Differences between a System Analyst and Business Analyst

System Analyst:

• A systems analyst is capable of looking at a program or utility and see the code. They can go in and pinpoint where changes need to be made. They can incorporate the new data into an existing program for benefiting the company.
• The systems analyst can collect data and transform it into usable code for a new project or program. They can recognize where problems may lie in the code itself. They can rewrite this code to alleviate the problem.
• Usually, the systems analyst can consult with other IT members in technical jargon foreign to the business stakeholders. The stakeholders are just grateful the job is being done.

Business Analyst:

• The business analyst has a more complicated position. He or she must not only understand the way IT speaks but also how the stakeholders speak.
• The business analyst is more of a people person. He or she acts as a liaison between management and IT.
• A business analyst will be able to look at all aspects of the company and discover underlying causes for system failures. He or she may not be able to write the code to fix the issue. The business analyst can at least come up with the concept of what the code is supposed to do.
• The business analyst can retrieve reports and data from IT and transform it into reports needed to develop a project plan or program.
• Further development and research may be needed from another department which the business analyst is capable of doing. This is not to say the systems analyst can not do the job. The systems analyst is more black and white when it comes to this.

The true business analyst is more creative and more flexible.