From Analyst to Teacher: How One Project Reset Our Relationship with the Client

In this talk, I'll share a real case of implementing an in-house ATS at Lenta — and how the BA role grew far beyond requirements gathering. I'll cover the multiple roles I juggled, how we built relationships with the contractor, and the personal and corporate pains the project revealed — along with the fixes we put in place.

I'll explain how we connected with the client: found common ground, respected their expertise, and became "one of them" — especially crucial after a prior failed implementation. I'll also show how I built long-term trust by teaching the client BA basics, process modeling, and IT tools.

Finally, I'll bust the "terrible client" myth, argue why investing in client competencies matters, and share the concrete results we achieved together.