The IT world constantly changes very fast. Business ruling approaches, having existed for decades, are being completely reconstructed, in some cases just for a night. Thus, nowadays, a huge number of companies from small to huge ones that have worked traditionally for years crucially need experts’ help to get aware of up-to-date methods mixing business and computing. It means they need the help of IT systems analysts.
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First, let’s check out the general definition of a pro in the mentioned position.
To get a clearer understanding of an IT systems analyst’s role, let’s look at the position with something more visual. The scheme below shows the stages in the software development cycle a systems analyst influences.
From the scheme, we can see that the analysis (of course, including the specialists for performing it) connects all the important links in the development circle. It means the stage and analysts are vital for the entire process.
The job description above is quite extensive, that’s why further we’re going to talk about the details that are important for the full understanding of a systems analyst’s profession. Now, we will talk about the responsibilities.
Therefore, the main responsibility of a person in this position is to understand and clarify a way of solving a problem with the help of linking different systems and to determine the necessary details, such as type of platform, protocols, hardware, software, means of communication that would be appropriate for solving the problem.
The list further sums up all the responsibilities of an IT systems analyst:
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To sum up the list above, an IT systems analyst controls that all the wishes and requirements of clients would be realized in the development process.
Thus, now we understand what exactly an IT systems analyst does at the position. Now, that would be useful to clear up the necessary professional skills for a person to perform the described duties professionally. Let’s talk about them.
This is the list of needed skills, and all of them are vital for creating high-quality software. If there is a lack of any skill, that could get сrucial for the whole development process, as that could lead to unexpected problems with no prepared solutions and higher costs.
At the beginning of the article, we observed and stated that the role of such a specialist is crucial for an app development cycle. That’s why further, we will explain the analyst’s benefits during the development process in more detail.
From the responsibilities and benefits of an IT systems analyst explained above that is clear the job is demanded and vital for the software development process.
All the benefits listed above show that the fact of an analyst’s presence when developing saves the client’s budget, reduces the development timing, and helps reach the best quality of the final product. When a young man is thinking about his future career, one of his ideas is this occupation, he may be interested if it’s perspective enough. So, in the next block, we will talk about the job outlook briefly.
Here, we can claim that the profession is developing and prospective.
Further, we will explain the items that help in identifying a good IT systems analyst.
In general, getting a master’s degree is helpful for professionals aiming to move their careers to the next level. But it works only in complexity with getting practical experience.
These are the basic steps for IT systems analysts on the way from a newcomer to a good pro.
In our company, we follow all the criteria above. The IT systems analysts in our team have the basic education connected to management in computing (either a bachelor’s or specialist’s degree), some additional education (extra courses with certificates of completion), and, of course, practical experience. The work experience of systems analysts in our company starts from 3 years.
All these things let us be confident in our work performance and rely on the specialists. Our most important goal when developing software is to meet all the requirements, needs, and wishes of the clients. That’s why we care about a high-quality analysis stage a lot and recommend this approach for any software development process.
Systems analysis helps in achieving a successful system implementation, but it sometimes can take a lot of time and costs, the analyst is the pro who finds the right balance. The presence of a systems analyst lets us make the process as rational as possible and avoid unnecessary money and/or time wasting. That’s why a person with such qualifications is a must for a development team.
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So, what is an IT systems analyst exactly? We’ll answer this question and other closely related ones further in this article.
First, let’s check out the general definition of a pro in the mentioned position.
A systems analyst: what is that and what does this specialist do?
Basically, systems analysts are problem solvers. In fact, they do IT audit services. Their main responsibility is acting as a connection between IT and non-IT stakeholders of an organization, designing or performing the proper computer software, hardware, and cloud services for solving business problems. Moreover, the person in this position is responsible for technology trends research, designing and performing customized technology solutions, increasing the functionality and performance of current computer systems and networks, testing new systems, and training company end-users on specialized hardware, software, and online tools.To get a clearer understanding of an IT systems analyst’s role, let’s look at the position with something more visual. The scheme below shows the stages in the software development cycle a systems analyst influences.
