Critical Success Factor

Critical Success Factor (CSF) is the term for an element that is necessary for an organization or project to achieve its mission. It is a critical factor or activity required for ensuring the success of your business. The term was initially used in the world of data analysis, and business analysis. For example, a CSF for a successful Information Technology (IT) project is user involvement.

A plan should be implemented that considers a platform for growth and profits as well as takes into consideration the following critical success factors:

* Money: positive cash flow, revenue growth, and profit margins.
* Your future: Acquiring new customers and/or distributors.
* Customer satisfaction: How happy they are.
* Quality: How good is your product and service?
* Product or service development: What's new that will increase business with existing customers and attract new ones?
* Intellectual capital: Increasing what you know is profitable.
* Strategic relationships: New sources of business, products and outside revenue.
* Employee attraction and retention: Your ability to extend your reach.
* Sustainability: Your personal ability to keep it all going.

Key success factors generally include exceptional management of several of the following:

* Product design
* Market segmentation
* Distribution and promotion
* Pricing
* Financing
* Securing of key personnel
* Research and development
* Production
* Servicing
* Maintenance of quality/value
* Securing key suppliers
* New product development
* Good distribution
* Effective advertising
* Innovative response to customer needs
* Consumer loyalty
* Linkage of technology to market demand
* Link marketing to production
* Investment in growth markets
* Unique positioning advantage
* Strong brand image and awareness
* Prevention of price wars
* High product quality
* Patent protection
* Low product cost
* Large marketing resource budget
* Marketing research quality
* Information system power
* Analytic support capability
* Develop human resources
* Attract the best personnel
* Managerial ability and experience
* Quick decision and action capability
* Organizational effectiveness
* Learning systematically from past strategies
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_success_factor)

The success of a Knowledge Management initiative depends on many factors, some within our control, some not. Typically, critical success factors can be categorized into five primary categories:

1. leadership;
2. culture;
3. structure, roles, and responsibilities;
4. information technology infrastructure; and
5. measurement.

Leadership
Leadership plays a key role in ensuring success in almost any initiative within an organization. Its impact on KM is even more pronounced because this is a relatively new discipline. Nothing makes greater impact on an organization than when leaders model the behavior they are trying to promote among employees. The CEO at Buckman Laboratories, a chemicals company, champions the cause for KM within the organization and personally reviews submissions to its knowledge bank. When he notices that a particular employee has not had been active within the system, he sends a message that reads: "Dear associate, you haven't been sharing knowledge. How can we help you? All the best, Bob."
Several other best-practice organizations have demonstrated this commitment to KM. At the World Bank, the president's support led to the creation of an infrastructure that promoted and supported the growth of communities of practice (CoPs) not only throughout the organization, but also around the globe. Today, the World Bank has sustained its KM initiative through its CoPs. Its knowledge managers constantly search for new approaches to knowledge sharing.
Although leadership plays a critical role in the success of the KM initiative, the "culture" factor can be even more important to the success of Knowledge Managment.

Culture
Culture is the combination of shared history, expectations, unwritten rules, and social customs that compel behaviors. It is the set of underlying beliefs that, while rarely exactly articulated, are always there to influence the perception of actions and communications of all employees.
Cultural issues concerning KM initiatives usually arise due to the following factors:
• Lack of time - The goal is not to encourage the employees to work more, but to work more effectively. The processes, technologies, and roles designed during a KM initiative must save employees' time, not burden them with more work. This can only be accomplished if the employees' work patterns are accounted for during the initial design and planning phase of the initiative.
• Unconnected reward systems - Organizations have to maintain a balance between intrinsic and explicit rewards in order to encourage employee behavior. The most effective use of explicit rewards has been to encourage sharing at the onset of a KM initiative. If the attendees don't find value in either the meetings or the information on the system, providing incentives will not sustain their participation. People share because they want to, they like to see their expertise being used, and they like being respected by their peers.
• Lack of common perspectives - Sharing must be inspired by a common vision. The people affected by the new process or technology must all buy in to this vision and believe it will work.
• No formal communication - When designing and implementing KM initiatives, ensure that employees and customers know about the changes occurring in your organization. It has been hypothesized that a person needs to hear the same message at least three times before it registers in the brain. Hence, communication should be pervasive. While implementing KM within your organization, market yourself. Make sure everyone knows what you are attempting to do, and build anticipation for the launch.
If your organization naturally has a tendency to share knowledge, enabling knowledge sharing becomes a little easier. If your organization harbors a knowledge-hoarding culture, don't give in to it. Remove negative consequences to sharing. People want to share their knowledge. They want others to know they are knowledgeable. Break down some of the existing barriers to knowledge sharing, and give people the tools and environment they need. By designing KM initiatives around your culture, you will be initiating a cultural change.

Structure, Roles, and Responsibilities
Although there are many ways that organizations structure the governance of their KM initiatives, APQC has found common elements among best-practice partner organizations: a steering committee, a central KM support group, and stewards/owners throughout the organization who are responsible for KM. It is a combination of a centralized and decentralized approach.
The steering committee usually consists of executives at the top level. They promote the concept and provide guidance, direction, and support. The central KM group is typically made up of three to four people who provide the initial support for projects or initiatives, which are usually handed over to the business owners once they are implemented. The central group usually consists of people with advanced project management, facilitation, and communication skills. The stewards, or owners, are responsible for knowledge sharing and acquisition within the business units. Like the core KM group, the stewards are change agents for the organization. They model and teach employees the principles of knowledge sharing using a common vocabulary. All of these participants work as a team to prevent a silo mentality and incorporate resistant employees in the process.
Although the structure is put in place to establish ownership and accountability, if there is no overall ownership of knowledge and learning within the organization and the leadership does not "walk the talk," it will be difficult to sustain any sharing behavior.

sharing using a common vocabulary. All of these participants work as a team to prevent a silo mentality and incorporate resistant employees in the process.
Although the structure is put in place to establish ownership and accountability, if there is no overall ownership of knowledge and learning within the organization and the leadership does not "walk the talk," it will be difficult to sustain any sharing behavior.

Measurement
Most people fear measurement because they see it as synonymous with ROI, and they are not sure how to link KM efforts to ROI. Although the ultimate goal of measuring the effectiveness of a KM initiative is to determine some type of ROI, there are many intervening variables that also affect the outcomes.
Because many variables may affect an outcome, it is important to correlate KM activities with business outcomes, while not claiming a pure cause-and-effect relationship. Increased sales may be a result not only of the sales representatives having more information, but also of the market turning, a competitor closing down, or prices dropping 10 percent. Due to the inability to completely isolate knowledge-sharing results, tracking the correlations over time is important There is a final imperative concerning critical success factors, which transcends KM and applies to all interactions: Listen! Listen to your users, customers, and managers-whichever audience for which you are designing. They will tell you how you can meet their needs and have a successful KM initiative.

(http://www.providersedge.com/docs/km_articles/Critical_Success_Factors_of_KM.pdf)

..organizational change..

Significant organizational change occurs, for example, when an organization changes its overall strategy for success, adds or removes a major section or practice, and/or wants to change the very nature by which it operates. It also occurs when an organization evolves through various life cycles, just like people must successfully evolve through life cycles. For organizations to develop, they often must undergo significant change at various points in their development. That's why the topic of organizational change and development has become widespread in communications about business, organizations, leadership and management.

