Do you have experience designing a new system with limited resources?

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This question is addressing your experience in your previous roles as a computer systems analyst. In today's environment, companies are always looking to do more with less. Being able to describe how you accomplished this effectively and efficiently will help you establish your job qualifications. You should be able to provide a specific example of how you accomplished this.

"In my last job, the IT budget was frozen for 12 months, but the team was still expected to implement new systems while keeping the existing ones performing at high levels. In one specific instance, I was asked to develop a plan that would expand the network's capacity without adding any additional devices or resources. After analyzing the network usage, I came up with a scheme that would create several subnets. These would direct traffic to specific network areas, which had the most resources and reroute traffic around busy hardware. This enabled me to achieve the goal while preventing the company from having to upgrade the network."

Anonymous Answer

"Back at ****, I was tasked with creating a 24hrs help desk system I was given an extra 25% budget and asked to deliver 3 times as much coverage. Given these constraints I decided to conduct the preliminary investigation, during this phase the obvious became apparent, I needed to be creative and encounter a way to deliver high-quality service at a far lower cost per interaction. With management approval I went ahead and had my team create a library of self-help media, Also I hired a call center that would have agents trained by us and deliver 24hrs of coverage as a Tier 1 support while re-training my help desk to assume a tier 2 role. After implementation, I was able to reduce the cost per interaction from $11 to $2.50, delivering round-the-clock coverage and staying within budget. While increasing student satisfaction by 8%."

Amanda's Feedback

Once again you've done a really great job outlining an applicable example that is clear and specific. I appreciate the way you share the initial obstacles you had to overcome, each step of the creation process, and the final results. You've showcased that you're an employee able to develop a new system within the budget that also increases customer satisfaction and lowers costs, making you a stand-out candidate.