout
• Instant digital download, and it works on any device
• Written by a practicing BA and mentor, not a textbook committee

Get your copy today and walk into your next meeting, interview, or exam with confidence.