Project Execution & Monitoring in 2025: A BA’s Guide to Turning Plans into Reality

What is Project Execution & Monitoring?

Project execution and monitoring is the phase where your project plans are put into action and continuously tracked to ensure deliverables match business requirements, timelines, and quality standards.

You’ve prepared the BRD, mapped out a detailed project plan, and stakeholders have signed off. Now comes the real test—project execution and monitoring.
This is where strategies become deliverables, and any slip-ups can cost time, money, and trust.
In this post, discover how Business Analysts (BAs) support project execution, monitor progress, avoid pitfalls, and apply best practices for project success.

Before We Begin – What Does “Execution” Really Mean?

Execution isn’t just “starting work.” It means ensuring every project plan task is completed as intended. BAs work alongside project managers, developers, and stakeholders to make sure business requirements from the BRD are translated into real solutions.

Why it matters:

• Coordinated Action: All teams, including development, QA, design, operations, and stakeholders, work in alignment to accomplish the objectives laid out in the project plan.
• Deliverable-Focused Work: The primary goal during execution is to produce outputs (features, modules, reports, etc.) that meet the specifications defined in the Business Requirement Document (BRD) and other planning artifacts.
• Adaptability & Issue Resolution: While sticking to the plan is important, execution also involves managing changes, addressing unforeseen problems, and making informed decisions to keep the project on track.
• Continuous Monitoring: Execution is not a passive “set and forget” phase. It requires active progress tracking, quality checks, and regular communication to ensure the work matches expectations.

For Business Analysts (BAs), execution is where their role becomes more hands-on and dynamic. Instead of only documenting requirements upfront, BAs:

• Validate that teams understand business needs precisely,
• Facilitate discussions to clarify ambiguities,
• Manage changes responsibly to control scope creep, and
• Ensure solutions are built with the intended business value in mind.

The BA’s Role During Project Execution

Contrary to popular belief, a BA’s main impact starts after the BRD is finalized.

Key responsibilities:

• Clarifying Requirements: Keeping developers and QA on track with the BRD.
• Change Management: Analyzing and validating mid-project changes.
• Facilitating Communication: Bridging business and technical teams. Over-communication is way better than under communication.
• Issue Tracking: Spotting risks early and documenting the impacts on scope/timeline.

If you’re new to a BA’s role, check our post on What Does a Business Analyst Do?

Monitoring Progress – The BA’s Toolkit

Monitoring is not just the PM’s job. BAs monitor whether deliverables meet requirements.

Essential monitoring activities:

• Requirement Traceability Matrix (RTM): Mapping BRD items to features and test cases.
• Defect Analysis: Determining if bugs stem from missed requirements or scope creep.
• Regular Demos & Feedback: Running sprint reviews or UAT with stakeholders.
• Documentation Updates: Updating BRDs/functional docs for any scope change. This should be pro-actively communicated to all relevant stakeholders

BA vs PM: Who Does What During Execution?

Depending on your team dynamics, you may exercise functions of both Business Analyst as well as Project Manager.

BA + PM Partnership – Why It’s Critical

PMs focus on how (schedule, risks, budget); BAs focus on what (requirements, value).
A strong partnership ensures:

• Every deliverable maps to business needs.
• No disconnect between project goals and execution.
• Faster risk mitigation via regular feedback.

Common Pitfalls During Execution (and How BAs Can Avoid Them)

1. Scope Creep: Avoid undocumented changes—use a change request process.
2. Ambiguous Requirements: Revisit the BRD frequently for clarity.
3. Delayed Feedback: Keep business involved through demos and updates.
4. Poor Documentation: Document and approve every change.

Best Practices for Effective Monitoring

• Project Dashboards: Use JIRA, Trello, or Asana for real-time visibility.
• Gantt Charts: Track actual progress against the plan.
• Weekly BA-PM Syncs: Short meetings so bottlenecks don’t linger.
• Risk Logs: Document risks and how to manage them.

Pro Tip: Go through our guide on How to Prepare Project Plan, where you can also download and utilize free Gantt Chart Template for project execution tracking.

BA’s Execution Checklist

1. Requirements are traced to actual implementation
2. All assumptions, dependencies, and risks are tracked
3. Stakeholders are kept updated
4. Testing always aligns with BRD/SRS: Read this article to understand differences between key BA Documentations

TL;DR – BAs in Project Execution

Project execution and monitoring is where your documentation (BRD, project plan) proves its worth. A BA ensures that what’s being built matches what was intended – no surprises, no rework, no last-minute panic.

Strong BA and Project Manager (PM) collaboration reduces risks and keeps projects aligned with business goals. Avoid common pitfalls like scope creep and poor documentation by adhering to structured monitoring practices. Use tools like RTM, dashboards, and Gantt charts to keep projects on track. Consistent BA involvement throughout execution ensures smooth delivery and maximizes business value.

Frequntly Asked Questions (FAQs)

References

• https://www.pmi.org
• https://www.prince2.com/eur/blog/a-deep-dive-into-the-role-of-a-business-analyst
• https://www.simplilearn.com/project-management-and-the-requirements-traceability-matrix-article
• https://www.projectmanager.com/blog/requirements-traceability-matrix
• https://monday.com/blog/project-management/project-monitoring-and-evaluation/

Aryan Arora

I write stuff 📝

thebusinessperspective.in