Leaders and managers continually make efforts to accomplish successful and significant change -- it's inherent in their jobs. Some are very good at this effort (probably more than we realize), while others continually struggle and fail. That's often the difference between people who thrive in their roles and those that get shuttled around from job to job, ultimately settling into a role where they're frustrated and ineffective. There are many schools with educational programs about organizations, business, leadership and management. Unfortunately, there still are not enough schools with programs about how to analyze organizations, identify critically important priorities to address (such as systemic problems or exciting visions for change) and then undertake successful and significant change to address those priorities. This Library topic aims to improve that situation.
(http://managementhelp.org/org_chng/org_chng.htm)

To really understand organizational change and begin guiding successful change efforts, the change agent should have at least a broad understanding of the context of the change effort. This includes understanding the basic systems and structures in organizations, including their typical terms and roles. This requirement applies to the understanding of leadership and management of the organizations, as well. That is why graduate courses in business often initially include a course or some discussion on organizational theory. This topic includes several links to help you gain this broad understanding.

Here is the article I have chosen to read:

"Begin at the beginning in organizational change

David Chaudron, PhD


Perhaps the most asked but least answered question in business today is “What can we do to make our business survive and grow?” The world is rapidly changing into something too hard to easily predict, with a hundred opportunities and pitfalls passing by every moment.

To add to this confusion, there are hundreds, if not thousands of techniques, solutions and methods that claim to help business improve productivity, quality and customer satisfaction. A company President, CEO or business owner has so many choices in these buzzwords, whether they be called Total Quality Management, Customer Satisfaction, Re-engineering or Teambuilding. They are like new shoppers in a giant grocery store: They are hungry, but there are so many brands, sizes and varieties you don’t know what to buy.

In response to this confusion, many do nothing, often afraid of making the wrong choices. Others change the techniques they use every few months, using the “program du’jeur” method of organizational change, otherwise known as MBS (Management by Best Seller). Neither of these responses help the organization in the long run. Changing nothing will produce nothing. Implementing a different buzzword (Total Quality, Just in Time, Re-engineering, etc.) every few months often creates a “whipsaw” effect that causes mass confusion among your employees. These buzzwords are often a hammer in search of a nail, techniques applied with no clear focus as to the why, expected results or return on investment.

One of the organizations we consulted with started on this path. Senior management proclaimed in a memo that Total Quality should be a way of life. One senior vice president declared that he wanted 25% of his organization using Total Quality tools within a year. This caused tremendous excitement in the organization, However, the follow-through was delayed, occasionally inappropriate and sometimes not there. Many employee became discouraged with the process and considered it just another management fad. With the next business downturn, virtually all training had stopped and little enthusiasm was left.

Other organizations clearly focus on technical problems and on improving what they had. They are initially successful, but become victims of their own success. I call this an improved, planned incremental approach. Their initial quality improvement teams may be so successful they rapidly create more teams, without the qualitative organization-wide changes (re-engineering) necessary to sustain a permanent effort.

One organization we worked with had over 70 quality improvement teams in a plan with only 300 employees. They had shown little results after their first successes, and asked us what their next steps should be. We suggested the union’s leadership in their efforts, look at restructuring their organization along more product-focused lines, and possibly start profit sharing. They were not interested in taking any of these actions. A few months later, its parent company shut down the site, partly because of its poor productivity.

Organizations need to move beyond the buzzwords into deciding what actions they need to perform that will help them grow and develop. In response to this problem, this article will provide you a framework for coping with organizational change independent of buzzwords or the latest management fad. Organizations must first decide on the framework their organizational change long before they choose a buzzword to implement.

The major decisions

Instead of grasping for the latest technique, I suggest instead that organizations should go through a formal decision-making process that has four major components:

bullet Levels, goals and strategies
bullet Measurement system
bullet Sequence of steps
bullet Implementation and organizational change
The levels of organizational change
Perhaps the most difficult decision to make is at what "level" to start. There are four levels of organizational change:

• shaping and anticipating the future (level 1)
• defining what business(es) to be in and their "core competencies” (level 2)
• reengineering processes (level 3)
• incrementally improving processes (level 4)

First let's describe these levels, and then under what circumstances a business should use them.

Level 1- shaping and anticipating the future
At this level, organizations start out with few assumptions about the business itself, what it is "good" at, and what the future will be like.

Management generates alternate "scenarios" of the future, defines opportunities based on these possible futures, assesses its strengths and weaknesses in these scenarios changes its mission, measurement system etc. More information on this is in the next article, "Moving from the Future to your Strategy."

Level 2 - defining what business(es) to be in and their "Core Competencies
Many attempts at strategic planning start at this level, either assuming that 1) the future will be like the past or at least predictable; 2) the future is embodied in the CEO's "vision for the future"; or 3) management doesn't know where else to start; 4) management is too afraid to start at level 1 because of the changes needed to really meet future requirements; or 5) the only mandate they have is to refine what mission already exists.

After a mission has been defined and a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis is completed, an organization can then define its measures, goals, strategies, etc. More information on this is in the next article, "Moving from the Future to your Strategy."

Level 3 - Reengineering (Structurally Changing) Your Processes
Either as an aftermath or consequence of level one or two work or as an independent action, level three work focuses on fundamentally changing how work is accomplished. Rather than focus on modest improvements, reengineering focuses on making major structural changes to everyday with the goal of substantially improving productivity, efficiency, quality or customer satisfaction. To read more about level 3 organizational changes, please see "A Tale of Three Villages."

Level 4 - Incrementally Changing your Processes
Level 4 organizational changes are focusing in making many small changes to existing work processes. Oftentimes organizations put in considerable effort into getting every employee focused on making these small changes, often with considerable effect. Unfortunately, making improvements on how a buggy whip for horse-drawn carriages is made will rarely come up with the idea that buggy whips are no longer necessary because cars have been invented. To read more about level 4 organizational changes and how it compares to level 3, please see "A Tale of Three Villages."



One organization we consulted with has had a more positive experience with the incremental approach. We trained an internal facilitator, helped them deliver training in a just-in-time fashion, and had them focus on specific technical problems. The teams management formed reduced initial quality defects by 48%.

The disadvantages of such an incremental approach include avoiding structural, system-wide problems, and assumes existing processes need modest improvement. In addition, using incremental approaches can be frustrating to employees and management if (pick a buzzword) does not catch on in the organization. As a result of these disadvantages, many organizations experience a high risk of failure in the long run.

What level do I choose?
These levels have much of the same goals: increasing customer satisfaction, doing things right the first time, greater employee productivity, etc. Despite these similarities, they differ substantially in the methods they use to achieve these goals.

Levels one through three, on one hand, focuses on "big picture" elements such as analysis of the marketplace, out-sourcing, purchase/sale of subsidiaries, truly out-of-the box" thinking and substantial change in the management and support systems of the company . In my experience, companies that use these methods tend to have a high need for change, risk-tolerant management, relatively few constraints and have substantial consensus among its management on what to do. Types of industries include those whose environment requires rapid adaptation to fast-moving events: electronics, information systems and telecommunication industries, for example.

Companies using mostly incremental tools (level 4) have management that perceives only a modest need for change, is relatively risk-avoidant, has many constraints on its actions and only has a modest consensus among themselves on what to do. Instead of focusing on new opportunities, they wish to hone and clarify what they already do. Types of industries that often use these methods include the military, aerospace, and until recently, health care organizations. Those organizations whose strategic planning solely focuses on refining an existing mission statement and communicating the paragraph also fall into using incremental (level 4) methods.

When discussing the continuum of structural vs. incremental change, its important to realize that what labels companies use are not important here. One must carefully observe their actions. Many companies have slogans, "glitter" recognition programs and large budgets to provide "awareness" training in the buzzword they are attempting to implement. The key, however, is to note what changes they are really making. If management is mostly filling training slots with disinterested workers and forming a few process improvement teams, they are using level three methods. If they are considering changes in business lines, re-organizing by customer instead of by function, or making major changes in how the everyday employee is being paid, they are using level 3 methods.

