Chesapeake IT Consultants Business Analysis and System Recommendation 11 October 2017 1|Page Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 3 Organizational Strategy .................................................................................................................................. 3 Components of an Information System.......................................................................................................... 3 People and Technology .............................................................................................................................. 3 Processes ................................................................................................................................................... 4 Data ........................................................................................................................................................... 5 Strategic Use of Technology ........................................................................................................................... 5 Decision Making ........................................................................................................................................ 5 Communication ......................................................................................................................................... 6 Collaboration ............................................................................................................................................. 6 Relationships .............................................................................................................................................. 6 Structure .................................................................................................................................................... 6 Competitive Advantage .............................................................................................................................. 6 Strategic and Operational Outcomes .............................................................................................................. 7 Strategic Outcomes .................................................................................................................................... 7 Process Analysis ......................................................................................................................................... 8 Requirements ............................................................................................................................................. 9 2|Page Introduction Chesapeake IT Consultants (CIC) is a small to mid-size Information Technology consulting service firm. CIC uses reliable IT and management methods to achieve quantifiable results for its customers, which includes small to mid-tier business, non-profit organizations, and government agencies. CIC provides services in the following areas; Business Process Consulting; IT Consulting; IT Outsourcing Consulting. CIC is expecting to win two contracts that will require the hiring of at least 75 to 150 additional employees in a three-month period. CIC cannot handle the manual process of hiring and will require an efficient system that will automate different process of the hiring process. This system will need to be compatible with existing architecture, expand with the company as CIC looks to expand in to global markets, and track the skills and certifications of the employees. Lastly, this system needs to be highly cost effective and easy to maintain. This purpose of this report is to conduct an analysis, develop system requirements, and propose an IT solution for CIC hiring process. Organizational Strategy The business strategy mentions providing extraordinary services and recommendations to CIC’s customers through highly skilled consultants. CIC is putting a focus on their employees as they should since their employees drive their business and reputation. A new hiring system that filters out the best employees with the correct qualifications will assist the hiring managers finding the precise applicants. With a new system, CIC’s HR department, can effectively manage future and current employee’s expertise and capabilities. Finding the right talent is important in a service driven company. Components of an Information System People and Technology Understanding the connection between the stakeholders and technology is important to ensure the system is effective for everyone’s needs. I. CEO – Alvin Morrison – The new hiring system for CIC will increase contracts that the CEO can secure because they can hire top performers. Top performers will increase revenue for the business and the confidence of the CEO that he has a capable staff. II. CFO – Marianne Cho – The hiring system must simplify the payroll and timekeeping process for the CFO. The CFO should be able to see the employee salary, their effectiveness, and educational needs. III. CIO - Fadil Abadi – For the CIC, a new hiring easily managed and adaptable for the IT department 3|Page IV. Director of Human Resources – William Bradley – A new hiring system automates the hiring process to meet the demands of the expanding business. This system offers greater efficiency in finding the top performers and retaining them. V. Manager of Recruiting – Suzanne Rodriguez – By having an automatic system that filters applicants through a series of steps and process the applications will cut down the recruiting time. VI. Recruiters - For the recruiters at CIC a new hiring will improve their positions by alerting applicants automatically about their status, filter applicants, and push the most talented applicants to the front. VII. Administrative Assistant – The new hiring process will simplify the resume/record keeping process and facilitate interviews between the hiring managers and the applicants who reach the interview