What Is Fractional Business Analysis? (And Why AI Projects Need It Most)

What Fractional BA Means in Practice

Fractional business analysis means you get a senior business analyst embedded in your project on a part-time, flexible basis - typically 1–2 days per week. You get the expertise you need without the cost of a full-time hire, the risk of an unvetted freelancer, or the overhead of a big consultancy.

Why Fractional Works Better Than Full-Time

For project-based work, the fractional model is more efficient:

• No recruitment costs - you don't need to hire, onboard, or manage a permanent employee
• Senior expertise - you get someone with 15+ years of experience, not a graduate learning on your project
• Flexible commitment - scale up during intense phases, scale down between projects
• Fresh perspective - an external analyst brings objectivity that internal staff can't

The AI Connection

AI projects need business analysis more than any other kind of project. Why?

Because AI introduces unique requirements challenges:

• Acceptance criteria are harder - what does "accurate enough" mean for a prediction model?
• Data requirements are critical - AI can't work with bad data, and most SMEs have bad data
• Stakeholder expectations are inflated - the gap between what people think AI can do and what it actually does is enormous
• Vendor management is complex - AI vendor proposals are full of jargon that obscures what's actually being delivered

A fractional business analyst with AI expertise bridges all of these gaps. That's what EfficiencyAI provides.

Who This Is For (And Who It Isn't)

Good fit:

• SMEs commissioning digital or AI projects who need proper requirements
• Companies with supplier relationship problems
• Organisations that need BA expertise but can't justify a full-time hire

Not a fit:

• Organisations that need a full-time, dedicated BA for ongoing operations
• Projects that require deep domain knowledge we don't have (e.g., financial services regulation)
• Companies looking for someone to write code - we're analysts, not developers