Skill explained

The current theme of Skill 9 IT Software Solutions for Business is “Using a software development tool to develop a software solution to manage a business operation”. Software solution developer and provider are highly-employable professionals in the IT community.

What do IT Software Solutions professionals do?
· Develop software solutions to solve businesses' problems
· Use software development tools and computer languages to build software solutions
· Use communication and interpersonal skills to elicit user requirements for the software solutions
· Analyze business requirements in order to design and develop well-fitting solutions
· Use problem-solving skills and in-depth technical knowledge to build those solutions
· Document the solutions in an easy-to-understand way for future maintenance
· Use presentation and sales skills to present the solutions to clients

They can operate in a wide variety of roles including:
1. In a development role
o developing a new or customized software solution to manage a business operation
2. In a support role
o offering advice and support to end users to implement a software solution in a business environment
3. In a training role
o train users to use a software solution in the business functions

Required skills

Problem-solving, analytical, communication, interpersonal, presentation, software design and development, attention to detail and critical thinking

What the Competitors do at the Competition

Microsoft Office is chosen to be the development tool for the Competitors to develop a software solution since it is handy and one of the most widely-used suite of office applications in the world. Given an integrated business case scenario, the Competitors use Microsoft Office suite, including Access (data storage and information retrieval), Excel (data analysis and graphical presentation), Word (document processing and desktop publishing) and PowerPoint (presentation of information using various media) to analyze the requirements of the case scenario in order to develop the required functions of a software solution.