WHAT DOES A SYSTEMS ANALYST DO?

Published: Jan 06, 2026 - The Systems Analyst creates and manages requirement plans, documents current and future processes, and translates business needs into clear specifications and user stories. This role involves eliciting, validating, and prioritizing requirements through interviews, workshops, and analysis while collaborating with project managers, stakeholders, and technical teams to ensure alignment with project objectives. The Analyst also evaluates solution options, supports project scheduling and risk mitigation, and facilitates discussions to resolve issues and guide decision-making.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Systems Analyst

1. Systems Analyst Duties

  • Application Support: Provide application, technical, and preventative maintenance support for multiple end-user systems.
  • Project Delivery: Contribute to departmental projects and solution implementations.
  • Networking Concepts: Understand networking and distributed computing environment concepts and principles of client and server configuration.
  • Requirements Development: Support the development of information system requirements, including process and documentation creation and maintenance.
  • User Relations: Maintain user confidence.
  • Information Security: Protect operations by keeping information confidential.
  • Quality Assurance: Maintain a high level of quality work in a stressful environment.
  • System Testing: Participate with clients in testing system changes and enhancements.
  • Issue Resolution: Participate in targeted technical support, issue troubleshooting, and resolution.
  • Program Follow-up: Provide follow-up to ensure the success of programs.

2. Systems Analyst Details

  • Second-Level Support: Provide second-level support with regard to service requests until issues are resolved, including escalation of tickets to the appropriate department.
  • Problem Analysis: Perform analysis, diagnosis, and resolution of complex end-user issues, including recommendations and implementation of corrective solutions.
  • Incident Reporting: Enter and report technical problems, root causes, and solutions within the incident management software.
  • SLA Management: Participate in meetings defined SLAs, including assigning and prioritizing open service requests.
  • Issue Documentation: Document reported issues in the trouble ticketing system.
  • System Operations: Ensure computer systems within the data operation run efficiently according to documented procedures.
  • System Monitoring: Monitor and document alerts from various monitoring systems to ensure maximum uptime.
  • Escalation Management: Oversee escalation to third-level support for problem recognition, research, isolation, and resolution of unresolved issues.
  • User Advocacy: Advocate for associates who report issues, keep them informed of progress, and work to achieve quick and successful resolutions.

3. Systems Analyst Responsibilities

  • Requirements Gathering: Work with business representatives to document their requirements.
  • Issue Analysis: Research, review, and analyze issues.
  • Impact Assessment: Review requirements for cross-impacts to other areas.
  • Workflow Automation: Apply workflow automation thinking to multi-step business processes.
  • Process Optimization: Eliminate time-consuming manual tasks and redundant data entry by developing effective workflows.
  • Change Communication: Communicate process changes, enhancements, and modifications.
  • Change Testing: Test changes before implementing them.
  • User Training: Provide change and enhancement training and assistance for supported areas.
  • Process Evaluation: Evaluate existing processes and system functionality.
  • Optimization Planning: Determine paths for optimization.
  • System Documentation: Document current system functionality, including custom code.
  • Dependency Analysis: Identify dependencies.

4. Systems Analyst Accountabilities

  • Application Analysis: Analyze client business applications and data to recognize, correct, and report malfunctions to appropriate personnel.
  • Data Collection: Identify and capture relevant data related to issues to assist Tier III engineers during escalation.
  • Customer Support: Communicate with employees and contractors using strong customer service skills, professionalism, tact, and diplomacy to respond to support calls.
  • Vendor Coordination: Coordinate with vendors on items escalated to Tier III support.
  • Help Desk Systems: Understand help desk system functions to enter customer-reported problems and service requests into the call support database as part of daily tasks.
  • Issue Troubleshooting: Identify error messages and conditions to troubleshoot routine and recurring business application issues.
  • Application Proficiency: Understand, analyze, and become proficient with custom business applications to support user training, break/fix issues, and performance-related concerns.
  • Technical Resolution: Assist clients in resolving complex technical problems with accounts and applications.
  • Ticket Management: Log, track, and follow up with clients to ensure inquiries are resolved through the ServiceNow ticketing system.

