ISs are crucial to the success of modern business organization, and new systems are constantly being developed to make businesses more competitive. The key to successful system development is thorough systems analysis and design.
Def :
• Developing ISs is not just about writing programs. ISs are developed to solve problems for organizations, and systems analyst is often thought of as a problem solver rather than a programmer.
• To thoroughly understand the problem, the analyst must learn everything possible about it – who is involved, what business processes come into play, what data need to be stored and used, what other systems would be affected when solving this problem.
• Then the analyst needs to confirm for management that the benefits of solving the problem outweigh the cost.
• If solving the problem is feasible, the analyst develops a set of possible solutions and decides, in consultation with management, which possible solution is the best alternative overall.
Once the systems analyst has decided which alternative to recommend and management has approved the recommendation, the details must be worked out. These details include databases, user interface, networks, operating procedures, conversion plans, and, of course, program modules. After that, the actual construction of the system can begin.
• Systems analysts need a great variety of special skills. First, they need to be able to understand how to build ISs, and this requires quite a bit of technical knowledge. Then, they have to understand business they are working for. Finally, the analyst needs to understand quite a bit about people and the way they work.
Technical Knowledge and Skills
No one person can be an expert at all types of technology; there are technical specialist to consult for the details. But a systems analyst should understand the fundamentals about: • Computers and how they work
A systems analyst also needs to know a lot about tools and techniques for developing
systems.
(1) Tools are software products that help develop analysis or design specifications and completed systems components. Some tools used in system development include:
(2)Techniques are used to complete specific system development activities. They include:
An analyst should understand business organization in general. It may include the following examples:
It is also important to understand a specific company, that is:
People Knowledge and Skills
An analyst spends a lot of time working with people. It is critical that analyst understand:
Integrity and Ethics
A systems analyst gets an access to information in many different parts of an organization. It might be
A systems analyst is expected to have the integrity to keep this information and to uphold the highest ethical standards. Any appearance of impropriety can destroy an analyst’s career.