WEEK 11: CLEAR

This week in ISM3004 we learned about system analysts and their role in some specific projects at the University of Florida and business in general. It was interesting to get a real life perspective from Christine Schoeff and what her UF project for instructor evaluations. She helped develop the program to create the instructor evaluations completely online so all students can easily do them, whether they are distance learning students in Man's Food or at a class here on campus.

I was really intrigued by the amount of human interaction and actual interpersonal communication skills needed to a successful system analyst. From planning all the way to the last part of the cycle, operations, support and security, there are large amounts of communication necessary with your team as well as outsiders affiliated with the project. The analyst needs to develop a solution or enhance a business model and this is done by speaking to lowest person on the company ladder to the senior executives. Communication skills here are a must because some employees may resist change when they don't see a problem.

The system analysts job is to watch and listen. I thought Shoeff's example of getting work done was great. She said she preferred to do 3% each day instead 50% during the week and 50% over the weekend. That way didn't put all her eggs in one basket in case something went wrong one day. You would never be able to bounce back from a 50% loss if that was the work schedule you chose.