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In this article you’ll learn about System Analyst, it’s and Qualities.
What is System Analyst?
The system analyst is overall responsible for the development of a software. He is the crucial interface between users, programmers and MIS managers. He conducts a system’s study, identifies activities and objectives and determines a procedure to achieve the objective. He has a very important role in the development of a system.
A Systems analyst is a person who is overall responsible for development of a software. He is the computer professional charged with analyzing, designing and implementing computer based information systems. He is the crucial interface among users, programmers and MIS managers. A Systems analyst can be defined as follows:
A Systems analyst is a computer specialist who translates business problems and requirements into information systems and acts as liaison between IS (Information Systems) department and rest of the organization.
The analyst conducts a systems study, identifies activities and objectives and determines a procedure to achieve the objectives. He is the key member of both MIS organization and the software project team. He is a person with unique skills, experience, personality and common sense. His role has been emerging with advances in technology.
Roles of a Systems Analyst
The Systems analyst performs the following roles during various phases of SDLC. He works as a:
- Problem Investigator: The analyst studies the problems and needs of an organization during feasibility and requirements analysis phases of SDLC. He visits the various departments of the organization and interviews the users. He analyses the problems of the current system and collects their new requirements. The analyst initially works as an investigator by extracting the real problems of the users.
- Problem Solver: The analyst solves the problems of the current system faced by the users. He determines how people, method and technology can improve the current system. After feasibility analysis, he presents the system proposal to the management.
- Systems Designer: The analyst creates a detailed physical (current) and logical (proposed) design of the system.
- Motivator: The analyst motivates users to participate in development and implementation of the proposed system. This helps to understands user’s feelings about the proposed system.The analyst interprets the thoughts of users and hence, draws conclusions. He appeals management and users for getting the support in development and implementation of the proposed system.
- Project Manager: The analyst monitors the development and implementation of software in relation to quality, cost and time. He works with the project leader for managing the project properly. For development of small systems, the Systems analyst is generally the project leader.
Qualities of Systems Analyst
Success in systems analysis requires interpersonal and technical skills of the analyst. The systems analyst is expected to possess the following qualities:
- Qualified: The analyst must be highly qualified in software technology. Besides software, he should have a good knowledge of hardware and latest communication and networking technology. He must have a thorough awareness about the working (manual and computerized) of financial accounting, sales and marketing, invoicing, inventory control, production and other information systems of different organization.
- Analytical Thinker: The analyst must be capable to extract real problems of the users by analyzing the existing system. He is expected to provide the best solutions to the problems. He should be able to provide more than one solution to a single problem so that the users can select the best one. The systems analyst must be capable of tackling any problem of the user. He must be a problem solver and not a problem creator.
- Good Communicator: The analyst must have a good communication and presentation skills. He must have an excellent command on the language which the user can understand. There should not be any communication gap between the systems analyst and users.
- Experienced: The analyst should be experienced in both information and management technologies. He should be associated with all types of business concerns ( viz., Manufacturing, Trading, Financial, etc.). The present day systems analysts are expected to possess a good experience in development of software using 4GLS (such as Oracle, Sybase, etc.) and object-oriented languages (such as C++).
- Creator: The analyst should possess excellent creativity skills that help to convert ideas of the users into concrete plans. He/she should be capable of creating plans and designing systems by drawing diagrams, charts and other illustrations.
- Trainer: The analyst should be a good teacher for educating and training users in computer based information systems.
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