Application Analyst – An overview

Application Support is critical for all organizations, but more than half struggle to maintain and manage their application support. The need for better asset management and qualified application support analysts is on the rise.

Few asset management failures

The following examples from around the web illustrate why application support is so necessary:

• Two-thirds of CIOs felt that their applications were only partially aligned to their business strategy or not at all

• Only 39% of CIOs said they had the right strategy to manage their organization’s applications

• Nearly two-thirds of CIOs could not provide the true cost of running applications in their business

• 47% of CIOs said they did not have the resources to ensure maximum value from their applications

• Half of CIOs said the level of duplication was moderate to "too much"

What do application support analysts do?

They fix application and system problems, or any incident that is disrupting the application service that business users depend on. The job calls for both technical capability and business understanding. Crucially, applications are production or live, and issues need immediate attention. Hence, a calm temperament is a must.

To become a successful Application Support Analyst the following qualities must be developed:

Competencies for an Application Support Analyst

1.Analytical Approach

2.Communication and co-ordination

3.Decision making skills

4.Management

1. Analytical Approach

Application Analyst has the major responsibility of performing a detailed check of the data bases, data records, reports, technical workflows and other software related functionalities of the system. He/she also has to review the issues that will be reported from not just a technical perspective but also from the end user’s perspective.

2. Communication and Coordination

Application Analyst not only interacts with the technical team but also interfaces with the client end. The duty is on the application analyst to figure out the technical and non-technical issues faced by the customer while using the application. He/she must communicate the challenges faced at the client’s end to the technical team and help the technical team resolve the issues.

3. Decision Making skills

Applications Analyst should have strong decision making skills because he/she will be faced with a swarm of choices from which he/she has to choose the best fit. Further, he/she must undertake to individually seek data about the specific issues being faced by of the end users so that the technical team has all the required information in order to resolve the issue.

4. Management

People Management should be one key skill that an application analyst must possess. The application analyst has to deal with people from both the company’s end and the user’s end. So he/she must have the ability to address the issues at both the ends and should ensure the successful resolution of the issue to the user’s satisfaction.

Essential Tech courses

After completing technical courses in UNIX, SQL and EXCEL VBA, try to attain qualifications in both ITIL (IT Infrastructure library) and IAQ (introduction to investment qualification). The comprehensive training programs and certified examinations mold you into a skilled, confident and technical candidate.

Personally, I think the main skills for an Application Support Analyst are communication, problem solving and organizational skills. An individual who can work under pressure, communicate efficiently and provide alternative solutions is likely to succeed.

About Author:

Harpreet Kaur Dua is a consultant in Systems Plus Pvt. Ltd. Within Systems Plus, she actively contributes to the areas of Technology and Information Security. She can be contacted at: harpreet.dua@spluspl.com