This handbook provides a step-by-step description of the systems analysis process, from the initial recognition and formulation of the problem, through the intermediate steps of an analysis (evolving appropriate objectives, considering constraints and potential alternatives, using models to predict outcomes, and formulating guidance for decision), to the final steps of implementing the chosen solutions and assessing their results. To clarify concepts and illustrate the nature of the work, descriptions of successful applications are introduced early and used throughout. The book also sketches the intellectual history of systems analysis and deals with many critical issues of professional practice.