Unfortunately, all of this discussion hinges in management's belief about how much change is necessary. This belief often hinges on their often unassessed beliefs of 1) how well the organization performs compared to other organizations (a lack of benchmarking); and 2) what the future will be.

As a result, my recommendation is that organizations conduct scenario/strategic planning exercises (level 1) anyway, even if they have already decided that level 4 (incremental) methods will suffice to solve their problems. This way management can be aware of the limitations of the lower-level methods they are using and realize when it is best to abandon these lower-level methods for something more substantive.

Based on this exercise, comparison of existing internal processes with world-class examples (benchmarking) and market analysis, management may come to realize how much change is necessary. The greater the gap between what the organization needs to be and how it currently operations and what businesses it is in, the more it suggests that greater change is necessary, and greater restructuring is necessary.

This decision is very important. IBM in the mid 1980’s felt that the future would be much like the past and a result didn't have to change much. They did not realize how much microcomputers would replace the functions of their bread-and-butter business, the mainframe. The net result was tens of thousands of people were laid off, with the company suffering the first losses in its history.

Goals
Based on whatever level work you are doing, the opportunities that are found need to be evaluated to determine which of them best suit the existing and future capabilities of the organization and provide the most "bang for the buck" in terms of improvement in your measures of success. In addition, goals need to have the resources and management determination to see to their success.

Goals also need to be SMART, that is:

Specific - concrete action, step-by-step actions needed to make the goal succeed

Measurable - observable results from the goal's accomplishment

Attainable - The goal is both possible and is done at the right time with sufficient attention and resources

Realistic- The probability of success is good, given the resources and attention given it.

Time-bound- The goal is achieved within a specified period of time in a way that takes advantage of the opportunity before it passes you by.



Some examples include:

bullet “We will expand into the polystyrene market within the next five years and achieve 20% market share”
bullet We will decrease the time from research to customer delivery by 50% within two years
bullet We will increase the quality of our largest product by 20% in three years.
Strategies
Where goals focus on what, strategies focus on how. Some examples include:

bullet “We will re-engineer our research and development process”
bullet “We will evaluate and improve our sales and marketing department”
bullet We will conduct a SWOT analysis and then define our core competencies


Additional examples of strategies are included in the "Moving from the Future to your Strategy" chapter.

Wait a second. Aren't goals and strategies really the same. They are in one sense as they both need to be SMART. As what you might guess, the goals of a level are achieved by creating strategies at the lower levels.

The Measurement System
Without measures of success, the organization does not know if it has succeeded in its efforts. Someone once said, “What gets measured gets improved.” Someone else said, “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.”

For more information on measurement systems and their place in organizational change, please see the "Balanced Scorecard" article, along with a number of articles where employee surveys are used.

Implementation and Organizational Change
The success of any organizational change effort can be summed into an equation:



Success = Measurement X Method X Control X Focused Persistence X Consensus

Like any equation with multiplication, a high value of one variable can compensate for lower levels on other variables. Also like any equation with multiplication, if one variable equals 0, the result is zero.

On employee involvement
Some organizations involve employees right from the start, where they have significant influence in the strategic plan of the organization. This kind of involvement tends to reduce employees’ resistance, which is always a very important factor in the success of any organizational change. Such organizations as Eaton, Eastman Chemical and Rohm and Haas have used such an approach.

Such employee involvement, however, might also be threatening to management’s traditional power. Some organizations decide employee involvement will be limited to implementing the strategic decisions management makes, or further limit involvement to purely task-focused teams working on technical problems. Many aerospace organizations have used this approach.

Focused persistence, good project management and the sequence of implementation
The sequence of implementation is also an important factor. There are four basic options, with many variations of them. The first involves the entire organization from the start, with the whole organization intensively working at once on making the change. Ford Motor Company is currently restructuring its entire organization, moving from planning to implementation in nine months.

Another option is a more relaxed approach, in which divisions or business units of the organization go at their own pace. This option can often become an incremental approach like the first or second village. Many conglomerates or other companies with diverse operations try this approach.

A third option is similar to the previous one, with the focus being on individual business units doing the implementation. In this case, however, business units implement roughly the same things in roughly the same time schedule. Unisys, the computer company, is using this method on some of its organizational change efforts.

A fourth option is to create a pilot project in one division or business unit, learn from its mistakes, and then apply those lessons to the rest of the organization. Examples of this option include the Saturn car facility at General Motors and the Enfield plant of Digital Equipment Corporation. It’s important to note here that creating pilot projects is a high-risk business. In both cases, the lessons learned from these pilot projects have not gained widespread acceptance in their parent companies due to their heavily ingrained cultures."
(http://www.organizedchange.com/decide.htm)

Spectrum of Organization Change

Costs and Benefits:

Tangible benefits
Increased productivity - It increases the production of services or products
Low operating cost - It is cheap or less expensive,when it comes to doing the project or change
Reduced work force - It will need a less or lesser people or employee
Lower computer expenses - It only needs a minimum maintainance
Lower vendor cost - It would be cheaper ot is less expensive when it comes to selling or ordering
Lower clerical/professional costs - There will be no need of people that are excellent on the job
Reduced growth of expenses - It will cause the firm to release a lesser amount of money

There is more to the value of an information system than just the tangible, evident benefits. These should be presented to the senior management as well.


Automation: Using technology to perform tasks efficiently/effectively

Automation is the use of control systems (such as numerical control, programmable logic control, and other industrial control systems), in concert with other applications of information technology (such as computer-aided technologies [CAD, CAM, CAx]), to control industrial machinery and processes, reducing the need for human intervention. In the scope of industrialization, automation is a step beyond mechanization. Whereas mechanization provided human operators with machinery to assist them with the muscular requirements of work, automation greatly reduces the need for human sensory and mental requirements as well. Processes and systems can also be automated.

Automation plays an increasingly important role in the global economy and in daily experience. Engineers strive to combine automated devices with mathematical and organizational tools to create complex systems for a rapidly expanding range of applications and human activities.

Many roles for humans in industrial processes presently lie beyond the scope of automation. Human-level pattern recognition, language recognition, and language production ability are well beyond the capabilities of modern mechanical and computer systems. Tasks requiring subjective assessment or synthesis of complex sensory data, such as scents and sounds, as well as high-level tasks such as strategic planning, currently require human expertise. In many cases, the use of humans is more cost-effective than mechanical approaches even where automation of industrial tasks is possible.

Specialized hardened computers, referred to as programmable logic controllers (PLCs), are frequently used to synchronize the flow of inputs from (physical) sensors and events with the flow of outputs to actuators and events. This leads to precisely controlled actions that permit a tight control of almost any industrial process.

Human-machine interfaces (HMI) or computer human interfaces (CHI), formerly known as man-machine interfaces, are usually employed to communicate with PLCs and other computers, such as entering and monitoring temperatures or pressures for further automated control or emergency response. Service personnel who monitor and control these interfaces are often referred to as stationary engineers.

Automation has had a notable impact in a wide range of highly visible industries beyond manufacturing. Once-ubiquitous telephone operators have been replaced largely by automated telephone switchboards and answering machines. Medical processes such as primary screening in electrocardiography or radiography and laboratory analysis of human genes, sera, cells, and tissues are carried out at much greater speed and accuracy by automated systems. Automated teller machines have reduced the need for bank visits to obtain cash and carry out transactions. In general, automation has been responsible for the shift in the world economy from agrarian to industrial in the 19th century and from industrial to services in the 20th century.[3]

The widespread impact of industrial automation raises social issues, among them its impact on employment. Historical concerns about the effects of automation date back to the beginning of the industrial revolution, when a social movement of English textile machine operators in the early 1800s known as the Luddites protested against Jacquard's automated weaving looms[4] — often by destroying such textile machines— that they felt threatened their jobs. One author made the following case. When automation was first introduced, it caused widespread fear. It was thought that the displacement of human operators by computerized systems would lead to severe unemployment.

