Production Analyst

The Production Analyst is generally part of the information technology (IT) team. Your job is to monitor, maintain, and update computer operating systems. Although you have extensive knowledge of the entire computer system, the focus of the Production Analyst is on those particular systems that keep the computers safe, current, and reliable.

It’s you, the Production Analyst, who is called when the computer system crashes or freezes up. That means you’re often on call 24/7. So to avoid a punishing work schedule, you keep the system in tiptop shape through regular monitoring of activity. You review usage reports to find out which systems are overloaded, and which are taking up valuable memory but not being used. In addition, the Production Analyst evaluates downtime statistics that point a red arrow towards potential problem areas.

Identifying these problems helps you formulate a maintenance plan. You schedule and run “jobs,” which are typically updates to the system. You perform these jobs while the system is being used by the least number of people. That means you’re likely to be working at three a.m.

Resource management is another component of your job. You work to save the company money by maximizing current resources, such as memory, rather than purchasing new ones. To do this, you perform technical tasks that rearrange information, delete unwanted data, and clean up storage space to make more room.

Obviously, this job requires a thorough knowledge of computers, inside and out. In addition, you need analytical skills, self-motivation, the ability to either fly solo or work as part of a team, and project management skills.