stage. VIII. Hiring Managers – The new system will streamline the interview process by synchronizing the availability of the hiring manager and the applicant while also permitting the manager to filter candidates based upon education, certificates, qualification, etc. Processes To efficiently and effectively update the hiring system, it’s important to understand the current system and the exact areas that need to be corrected. Hiring Process Step Responsible CIC Position 1. Recruiter receives application from job hunter via Postal Service Recruiter Mail 2. Recruiter creates an evaluation process based upon manager’s Recruiter requirements 3. Complies all applications and presents all application based upon a Administrative Assistant standard to the recruiter 4. Evaluate and screen applicants based upon the criteria set in step Recruiter two 5. Present the top applicants to the manager for interview selection Hiring Manager 6. Alert the applicants of their status Administrative Assistant 7. Create guidelines for the interview and a list of interview questions Recruiter/Hiring Manager 8. Coordinate between the hiring manager and interviewees Administrative Assistant 9. Conduct the interviews Hiring Manager 10. Select the candidates for the job and alert the Administrative Hiring Manager Assistant on the decision 11. Check References, background, qualifications 4|Page Recruiter 12. Administrative Assistant prepares and sends Hiring Offer to Selected Candidate by mailing offer letter Administrative Assistant Data It is crucially important to understand the needed data elements for the software system to run efficiently. Data Element 1. Education Requirement 2. Name of Applicant 3. Skills 4. Past work experience 5. Contact information 6. Calendar, schedule availability 7. Name of Hiring Manager 8. Job description 9. Certifications 10. Facts/information on Applicant Strategic Use of Technology Decision Making Information Systems purpose is to provide accurate and useful information to the appropriate people at the right time and place (Information Systems, n.d.). Role Level Example of Possible Decision Supported by Hiring System. Senior/Executive Managers Strategic Pay Raise Middle Managers Managerial Finding the applicants for the job Operational Managers Operational Selected Candidate for the job 5|Page Communication A new hiring system will improve communication by offering an instant messaging system. This will archive messages to be referenced later. Managers can easily organize multiple conversations between applicants and others involved in the hiring process. Miscommunication is lessened because text assist in breaking down language barriers. Internal and external communication is improved because all parties will be informed of what’s happening and ensure that information is available and easily accessible. Collaboration Within the CIC this hiring system will improve collaboration between the Hiring Managers, Administrative Assistant, and the Recruiters by making information accessible. By making the resumes, communication, job status, and interviews automated everyone stays informed and updated. Keeping everyone updated will increases efficiency and keep everyone on schedule with the hiring processes. Relationships Increased communication is important when creating stronger relationships. By shortening the hiring time, letting applicants know their status, facilitate easier communication between the applicants and the company, being responsive and efficient gives an optimistic view about their potential employer. Structure An automated hiring system will give consistency to the hiring process that a manual system does not. This system will notify the participant when it is their time to perform their part of the hiring process and stay on top of them to ensure they complete their part. Competitive Advantage A new hiring system will increase CIC competitive advantage by first shortening the hiring process/time because the system is automated and secondly because the recruiters and hiring managers can quickly determine the key skills of the applicants and interview the top performers. By first shortening the hiring time CIC can hire the best candidates before their competitors and increase their advantage by having a stronger work force. A stronger workforce will improve the clients CIC contracts consequently improving CIC’s revenue. 6|Page Strategic and Operational Outcomes Strategic Outcomes For the new hiring system to be effective for the company it is important to first understand the objectives this system will need to accomplish. Strategic Goal (from case study) Increase CIC Business Development by winning new contracts in the areas of IT consulting. Objective (clear, measurable and time-bound) Secure five new IT consulting contracts within the next 12 months. Build a cadre of consultants internationally to provide remote research and analysis support to CIC’s onsite teams in the U. S. Increase international awareness of CIC, increase recruiting efforts, and hire ten remote research analysts in 18 months. Continue to increase CIC’s ability to quickly provide high quality consultants to awarded contracts to best serve the clients’ needs. Within the next 6 months identify the needs and skill set requirement for each client and assign the appropriate consultant based upon their qualifications. Increase CIC’s competitive advantage in the IT consulting marketplace by increasing its reputation for having IT consultants who are highly skilled in leading edge technologies and innovative solutions for its clients. 