Landing : Athabascau University

COMP 361 - The nature of the System Analyst's responsibilities in organizations

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By Daniel Hamacher September 8, 2012 - 1:39am

The role of a System Analyst can have many responsibilities. For instance, a cooperation is eager to change production procedures or manufacturing procedures by using information systems; this will eventually lead to lower cost and higher efficiency. The result in reality is often the opposite. The system is delayed in time, doesn't correspond to the requirements the customer had asked for. This is most likely the result of an in-proper design of the system. The System Analyst is responsible for understanding the problem in order to provide a solution that will improve business procedures. Support and maintenance of an predecessor system is also crucial since not every system can be replaced that easily due to high costs or the time that is needed to develop such a system. System Analyst also need strong interpersonal skills, because ideas are shared with CEOs and other high executives. To have a better understanding about the business problem it is important to interview people that already know the business, therefore, those people are able to provide useful knowledge that might help in the development of the information system. The System Analyst must understand the problem (what is required from the system), develop a plan that will meet the requirements of the customer, decide what about the technologies that are best suited to physically implement the system, carry out the designed plan, and support and maintain the system after it has been developed. The System Analyst must be aware of the rapid changing technologies, yet continuous learning is crucial in becoming a competent System Analyst. This position doesn't involve programming as the main part, it is more the managing of the resources that are available to change business structures or to solve a business problems; for instance, how can a business department (marketing, manufacturing etc.) be more efficient more productive by using less of the current resources.