Requisite Skills for IS Analytical Skills

1. Requisite Skills for ISAnalytical Skills

2. Contemplative Questions • What skills are important for work in IS? • Do I have these skills now? Or, do I need to acquire them? • Why do I need them? 2.2

3. List of Skills • Analytical skills • Systems thinking (see separate slides) • Organizational knowledge • Problem identification • Problem analyzing and solving • Technical skills • Management skills (see separate slides) • Interpersonal skills (see separate slides)

4. Organizational Knowledge • Good systems analysts (and employees, in general) understand how organizations work. It is critical to your survival and success in your career. • e.g. Who makes the decisions? Who owns the data? Who will resist change? Whom do people follow? • Knowledge of specific functions and procedures of organization and department • How work officially and unofficially gets done • Internal policies, both formal and informal • External factors: Competitive and Regulatory Environment • Internal factors: Organizational Strategies and Tactics 2.4

5. Problem Solving • A “problem” can be defined in many ways. A generic but useful definition may be a problem is • “A discrepancy between an existing and desired state of affairs” • Problem identification and problem solving are two different things • “A problem well-stated is a problem half-solved.” • “A most dangerous and common trap” • One of the most important and universal concepts you will learn in this course

6. Problem Identification and Solving • Identify the problem (The Identification) • Define the decision criteria (Start the Solving) • Weight the decision criteria • Develop alternatives • Analyze each alternative • Select an alternative • Implement alternative • Evaluate outcome of decision (End the Solving) Which of these steps is most important?

7. Some “Problems” Encountered With Problem Solving • Failure to recognize existenceof a problem • Failure to define the correct problem • Failure to use all available information • Failure to recognize and question assumptions • Failure to consider a wide range of alternatives • Failure to address implementation issues

8. Root Cause Analysis • Identify symptoms • Trace each symptom back to its causes • “The Five Whys” • “If there was one thing I wish I had learned when I was younger…” • Five whys Symptoms Symptoms ROOT CAUSES

9. Problem Analyzing and Solving • Four Phases • Intelligence • All relevant information is collected • Design • Alternatives are formulated • Choice • Best alternative solution is chosen • Implementation • Solution is put into practice

10. Technical Skills for Systems Analysis • Constant re-education is necessary as technology changes rapidly • Activities to keep skills up-to-date • Trade publications • Professional societies • Attend classes or teach at a local college • Attend courses sponsored by organization • Conferences and trade shows • Browse Websites • Participate in new groups and conferences

11. Technical Skills for Systems Analysis • Understanding of a wide variety of technologies is required • Microcomputers, workstations, minicomputers and mainframe computers • Data communication standards • Operating systems • Database and file management systems • Programming languages • Systems development tools and environments • Web development languages and tools • Decision support system generators

12. Summary • Skills of Successful Systems Analyst • Analytical • Systems Thinking • Technical • Change over time • Programming Languages • Operating Systems • Database Management Systems • Data Communications • Systems Development Techniques