IntermediateTECHNICAL
Walk me through, step by step, how you would analyze an underperforming business process using the tools you typically use (e.g., process mapping, basic data analysis, or simple SQL queries). How would you identify root causes and quantify the impact of your recommendations?
Business Analyst
General

Sample Answer

Let’s say we have an underperforming lead-to-opportunity process. I’d start by mapping the current state in Lucidchart with the SMEs: every step from lead creation to qualification, including systems and handoffs. Then I’d pull 6–12 months of data, either from a CRM export or with simple SQL—things like lead source, timestamps for key stages, owner, and outcome. I’ll calculate conversion rates and cycle times by stage and segment. In one project, this showed a 48-hour average lag between SDR assignment and first contact. I validated that in interviews and quick ticket sampling. Root cause turned out to be unclear routing rules and overloaded reps. We piloted new routing logic and a simple SLA dashboard; within eight weeks, time-to-first-touch dropped from 48 to 10 hours and lead-to-opportunity conversion went up 14%. I quantified impact by tying that uplift to average deal size and win rate, which translated to about $1.2M in annualized pipeline.

Keywords

Begin with current-state process mapping including systems and handoffsUse basic data analysis/SQL to quantify conversion rates and cycle timesValidate quantitative findings with SMEs via interviews and samplingTie improvements to financial impact (pipeline, revenue, or cost savings)
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