testers need to make sure that the wanted features actually work as documented and coded. Experts estimate that 10% to 40% of the features in new software applications are unnecessary or go unused. Being able to reduce the amount of these extra features by even one-third can result in significant savings. An approach of minimalism or keep it simple and minimum technology supports a reduced cost number for the result and on going maintenance of the implemented solution. Improve project efficiency Efficiency can be achieved in two ways: by reducing rework and by shortening project length. Rework is a common industry headache and it has become so common at many organizations that it is often built into project budgets and time lines. It generally refers to extra work needed in a project to fix errors due to incomplete or missing requirements and can impact the entire software development process from definition to coding and testing. The need for rework can be reduced by ensuring that the requirements gathering and definition processes are thorough and by ensuring that the business and technical members of a project are involved in these processes from an early stage. Shortening project length presents two potential benefits. For every month that a project can be shortened, project resource costs can be diverted to other projects. This can lead to savings on the current project and lead to earlier start times of future projects (thus increasing revenue potential). Business analysis qualifications An aspiring business analyst can opt for academic or professional education. Several leading universities in the US, NL and UK offer master's degrees with a major in either business analysis, process management or business transformation. Many universities offer bachelors or master's degree in business analysis, including: The University of Manchester Master of Science (MSc) in business analysis Victoria University of Wellington Master of professional business analysis City University of Hong Kong BBA in business analysis Radboud University Nijmegen Master of Science (MSc) in business administration – specialisation business analysis and modelling The three most widely recognised business analysis qualifications are: International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) Certified Business Analysis Professional Level 1 – Entry-level Certificate in Business Analysis (ECBA) Level 2 – Certification of Capability in Business Analysis (CCBA) Level 3 – Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP) Level 4 (not yet available) – Certified Business Analysis Thought Leader (CBATL) Project Management Institute – Professional in Business