What stages of the development lifecycle do you know? What does a systems analyst do at each stage?

The software development life cycle typically includes the following stages:

1. Requirements gathering and analysis — a systems analyst interacts with clients and users to determine their needs, formulates and documents system requirements.

2. Design — the analyst participates in creating system models (e.g., UML diagrams), describes business processes and interactions, and helps define the architecture of the solution.

3. Development — the analyst supports the development team, clarifies requirements as needed, and answers questions related to functionality.

4. Testing — involved in preparing test cases, verifying that the implemented functionality meets requirements, and helps identify and describe errors.

5. Implementation — assists in organizing user training, participates in preparing documentation, and supports the system.

6. Support and maintenance — gathers feedback, analyzes change requests, and participates in planning new releases.

Thus, the systems analyst ensures communication between the business and technical team at all stages, guaranteeing that the final product meets user expectations.