Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming industries, reshaping business models, and redefining customer expectations. For organizations seeking to harness AI, the role of the Business Analyst (BA) becomes crucial—not just in defining requirements, but in aligning AI solutions with strategic goals and operational realities. According to the BABOK Guide, Strategy Analysis comprises four key tasks:

1. Analyze Current State
2. Define Future State
3. Assess Risks
4. Define Change Strategy

This article focuses on the first and foundational task: Analyze Current State. Understanding where the organization stands today is essential before envisioning where it wants to go.

Purpose of Analyzing the Current State:

To uncover the underlying drivers for change — whether it's solving a problem, seizing an opportunity, or responding to external pressures. It helps identify what aspects of the business will be affected and lays the groundwork for defining business needs and solution scope.

Key Outputs:

1. Current State Description: A holistic view of the enterprise’s internal and external environment, including capabilities, resources, performance metrics, culture, infrastructure, and dependencies;

2. Business Requirements: Clear articulation of the problem, opportunity, or constraint that justifies the initiative.

Analyze the Current State of an organization is an integration endeavour, aimed at studying, discovering and integrating the several aspects of an organization, as well as understanding the Needs

and their root causes behind.

Below is a structured framework (might not be complete) to guide Business Analysts in capturing the current state for AI-related initiatives: