What Business Analysts does in a software project?

Have an ever seen a Business Analyst working in a software development environment? You might have seen him talking to the onsite manager or client over phone/Skype; you might have seen him meeting developers and explaining them in a conference room; you might have seen him working with testers sometimes. Have you ever wonder what Business Analysts does in a software project? What are his roles and responsibilities? Here are few titbits for you.

Gather requirements
Business Analysts gather project requirements from the stakeholders during the initial stages of the project.
Document Requirements
Business Analysts document the project requirements using various tools for everybody to understand.
Manage project scope
Business Analysts manage any changes to the project scope throughout the project life cycle.
Educate the team
Business Analysts educate the design development testing and other team involved in the project on the requirements
User Acceptance testing
Business Analysts conduct User Acceptance Test UAT on behalf of the customer once the software product is ready.