Text D: System Analyst

Job description. A system analyst designs new IT solutions to improve business efficiency and productivity. Working closely with the client, analysts examine existing business models and flows of data, discuss their findings with the client, and design an appropriate improved IT solution. They produce outline designs and costings of new IT systems, specifying the operations the system will perform, and the way data will be viewed by the user, present their design to the client and, once it is approved, work closely with the client team to implement the solution.

Typical work activities. Work activities depend on specific type of IT system and the size and nature of the organization, but typically involve:

· liaising extensively with clients, presenting proposals to them;

· analyzing clients' existing systems;

· translating client requirements into highly specified project briefs;

· identifying options for potential solutions and assessing them;

· drawing up specific proposals for modified or replacement systems;

· producing project feasibility reports;

· working closely with developers and a variety of end users;

· ensuring that budgets are adhered to and deadlines met;

· drawing up a testing schedule for the complete system;

· overseeing the implementation of a new system;

· planning and working flexibly to a deadline;

· writing user manuals and providing training to users of a new system.

Agree or disagree with the following statements.

1) A system analyst investigates the requirements of a business or organization, its employees, and its customers in order to plan and implement new or improved computer services.

2) The job of a system analyst doesn’t require the ability to identify problems and research technical solutions.

3) Good communication skills are essential for interacting with managers and other employees.

4) Depending on the organization and its size, he or she might also be called a systems consultant, a systems engineer, an information analyst, or a business analyst.

5) A system analyst doesn’t have to determine which people and what kind of software, hardware, and monetary resources are necessary or available to solve the problem.

Find the words with an opposite meaning in the text.

D 1) destroy; 2) simple; 3) solution; 4) at a distance; 5) unsuitable; 6) deleting; 7) sometimes

Fill in the correct words from the active vocabulary.

1) … is the study of an activity, a procedure, even an entire business, to determine what kind of computer system would make it more efficient.

2) … gathers and analyzes the data necessary to develop the new application.

3) “A project team” is a group of people who are assigned to analyze and … an information system.

4) An information system progresses through several … as it is developed, used, and finally retired.

5) The justification for a new information system usually emerges from a serious problem with the … system, a threat to the organization’s success, or an opportunity to improve an organization’s products or services through technology.

6) Computerized information system can become obsolete when the hardware is out of date, or when the software no longer meets the … of the business mission.

Read the sentences translating the Russian fragments into English.

1) Computers often provide ways to make businesses run more efficiently, and they can supply (своевременную) information that helps improve customer service.

2) The members of the project team can use a variety of techniques, such as interviews and data analysis, (чтобы распознать) problems and opportunities.

3) The system development life cycle (SDLC) is the (основа) for creating computer systems.

4) The systems analyst’s task is to (беседовать с) the people who will be using the system to determine their needs, problems, and expectations.

5) Data are a collection of facts – unorganized but able to be organized into (полезную информацию).

6) (План развития проекта) typically must be approved by the management before a project proceeds beyond the planning phase.

Answer the questions.

1) What data does a system analyst typically gather and analyze?

2) Does a system analyst analyze the problem to be solved, the data to be input, the expected output, and other system considerations? Why?

3) Why does a system analyst work closely with developers, and users, liaise extensively with clients?

4) Do you agree that a computer professional is any person whose primary occupation involves the design, configuration, analysis, development, modification, testing, or security of computer hardware or software? Why?

5) Do computer professionals work outside of Information Systems departments?

SPEAKING PRACTICE

Speak on the following topics.

1) What is a system development life cycle?

2) How does the project team discover what happens in the current system?

3) What qualities should information have in order to be useful?

4) Describe typical work activities of a system analyst.

UNIT 5: SYSTEM DESIG

Active vocabulary

design (n,v) – проектирование; создавать	solution (n) - решение
to satisfy the requirements - удовлетворять требованиям	distributed processing - распределённая обработка данных
to define – определять, описывать	to evaluate – оценивать, анализировать
“from scratch” - “с нуля”, заново	turnkey system - готовая к эксплуатации система
customization (n) - настройка по техническим условиям заказчика	application development tools - средства разработки приложений
to implement - внедрять	compatibility (n) - совместимость
patch (n) - вставка в программу (корректировка)	shell (n) - оболочка операционной системы
maintenance (n) – сопровождение, текущее обслуживание	application specifications – технические требования к системе
backup (n,v) - резервные средства, резервировать	conversion software – программа преобразования данных
performance (n) - производительность системы