5. Systems Analyst Functions

  • Functional Specification: Translate new business requirements into system functional specifications.
  • Requirements Management: Manage functional business requirements.
  • Oracle Configuration: Perform Oracle configuration changes and test them.
  • Issue Analysis: Discuss problem replications and business implications with users.
  • End-User Support: Support end users, clarify doubts, and respond to user queries.
  • Business Collaboration: Work with business representatives to maintain updated knowledge.
  • L2 Support: Support L2-level complex Oracle solution issues.
  • Project Support: Provide business support for projects, including M&A and conversions, by validating required changes from an IT perspective and supporting their execution.
  • Release Validation: Validate code changes by participating in monthly Sprint releases and assessing impacts on business operations.
  • Business Continuity: Ensure business continuity.
  • Global Collaboration: Collaborate with IT teams across the globe in daily tasks.

6. Systems Analyst Overview

  • System Implementation: Support the second Century Systems implementation of the shop floor module replacement.
  • Requirements Analysis: Research and perform basic analysis of processes, applications, systems, and data to identify functional requirements for application or system design.
  • Customer Support: Assist customers in clarifying basic requirements.
  • Functional Translation: Interpret and translate routine requirements into functional specifications.
  • System Testing: Assist in the development and execution of moderately complex tests to validate system functionality against specifications.
  • System Auditing: Assist in ongoing system audits to evaluate resource utilization, communication efficiency, and alignment with business goals and strategies.
  • SharePoint Administration: Maintain SharePoint via the web interface and assist users with SharePoint library setup.
  • Network Maintenance: Perform client network maintenance and monitoring.
  • Telecom Monitoring: Perform telecom network maintenance and monitoring.
  • Issue Documentation: Document client, network, and software issues.
  • Ticket Management: Manage the Helpdesk Ticketing System.

7. Systems Analyst Details and Accountabilities

  • Solution Design: Use modern tools and platforms to design and deliver solutions that create measurable value for the organisation.
  • Technology Innovation: Identify opportunities where contemporary technologies can improve business outcomes.
  • Project Leadership: Lead short-duration, high-impact projects that deliver quick wins for stakeholders.
  • Requirements Analysis: Gather and analyse information to clearly define project requirements and objectives.
  • Technical Architecture: Design effective technical solutions based on identified business needs.
  • Solution Implementation: Implement solutions efficiently while ensuring quality and reliability.
  • Workflow Management: Develop and manage workflows within the Azure Data Platform.
  • Data Solutions: Build data-driven solutions that are scalable, secure, and maintainable.
  • Application Integration: Create a seamless and integrated application experience for end users.
  • User-Centered Design: Ensure solutions are user-focused and aligned with organisational goals.
  • Continuous Improvement: Continuously improve the IS team’s delivery capability by researching and applying new platform features and design patterns.

8. Systems Analyst Tasks

  • Prototyping Techniques: Use prototyping and simulation techniques to validate and refine business and system requirements.
  • Stakeholder Validation: Confirm stakeholder expectations by testing concepts before full implementation.
  • System Documentation: Produce clear analysis documentation that describes system structure and functionality.
  • Standards Compliance: Apply departmental standards, guidelines, and best practices when creating models and documentation.
  • Documentation Clarity: Ensure documentation supports a consistent understanding across technical and non-technical stakeholders.
  • Software Review: Review requirements for third-party or purchased software solutions.
  • Configuration Strategy: Determine appropriate configuration and customization approaches based on business needs.
  • System Integration: Assess how purchased software integrates with existing systems and processes.
  • Quality Assurance: Participate in quality assurance activities throughout the development lifecycle.
  • Solution Review: Contribute to reviews to ensure solutions meet defined requirements and quality standards.

