Where do systems analysts work?
- Most systems analysts work for the information services unit of an organization.
- Systems analysts (along with systems designers and builders) may also be permanently assigned to a team that supports a specific business function (e.g. financial systems)
- System owners and system users are located in the functional units and sub-units of the business, as well as in the executive management
- System designers and builders are usually located In the Information systems unit of the business.
What are the career paths for systems analysts?
- Project managers
- Information systems managers
- Technical specialists (database, telecommunications)
- Consultants
Skills needed by the Systems Analyst
- Skills needed by the Systems Analyst
- Working knowledge of information technologies
- Computer programming experience and expertise
- General knowledge of business processes and terminology
- General problem solving skills
- Good interpersonal communication skills
- Good interpersonal relations skills
- Flexibility and adaptability
- Character and ethics
What are the business drivers for today’s IS and how is each relevant to systems analysis?
- Globalization of the Economy
- Electronic Commerce and Business
- Security and Privacy
- Collaboration and Partnership
- Knowledge Asset Management
- Continuous Process Improvement (CPI) and Total Quality Management (TQM)
- Business Process Redesign (BPR)
What are the technical drivers for today’s IS and how is each relevant to systems analysis?
- Networks and the Internet
- Mobile and Wireless Technologies
- Object Technologies
- Collaborative Technologies
- Enterprise Applications
**Systems concepts:
- **Definition: Organized, interrelated, and interacting entities or ideas that work together to achieve a common goal
- The can exists in an environment
- They can be divided into smaller systems
**Classification of systems
- Abstract/Conceptual vs. Physical – information systems are abstract systems
- Natural vs. Artificial
- Closed/stable/mechanistic systems vs. open/adaptive/organic systems
What are the components of systems?
• Boundary
Separates system from the environment
Defines the scope of the system (what is included in the system vs. what is excluded from the system)
If physical boundary does not exist (in abstract systems), boundary is defined indirectly by inclusion/exclusion of entities
• Entities
The SMALLEST unit of the system (a process that cannot be divided into components any further)
• Subsystems
Grouping of related entities of the system
• Input
Flows (of data) from the environment to the system
• Output
Flows (of data) from the system to the environment
• Interface
Interaction (data flow) between subsystems
Buffers (Slack resources): extra resources at the interfaces used to reduce the dependence between subsystems
• Feedback and control
Open vs. Closed system
Open system: has feedback and control system
Closed system DOES NOT have a feedback and control system
• Feedback: Reaction of the environment to the system’s performance. Voluntary rather than scheduled and required like input
Control: Internal mechanism the system uses to respond to feedback so that it maintain itself
Constraints: limited resources available to the system
Capability Maturity Model (CMM): a standardized framework for assessing the maturity level of an organization’s information systems development and management processes and products. It consists of FIVE levels of maturity
- System life cycle: the factoring of the lifetime of an information system into 2 stages:
- Systems development, and
- Systems operation and maintenance
First you build it, and then you use and maintain it. Eventually, you cycle back to redevelopment of a new system
What is SDLC?
any person whose job involves creating, collecting, processing, distributing, and using information.
System owner
an information system’s sponsor and executive advocate, usually responsible for funding the project of developing, operating, and maintaining the information system.
System user
a “customer” who will use or is affected by an information system on a regular basis - capturing, validating, entering responding to, storing and exchanging data and information.
knowledge worker
any worker whose responsibilities are based on a specialized body of knowledge.
Remote User
a user who is not physically located on the premises but who still requires access to information systems.
Mobile User
a user whose location is constantly changing but who requires access to information systems from any location.
System Designer
a technical specialist who translates system users’ business requirements and constraints into technical solutions. She or her designs the computer databases, inputs, outputs screens, networks, and software that will meet the system users’ requirements.
System Builder
a technical specialist who constructs information systems and components based on the design specifications generated by the system designers.
System Analyst
a specialist who studies the problems and needs of an organization to determine how people, data, processes, and information technology can best accomplish improvements for the business.
External Service Provider (ESP)
a systems analyst, system designer, or system builder who sells his or her expertise and experience to other businesses to help those businesses purchase, develop, or integrate their information systems solutions; may be affiliated with a consulting or services organization.
Project Manager
an experienced professional who accepts responsibility for planning, monitoring and controlling projects with respect to schedule, budget, deliveryables, customer satisfaction, technical standards and system quality.
E-Commerce
the buying and selling of goods and services by using the internet.
E-Business
the use of the internet to conduct and support day-to-day business activities.
data
raw facts about people, places,events and things that are of importance in an organization. Each fact is , by itself, relatively meaningless.
information
data that has been processed or reorganized into a more meaningful form for someone. Information is formed from combinations of data that hopefully have meaning to the recipient.
