Definition of Systems Analysis

According to McGraw-Hill, Systems Analysis is (1) Analyzing in detail the components and requirements of a system. (2) Analyzing in detail the information needs of an organization, the characteristics and components of presently utilized information systems, and the functional requirements of proposed information systems.

Our definition here at Anvil IT? Systems Analysis is (1) Analyzing what we want to accomplish, based on structured business requirements gathering before we move on to the design phase, which is understanding how we're going to accomplish it. (2) The most important and often undervalued phase of every project life cycle.

Systems Analysis initiates change within an organization. Every new system changes a business. Systems Analysts discover information that can be used for competitive advantage, finding new markets and services, and even dramatically improve the way an organization does business.

Focusing on Business Requirements

Systems Analysis is essentially problem-solving. Seeking to understand your business requirements before attempting to leverage technology to solve a business problem. Without taking the proper time to discover what your true business requirements are, there is little guarantee that your information system implementation will have the desired effect. As the recent dot-com bust has proven, there is no technical panacea - the only truly successful approach is one that is driven by business requirements.

Package Selection

Sometimes the hardest thing to do is select a software package or vendor. There are so many choices, rarely is the correct one obvious. Our approach at Anvil IT is to take the time to interview key players within your organization to identify your business requirements, prioritize them, and then interview the candidates. Our robust Requirements Matrix accurately compares the offerings of each candidate and allows us to identify the three strongest candidates. From there, we invite each vendor to demo their product to the key players within your organization. Ask us to share the details of our proven process with you - we're confident that you'll be convinced of the benefit of the Anvil IT package selection process.