Critics of automation contend that increased industrial automation causes increased unemployment; this was a pressing concern during the 1980s. One argument claims that this has happened invisibly in recent years, as the fact that many manufacturing jobs left the United States during the early 1990s was offset by a one-time massive increase in IT jobs at the same time. Some authors argue that the opposite has often been true, and that automation has led to higher employment. Under this point of view, the freeing up of the labor force has allowed more people to enter higher skilled managerial as well as specialized consultant/contractor jobs (like cryptographers), which are typically higher paying. One odd side effect of this shift is that "unskilled labor" is in higher demand in many first-world nations, because fewer people are available to fill such jobs.

At first glance, automation might appear to devalue labor through its replacement with less-expensive machines; however, the overall effect of this on the workforce as a whole remains unclear.[citation needed] Today automation of the workforce is quite advanced, and continues to advance increasingly more rapidly throughout the world and is encroaching on ever more skilled jobs, yet during the same period the general well-being and quality of life of most people in the world (where political factors have not muddied the picture) have improved dramatically. What role automation has played in these changes has not been well studied.

Advantages:

* Replacing human operators in tedious tasks.
* Replacing humans in tasks that should be done in dangerous environments (i.e. fire, space, volcanoes, nuclear facilities, under the water, etc)
* Making tasks that are beyond the human capabilities such as handling too heavy loads, too large objects, too hot or too cold substances or the requirement to make things too fast or too slow.
* Economy improvement. Sometimes and some kinds of automation implies improves in economy of enterprises, society or most of humankind. For example, when an enterprise that has invested in automation technology recovers its investment; when a state or country increases its income due to automation like Germany or Japan in the 20th Century or when the humankind can use the internet which in turn use satellites and other automated engines.

Disadvantages:

* Technology limits. Current technology is unable to automate all the desired tasks.
* Unpredictable development costs. The research and development cost of automating a process is difficult to predict accurately beforehand. Since this cost can have a large impact on profitability, it's possible to finish automating a process only to discover that there's no economic advantage in doing so.
* Initial costs are relatively high. The automation of a new product required a huge initial investment in comparison with the unit cost of the product, although the cost of automation is spread in many product batches. The automation of a plant required a great initial investment too, although this cost is spread in the products to be produced.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automation)

Rationalization of Procedures: Streamline SOPs and eliminate bottlenecks

Business Reengineering: Radical redesign of processes to improve cost, quality, service and maximize benefits of technology

This develops the business vision and process its objectives, which are

• Identify process to be redesigned - looking for the systems that should changed or modify
• Understand, measure performance of existing processes - Study the capacity of each existing systems
• Identify opportunities for applying information technology - Find ways on how to implement information system in order to provide good outcome for the firm or organization
• Build prototype of new process

Paradigm Shift: A new perspective on things

Paradigm is a complete mental model of how complex a system functions. It involves rethinking the nature of the business, the organization. It is a complete reconception or change of how the system should work.

Information systems are of strategic importance of any company. They are constantly developed, redesigned, modernized. This should be a controlled process managed by top management, deployed by those that know the technologies. IT specailists’ opportunity to advance in a company or in any organization.
(http://www.zturk.com/edu/zagreb/podiplomski/slides/02-1-short-IT-strategies.pdf)

..role of systems analyst..

Our group visited our adopted company, which is AMS Group of Companies, who have given us the honor and permission to conduct an interview with their representative, Mr. Gemrald R. Glibara, MIS head.

But, before going to what we have learned from the interview, let us first define system analysis, system analyst and project manager.

System Analysis
system Analysis has many different meanings. In the sense adopted for the Handbook, systems analysis is an explicit formal inquiry carried out to help someone (referred to as the decision maker) identify a better course of action and make a better decision than he might otherwise have made. The characteristic attributes of a problem situation where systems analysis is called upon are complexity of the issue and uncertainty of the outcome of any course of action that might reasonably be taken. Systems analysis usually has some combination of the following: identification and re-identification) of objectives, constraints, and alternative courses of action; examination of the probable consequences of the alternatives in terms of costs, benefits, and risks; presentation of the results in a comparative framework so that the decision maker can make an informed choice from among the alternatives. The typical use of systems analysis is to guide decisions on issues such as national or corporate plans and programs, resource use and protection policies, research and development in technology, regional and urban development, educational systems, and other social services. Clearly, the nature of these problems requires an interdisciplinary approach. There are several specific kinds or focuses of systems analysis for which different terms are used: A systems analysis related to public decisions is often referred to as a policy analysis (in the United States the terms are used interchangeably). A systems analysis that concentrates on comparison and ranking of alternatives on basis of their known characteristics is referred to as decision analysis.

Systems analysis is the interdisciplinary part of science, dealing with analysis of sets of interacting entities, the systems, often prior to their automation as computer systems, and the interactions within those systems. This field is closely related to operations research. It is also "an explicit formal inquiry carried out to help someone, referred to as the decision maker, identify a better course of action and make a better decision than he might have otherwise made."

The terms analysis and synthesis come from classical Greek where they mean respectively "to take apart" and "to put together". According to Tom Ritchey (1991) "these terms are used within most modern scientific disciplines -- from mathematics and logic to economy and psychology -- to denote similar investigative procedures. In general, analysis is defined as the procedure by which we break down an intellectual or substantial whole into parts or components. Synthesis is defined as the opposite procedure: to combine separate elements or components in order to form a coherent whole".

The systems discussed within systems analysis can be within any field such as: industrial processes, management, decision making processes, environmental protection processes, etc. The brothers Howard T. Odum and Eugene Odum began applying a systems view to ecology in 1953, building on the work of Raymond Lindeman (1942) and Arthur Tansley (1935).

Systems analysis researchers apply mathematical methodology to the analysis of the systems involved trying to form a detailed overall picture.

The development of a computer-based information system often comprises the use of a systems analyst. When a computer-based information system is developed, systems analysis (according to the Waterfall model) would constitute the following steps:

* The development of a feasibility study, involving determining whether a project is economically, socially, technologically and organisationally feasible.
* Conducting fact-finding measures, designed to ascertain the requirements of the system's end-users. These typically span interviews, questionnaires, or visual observations of work on the existing system.
* Gauging how the end-users would operate the system (in terms of general experience in using computer hardware/software), what the system would be used for etc.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systems_analysis)

System Analyst
A systems analyst is responsible for researching, planning, coordinating and recommending software and system choices to meet an organization's business requirements. The systems analyst plays a vital role in the systems development process. A successful systems analyst must acquire four skills: analytical, technical, managerial, and interpersonal. Analytical skills enable systems analysts to understand the organization and its functions, which helps him/her to identify opportunities and to analyze and solve problems. Technical skills help systems analysts understand the potential and the limitations of information technology. The systems analyst must be able to work with various programming languages, operating systems, and computer hardware platforms. Management skills help systems analysts manage projects, resources, risk, and change. Interpersonal skills help systems analysts work with end users as well as with analysts, programmers, and other systems professionals.

Because they must write user requests into technical specifications, the systems analysts are the liaisons between vendors and the IT professionals of the organization they represent. They may be responsible for developing cost analysis, design considerations, and implementation time-lines. They may also be responsible for feasibility studies of a computer system before making recommendations to senior management.

