Systems analyst hiring requirements and qualifications

¶ … Hire a Systems Analyst

The Honorable Executive team

Dear members of the Executive team:

REQUEST to APPROVE the POSITION of SYSTEM ANALYST WITH the RECRUITMENT of the FUTURE EMPLOYEE BEING DONE INSIDE the COMPANY

Purpose / Justification of the requested action:

Communication is a fundamental process for the efficient and efficacious functioning of a company. The formal and informal channels of communication of our company and not only are supported by the information technology. The "system analyst" position is necessary in order to support, protect and develop the information technology, which is the basis of the communicational process. The main advantage of having such a position in our company regards the optimization of the communication management process and together with it, a faster accomplishment of the tasks, a better organization, representing a long-term financial investment. The task of managing the communication relation with the internal target public (the employees) as well as the external target public (the clients and the potential clients) through the Internet and the intranet has become a necessity in the context of the fast development of technology (e-commerce, e -markets, etc.) and its use by the competition. In addition, a large part of the company employees depend on their computer in order to get their jobs done. These computers must be protected and computer technologies must be constantly applied and updated. Furthermore, the protection of the company data from theft, destruction or modification through hacking imposes the existence of a network security administrator. To sum up the arguments, the approval of the "system analyst" position within our company that will manage the it communication system is a "must," not only a "need" for the long-term development and survival of the organization.

The roles and responsibilities of the system analyst, also known as a systems developer or a systems architect has the task of managing the computer systems in a manner that will make them respond to the particular needs that a company has regarding the information technology. The role of the system analyst is to provide an efficient functioning of the it systems that an organization depends on. The optimization of the communication process based on the information technology includes analysis, planning, development, programming, implementation activities in the area. These are the main responsibilities that must be fulfilled through such a position.

The first task that the system analyst must fulfill is to plan, design and develop computer systems that the company has not used before and that can help it in the process of communication optimization. The operations that he will use include encoding, testing, installing, debugging, etc. Each company has a certain purpose as well as specific actions means depending on the specific organizational culture and goals. The system analyst must be able to create computer systems that will best respond to the specific needs of the company he is working for. In this regard, he will consult with the users of the computers in order to be well informed about the existing operating processes. Next, he will have to make clear the purposes and goals of the needed program.

Secondly, the system analyst can improve the already existing computer systems that have proved their efficiency before. Their development focuses on the implementation of processes that will allow the computer systems to deal with new tasks. Thirdly, the system analyst will handle the networking issues. Networking refers to the connection that is to be made between all the computers that a company uses. This connection enables the users to have a faster access to the data that they need as well as a faster exchange of information in the intranet. At the same time, the information considered important by the management team is transmitted to all those who need it in a short interval, without considerable efforts and costs.

Another role played by the system analyst is to prepare two types of reports for the management team. His experience and preparation allow him to create reports referring to the cost-benefit relation of various processes as well as to the return -on- investment (ROI) issues, depending on the specific tasks that he is given in this regard. In addiction he must write down all the information that in connected with the development of the program, the coding or the corrections that are required, etc.

Furthermore, his task is to test the new computer systems that the company uses, checking for flaws, observing their main advantages and shortcomings. The system analyst can also develop plans of improvement for the computer systems that need it. The role that he plays is to make sure that the functionality of the system and the functionality of the business are compatible and support each other.

In addition, the system analyst will keep update records of the sales figures, the budget projections and the accounting information. He or she will be compelled to create the hardware and the software that is needed in order for the data and the exchange of data to be subject to free and fast access.

Last, but not least, the responsibility of the system analyst is to create programs that can protect the computer systems against crackers, hacking and viruses, that is all the means through which the company computers can be harmed and the private company data can be accessed by unauthorized persons. This is essential not just for an efficient communication process, but for the very functioning of the company itself.

Justification for the need of an internal position

Until now the responsibilities of the system analyst position have been assumed by consultants from outside the company. They were professionals working in specialized companies that were hired by our company whenever a problem occurred. They would come in, solve the problem and be paid accordingly. This situation presented various advantages. First of all, the company only paid for this service only when a problem occurred. The company did not have top make any expenses for hardware or software. The system analyst did not have to be trained. Therefore, the involved costs were relatively low. Furthermore, the existence of numerous companies providing assistance in this area allows a reasonable price to be found. Another important advantage was the absence of any pressure on the infrastructure of the company, since it had not to be concerned with other activities than its central ones. The professionalism of the analysts was another important advantage.

However, there are also various disadvantages of constantly using experts from outside the company. First of all, the control over the expert that provides us with assistance is small compared to the situation when he would be working for our company. Another disadvantage concerns the underestimation of the overall costs. The legal costs of the contract between our company and the ones offering its services, as well as the time needed in order to set up contracts that are advantageous for both parties should also be taken into consideration. A third disadvantage that has an extremely high importance concerns the safety and security of the company data. There is always such a risk regarding confidentiality when using an external expert. This can very well limit the business area that can be supported by outside system analysis experts.