The responsibility zone of a system analyst in a software development cycle.
From the scheme, we can see that the analysis (of course, including the specialists for performing it) connects all the important links in the development circle. It means the stage and analysts are vital for the entire process.
The job description above is quite extensive, that’s why further we’re going to talk about the details that are important for the full understanding of a systems analyst’s profession. Now, we will talk about the responsibilities.
Responsibilities of an IT systems analyst
As we’ve already mentioned above, this specialist turns user requests and/or requirements into technical design specifications and is a connector between clients and technology development vendors.Therefore, the main responsibility of a person in this position is to understand and clarify a way of solving a problem with the help of linking different systems and to determine the necessary details, such as type of platform, protocols, hardware, software, means of communication that would be appropriate for solving the problem.
The list further sums up all the responsibilities of an IT systems analyst:
- Researching new technologies and trends, and assessing their benefits
- Communication and working closely with customers, stakeholders, and managers to get their wishes and needs
- Interaction and coordination with developers and implementers
- Designing new systems or replacing existing ones to meet the needs of a company
- Perform system testing to ensure they function correctly
- Planning upgrades to existing systems to make better their performance
- Deployment of new systems
- Controlling implementation of the plans and helping with technical documentation (making user manuals, creating flowcharts, writing use cases)
- Pondering the assessment of a created product
To sum up the list above, an IT systems analyst controls that all the wishes and requirements of clients would be realized in the development process.
Thus, now we understand what exactly an IT systems analyst does at the position. Now, that would be useful to clear up the necessary professional skills for a person to perform the described duties professionally. Let’s talk about them.
Professional skills to be a professional IT systems analyst
Without a doubt, an analyst needs strong critical and analytical thinking skills. Moreover, as this specialist works in IT, the person is supposed to have strong technical skills. The basic one is the ability to interpret software code and design databases. Additionally, a systems analyst who wants to succeed in the profession should have competency in the areas below to work effectively.⚫️ Investigation and analysis
A business gathers different data from numerous sources. So, the systems analyst examines and interprets the complex collection and determines the next direction of action, such as completing the upgrade of performance or installing new software. After the deployed project, the analyst has to evaluate the success or failure of the performed work.⚫️ IT expertise
Systems analysts need a perfect knowledge of technologies and all their pros and cons to develop solutions.⚫️ Analytical and critical thinking
A good analyst doesn’t just imagine plenty of different solutions but also effectively compares them before choosing the best one.⚫️ Problem-solving
This is a basic skill, as one of this specialist’s duties is identifying problems and suggesting solutions.⚫️ Effective communication
As the analyst is like a link between IT and company leadership, he should understand both the business aspects of a problem and the computing ones. The specialist also needs to be able to explain potential IT solutions to all stakeholders with simple words, with no technical terms.⚫️ Creativity
An analyst has to be innovative. Sometimes it’s necessary to approach a business problem in an unusual, non-traditional way. As more and more technologies are entering the market nowadays, a specialist in systems analysis has to go beyond the current capabilities and possibilities while solving business problems and issues. In general, the ability to offer fresh ideas is an essential element of solving business problems.⚫️ Reading and writing
Systems analysts need to read a lot of technical reports and create user manuals, guides, and other documentation.This is the list of needed skills, and all of them are vital for creating high-quality software. If there is a lack of any skill, that could get сrucial for the whole development process, as that could lead to unexpected problems with no prepared solutions and higher costs.
At the beginning of the article, we observed and stated that the role of such a specialist is crucial for an app development cycle. That’s why further, we will explain the analyst’s benefits during the development process in more detail.