A systems analyst performs the following tasks:

* Interact with the customers to know their requirements
* Interact with designers to convey the possible interface of the software
* Interact/guide the coders/developers to keep track of system development
* Perform system testing with sample/live data with the help of testers
* Implement the new system
* Prepare High quality Documentation

Many systems analysts have morphed into business analysts. And, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that "Increasingly, employers are seeking individuals who have a master’s degree in business administration (MBA) with a concentration in information systems."
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systems_analyst)

A system analyst is the person who selects and configures computer systems for an organization or business. His or her job typically begins with determining the intended purpose of the computers. This means the analyst must understand the general objectives of the business, as well as what each individual user's job requires. Once the system analyst has determined the general and specific needs of the business, he can choose appropriate systems that will help accomplish the goals of the business.

When configuring computer systems for a business, the analyst must select both hardware and software. The hardware aspect includes customizing each computer's configuration, such as the processor speed, amount of RAM, hard drive space, video card, and monitor size. It may also involve choosing networking equipment that will link the computers together. The software side includes the operating system and applications that are installed on each system. The software programs each person requires may differ greatly between users, which is why it is important that the system analyst knows the specific needs of each user.

To summarize, the system analyst's job is to choose the most efficient computer solutions for a business, while making sure the systems meet all the company's needs. Therefore, the system analyst must have a solid understanding of computer hardware and software and should keep up-to-date on all the latest technologies. He must also be willing to listen to the constant needs and complaints of the users he builds systems for.(http://www.techterms.com/definition/systemanalyst)

Project Manager
A project manager is a professional in the field of project management. Project managers can have the responsibility of the planning, execution, and closing of any project, typically relating to construction industry, architecture, computer networking, telecommunications or software development.

Many other fields in the production, design and service industries also have project managers.

A project manager is the person accountable for accomplishing the stated project objectives. Key project management responsibilities include creating clear and attainable project objectives, building the project requirements, and managing the triple constraint for projects, which are; cost, time, and quality (also known as scope).

A project manager is often a client representative and has to determine and implement the exact needs of the client, based on knowledge of the firm they are representing. The ability to adapt to the various internal procedures of the contracting party, and to form close links with the nominated representatives, is essential in ensuring that the key issues of cost, time, quality and above all, client satisfaction, can be realized.

Project management
Project Management is quite often the province and responsibility of an individual project manager. This individual seldom participates directly in the activities that produce the end result, but rather strives to maintain the progress and mutual interaction and tasks of various parties in such a way that reduces the risk of overall failure, maximizes benefits, and restricts costs.

Products and services
Any type of product or service — pharmaceuticals, building construction, vehicles, electronics, computer software, financial services, etc. — may have its implementation overseen by a project manager and its operations by a product manager.

Project tools
The tools, knowledge and techniques for managing projects are often unique to Project Management. For example: work breakdown structures, critical path analysis and earned value management. Understanding and applying the tools and techniques which are generally recognized as good practices are not sufficient alone for effective project management. Effective project management requires that the project manager understands and uses the knowledge and skills from at least four areas of expertise. Examples are PMBOK, Application Area Knowledge: standards and regulations set forth by ISO for project management, General Management Skills and Project Environment Management

Project teams
When recruiting and building an effective team, the manager must consider not only the technical skills of each person, but also the critical roles and chemistry between workers. A project team has mainly three separate components: Project Manager, Core Team and Contracted Team.

Risk
Most of the project management issues that influence a project arise from risk, which in turn arises from uncertainty. The successful project manager focuses on this as his/her main concern and attempts to reduce risk significantly, often by adhering to a policy of open communication, ensuring that project participants can voice their opinions and concerns.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_manager)

Now that we have a better understanding of each terms, we will now discuss the role of Systems Analyst as the Project Manager of a team.

Role of Systems Analyst

The system analyst is the person (or persons) who guides through the development of an information system. In performing these tasks the analyst must always match the information system objectives with the goals of the organization.

Role of System Analyst differs from organization to organization. Most common responsibilities of System Analyst are following
1) System analysis

It includes system's study in order to get facts about business activity. It is about getting information and determining requirements. Here the responsibility includes only requirement determination, not the design of the system.
2) System analysis and design:

Here apart from the analysis work, Analyst is also responsible for the designing of the new system/application.
3) Systems analysis, design, and programming:

Here Analyst is also required to perform as a programmer, where he actually writes the code to implement the design of the proposed application.

Due to the various responsibilities that a system analyst requires to handle, he has to be multifaceted person with varied skills required at various stages of the life cycle. In addition to the technical know-how of the information system development a system analyst should also have the following knowledge.

*

Business knowledge: As the analyst might have to develop any kind of a business system, he should be familiar with the general functioning of all kind of businesses.
*

Interpersonal skills: Such skills are required at various stages of development process for interacting with the users and extracting the requirements out of them
*

Problem solving skills: A system analyst should have enough problem solving skills for defining the alternate solutions to the system and also for the problems occurring at the various stages of the development process.
(http://www.freetutes.com/systemanalysis/role-of-system-analyst.html)

A firms view: Good System Analyst

Our group decided to have our letter of approval for the interview on the Andres M. Soriano (AMS) Group of Companies. We have conducted the interview with the MIS Head/System Analyst of the Andres M. Soriano (AMS) Group of Companies, Mr. Gemrald Glibara.

But, before going to what we have learned from the interview, let us first define system analysis.

system Analysis has many different meanings. In the sense adopted for the Handbook, systems analysis is an explicit formal inquiry carried out to help someone (referred to as the decision maker) identify a better course of action and make a better decision than he might otherwise have made. The characteristic attributes of a problem situation where systems analysis is called upon are complexity of the issue and uncertainty of the outcome of any course of action that might reasonably be taken. Systems analysis usually has some combination of the following: identification and re-identification) of objectives, constraintS, and alternative courses of action; examination of the probable consequences of the alternatives in terms of costs, benefits, and risks; presentation of the results in a comparative framework so that the decision maker can make an informed choice from among the alternatives. The typical use of systems analysis is to guide decisions on issues such as national or corporate plans and programs, resource use and protection policies, research and development in technology, regional and urban development, educational systems, and?alth and other social services. Clearly, the nature of these problems requires an interdisciplinary approach. There are several specific kinds or focuses of systems analysis for which different terms are used: A systems analysis related to public decisions is often referred to as a policy analysis (in the United States the terms are used interchangeably). A systems analysis that concentrates on comparison and ranking of alternatives on basis of their known characteristics is referred to as decision analysis.

That part or aspect of systems analysis that concentrates on finding out whether an intended course of action violates any constraints is referred to as feasibility analysis. A systems analysis in which the alternatives are ranked in terms of effectiveness for fixed cost or in terms of cost for equal effectiveness is referred to as cost-effectiveness analysis. cost-benefit effectiveness is a study where for each alternative the time stream of costs and the time stream of benefits (both in monetary units) are discounted (to yield their present values. The comparison and ranking are made in terms of net benefits (benefits minus cost) or the ratio of benefits to costs. In risk-benefit analysis , cost (in monetary units) is assigned to each risk so as to make possible a comparison of the discounted sum of these costs (and of other costs as well) with the discounted sum of benefits that are predicted to result from the decision. The risks considered are usually events whose probability of occurrence is low, but whose adverse consequences would be important (e.g., events such as an earthquake or explosion of a plant). (http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/ASC/System_analy.html)

Technical, Managerial, Communication Skills of a System Analyst

Technical skills needed by systems analysts include but are not limited to:
1. Computers (PCs, mini, mainframes, etc.)
2. Computer networks (LAN, WAN, VPNs, administration, security, etc.)
3. Operating systems (Unix, Mac/OS, Windows)
4. Data Exchange Protocols (ftp, http, etc.)
5. Programming languages (C++, Java, XML, etc.)
6. Software applications (Office, project managements, etc.)
7. Information systems (databases, MISs, decision support systems)
8. System development tools and environments (such as report generators, office automation tools, etc.)