Another disadvantage of using an expert who is not a permanent employee of the company concerns the lack of flexibility in the response to the changing environment conditions. An outside expert, regardless of his experience and professionalism, is not accustomed with the internal evolution of neither the company, nor its problems and approaches of various issues and subjects. Thus, a problem solved under these circumstances may prove to have just short- term efficiency.

A further disadvantage of outsourcing is represented by the strict contractual conditions that impose lack of flexibility. This may have a negative impact on a long-term interval for the company. Even if specific problems require specific solving solutions, this does not mean that those solutions can be efficiently applied in the case of all the companies, especially when one is not familiar with the functioning mechanisms of the company.

Another disadvantage of appealing to outsourcing when the company is inn need of a system analyst refers to the diminished possibility of gathering data for further analysis. If different system analysts are used each time a problem occurs it is highly difficult to create a data base including information about the shortcoming that occur and their evolution. Such a data base is importation because it allows identifying the reasons for which such problems occur. Furthermore, it allows the creation of a prevention plan. In other words such a data base helps the company prevent the apparition of further similar problems and represents a long-term financing investment because what it actually does is help the company reduce overall costs.

In addition, outsourcing implies not using the potential of the employees that the company already has. A person with experience who has been working for the company for a long time has a far better insight on how the company mechanisms function. Even more, the lack of loyalty can also be considered a disadvantage.

Furthermore, there are numerous strong advantages regarding the option of selecting a person for the position of system analyst from the already existing employees of the company.

The first advantage concerns the ability to have complete control over the action. It is not just the pressure of the control that will make the system analyst try to do his best, but also the fact that he is aware of the importance of his job. The efficiency with which he will complete his task will ultimately reflect on the efficiency with which the entire company functions. Therefore, it will affect him as well, since he is part of the company. The control will be exercised over the provided service, but also upon the equipment and the funds. Thus, the management team can decide how to allocate the funds for this area in the best possible manner.

The second advantage concerns the loyalty of the system analyst. Already working for the company, he is familiar with its culture, its values and beliefs. Not only that, but he also shares them. This protects the company against information theft. Furthermore, loyalty implies that the employee will try to do his best in order to achieve his task, being driven by an emotional reason as well compared to the external specialist who comes in and does his duty only for the sake of the financial reward. Sharing the values and the beliefs of the company is highly important because it implies an emotional reward for and from the work that one does.

The third important advantage of using an employee of the company in order to fill in the position of system analyst refers to the fact that the goals and visions of the company and of the expert are the same. It is obvious that when the employee has the same goal as the company he is providing assistance for, then his actions are all the more efficient. Sharing the vision of the company allows one to see which is the best manner that he can choose when he must solve a problem.

The different departments of a company do not function as separate independent entities. They are interconnected and they depend on each other to a certain extent. Furthermore, it is the company as a whole that needs the various departments to collaborate. A person who knows the philosophy and the attitude that is behind the functioning of these departments, as well as the problems that they encounter is more likely to understand how the actions of a certain section can affect the actions of another one, directly or indirectly, immediately or after a certain time. Therefore, he or she can have a better insight on how it is better to solve various shortcomings. This aspect is highly important when it comes to the position of a system analyst because he is in charge of the communication network and all the management processes rely on and are supported by communication.

The most important advantage that results from recruiting a system analyst from the employees of the company is connected to the expertise provided by him, expertise that becomes a strategic resource. When using an external expert, the skills that he uses serve the company for that and that occasion only. When using someone from the inside, the company makes sure that the development of the expertise skills is continuous and in the context of the company's own development. Furthermore, the professional skills that come to be developed in the mentioned context are connected with the loyalty towards the company and the cultivation of the same goals, beliefs and visions.

It is time to change the procedures that are presently used. They have been efficient in the past, but since the company is wishing to expand, the development of the it system is needed. An outside person is not familiar with the functioning mechanisms of the company and the training would not be sufficient in order to teach him the philosophy, the values and the attitude that are at the base of the company actions. These actions must remain coherent and compatible especially in the context of the desired expansion. And in order for their coherence and efficiency to be maintained, the company needs to approve the creation of the system analysts position to coordinate them.

Qualifications

The person that is needed in order to fill in the position of system analyst within our company must be properly qualified in the area. A formal education is required first of all. The candidates must have a bachelor's degree in computer science, in information science or in management information systems. Additional degrees represent an advantage. Furthermore, we ask that the candidates have a certification for professi9onals in the area obtained from IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, a+, etc.

Plus, the candidate must have specific knowledge of computer systems. Microsoft office packet (Word, Outlook, Excell, Access, Power Point, and Project) knowledge is compulsory. He must be familiar with relational data bases as well as with client server concepts. Knowledge of Microsoft XP, of Microsoft XP Professional and of the Mac Operating Systems as well is a must. We also require strong analytical skills. Problem solving skills are needed as well. The future system analyst must have good communication and interpersonal skills. He must have a two-year experience in the area. It is important for him or her to be a good team player. Since our company needs a network security expert the candidates must have a Novell or Cisco certification.