This post is part of my Building Successful AI Agents series. In earlier articles, I provided an overview of the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK) and summarized the first four steps from Pascal Bornet’s Agentic AI practical guide. In this post, I’ll map BABOK’s six knowledge areas to Bornet’s four AI agent steps, showing how the general discipline of business analysis aligns with the specialized process of building AI agents. This was done with the help of CharGPT.
Why Create a Crosswalk?
BABOK offers a comprehensive framework for analyzing, defining, and delivering any type of solution. Bornet’s steps are targeted at AI agents specifically. When you combine them, you get the rigor of BABOK with the AI-specific insights of Bornet’s framework.
Side-by-Side Mapping
| BABOK Knowledge Area | Closest Bornet Step | Alignment | Key Differences |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring | Step 1 – Finding the Right Agentic Opportunities | Both involve defining the approach, identifying objectives, and planning how the work will be done. | BABOK emphasizes defining performance measures and the BA approach; Bornet focuses on identifying processes where AI can create value. |
| Elicitation and Collaboration | Step 2 – Defining the AI Agent’s Role and Capabilities | Both require working with stakeholders to clarify goals, scope, and expectations. | BABOK covers stakeholder communication and consensus-building; Bornet is oriented toward technical role definition and capability selection. |
| Requirements Life Cycle Management | Step 2 – Defining the AI Agent’s Role and Capabilities | BABOK ensures requirements are maintained, traced, and updated; this supports Bornet’s role and capability definitions throughout the project. | BABOK is explicit about traceability and change control; Bornet implies ongoing refinement but doesn’t detail the mechanics. |
| Strategy Analysis | Step 1 – Finding the Right Agentic Opportunities & Step 3 – Designing AI Agents for Success | Both assess the current state, define the future state, and identify risks and constraints. | BABOK applies to any strategic change; Bornet frames the analysis around AI-specific benefits, architecture choices, and human–AI collaboration. |
| Requirements Analysis and Design Definition | Step 3 – Designing AI Agents for Success | Both focus on defining how the solution will work and ensuring it meets stakeholder needs. | BABOK is methodology-neutral; Bornet includes five specific AI agent design principles. |
| Solution Evaluation | Step 4 – Implementing Your AI Agents | Both assess how well the solution meets objectives and identify opportunities for improvement. | BABOK can apply to any implemented solution; Bornet’s approach assumes an iterative AI development cycle with pilots and scaling. |
How to Use This Crosswalk
If you’re building AI agents, you can use BABOK as your project’s backbone while applying Bornet’s steps for AI-specific decision-making. BABOK ensures you don’t miss any critical analysis or stakeholder engagement, while Bornet’s framework focuses your attention on the unique aspects of AI agent design and implementation. You get the best of both worlds.