Managerial skills needed by systems analysts include but are not limited to:
1. resource management effectively managing the project’s resources, including time, equipment, hardware, software, people, money, etc.,
2. project management determining the tasks and resources needed for a project and how they are related to each other,
3. risk management identifying and minimizing risks,
4. change management managing the system’s (organization's) transition from one state to another
3. What kind of communication skills are needed for systems analysts?

Communication skills needed by systems analysts include:

1. clear and effective interpersonal communication, whether written, verbal, or visual, from writing reports to face–to–face conversations, to presentations in front of groups;
2. listening (accepting opinions and ideas from other project team members),
3. group facilitation or formal technical reviews (FTR) skills:
- setting an agenda,
- leading discussions,
- involving all parties in the discussion,
- summarizing ideas,
- keeping discussions on the agenda, etc.
(http://www.interlabs.bradley.edu/NSF_CCLI/Demo/class6/module6/Skills_Pretest_Posttest_Answers.pdf)

In the interview, talk about on how to become a system analyst and what is the frustration does the users and planners encounter during and after the project. During the interview we have come up with a questiopn about thae characteristics of a good System Analyst.

As the interviewee, Mr. Glibara would say, System Analyst should have the following characteristics:

• Able to cope with technological changes
• Ablle to cope with the frustrations with implemented information system
• Able to communicate
• A solution provider with regards to the demand of the client; and
• Has a wide range of thinking and understanding.

We have also asked him about the process model(s) that the department has been using in developing projects.

System Development Cycle (SDLC)

The Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC), or Software Development Life Cycle in systems engineering and software engineering, is the process of creating or altering systems, and the models and methodologies that people use to develop these systems. The concept generally refers to computer or information systems.

In software engineering the SDLC concept underpins many kinds of software development methodologies. These methodologies form the framework for planning and controlling the creation of an information system: the software development process.

A Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is any logical process used by a systems analyst to develop an information system, including requirements, validation, training, and user (stakeholder) ownership. Any SDLC should result in a high quality system that meets or exceeds customer expectations, reaches completion within time and cost estimates, works effectively and efficiently in the current and planned Information Technology infrastructure, and is inexpensive to maintain and cost-effective to enhance.

Computer systems have become more complex and often (especially with the advent of Service-Oriented Architecture) link multiple traditional systems potentially supplied by different software vendors. To manage this level of complexity, a number of systems development life cycle (SDLC) models have been created: "waterfall"; "fountain"; "spiral"; "build and fix"; "rapid prototyping"; "incremental"; and "synchronize and stabilize".[citation needed]

SDLC models can be described along a spectrum of agile to iterative to sequential. Agile methodologies, such as XP and Scrum, focus on light-weight processes which allow for rapid changes along the development cycle. Iterative methodologies, such as Rational Unified Process and Dynamic Systems Development Method, focus on limited project scopes and expanding or improving products by multiple iterations. Sequential or big-design-upfront (BDUF) models, such as Waterfall, focus on complete and correct planning to guide large projects and risks to successful and predictable results.[citation needed]

Some agile and iterative proponents confuse the term SDLC with sequential or "more traditional" processes; however, SDLC is an umbrella term for all methodologies for the design, implementation, and release of software.

In project management a project can be defined both with a project life cycle (PLC) and an SDLC, during which slightly different activities occur. According to Taylor (2004) "the project life cycle encompasses all the activities of the project, while the systems development life cycle focuses on realizing the product requirements".
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systems_Development_Life_Cycle)

The systems development life cycle (SDLC) is a conceptual model used in project management that describes the stages involved in an information system development project, from an initial feasibility study through maintenance of the completed application.
Various SDLC methodologies have been developed to guide the processes involved, including the waterfall model (which was the original SDLC method); rapid application development (RAD); joint application development (JAD); the fountain model; the spiral model; build and fix; and synchronize-and-stabilize. Frequently, several models are combined into some sort of hybrid methodology. Documentation is crucial regardless of the type of model chosen or devised for any application, and is usually done in parallel with the development process. Some methods work better for specific types of projects, but in the final analysis, the most important factor for the success of a project may be how closely the particular plan was followed.

In general, an SDLC methodology follows the following steps:

1. The existing system is evaluated. Deficiencies are identified. This can be done by interviewing users of the system and consulting with support personnel.

2. The new system requirements are defined. In particular, the deficiencies in the existing system must be addressed with specific proposals for improvement.

3. The proposed system is designed. Plans are laid out concerning the physical construction, hardware, operating systems, programming, communications, and security issues.

4. The new system is developed. The new components and programs must be obtained and installed. Users of the system must be trained in its use, and all aspects of performance must be tested. If necessary, adjustments must be made at this stage.

5. The system is put into use. This can be done in various ways. The new system can phased in, according to application or location, and the old system gradually replaced. In some cases, it may be more cost-effective to shut down the old system and implement the new system all at once.

6. Once the new system is up and running for a while, it should be exhaustively evaluated. Maintenance must be kept up rigorously at all times. Users of the system should be kept up-to-date concerning the latest modifications and procedures.
(http://searchsoftwarequality.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid92_gci755068,00.html)

What is the importance of the design phase of SDLC?


Interpersonal skills
These includes the following:

Communication:

It is an interpersonal quality; the system analyst must have command on English language. Communication is necessary to establish a proper relationship between system analyst and the user.
Communication is need to gather correct information.

Understanding:

This is also an interpersonal quality of the system analyst, understanding includes :
a. Understanding of the objectives of the organization.
b. Understanding the problems of the system.
c. Understanding the information given by the user or employee of the organization.

Selling:

The ideas of the system analyst are his products which he sells to the manager of a particular organization. The system analyst must have not only the ability of creating ideas but also to sell his ideas.

Teaching:

It is also an interpersonal quality. A system analyst must have teaching skills. He must have the ability to teach team members and the users. He has to teach about the new system and also about the proper use of the new system.

New technology:

An analyst is an agent of change, he or she must have the ability to show all the benefits of the candidate system with the new technological advancement, he must knew about.


Another list of skills that analyst must posses to be more effective in any design modeling process:

Analysis and Solution Definition Skills:

•To coordinate with Solution and Demand Management (SDM) team and different business users to manage business requirements and develop clear and workable high level assessments and Solution Design documents fulfilling business needs and in line with Technology and IT ability to deliver.
•To always drive and personally perform research and investigation in all relevant technology and business areas to ensure the Intranet presences is coping with industry standards.
•Translate requirements defined by business analyst into logical, economical and practical system designs.
•Analyzes and Designs system flow and procedures to ensure optimum control and security of data and efficient use of resources
•Develops functional specifications and system design specifications for client engagements.
•Work with vendors and service providers to analyze, design and implement robust, extensible and creative web solutions weighing costs versus benefits.
•Write high and detailed level business requirement documents
•Liaise with business users for requirements gathering, analysis and delivery
•Ensure proper development and implementation of projects by smartly decide on how to implement solutions by assessing all options of in-house development, out-sourcing and/or produced solutions

Technical Skills for Recommendation and Testing:

