Computer Systems Analyst

Computer systems analysts study an organization’s current computer systems and procedures and design information systems solutions to help the organization operate more efficiently and effectively. They bring business and information technology (IT) together by understanding the needs and limitations of both.

Duties

Computer systems analysts typically do the following:

• Consult with managers to determine the role of IT systems in an organization
• Research emerging technologies to decide if installing them can increase the organization’s efficiency and effectiveness
• Prepare an analysis of costs and benefits so that management can decide if IT systems and computing infrastructure upgrades are financially worthwhile
• Devise ways to add new functionality to existing computer systems
• Design and implement new systems by choosing and configuring hardware and software
• Oversee the installation and configuration of new systems to customize them for the organization
• Conduct testing to ensure that the systems work as expected
• Train the systems’ end users and write instruction manuals