IT Business Analyst
Description
Springs Window Fashions has been part of the window treatments industry since 1939. Headquartered in Middleton WI, we have over 8,000 associates and 18 locations worldwide. Our products are available in nearly every major retailer, in thousands of designer showrooms and showcased in large commercial buildings. Our company is privately owned with products marketed across a broad portfolio of brands including Bali, Graber, SunSetter and Mecho. We pride ourselves as “The Best Experience Company”, striving to provide the best experience for our consumers, channel partners, and associates.
Position/Department
The IT team supports both the “Grow the Business” and “Run the Business” activities. From simple changes and updates to complex development projects. These team members design, develop, and validate the systems that is used to control, track, and document the transformation of raw materials into finished goods in real-time.
Position Specific Mission
The IT Business Analyst is responsible for translating the functional specifications to a viable technical solution that meets the business needs. This entails technical subject matter knowledge, collaboration with architecture, process teams, testing and deployment teams to design a viable solution. The business analyst also ensures that technical and process design align and that the integrated solution interdependencies are accounted for and work as designed. Projects are typically medium in scope, cross-functional and technically difficult to solve, potentially involving combinations of platforms and technologies. This position interacts closely with functional process owners to define business requirements, provide analysis and define IT solutions to address complex business needs.
Position Specific Objectives/Expected Outcomes
60% Requirements Definition and Design Responsibilities:
- Meets with business users and elicits and documents requirements for business systems
- Supports the technical design and development activities of the solution
- Acquires in depth knowledge of an end-to-end technical solution and their functional capabilities
- Understands limitations of technologies and software used to implement business systems
- End to end ownership/accountability of technical solutions
- Collaborate with developers to review end-to-end solution architecture and design
- Collaborate with Process Teams and IT organizations on solution design
- Maintains system architecture documentation to ensure appropriate architecture is leveraged for an end-to-end integrated solution.
- Acquires clear understanding and capabilities of 3rd party packages and how they fit into our IT solution
- Acquires clear understanding of the interaction between systems
- Participates in strategic analysis, proof-of-concept, and prototyping initiatives to prepare for utilization of new technology
- Designs solutions based on development standards and approaches
- Oversee and collaborate with other IT associates to ensure all dependencies are identified
- Evaluates alternative designs, makes appropriate recommendations, and documents design solutions
- Prepares technical specifications based on thorough understanding of functional specifications
- Provides design and builds impact assessments for upgrades
20% Project Management Responsibilities:
- Maintains detailed project plan and ensures projects are staffed with sufficient resources
- Manages scope of projects to deliver solutions to expected timelines
- Provides effort estimates based on business requirements
- Provides timely status updates
- Maintains awareness of patches and fixes to collaborate for application health
20% Application Development and Quality Responsibilities:
- Performs system testing and coordinates user acceptance testing with business users
- Supports testing activities by fixing or assisting in fixing defects through technical issue resolutions
- Leads and performs various testing phases such as extended unit tests and performance tests
- Facilitates extended unit tests
- Provides interface support
- Assists with functional acceptance testing as needed
- Provides timely defect resolution to minimize delays in project timeline
- Provides after-hours support
- Develops training materials, participates in the implementation, and provides post-implementation support
- Contributes to, understands and adheres to Application Development processes, software development standards, and technical approaches relevant to assigned technology
- Researches, builds and maintains development standards and approaches
- Proactively monitors, performs root cause analysis and recommends solutions to reduce on-call and improve application health
- Integrates quality at the source thinking and activities in daily, individual, team and project work. (Applies to all job duties 100%)
- Utilizes quality/process tools and methodology in daily individual work
- Utilizes quality/process tools and methodology on teams
- Defines and documents individual processes within sphere of control
- Ensures that others are trained as back-ups on (processes) within the area/department
- Improves processes within sphere of control
- Identifies waste and rework and enacts plan to improve/solve
- Checks satisfaction of internal customers through use of quality tools and Customer/Supplier metrics