9. Systems Analyst Roles

  • Scenario Collaboration: Collaborate with the TCE team to define and document business scenarios.
  • Data Processing: Process transaction and static data required to support each scenario.
  • Data Mapping: Map scenario data to transaction reporting specifications and required fields.
  • KPI Tracking: Track and maintain KPIs that measure progress against daily reporting dashboards.
  • Peer Review: Conduct peer reviews with TRMA team members to confirm specification completeness per scenario.
  • Status Reporting: Prepare and deliver progress and status reports to the DTCCC.
  • Deliverable Packaging: Package scenario deliverables within the local Jira environment.
  • Artefact Management: Organise and maintain related artefacts, including XPaths, test data, and XML files for each scenario.
  • Vendor Coordination: Work closely with Broadridge to ensure scenarios are accurately mapped to agreed specifications.
  • Unit Testing: Perform unit testing on scenarios when builds are returned from Broadridge.
  • Test Validation: Validate test results and identify issues or gaps in scenario implementation.
  • Testing Support: Support the testing team by assisting with their testing activities.

10. Systems Analyst Additional Details

  • Performance Analysis: Analyze the performance of Endpoint Management administrators’ activities, identify problem areas, and deliver solutions to enhance service quality and prevent future issues.
  • Endpoint Security: Establish endpoint-level security administration and implement systems to prevent breaches and hacking.
  • Continuous Improvement: Assist in the development and implementation of IT service continuous improvement programs for assigned IT Group divisions.
  • Strategic Alignment: Align Endpoint Management activities with Information Technology group objectives to support strategic initiatives.
  • Project Participation: Participate in project planning, implementation, and testing.
  • Service Improvement: Review and recommend improvement initiatives that impact IT customer satisfaction and relationships.
  • IT Governance: Contribute to the development of IT infrastructure and operations budgets, SLAs, and projects.
  • Operational Support: Perform tasks within the general scope of the role and other responsibilities as assigned by management.
  • Business Engagement: Participate in business initiatives with IT for upcoming implementations and new end-user solutions.

11. Systems Analyst Essential Functions

  • System Configuration: Design, write, test, implement, and maintain configurations, scripts, and workflows supporting Order Management Systems.
  • Solution Analysis: Provide analysis and guidance for efficient design, configuration, and implementation of system enhancements.
  • Application Support: Support, troubleshoot, and resolve issues for Order Management Systems and Salesforce instances.
  • Issue Triage: Triage issues and escalate to the Product Owner as needed by providing troubleshooting results and analysis.
  • Stakeholder Liaison: Serve as a liaison between stakeholders from multiple internal departments and development or technology teams on prioritized backlog projects.
  • Backlog Management: Work with stakeholders and Business Transformation Architects to understand business requirements and help construct the project backlog.
  • Workflow Design: Collaborate with the Scrum team to define data and system workflows supporting end-to-end solutions.
  • Agile Delivery: Perform tasks in an Agile environment to complete user stories.
  • Configuration Management: Conduct moderate software configuration management activities as requested by the business.
  • Stakeholder Communication: Communicate updates to stakeholders as support tickets and projects progress.
  • User Administration: Create and manage user accounts for all business systems.
  • License Management: Procure and manage user software licenses for all business systems.
  • Compliance Support: Assist with business system regulatory, security, compliance, and audit efforts.

