Domain Knowledge Vs. Analysis Skills : What is more important ?

Although it seems contemporary but both domain knowledge and analysis skills are complementary to each other,if you don't have domain knowledge than on which you will do analysis, but alone analysis skill will also not solve the problem.

Stronger analysis skills helps in solving business problems and domain knowledge helps here.

The key point here is knowledge is never static ; what is knowledge today , will either become outdated or ignorance in a matter or months or years.

A doctor may be very knowledgeable when he comes out of college , but unless he maintains the habit of learning new things every day , he will fade away sooner or later.

So the only thing which will help one to increase one's knowledge is analytical skills , critical thinking.

Though both are compliment to each other, I will support for Analytical Skills, this bias arise from my pragmatic experience where I strongly argue that  " Analytical Skills is a necessary condition, where as domain expertise is sufficient condition".

Mr.Ajay, You are absolutely right. Without domain knowledge no one can take decision properly and thus not able to do Anylysis.

Both are equally important but I would say analytic skills are more necessary. That doesn't mean one should lack proper domain knowledge. Actually, domain knowledge will help him to do his work properly but analytic skills will help him to take proper decisions at emergency times....

Analytical capacity to go deeper into the domain knowledge and derive the correct and relevant conclusion is a must for proper and meaningful BI.I have developed  such an analytical tool that is 100 percent objective and there is no need to depend upon the human mind only which often tends to become subjective. Generally there are major differences between two brains as far as analysis of a domain knowlede is concerned. Those readers who are interested about my 100% objective analysis tool can contact me and join the Business Forecasting Group which I just created today on this site.

Hoping to learn more

Microsolar Brain

Both are compliment to each other but if I have to choose one i will choose Analysis Skills is more important.

Simple fact Domain Knowlege can be give/assisted by the client but Analysis skill cannot. Its an added advantatge if a Business Analyst has a Domain knowlege but cannot be replace by Analysis skills.

However a Business Analyst can start its career from having a Domain knowledge and them learning analysis skills  or

can start its career having analysis skills and then picks a domain knowledge slowly and expertise in it later.

Mr.Ajay i definitely agree with what you are saying.Certainly one can only utilize his domain knowledge if he has the analytical skills.But as you said that both the domain knowledge and analytical skills compliment each other and one can't leverage on one thing without having another.

Analysis skills are a personal attribute and is gained mainly from individual's observation power and understanding of things whereas domain knowledge can be gained from books. Domain knowledge sits on the top of analysis skills. To me it looks that both compliment eachother, without analysis skills one cannot exploit domain knowledge and vice versa, but yes from the broad perspective analysis skills take precedence over domain knowledge. If one has good analysis skills, one can work in any domain.

Domain knowledge is like a Map. Analysis helps you get where you want with the map. Analysis also helps you know where you are and where you want to go. If One can read one map (akin to domain knowledge), the same person can read another as well even if the conventions used are different.

No One is born with any Domain Knowledge, Besides, none of these technologies or so called domains are current beyond a couple of years. Even those who believe they have sound domain knowledge face with the need to catch up with newer perspectives and approach or be challenged with obscelescence.

Logical thinkig, ability to grasp the core concept and the ability to abstract things to a level that one understand and build on, can provide a more definitive and stronger success in the long run. The domain knowledge gets accumulated as one learns and asks questions. Between the two, Analysis skills could be more rewarding.

Only One sentence,

No one can gather domain knowledge without analysis skills.

(Unless you are lucky enough to manage to stay in the industry for long time without having analysis skills and eventually procure domain knowledge--LOL) Can anyone learn Finance or Sales or Retail without having analytical skills??

Domain skills can be easily acquired by a BA with good analytical skills. Whereas it will be difficult for a BA to master the analytical skills. A BA with skills in a specific domain will find it too hard to transition to a new domain, whereas a BA with good analytical skill can transition to any domain. Skills are acquired and not born with and how easier and how quicker one can master the skill really matters. Analytical skill is harder to acquire and hence this is an important skill for the BA to possess and the domain skills can be acquired quickly by a an Analytically good BA

I would go for Analysis Skills because its difficult to learn and it take time. If a Business Analyst can learn these difficult skills then he can learn the Domain skills easily.

So I prefer Analysis skills for a Business Analyst