Wednesday, December 7, 2011

An In-Depth Look At Business Systems Analysis

By Norman Philips


Business managers and owners need to be familiar with the promise and benefits associated with business systems analysis. There are plenty of consultants touting deals in the market but all caution is necessary before engaging any advisory services. The person undertaking the project will not only need to have technical competence but a deep understanding of how the business operates. Also important are the goals and aspirations that the operation has.

The project must at first be given a considered assessment in terms of its feasibility in the short term as well as in the long run. A complete assessment of the requirements needs to be carried out to exacting details. A cost estimate in terms of the hardware and software to be acquired has to be detailed. It is also necessary to specify how far reaching the changes need to be. Sometimes, for reasons of practicality and budgetary constraints; only a limited change in essential areas is necessary.

A realistic estimate of the time it will take to bring all the proposed changes into effect must be spelt out. The faster this can be done, the better for the organization as a whole. Any undue delays may be overtaken by events such that when the new solution is effected, the underlying technology is all but obsolete. Needless to say, the business will have undergone a loss that cannot be justified.

The employees in the business are an essential component of any proposed change as their attitude will greatly affect the overall efficacy. Their opinions must be sought early enough and the needs they express modeled into the solution. Any fears that they may have about job losses resulting form implementation of a more efficient process must be allayed in good time. Training in using the new system must also be carried out effectively.

The new solution model will need to be crafted to resemble the predecessor in as much as it is possible. No effort should be spared in ensuring that the approach is as intuitive so that even the novices in a particular organization can get a hang of it quickly. User guides and manuals must be designed adequately early and all that can be done in ensuring that both experts and beginners can perform their duties in the system be done.

Testing the new solution model must be carried early enough to ensure that the final project is both workable and will not halt operations in the firm. The test environment must be made to mimic the real work place operations. Where it is workable, the solution must be subjected to stressing circumstances to reveal just how much of a load it can take.

Implementation of a new solution must as a matter of course create as little disruption to normal operation as possible. The process must also be carried out in manageable phases as only small firms can take in a complete changeover at a go. Whether this is carried out in terms of piecemeal operational components or department by department is a decision that the system administrator must decide on.

The need to overhaul the method of operation in business is necessary from time to time. It is a process that can cost a fortune in terms of money and other resources so a workable plan is necessary to effect the changes in timely fashion and to the greatest efficacy possible. A workable business systems analysis is often the only option for success in the process.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment