SAD-What Does It Take To Do System Analysis?

An analyst must possess various skills to effectively carry out the job. Mainly the skills can be divided into two types. 1. interpersonal...

An analyst must possess various skills to effectively carry out the job. Mainly the skills can be divided into two types.

1.interpersonal 
2.technical
Both are required for system development.

Interpersonal skills deal with relationships and the interface of the analyst with people in business. They are useful in establishing trust, resolving conflict and communicating information.

The interpersonal skills relevant to systems work include the following

1. Communication-having the ability to articulate and speak the language of the user and a knack for working with virtually all managerial levels in the organization. Communication is not just reports, telephone conversations and interviews. It is people talking, listening, feeling and reacting to one another, their experience and reactions.
2. Understanding-identifying problems and assessing their ramifications having a grasp of company goals and objectives and showing sensitivity to the impact of the system on people at work.
3. Teaching-educating people in use of computer systems, selling the system to the user and giving support when needed
4. Selling – selling ideas and promoting innovations in problem solving using computers

Technical skills focus on procedures and techniques for operations analysis, system analysis and computer science.

Technical skills include:

1. Creativity-helping users model ideas into concrete plans and developing candidate systems to match user requirements.
2. Problem solving-reducing problems to their elemental levels for analysis, developing alternative solutions to a given problem and delineating the pros and cons of candidate systems.
3. Project management-scheduling, performing well under time constraints, coordinating team efforts and managing costs and expenditures.
4. Dynamic interface-blending technical and nontechnical considerations in functional specifications and general design
5. Questioning attitude and inquiring mind-knowing the what, when, why, where, who, and, how a system works.
6. Knowledge of the basics of the computer and the business function

System analysts require interpersonal as well as the technical skills, although the necessity for both skills depends on the stages of system development. During analysis there is greater need for interpersonal skills - working with the user to determine requirements and translate them into design criteria. During design, the major thrust is to develop a detailed design of the candidate system - highly technical procedures and methodologies. Even then there is some emphasis on the interpersonal factor-the analyst user interface and user participation as a step toward training and implementation. During program construction, coding and testing are carried out with some user participation.

During system implementation, technical and interpersonal skills converge. The technical aspects focus on “proving” the software and preparing for the final conversion of files and documentation. The interpersonal aspects deal with user training and selling the user on the benefits and potential of the candidate system. During the maintenance stage the role of the analyst drops off, except when unanticipated problems develop.