What is Critical Business Analysis

This chapter reviews the need for critical thinking and analysis and the art of reasoning and looks at quantitative and qualitative research methodologies and the situations where they are appropriate. The chapter reviews the question of why the analysis required for business development is so critical. Why is gathering the information needed for business development more difficult than gathering information for information systems development? To understand these questions, it is necessary to review the range and complexity of the information required for business research and analysis. The internal performance data must be evaluated and the actual economic position of the organisation established. The critical value elements of the organisation's resources need to be identified and the competencies established. The competitive environment must be researched together with the external factors that impact the organization, and all the interactions that result must be evaluated.