Two Types of Analyst, One Role
Business analysis splits into two broad categories that often get blurred together: non-technical business analysts, who apply methodologies to increase the value of a business by identifying process and operational improvements, and technical analysts, who solve technical problems to make a company more capable. If you're weighing whether to bring one in, the question do I need a business analyst? walks through the decision.
From Problem Identifier to Problem Solver
In practice, many analysts work across both sides. They're typically brought in not just to identify a problem but to solve it, which is what separates the role from a project manager: the analyst gathers data from the business, applies the right methodology, and delivers an actual solution. In practice, that often means identifying where marketing automation or a cleaner sales process would remove the bottleneck.