Problem
Designing information systems for an organization that is trying to address a business problem is a challenging task. You've experienced some of these challenges in the form of individual assignments and group projects. Learning from these assignments and project is difficult as systems are developed for organizations that function in a world characterized by uncertainty and ambiguity. The changing business and technological environment compound the problem (Covid-19). Equally frustrating can be the process of understanding what the requirements for the new system are. For example, employees themselves often don't understand what they actually want from a system or in some cases may not be able to articulate their needs and wants. Sometimes what they think they need can set you off in the wrong direction. This reality is reflected in the comments attributed to Steve Jobs who said "A lot of times, people don't know what they want until you show it to them." This perhaps explains why otherwise successful organizations such as Ford, P&G, and GE struggle with creating systems that help them be innovative. These failed initiatives cost the companies more than 900 billion dollars. If one were to look at project success data, findings indicate that less than 40% of information systems projects deliver desired results.
In the context of what is described above please answer the following questions to reflect on your learning.
1. How has this course helped shape your views on the role of a system analyst in an organization? As a system analyst what do you think and why? Use examples to illustrate your points.
2. What challenged you the most in the context of analyzing a system and why?
3. As a student who has completed a course on systems analysis and design, what advice would you give to a student who aspires to be a system analyst?