•Leads testing efforts.
•Ensures issues are identified, tracked, reported on and resolved in a timely manner.
•Works with client personnel to identify required changes.
•Communicates needed changes to development team.
Project Execution:
•Ensure that company’s policies and regulations are thoroughly followed in all projects. This includes but not limited to policies for procurement, vendor relations, legal, financial, human resources, customer service and technology.
•To ensure that the implemented solutions shall operate as planned by ensuring proper and comprehensive coordination with all IT and technology operation teams. This includes but not limited to planning and executions of SLAs, Training, Escalations Matrix & Procedures, Maintenance Windows, etc.
•Assists in enforcement of project deadlines and schedules.
•Takes input from supervisor and appropriately and accurately applies comments/feedback.
•Manages resources in accordance with project schedule.
•Consistently delivers high-quality services to our clients.
•Apply best-practices in Project Management to ensure robust project planning and monitor project execution, shorten the development cycles, and ensure on-time and on-budget delivery based on PMI Methodology
•Manage project change requests by liaising with CR department, business users and vendors to come up with the best solution that would accommodate the CR performance needs (scope, time, quality, cost and customer satisfaction)
•Ensure tight and close management to development and implementation teams including staff, contractors and vendors on-site and off-shore and to proactively avoid delay in the execution by proper follow-up, communication and escalation
•Manage teams including staff, contractors and vendors on-site and off-shore and to proactively avoid delay in the execution by proper follow-up, communication and escalation
•Monitor project performance and adherence deadlines to ensure delivery on time and within cost
•Collaborate and manage project stakeholders, manage expectations and report progress

Communication Skills:

•Assists in the facilitation of team and client meetings.
•Delivers informative, well-organized presentations.
•Understands how to communicate difficult/sensitive information tactfully.
•Communication and interpersonal skills, Ability to foster a co-operative work environment

Technical Understanding Skills:

•Possesses understanding in the areas of application programming, database and system design.
•Understands Internet, Intranet, Extranet and client/server architectures.
•Understands how legacy and web-based systems interface with each other.
•Architect technical web solutions in support of corporate IT/business objectives.
•Review technical designs & specifications and identify website or system deficiencies, and thereby recommending appropriate solutions.
•Support and maintain the existing corporate website and functionalities, including documentation of functional and systems specifications.
•To undertake research and investigation for all development related technologies, techniques, best-practices and forums.

Problem Solving Skills:

•Follow up the defects of the systems and prepare needed development/testing environments (SIT and UAT)
•Exhibits confidence and an extensive knowledge of emerging industry practices when solving business problems.
•Pushes creative thinking beyond the boundaries of existing industry practices and client mindsets.
•Ensure business requirements are met, and user satisfaction
•Process, validate and approve vendors’ invoices and purchase orders
•Monitor project performance and adherence to project plan execution, overall change control

Leadership and Teamwork Skills:

•Ensure that the implemented solutions shall operate as planned by ensuring proper and comprehensive coordination with all IT and technology operation teams as planned in SLAs
•Take proactive and corrective action as necessary and within established guidelines
•Proven leadership capability in managing teams, setting common ground rules and conflict resolution
•Able to support multiple projects concurrently and efficiently
•Acumen and awareness of the latest business and technologies thru research and development

Knowledge, Skills, Experience and Competencies:

•Software development skills
•Analysis & Design skills
•Communication skills
•Conflict Resolution skills
•Presentation skills
•Team Work & cooperation
•Can-Do Attitude
•Team Building & Coaching
•Customer-Centric Thinking
•Result Oriented
•Flexibility
(http://www.blurtit.com/q170760.html)

From what the interviewee says, opinion on how to be a Systems analysts is that he/she must be able to think logically and is a good communicator, meaning he/she must be good in speaking the universal language, which is English. Another thing is, he/she should be able to persuade client with his/her skills. Since they sometimes work in teams, in order to make large projects possible or successful, they must be able to communicate effectively with computer personnel, such as programmers and managers, as well as with users or other staff who may have no technical computer background.

In his view except from him, being the MIS department head, he is, at the same time the System Analyst of the team. But, they lack programmers in their department and he said he can do programming but he find it really hard to be a “one-man-team”. Of course, analysts should be familiar with programming languages and have a broad knowledge and experience with computer systems and technologies, strong problem-solving and analysis skills. AMS is a business-oriented company, that’s why it is required for the employees or staff to have a background on business-related transactions.

A must have skill when you are or want to be a System Analyst is the skill to choose the right and best process model for the project. In AMS, Rapid Application Development.

What is Rapid Application Development?

Rapid Application Development (RAD) refers to a type of software development methodology that uses minimal planning in favor of rapid prototyping. The "planning" of software developed using RAD is interleaved with writing the software itself. The lack of extensive pre-planning generally allows software to be written much faster, and makes it easier to change requirements.

Rapid Application Development is a software development methodology that involves techniques like iterative development and software prototyping. According to Whitten (2004), it is a merger of various structured techniques, especially data-driven Information Engineering, with prototyping techniques to accelerate software systems development.

In Rapid Application Development, structured techniques and prototyping are especially used to define users' requirements and to design the final system. The development process starts with the development of preliminary data models and business process models using structured techniques. In the next stage, requirements are verified using prototyping, eventually to refine the data and process models. These stages are repeated iteratively; further development results in "a combined business requirements and technical design statement to be used for constructing new systems".

RAD approaches may entail compromises in functionality and performance in exchange for enabling faster development and facilitating application maintenance. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapid_application_development)

Mr. Gemrald Glibara and the company do not to use Waterfall Method, because they think that they are developing an enterprise systems, and the most common thing that woul happen is it overruns. They are used to RAD process model.

In my opwn views, it is very critical that a System Analyst is able to foresee future problems that will hit the project team and the firm itself. This would be a very good quality skill that may be able to rest assure that the firm would be very effective in the future.

Another thing is, the most important skill is to become a good and excellent communicator or better have a practice and develop each employees or staffs communication skills.

System Analyst

What is System Analysis

This term has many different meanings. In the sense adopted for the Handbook, systems analysis is an explicit formal inquiry carried out to help someone (referred to as the decision maker) identify a better course of action and make a better decision than he might otherwise have made. The characteristic attributes of a problem situation where systems analysis is called upon are complexity of the issue and uncertainty of the outcome of any course of action that might reasonably be taken. Systems analysis usually has some combination of the following: identification and re-identification) of objectives, constraintS, and alternative courses of action; examination of the probable consequences of the alternatives in terms of costs, benefits, and risks; presentation of the results in a comparative framework so that the decision maker can make an informed choice from among the alternatives. The typical use of systems analysis is to guide decisions on issues such as national or corporate plans and programs, resource use and protection policies, research and development in technology, regional and urban development, educational systems, and?alth and other social services. Clearly, the nature of these problems requires an interdisciplinary approach. There are several specific kinds or focuses of systems analysis for which different terms are used: A systems analysis related to public decisions is often referred to as a policy analysis (in the United States the terms are used interchangeably). A systems analysis that concentrates on comparison and ranking of alternatives on basis of their known characteristics is referred to as decision analysis.

That part or aspect of systems analysis that concentrates on finding out whether an intended course of action violates any constraints is referred to as feasibility analysis. A systems analysis in which the alternatives are ranked in terms of effectiveness for fixed cost or in terms of cost for equal effectiveness is referred to as cost-effectiveness analysis. cost-benefit effectiveness is a study where for each alternative the time stream of costs and the time stream of benefits (both in monetary units) are discounted (to yield their present values. The comparison and ranking are made in terms of net benefits (benefits minus cost) or the ratio of benefits to costs. In risk-benefit analysis , cost (in monetary units) is assigned to each risk so as to make possible a comparison of the discounted sum of these costs (and of other costs as well) with the discounted sum of benefits that are predicted to result from the decision. The risks considered are usually events whose probability of occurrence is low, but whose adverse consequences would be important (e.g., events such as an earthquake or explosion of a plant). (http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/ASC/System_analy.html)

Information Systems Analyst

During the 1960’s and early 1970’s, the field of systems development was run by either a programmer or a system analyst. There were more analysts than programmers at that time yet since computing was just new in the corporate arena and there were those who could still look at systems as a whole. But there was so great a need for people who could program computers, thus the rise of programming.

