What does a Business Systems Analyst do?

A business systems analyst helps improve an organization's processes by combining the skills of an information technology manager and a project manager. He or she is an expert at reviewing systems and categorizing them. The analyst reviews internal and external data in order to make suggestions for improvement. Many times, he or she also leads a team in charge of making the appropriate changes to an organization's system.

Business analysis is one of the most important steps in a business systems analyst's job, and it usually is the first duty in making an improvement. This involves the analyst learning what computers, software, network and servers are used for the purpose in question. The analyst must be an expert on every step of the system in order to diagnose its issues properly.

The business systems analyst must use his or her expertise in an organization's system and compare it to outside data and trends. If, for example, a company's billing procedure is costing it more money than the competition's billing procedure costs the competition, then it is the analyst's job to find out how great the difference is. The analyst also must learn what the competition is using to gain its advantage.

Presenting these findings to decision makers within the organization also is a crucial role. A person in this position needs excellent communication skills to develop a proposal and present it to a board of directors or a senior management official. The analyst shows how the current system is behind, what should be done to improve the system and the benefits that the organization would receive from making this change. The analyst also must plan for opposition by preparing to counter any concerns about the systems overhauls being time consuming and costly.

If an organization approves a recommended systems change, many times it is the business systems analyst who is the main project manager in charge of overseeing the project. There usually is nobody with more knowledge of the problem or the solution, so this talent is often put to work. The analyst must be good at managing people, because he or she rarely is the person doing the physical work of changing systems, software or servers. The analyst must stay within the budget, stay on schedule and ensure that all software and hardware works properly before introducing it to the entire organization.