Systems Analysts

 

If I were to describe the characteristics of systems analysts, they would be individuals who are creative and innovative thinkers who are not afraid of change. They are those people who understand business as well as technology. Given that, I would say that systems analysts should definitely be technical. Without them being technical, their capability to think outside the box would be limited. In my opinion, the technical side of systems analyst is the main source of their growth, without it an improvement will be a challenge to make and problems that are supposed to be solved by them might be left unsolved.

     Systems analysts as mentioned earlier are these rare individuals who are knowledgeable in both business and technical fields. Not a lot of job roles can perform the way a systems analyst can. Take for example a software engineer, it is IT related, however it focuses mainly on software development. The software developed by these software engineers may be the ones needed by the businessmen however before these businessmen make use of these software, systems analysts would need to analyze first the systems used by these businessmen.  Systems analysts serve as the bridge that connects the software engineers and businessmen for they possess both technical and business skills. In addition, in any case that a systems analyst decides to shift its course of career and focus on either business or on being completely technical, they can still perform a number of roles because systems analysts are very versatile in nature.   

     I think the different systems which are assigned to specific groups on the organizational pyramid to maximize the efficiency of each group. It is strategically organized in such a way where each member of the group may perform according to their forte so that their group may perform effectively. It is important for each group to function as best as they could because each group is a subdivision of an entire system, thus if a group within the system is not organized based on their functionality, it may collapse causing a bigger trouble to the entire system. For example the Management Information System, this system’s output is a summary report. Management Information System obtains data from the Transaction Processing System which is the computerized system that performs and records the daily routine transactions necessary to conduct of the business, since the Management Information System depends on the stored data from the Transaction Processing Systems it Management Information System would not be able to produce its output if the Transaction Processing Systems fail to perform its task properly. 

       The Waterfall Model and Agile both have pros and cons when it comes to their functionality. Basically, a Waterfall model emphasizes on a definite, clear and well thought of plan before executing any kind of development and is extensively documented. On the other hand, Agile is more flexible in such a way that it promotes adaptive planning and evolutionary development. Personally, any of the two methods can be better than the other depending on the kind of project these models will be used. Waterfall models I think are better used in projects wherein there are minimal possible changes in the process since it is more challenging to make changes once major errors or changes occur. However with Agile, although it is very versatile it does not have a structure unlike the Waterfall model. Majority of the time, it is more difficult to predict the outcome of a project if it has no concrete plan. Hence, it is better to find out which method is more appropriate for a project before using them. In my opinion, Waterfall Model should be used in big projects with higher stakes since big projects need extensive planning before executing while Agile method can be used with the smaller projects where constant changes are more manageable.

     I think a great interview is when the purpose of the interview is achieved after it. It should make the interviewers feel more knowledgeable about their topic after the interview. While a great interviewer is someone who is able to make smart and sensible questions that are essential in clarifying the subject of the interview. In addition, a great interviewer is someone who observes proper behavior while conducting the interview. 

Works Cited

Agile Introduction for Dummies. (2008, January). Retrieved October 4, 2013, from Wordpress: http://agileintro.wordpress.com/2008/01/04/waterfall-vs-agile-methodology/

Mikoluk, K. (2013, September 9). Agile Vs. Waterfall: Evaluating The Pros And Cons. Retrieved October 4, 2013, from udemy/blog: https://www.udemy.com/blog/agile-vs-waterfall/