7|Page Within the next 12 months increase education and certifications for all employees and create a consistent education plan for employees Explanation (2-3 sentences) The new hiring system will allow the hiring managers the ability to easily see and filter the qualifications and education of the applicant. This will assist in finding top applicants who are trained and/or educated in IT consulting promptly. Relate to CIC The new system will open the door for international applicants to apply. Monitor the number of applications received and from where. Evaluate where more visibly is needed. Cultivate open commination between applicants and CIC. The new hiring system will also be a management system. By monitoring and allowing for easy access of employees’ qualifications CIC can provide the most trained and qualified employee for each contract. This will avoid the mismatch of skill set. This system will track the education, skill/qualification gain, and education for all employees. CIC will be able to track their employees’ growth and development to ensure their employees are knowledgeable about any new theories or techniques. CIC will also create a retainment plan to keep the employees they are investing in. Process Analysis CIC Hiring Process As/Is Process To/Be Process Business Benefits of Improved Process 1. Recruiter receives application from job hunter via Postal Service Mail. Receive application via on-line submission through CIC Employment Website and files in applicant database. More efficient submission process presents positive image to applicants and decreases time needed to receive and begin processing applications. 2. Recruiter creates an evaluation process based upon manager’s requirements Inputs the evaluation process for the job requirement. Inputting the evaluation methods has two benefits: saves the requirements and screen methods for future job posting; by inputting the requirements the employment system can pre-screen the applicants based upon the requirements. Relate to CIC 3. Complies all applications and presents all application based upon a standard to the recruiter The Employment system will filter applicants based upon education requirements and relevant experience. Saves the recruiter time from sorting through unqualified applicants. Relate to CIC 4. Evaluate and screen applicants based upon the criteria set in step two The Employment system will screen applicants based upon an algorithm that compares skills, qualifications, and personality test to the requirements of the hiring manger. This saves the recruiter time by not going through each application individually, but reviewing the systems rejected/accepted applicants. Relate to CIC 5. Present the top applicants to the manager for interview selection The hiring system with send an email communication notifying the hiring manager of the top applicants for interview selection. The hiring manager is automatically forward the resume and applications and they are easily accessible. Managers can review the applicants and select the ones for an interview. Relate to CIC 6. Alert the applicants of their status Once the recruiter updates application statuses in the system and hits submit, the system will send out communication to the applicants. Saves the recruiter time from calling each applicant Relate to CIC 7. Create guidelines for the interview and a list of interview questions Input interview questions in the hiring system and assign specific questions to a specific candidate. By preassigning question, hiring managers will not forget the questions they want to discuss with the applicant Relate to CIC 8. Coordinate between the hiring manager and interviewees The Employment system will have a calendar in which applicants can select their interview time based upon the hiring managers availability. Saves the Administrative Assistant time by not calling and waiting to hear back to schedule a time. Relate to CIC 8|Page 9. Conduct the interviews Conduct the interview with the most qualified candidate How, What would an electronic interview look like? Assuming all other steps are successful, the hiring manager is only interviewing the top performers and best fit for the company. Relate to CIC 10. Select the candidates for the job and alert the Administrative Assistant on the decision The hiring manager will go into the system and select the applicant and reject the others 11. Check References, background, qualifications The administrative assistant submits the selected applicant profile to be verified By having the step contracted out, it will free the administrative assistant time to complete another task. Relate to CIC 12. Administrative Assistant prepares and sends Hiring Offer to Selected Candidate by mailing offer letter Ted prepares job offer letter by selecting information needed for specific candidate; system completes the template with stored information and Ted reviews and emails to candidate. Recruiter selects offer information for candidate and electronically routes to Ted for processing and electronic mailing to candidate. Relate to CIC How, will he crawl inside (lol) Create a report that shows qualified applicatns. This saves the hiring managers time by not making a phone call or sending an email. It reduces and back and forth communication. Relate to CIC Requirements Understanding the functional and performance requirements CIC needs is important to build the software appropriately. Requirement Requirement Number U-1 U-2 U-3 U-4 UR-1 SS-1 SS-2 SP-1 SP-2 SP-3 Screen resumes for relevant skills and education against the job description and inputted skills Schedule interviews based upon availability of the hiring manager, by using a calendar scheduling system. Stores resumes and application for easy retrieval Automate the paperwork involved after the job offer such as tax information and payroll Track the skills, education and certifications of the current staff. Report the staff capabilities, expertise, and education Strong firewall to protect client’s and applicant information. Create a strong login platform Portability – Mobile platform Compatibility – built around the existing architecture Usability – Easy to use interface (Bourgeois, n.d.) (Johnson, n.d.). 