The World of the

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Chapter 1

• The World of the
• Modern Systems Analyst

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Objectives

• Review Information Systems concepts
• Outline the problem solving approach used by
  systems analysts.
• Explain key role of a systems analyst in business
  and on a systems development project
• Explain the importance of technical, people, and
  business skills for an analyst

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IS Concepts
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Overview

• Information systems
• Crucial to success of modern business
  organizations
• Constantly being developed to make business more
  competitive
• Impact productivity and profits
• Can be complex and challenging to implement
• Keys to successful information system development
• Thorough systems analysis and system design
• Understanding what business requires

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Systems that solve business problems.

• Information systems
• Collection of interrelated components that
  collect, process, store, and provide as output
  the information needed to complete business tasks

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Information Systems and Subsystems
A complete information system is often composed
of one or more subsystems What might be some
subsystems associated with a student registration
system?
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System Boundary vs. Automation Boundary
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Types of Information Systems?
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Definitions

• Systems Analysis Gaining an understanding and
  specifying (documenting, modeling) WHAT the
  information system must do solve a business
  problem.
• System Design Specifying in detail HOW
  information technology will be physically
  implemented to solve the business problem.

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Problem Solving
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Case Study

• New wave enterprises is a relatively new company,
  founded in 2004, that manufactures and sells snow
  and surf boards. It has one retail location
  (Halifax) and sells its products through
  specialty shops through Atlantic Canada and New
  England. New wave has been growing rapidly. The
  management is trying to determine how technology
  can help them.
• New Wave has big plans for the future, including
  a foray into eCommerce they want to market and
  sell all their products over the web. As a key
  feature, they want to allow prospective customer
  to design their own boards on-line using a
  standard web browser like Netscape or Internet
  Explorer AND on mobile devices like IPhones

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Scenario

• A small university has a system for managing
  student registration that is largely manual
• Line up outside gym
• Get in line for profs
• Fill out paper forms
• Hand to registrar staff who key information into
  aging mainframe system
• Decision has been made to automate the process
• A Sr. Systems Analyst has been assigned to lead
  the project
• What types of things would the analyst need to do
  to solve the student registration problem?

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Analysts Approach to Problem Solving
Research and understand the problem
Verify that the benefits of solving the problem
outweigh the costs
Define the requirements for solving the problem
Develop a set of possible solutions (alternatives)
Decide which solution is best and make a
recommendation
Define the details of the chosen solution
Implement the solution
Monitor to make sure that you obtain the desired
results
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Problem-Solving Scenarios

• True problem situations, either real or
  anticipated, that require corrective action
• Example Out-Of-Country Patient Billing System
  at large Halifax hospital
• Opportunities to improve a situation despite the
  absence of complaints
• Example electronic document management at BC
  Registry of Deeds
• Directives to change a situation regardless of
  whether anyone has complained about the current
  situation
• Example Introduction of Graduated Licensing BC
  Dept of Transportation

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Systems analyst roles
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The Systems Analyst

• Business problem solver
• Has practical knowledge
• Computers
• Programming
• Understands the business they are working in
  (problem context)
• Uses logical methods for solving problems
• Can work on large, strategic problems that impact
  an entire enterprise, or on smaller problems
  (e.g., for a specific department or business
  area.

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What do systems analysts do?
Business Needs
Systems Analysis System Design Project
Management
Analyst Roles
Programmers DBAs
Business People
Technical Solutions
Interface with the business to understand what
needs to be accomplished Manage the process of
developing technical solutions Design computer
systems that meet the needs of the business.
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Another view.analyst as information broker and
facilitator
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A Word About Information Systems Stakeholders

• A stakeholder is any person who has an interest
  in an existing or new information system.
  Stakeholders can be technical or nontechnical
  workers.
• For information systems, the stakeholders can be
  classified as
• System owners
• System users
• Systems analysts
• System designers
• System builders
• IT vendors and consultants
• Systems Analysts often play an information
  broker role amongst all of these stakeholder
  groups.

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Skills and knowledge
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Skills and Knowledge Required by Systems Analysts

• Technical
• Business
• Communications / Interpersonal

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Technical Skills and Knowledge of the Analyst

• Technology
• Understanding of Computers / Peripherals /
  Networking
• Tools
• Software packages (Word, VisioSAP!)
• Integrated development environments (IDEs)
• CASE tools / Support packages
• Techniques
• General problem solving
• Planning, analysis, design, programming,
  implementation, and support
• Stuff from this course, INFO425 and other INFO
  courses!!!

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Business Knowledge and Skills

• Analyst must understand
• Business functions performed by organization
• Strategies, plans, traditions, and values of the
  organization
• Organizational structure
• Organization management techniques
• Work processes
• The role of politics.

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Interpersonal Skills of the Analyst

• Interpersonal communication skills
• Interpersonal relations skills
• Flexibility and adaptability
• Understand how people
• Think
• Learn
• React to change
• Communicate
• Work
• Integrity and Ethics

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Integrity and Ethics

• Analyst has access to confidential information,
  such as salary, an organizations planned
  projects, security systems, and so on.
• Analyst may obtain information from individuals
  that might compromise them
• Must keep information confidential
• Any impropriety can ruin an analysts career

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