Matthew Cross is a Principal Business Analyst in Audacia’s consulting team, having joined the company in 2023. Before that, he spent around 11 years in product roles across the software industry.
What was your background before joining Audacia?
I’ve got around 11 years’ experience in software. My last role was with a company that develops software for social care and education, where I wore a few hats across product management, pre-sales, implementation, support and training.
It all started with a graduate role at a company building software for the commercial property sector and local government. I landed there after a law degree at the University of Leeds and a brief dalliance with a career in education.
What brought you to Audacia?
I was looking for a new challenge after my time in product management. I was impressed by the people I spoke to at Audacia and the culture here, and straight away it felt like somewhere I’d be at home.
Could you give some insight into what a business analyst does day-to-day?
As part of the consulting team, a lot of my time goes into the early stages of engagements. That usually means workshops with clients to understand how things work today, so what’s working well, where things could be better, where the risks are and how a project should be shaped. Clients often come to us with an idea or a solution already in mind, so I spend a fair bit of time asking what’s driving it, to make sure what we suggest addresses their key problems and unlocks value.
I’m increasingly involved in the more strategic projects that come through consulting too. That might be helping an organisation put AI governance in place or reviewing how technology is used and perceived across a business so they can work out where to focus next.
When I’m on the delivery side of a project, the work gets more hands-on. I speak with clients to understand their requirements and write acceptance criteria, then talk them through with our engineers to make sure they’re clear and achievable.
What does working directly with clients involve?
Working with clients is a big part of the role, particularly at the early stages, when we’re trying to get to grips quickly with a client’s priorities and what matters most to them. I get to speak with people at every level of an organisation, from those at the coalface through to the exec team, so it’s about understanding what’s important to each of them and reflecting that back, so everyone can see what’s in it for them and gets behind the project.
One of the best things about being a BA is that you get a look behind the curtain into lots of organisations across different industries. You see what makes them tick and the themes that come up again and again, but also the problems that are unique to them, and you get to help them find the right solution.
What type of projects have you worked on?
Recently I’ve been on the delivery phase of a greenfield project with a tight timeline, which meant scaling up the team very early. That changes how you shape the backlog, because you need enough work defined, and split cleanly enough, for several people to pick things up in parallel without treading on each other’s toes. It was a strong, collaborative team, and several of them were new to Audacia, which made it even more enjoyable.
Digital transformation projects have been a highlight too. They’re such interesting problem spaces, where you get to look beyond a single system or team and help shape where the business goes next.
And I always love a client site visit. Spending time where the work happens shows you things a workshop never will. Bonus points if there’s somewhere interesting nearby. This year’s highlights were the north coast of Northern Ireland and a stop at Jeremy Clarkson’s pub, The Farmer’s Dog.
What does success look like on a project?
It depends on where I’m involved. If I’ve done the discovery and I’m handing over to delivery, success is the team picking it up and running with it. The foundations should be solid enough for them to deliver what the client needs within budget, without constantly coming back to ask what we meant.
In delivery, you see it play out as you go. Stories move through without much back and forth, the developers aren’t left guessing, and the client recognises what they asked for when it lands in front of them.
What opportunities have you been given for progression?
I joined as a Senior Business Analyst and progressed to Principal.
The title change is nice recognition, but for me the bigger sign of progression is the kind of work I’ve been trusted with. I’ve been given engagements that have stretched me and taken me into areas I hadn’t worked in before. There’s a good balance too, I’ve got the freedom to work autonomously, but I can always get a steer from colleagues, all the way up to the directors.
What is the culture like at Audacia?
What I've always valued most is the people. Being a room with really passionate, clever people who you can always learn something from has always been my favourite thing about being here.
It’s also a friendly, sociable place with plenty going on outside work.
Audacia is a leading technology consultancy specialising in engineering, data and AI based in the UK, with headquarters in Leeds. Find out more about what it's like to work here and our current open vacancies on our careers site.
