BA & Beyond 2025 conference review: exciting times for Business Analysis with an eye on AI

We’re back from the BA & Beyond 25 conference in Antwerp, and we’re still buzzing with ideas, inspiration, and connections. It was an energizing experience full of insight into the evolving world of business analysis, BPM, AI, and especially lots of interest for BPMN. Whether you're focused on creating models, improving processes, or guiding organizational change, there was something valuable at every turn.
Cardanit Project Manager, Teresa Montrone and I are glad we had this valuable experience and we came back really excited about the different outcomes.

What is BA & Beyond?

BA & Beyond is one of Europe’s leading conferences for business analysts and professionals working at the intersection of business and IT. It’s usually held in different countries in North Western Europe. The 2025 edition, taking place in Denmark, The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, marked its eighth successful year, and the Belgium event took place in the vibrant city of Antwerp on 12 and 13 May. The event is organized by a dedicated team of professionals passionate about the BA profession and supported by key partners from the Belgian and international BA community. The overall theme arching throughout all the different host cities was #nobox, and everybody gave a different take to such a theme.

The BA world is evolving fast, and BA & Beyond reflected that. This year, we saw a strong focus on the impact of artificial intelligence in shaping how analysts work—from tools that help document requirements more effectively to AI-powered insights that inform stakeholder decisions. BPM continues to play a crucial role, especially as organizations increasingly prioritize agility, clarity, and the ability to adapt fast.

AI takes center stage

Artificial Intelligence was everywhere this year—in talks, in workshops, and in corridor conversations. For business analysts, Artificial Intelligence is quickly becoming not just a buzzword but a practical enabler: writing better documentation, generating simulations, summarizing conversations, even facilitating better stakeholder engagement. Workshops to help build your own GPTs allowed participants to experiment with building custom GPTs tailored to specific BA use cases.

The importance of cybersecurity

Artificial Intelligence adoption also brought cybersecurity to the forefront. Analysts are more involved than ever in securing processes, evaluating digital risk, and asking critical questions about the technologies we depend on. Talks on cybersecurity from the analyst's perspective highlighted how integral this responsibility has become to the role.

Why we chose BA & Beyond

BA & Beyond’s central position in Europe makes it a strategic choice. Many of our customers and partners are based in the region, and the opportunity to meet them in person is invaluable. One of our key customers, CPAS de la Ville de Bruxelles, helped make our participation even more meaningful by supporting a joint presentation. We also had the opportunity to be a sponsor, giving us greater visibility among professionals eager to adopt and explore BPM practices. But more than anything, we were drawn by the quality of the talks, workshops, and conversations—and we weren’t disappointed.

Conference format and global reach

This year’s structure combined traditional conference sessions with hands-on workshops, and the turnout reflected a global interest. Not only attendees came from Belgium and neighbouring Netherlands, but also from the rest of Europe, Australia, South Africa and Canada. All of them with rich perspectives and a shared drive to improve how businesses work and change.

Workshops and talks we loved

One of the highlights of the conference was the workshop “Build your own GPTs to supercharge your BA work” by Stijn Van Schoonlandt, a step-by-step guide through creating GPTs that align with BA’s specific needs, whether it’s generating user stories, refining requirements, creating output in their own style, or managing project documentation.

The workshop on the second day we chose to attend was “The BA’s Guide to Better Decisions / Navigating Biases and Steering Change” by Naomi Chouinard. Naomi helped dive into the psychology of decision-making, exploring why biases and heuristics influence both us and others, whether we’re solving a complex business challenge or persuading a stakeholder to embrace change. Trivia of the workshop: the average adult makes about 35,000 decisions per day.

Across the two days there were several other talks that inspired us, among which:

• An AI panel discussion offering sharp perspectives on Artificial Iintelligence adoption in business analysis.
• "From Developer to Business Analyst," sharing lessons from transitioning into the BA role.
• "Where Two Cultures Meet," exploring the synergy (and friction) between innovation and government.
• "Enhancing IT Project Success Through Effective Information Design," focusing on the transformative power of information design in the development process for IT projects.
• "What’s Trending in the World of Business Analysis?" which offered a great round-up of tools, practices, and professional development tips.

Our talk: "Do you speak BPMN?"

One of the highlights for us was the opportunity to present our talk: "Do You Speak BPMN? CPAS Brussels' Use of Cardanit in Public Administration". We carefully chose the topic and the areas of conversation with BenoÎt Weissen, Project Lead Manager at one of our greatest customers, CPAS de la Ville de Bruxelles - OCMW van de Stad Brussel. Benoît and I shared the stage for 40 minutes in front of an attentive audience who flooded us with questions at the end of our session.

Our conversation focused on how challenges in public administration—often tied to slow procedures, siloed teams, and lack of shared understanding—can be overcome when competencies like process modeling are democratized across roles. You don’t need to be a business analyst or IT manager to contribute to process clarity.
We also agreed that reshaping how information and processes are communicated within an organization is a foundational step in digital transformation. When employees at all levels can see and understand the workflows they are part of, change becomes easier.

And, of course, we highlighted how BPMN as a standard—combined with user-friendly tools like Cardanit—can help foster growth, collaboration, and consistency across departments. Public organizations like CPAS Brussels are proving that the right tools and methods can bring lasting change, even in complex environments.

Benoît, our customer and BPMN champion, was a fantastic ambassador, clearly explaining concepts and showing the real-world impact of structured modeling. The audience response was phenomenal: our talk led to a 20-minute lively Q&A session with questions ranging from BPMN basics to advanced use of Cardanit features.
We were especially excited by the number of people asking for copies of our BPMN cheat sheet, which really makes your life easier when modeling.

A beautiful setting and a fitting close

Needless to say, Antwerp was the perfect host city—welcoming, walkable, and full of culture. Such a beautiful architecture, it was a pity I couldn't enjoy it to the fullest. I’m quite resolute to say I will make my own way back there without work commitments.

Attending BA & Beyond reminded us of the value of getting out of our daily routines to connect with peers, explore new ideas, and challenge our assumptions. The networking, the learning, the conversations—they all reinforced how dynamic and evolving the BA and BPM fields are.

We left inspired, energized, and full of ideas to bring back into our work with Cardanit and our community. We hope to see many of you again next year. Until then: keep asking good questions, keep refining your processes, and yes—keep speaking BPMN.