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Basic Role Analysis Concepts

A role is a function played by one or more persons in the enterprise to perform a particular task. For example, an accounts clerk is needed to chase an order. One person in the enterprise usually takes on more than one role to do their job. The job of Warehouse Manager, for instance, may require the jobholder to take on several roles, such as a Purchaser, and even a Warehouse Stocker when a large consignment is delivered.

For the organizational units within the scope of the development project, current and planned job descriptions provide a useful starting point for a list of roles. It is important to allow for future growth, simplification, and diversification in roles, especially if the development project is associated with some business process re-engineering or improvement.

The main tasks or areas of responsibility for each job description may equate to a role. A job may require several roles to be undertaken. However, some roles, such as electronic mail user, may relate to generally performed tasks rather than to particular areas of responsibility.