An application support analyst is responsible for the management of a company’s software systems and may provide both internal and external technical support. He or she is in charge of program installation, upgrades, and maintenance, as well as databases, operating systems, and networking. The job entails a lot of troubleshooting and configuration work, but it can also include training other technical personnel, assisting businesses with system selection, and locating and implementing security solutions.
A large part of the job entails providing technical support for all of the company’s applications. In addition to assisting internal users with application issues, the analyst may also assist outsiders, particularly if the company develops its own software. Other common technical support tasks include analyzing error logs for potential issues, documenting the procedures used to resolve problems, and keeping track of all upgrades and fixes applied the analyst.
Another important responsibility of an application support analyst is software maintenance, which is usually accomplished through the creation of a maintenance plan. Although the analyst uses upgrades, patches, and service packs to fix known issues, he or she also uses them to prevent future issues. Analysts can choose to test upgrades before rolling them out to all of the company’s systems, or they can apply patches or upgrades to specific systems that have had issues in the past. Application support analysts also configure software to provide the best user experience, write scripts to automate installation and configuration tasks, and do some programming.
Database management, hardware, security, and operating systems are some of the issues that application support analysts deal with that aren’t directly related to software. Because many applications use databases and run on server operating systems, the analyst should be able to troubleshoot these as well. They may also be able to repair system hardware, resolve driver issues, and troubleshoot common network issues. Security is another major concern, and analysts should be able to secure both the company’s computer systems and software.
Training new employees, assisting with complex issues, and providing business advice are all part of the job description. The application support analyst may serve as a mentor to other technical support employees and is often tasked with resolving complex issues that the help desk is unable to resolve. These analysts frequently provide technical solutions to business problems, and some may go on to work as technical consultants.