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Lesson 1. The World of the Modern Systems Analyst INSY 55: System Analysis and Design
o Almost without exception, communications skills, not technical skills, prove to be the
single biggest factor in career success or failure.

1.3.4.6 Interpersonal Relations Skills

Systems analysts work in teams composed of IS professionals, end-users, and
management. o Being able to cooperate, to comprise, and to function as part of a team, is critical
for success in most projects.
o Because development teams include people with dramatically different levels of
education and experience, group dynamics is an important skill to develop.
Systems analysts are the facilitators of information systems development. The analyst may
be the only individual who sees the system as a whole, the “big picture.”
Another aspect of interpersonal relations is the analyst’s role as an agent of change. An
analyst should study the theory and techniques of effecting change. Persuasion is an art that can
be learned. Begin by studying sales techniques – after all, systems analysts sell change.

Finally, systems analysts work in teams composed of its professionals, end-users, and
management. Being able to cooperate, to compromise, and to function as part of a team is critical
for success in most projects. Because development team include people with dramatically different
levels of education and experience, group dynamics is an important skill to develop.
1.3.4.7 Flexibility and Adaptability o No two systems development projects encountered

by a systems analyst are identical. o There is no single, magical approach or solution
applicable to systems development.
o Successful systems analysts learn to be flexible and adapt to special challenges or
situations presented by specific systems development projects.
o The systems analyst must be able to recognize when variations upon (or singleinstance
exceptions to) development standards are necessary and beneficial to a particular
project.
o The systems analyst must be aware of the implications of not following the standards.

1.3.4.8 Character and Ethics o The nature of the systems analyst's job
requires a strong character and sense of ethics. Ethics is a personal character trait in
which an individual(s) understands the difference between ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ and acts
accordingly.
o Systems analysts must be very careful not to share their organization’s sensitive and
secret information with others, either within or outside the organization. o Systems
analysts must be very careful not to tell sensitive and private data and information
about customers, suppliers, employees with the wrong people.
o Systems analysts must not take (or sell) designs and programs they developed to
another company.
o Systems analysts have a moral obligation to set a good example for end-users and
management, especially in the area of software copyrights.

1.3.4.9 System Analysis and Design Skills o All systems analysts need thorough
and ongoing training in systems analysis and design.
o Systems analysis and design skills can be conveniently factored into three subsets:
• Technical knowledge and skills. These are the most obvious areas of
expertise: computers, peripheral devices, communication networks, connectivity,
databases, programming languages, and operating systems.

Mr. John Mark L. Dula