Programming was so much a trend that many authors started writing books on how to boost programmer productivity, which led to the introduction of Structured Programming in the late 1970’s. Shortly thereafter, the Computer Aided Software Engineering or the CASE movement followed.

In the 1980’s, the rise of programming has led to the tremendous decline in system analysis, with trade groups slowly folding up. New job titles were introduced such as analyst/programmer and software engineer. The emphasis of the former title was more on programming, not systems analysis. At present, programmers are so much in demand in the corporate world, particularly in the Information Technology field.

Although a programmer and systems analyst may have pretty much the same scope in performing tasks, the two are still set apart by several characteristics. The programmer is more introverted and puts more focus on technology. A systems analyst, on the other hand, studies a business’s information requirements and designs system solutions that satisfy them.

Moreover, as the middleman of the programming staff, the analyst is responsible for specifying software requirements as well. Most analysts are also usually extroverted and business-minded and they should also be able to communicate well both verbally and in written in order to work effectively with the programming staff and the end-users. Additionally, they should also be able to conduct interviews, create presentations and look at things in a bigger scope.

The systems analyst knows and understands the problems encountered by end users as well the operations of the users’ department. In fact, analysts can make great candidates for top management positions. However, this has not materialized for some time now because the demand for analysts has dwindled for many years already.

Proper systems analysis plays an important role in increasing programmer productivity as analysts can provide quality specifications for application tasks. Programmers may lose valuable time without the help of systems analysts, as they may have to make second guesses as to what the end users want. As a result, this could lead to constant rewriting of software.

Simply put, programmers can improve their productivity through quality data and processing specifications that systems analysts can provide. In fact, this is even found to be even better than any available programming technique or tool there is. With good systems analysis, programming is made easier because the focus is on upfront work.

System problems cannot be completely solved with the mere use of programming techniques and tools alone – it also needs good systems analysis as well. And apart from its vital functions, good systems analysis can actually be an important factor in increasing programmer productivity too.(http://www.ankosnet.org/59-good-systems-analysis-in-increasing-programmer-productivity)

Distinguishing Characteristics of Work

This is technical and analytical work in planning and developing system requirements and enhancements for users of the State Courts' information system. The information systems analyst assists a senior analyst or consultant in determining the feasibility of implementing new computer applications or upgrades. The information systems analyst meets with users to determine and assess user needs, and designs and tests applications and enhancements. The information systems analyst is also responsible for debugging applications and providing technical support and training to users. The information systems analyst will prepare technical documentation and procedural instructions for implementing systems software. Working relationships are established with state courts personnel. Work is performed under the general supervision of the Information Systems Analyst Manager.

Education and Training Guidelines
Graduation from an accredited four year college or university with a degree in computer science or management information systems, or a degree in mathematics, statistics, or engineering with course work in computer science or management information systems, and one year of experience in systems analysis and programming. Progressively responsible experience in information systems (excluding data entry) may substitute for the recommended college education on a year for year basis.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Knowledge of computer capabilities, systems analysis, data processing, and programming techniques. Knowledge of and ability to use 3rd and 4th generation programming languages. Knowledge of the State Courts System organization, financial management methods, and record keeping practices. Ability to conduct a feasibility analysis of systems and programs requirements. Ability to prepare clear, detailed programs of instruction for users of the State Courts System management information system. Ability to detect errors on detailed charts, diagrams, and code sheets. Ability to interpret diagrammatic presentations of work flow, and prepare computer block diagrams and flow charts. Ability to act as a project leader. Ability to operate an on-line date entry terminal.(www.flcourts.org/gen_public/employment/bin/infosystanalyst.pdf)

Of course, the reason why they are called system analyst is, they need to have a very good skill in anlyzing problems. Here are some description of what should a System Analyst have:


9 main characteristics of any system:
- input,
- output,
- boundary,
- components,
- relationships,
- constraints,
- purpose,
- interfaces, and
- environment.

Course Web site as a system:

• Components - course syllabus, timetable, announcements, PPT slides with lecture notes, communications tools, homework assignments, downloadable software, examples of course projects, etc.
• Relations - one-to-one correspondence between course timetable and classes, deadlines for submissions of homework, etc.
• Boundary - this web site works only for one course and registered students.
• Purpose - gain knowledge in a specific area.
• Environment - particular university or college.
• Interfaces - Internet-based interface (GUI).
• Input - requests from students and instructor (open file, print file, etc.).
• Output - requested specific information (specific homework assignment).
• Constraints - limited to a particular class, a particular college/university.
• Systems for School:
• Some inputs: new students, new faculty, new employees, supplies, or funding.
• Some outputs: graduating or transferring students, faculty and other employees who take jobs elsewhere, knowledge, or inventions.
• Boundary for a university: example may include campus with satellite colleges/departments
• Components of a university: academic colleges and departments, buildings, classrooms, labs; academic functions such as registration and advising.
• Relationships student to student, faculty to student, department to college, etc.
• Constraints: funding, space (land), parking, number of students, etc,
• Interfaces: university web sites, phones, faxes, newsletters, etc.
• Purpose: produces top-quality graduates.
• Environment: community for community colleges, state or set of states for local (regional) universities.

4 main skills of a system analysts:

1. Analytical Skills ability to see things as systems, identify, analyze, and solve problems in an optimal way for a specific organization.
2. Technical Skills ability to understand how computers, data networks, databases, operating systems, etc. work together, as well as their potentials and limitations.
3. Management Skills include organization’s recourse management, project management (people and money), risk management, and change management.

Communication Skills include effective interpersonal communication (written, verbal, visual, electronic, face-to-face conversations, presentations in front of groups), listening, group facilitation skills.

Most important system concepts:

• Open system: a system that interacts freely with its environment, taking input and returning output.
• Closed system: a system that is cut off from its environment and does not interact with it.
• Modularity is dividing a system into parts/chunks/modules of relatively uniform size.
• Decomposition is the process of breaking down a system into its component parts.
• Coupling is the extent to which subsystems are dependent on each other

Technical, Managerial, Communication Skills of a System Analyst

Technical skills needed by systems analysts include but are not limited to:
1. Computers (PCs, mini, mainframes, etc.)
2. Computer networks (LAN, WAN, VPNs, administration, security, etc.)
3. Operating systems (Unix, Mac/OS, Windows)
4. Data Exchange Protocols (ftp, http, etc.)
5. Programming languages (C++, Java, XML, etc.)
6. Software applications (Office, project managements, etc.)
7. Information systems (databases, MISs, decision support systems)
8. System development tools and environments (such as report generators, office automation tools, etc.)


Managerial skills needed by systems analysts include but are not limited to:
1. resource management effectively managing the project’s resources, including time, equipment, hardware, software, people, money, etc.,
2. project management determining the tasks and resources needed for a project and how they are related to each other,
3. risk management identifying and minimizing risks,
4. change management managing the system’s (organization's) transition from one state to another
3. What kind of communication skills are needed for systems analysts?

Communication skills needed by systems analysts include:

1. clear and effective interpersonal communication, whether written, verbal, or visual, from writing reports to face–to–face conversations, to presentations in front of groups;
2. listening (accepting opinions and ideas from other project team members),
3. group facilitation or formal technical reviews (FTR) skills:
- setting an agenda,
- leading discussions,
- involving all parties in the discussion,
- summarizing ideas,
- keeping discussions on the agenda, etc.

Characteristics of high-performance team:
1. shared vision or goal
2. sense of team identity
3. result-driven structure
4. competent team members
5. commitment to the team
6. mutual trust
7. interdependence among team members
8. effective communication
9. sense of autonomy
10. small team size
11. high level of enjoyment

(http://www.interlabs.bradley.edu/NSF_CCLI/Demo/class6/module6/Skills_Pretest_Posttest_Answers.pdf)