The benefits an IT systems analyst gives to the app development process
⚪️ Flexibility, efficiency, and costs
When an IT systems analyst performs the work, his actions make certain that regard to applications the proper way is taken. The specialist helps to minimize the possible errors, this reduces probable requirements for fixing problems in the future. Thus, the presence of such a specialist during the development saves the clients’ money by minimizing the rising of any problems.⚪️ Better controls, better management
An IT systems analyst supports better management by changing the software to suit any business needs, even changes. That allows the team to take full control over the final product. If any corrections are needed, there is no necessity to rewrite the whole software (this process is normally rather costly).⚪️ Assessment of risks
During the process of software development, an analyst defines potential threats and evaluates all the negative impacts on the processes. After these actions, the specialist compares the risks and benefits to make a final decision.⚪️ Quality
The analyst ensures the quality of the systems through the constant checking of the process.
The benefits of the work of an IT systems analyst in an app development process.
From the responsibilities and benefits of an IT systems analyst explained above that is clear the job is demanded and vital for the software development process.
All the benefits listed above show that the fact of an analyst’s presence when developing saves the client’s budget, reduces the development timing, and helps reach the best quality of the final product. When a young man is thinking about his future career, one of his ideas is this occupation, he may be interested if it’s perspective enough. So, in the next block, we will talk about the job outlook briefly.
Job outlook
The IT sphere continues growing and developing, so the demand for qualified specialists, including systems analysts, increases as well. According to the BLS statistics, we have a forecast for a 9 percent increase in the systems analysts’ employment for the next 9 years.Here, we can claim that the profession is developing and prospective.
Further, we will explain the items that help in identifying a good IT systems analyst.
How to identify a professional systems analyst?
The information below is suitable for businesses that work with software development or order services from IT vendors and aim to identify and/or choose a reliable specialist.🔴 A bachelor’s degree
First, a good analyst is supposed to get the necessary knowledge for performing the job. The education relates to computer science or a field connected to it. Moreover, systems analysts can be prepared through a special program, for example, a bachelor’s in management information systems. This variant is also a good option. Actually, different programs can graduate a well-prepared bachelor. A list of some variants is here.🔴 On-the-job experience
This option is definitely more suitable for the specialists who have already got the basic knowledge and skills. But the more practice a specialist gets, the more demanded, reliable, and paid he becomes. Some IT tasks are rather complicated, and analysts with a lack of experience may have difficulties facing them.🔴 A master’s degree for advancement (optional)
Of course, we don’t claim that this is a must for a new systems analyst. In case a specialist needs or wants to improve his skills, to get more advantages in the row of candidates and competitors, it’s a good choice to get a master’s degree. Usually, analysts get it after having worked for a few years in the IT sphere.In general, getting a master’s degree is helpful for professionals aiming to move their careers to the next level. But it works only in complexity with getting practical experience.
These are the basic steps for IT systems analysts on the way from a newcomer to a good pro.
In our company, we follow all the criteria above. The IT systems analysts in our team have the basic education connected to management in computing (either a bachelor’s or specialist’s degree), some additional education (extra courses with certificates of completion), and, of course, practical experience. The work experience of systems analysts in our company starts from 3 years.
All these things let us be confident in our work performance and rely on the specialists. Our most important goal when developing software is to meet all the requirements, needs, and wishes of the clients. That’s why we care about a high-quality analysis stage a lot and recommend this approach for any software development process.
Sum up
An IT systems analyst is a very helpful specialist while developing software. The person gives a lot of vital benefits to the process and both sides: IT vendors and their clients.Systems analysis helps in achieving a successful system implementation, but it sometimes can take a lot of time and costs, the analyst is the pro who finds the right balance. The presence of a systems analyst lets us make the process as rational as possible and avoid unnecessary money and/or time wasting. That’s why a person with such qualifications is a must for a development team.
If your business is in doubt about whether to hire an IT systems analyst for app development for your company, contact us, our managers are ready to answer all your questions.
Brivian has been developing software for 8 years so far. Our team consists of qualified specialists.
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