The system analyst

Another job in the computer field is that of the system analyst. The system analyst often has a great deal of knowledge about computer and computer operations. He or she is the data processing professional whose job is to design and develop all the systems which will be used on a particular computer system. The system analyst must first analyze the information needs. He or she must then interpret the company’s needs and decide how to utilize the computer to fulfill them. In addition, the systems analyst must also know how to program. He or she must be an expert in hardware as well as software.

Sometimes the system analyst specializes in a particular field. Engineering or scientific analyst may work with international communication systems. The commercial applications analyst, in contrast, is a person who deals with all the different aspects of the business area. Another specialization within systems analysis is that of operations research. The system analyst who specializes in operations research must make mathematical models of the various problems. These models are then used to provide a quantitative or statistical basis for the decisions the analyst makes.

Many systems analysts know programming very well because they were once programmers themselves.