science

Systems analyst

Systems analyst is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Systems analyst rather than just read about it. In short: A systems analyst, also known as business technology analyst, is an information technology (IT) professional who specializes in analyzing, designing and implementing information systems. Systems analysts assess the suitability of information systems in terms of their intended outcomes and liaise with end users, software vendors and programmers in order to achieve these outcomes.

Key takeaways

Systems analyst belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Systems analyst to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Systems analyst from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

A systems analyst, also known as business technology analyst, is an information technology (IT) professional who specializes in analyzing, designing and implementing information systems. Systems analysts assess the suitability of information systems in terms of their intended outcomes and liaise with end users, software vendors and programmers in order to achieve these outcomes. A systems analyst is a person who uses analysis and design techniques to solve business problems using information technology. Systems analysts may serve as change agents who identify the organizational improvements needed, design systems to implement those changes, and train and motivate others to use the systems.

Industry

As of 2015, the sectors employing the greatest numbers of computer systems analysts were state government, insurance, computer system design, professional and commercial equipment, and company and enterprise management. The number of jobs in this field is projected to grow from 487,000 as of 2009 to 650,000 by 2016. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Occupational Outlook predicts the need for Computer Systems Analysts as growing 25% in 2012 to 2022 and gradually decreasing their estimates and now predict the years 2024 to 2034 as only a growth of 9%, saying: "Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire." The Wall Street Journal reported that job site CareerCast.com ranked systems analyst as the third-best job in a 2010 survey, fifth-best in the 2011 survey, 9th-best in the 2012 survey, and the 10th-best in the 2013 survey.

See also Business analyst Change management analyst Data analyst Software analyst

References

External links Computer Systems Analysts in the Occupational Outlook Handbook from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a unit of the United States Department of Labor

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Systems analyst

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Systems analyst claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Systems analyst before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Systems analyst ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Systems analyst

In research: Systems analyst appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Systems analyst in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Systems analyst is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Business occupations, Information technology occupations, Systems analysis, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Systems analyst outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Systems analyst in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Systems analyst means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Systems analyst out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Systems analyst in simple terms?

Why does Systems analyst matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Systems analyst?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Systems analyst.