12. Systems Analyst Role Purpose

  • Technical Escalation: Act as the technical escalation contact for clinics working with Navigating Cancer’s solution.
  • Change Enablement: Serve as an agent of change for clinics transitioning to care management and value-based care models, and handle requests from clinics experiencing difficulties with platform features and functionality.
  • Adoption Support: Help clinics increase patient adoption of solutions, communicate the value of software and services, and identify opportunities to enhance clinic success and feature utilization.
  • Escalation Resolution: Deliver resolutions for all technical support cases escalated from the Support team.
  • Case Management: Document, respond to, and manage technical support escalations using Salesforce and Jira.
  • Issue Troubleshooting: Troubleshoot and thoroughly research technical issues, escalating bugs to internal teams as appropriate.
  • Engineering Collaboration: Partner with multiple engineering teams to investigate issues and ensure resolution.
  • Status Communication: Provide regular escalation status updates to all stakeholders.
  • Customer Satisfaction: Maintain high levels of customer satisfaction by delivering timely and accurate responses.
  • Trend Analysis: Identify trends in technical issues and product bugs and provide regular feedback to management.
  • Best Practices: Develop and implement best practices for collecting relevant data to investigate technical issues and bugs.
  • Documentation Coordination: Collaborate with the Support team to deliver cohesive documentation of escalated issues and ensure a smooth customer escalation experience.
  • Resolution Communication: Communicate resolutions and applicable workarounds to customers and the Support team.
  • Response Optimization: Manage escalated cases and communicate effectively with partners to reduce resolution response time.

13. Systems Analyst General Responsibilities

  • Business Analysis: Quickly onboard to understand business objectives and challenges, identify alternative solutions, and perform cost-benefit analyses of available options.
  • Requirements Analysis: Analyze documented user requirements, procedures, and problems to automate processing or improve existing computer systems.
  • Operational Coordination: Coordinate with technical and functional personnel to analyze current procedures, identify issues, and define input, output, and reporting requirements.
  • Functional Documentation: Write detailed descriptions of user needs, program functions, and steps required to develop or modify computer programs.
  • System Feasibility: Review current system capabilities, specifications, and scheduling constraints to determine the feasibility of requested changes.
  • System Evaluation: Study existing systems to evaluate effectiveness and develop new or enhanced functionality to meet specifications or improve production.
  • Technical Specifications: Prepare specifications detailing system operations, program functions, and personnel responsibilities.
  • Developer Support: Assist programmers in resolving issues related to project specifications or programming challenges.
  • Application Coordination: Coordinate the work of others to develop, test, install, and modify applications when acting in an analyst role.
  • Technical Support: Provide technical assistance for application and hardware issues and share system knowledge with users.
  • Standards Development: Analyze systems and procedures, write and revise standards, communicate effectively, and train others.
  • Accessibility Standards: Apply working knowledge of EIR Accessibility standards and assistive technologies.
  • Accessibility Analysis: Analyze and diagnose accessibility-related issues and document corrective actions or alternative access methods.

14. Systems Analyst Key Accountabilities

  • Requirements Planning: Create and implement a requirements management plan, including stakeholder identification, scope decomposition, traceability attributes, prioritization, validation, and reporting.
  • Requirements Specification: Develop requirements specifications using standard templates and clear natural language.
  • Process Modeling: Document current and future process flows and business architecture using industry-standard modeling techniques.
  • Requirements Validation: Collaborate with project managers, stakeholders, decision makers, and technical teams to prioritize, validate, verify scope, and support testing.
  • Requirements Elicitation: Elicit requirements through interviews, workshops, surveys, site visits, document analysis, and other business analysis techniques.
  • Artifact Decomposition: Evaluate requirements and decompose them into user stories, use cases, test scenarios, and functional specifications.
  • Functional Requirements: Elicit and document functional requirements, including usability, maintainability, and reliability considerations.
  • Technical Collaboration: Collaborate with developers and subject matter experts to define technical vision and analyze usability versus performance tradeoffs.
  • Solution Validation: Validate proposed solutions to ensure alignment with project objectives and business needs.
  • Facilitation Skills: Plan and facilitate discussions, resolve issues, and clearly articulate decision points.
  • Stakeholder Presentation: Present project requirements and solution options to stakeholders and decision makers.
  • Project Estimation: Work with project managers to develop work estimates and project schedules.
  • Risk Management: Collaborate with project management teams to address issues, set deadlines, and mitigate project risks.
  • Independent Analysis: Work independently with users and stakeholders to define concepts, processes, and requirements.
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