9|Page Source (individual) from Case Study – name and title Recruiter – Paul O’Brien Administrative Assistant Ted Anderson Administrative Assistant Ted Anderson Administrative Assistant Ted Anderson CFO – Marianne Cho CIO – Fadil Abadi CIO – Fadil Abadi CIO – Fadil Abadi CIO – Fadil Abadi Director Of HR – William Bradley, Hiring Manager References Bourgeois, D. (n.d.). Chapter 1: What is an Information System? In Information Systems for Business and Beyond. The Saylor Foundation. Bourgeois, D. (n.d.). Chapter 10: Information Systems Development. In Information Systems for Business and Beyond. The Saylor Foundation. Heathfield, S. M. (n.d.). What Does a Human Resources Manager Do, Anyway? Retrieved September 16, 2017, from https://www.thebalance.com/what-does-a-human-resources-manager-do-1918551 Information Systems. (n.d.). Retrieved September 16, 2017, from https://umuc.equella.ecollege.com/file/86676687-c3fd-4176-92e0-ad8f73fc49ee/1/Mod2Topic_2.html Johnson, D. (n.d.). The distinction between functional versus performance requirements. Retrieved October 01, 2017, from http://searchsoftwarequality.techtarget.com/tip/The-distinction-between-functionalversus-performance-requirements OFFICE OF INSTITUTIONAL EQUIT. (n.d.). STAFF RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION procedures manual for hiring managers and supervisors. Retrieved September 3, 2017, from https://www.purdue.edu/ethics/Search_Screen/StaffRecruitmentManual.pdf Sullivan, D. J. (2015, July 23). Show Me the Money — the Top 10 Revenue Impacts of a Great Hiring Process. Retrieved September 03, 2017, from https://www.ere.net/show-me-the-money-the-top-10revenue-impacts-of-a-great-hiring-process/ 10 | P a g e IT Project Management In this course, we will briefly introduce project management. To become a good project manager, you should complete further study in this area. Project management certificates are offered by universities such as UMUC, and there is at least one recognized certification authority—the Project Management Institute (PMI). PMI evaluates both your experience as well as your knowledge before a certification is awarded, because project management is best learned from a combination of classroom study and real world experiences. You should be familiar with the following definitions: • Project: temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result • Project management: the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements. What is the role of a project manager? Is the role of an IT project manager different? A project manager must control the four key variables associated with any project: time (schedule), resources (human and financial), scope of work, and quality. The project manager leads the development of a project plan that takes all of these into consideration. Frequently, trade-offs are required. For instance, the budget may be limited, which can restrict the scope of the work and the number of people who can work on the project. Or, the project may have a firm deadline, which can drive costs up since more people would have to be hired to complete the project on time. When any one of the four variables changes, it will have an impact on at least one (and often more than one) other variable. A strong project manager pays close attention to the project plan and the progress of the project against the plan, and manages the variables appropriately to ensure successful completion of the project. Successful completion is accomplished if the project is delivered on time, stays within the allocated budget, and performs the required functions correctly. This role is the same for any project manager, including an IT project manager. The four variables are interdependent: You cannot change one without affecting the others. For example Decreasing a project's time frame means either increasing the cost of the project or decreasing the scope of the project to meet the new deadline. Increasing a project's scope means either increasing the project's time frame or increasing the project's cost (or both) to meet the increased scope changes. Decreasing a project's resources (either people or money) will necessitate a reevaluation of the scope and/or the quality. The scope may need to be reduced to avoid decreasing the quality. If the scope must remain unchanged, quality will suffer. Increasing a project's quality requirements will require more time and money to incorporate more perfection and test all possible outcomes for correctness. Project management is the science of making intelligent trade-offs. As things change, the project manager must adjust the four variables to keep them in balance. The first step is the selection of strategic projects. Now, the project manager does not select the projects alone; usually that is done by senior management after the presentation of a business case that outlines the project plan, stating the objectives (how the project supports the corporate strategy), cost, schedule, functionality, and risk associated with the proposed project. Once senior management allocates resources, the project manager ensures the project plan is executed according to plan. A smart project manager makes sure that his or her plan has SMART criteria. The SMART criteria will help to ensure that the project has created understandable and measurable objectives: • Specific • Measurable • Agreed upon • Realistic • Time framed These objectives are documented in the project plan and used throughout the project's life to help keep the project on track. The project manager monitors progress against the plan, managing any changes and mitigating risks as they become known. Project risk management involves identifying potential events or conditions that could have a negative effect on the project, estimating the impact if the risk occurs, determining a mitigation strategy to reduce the likelihood of the risk occurring, and identifying what will be done if the event or condition actually arises. Since almost no project goes exactly according to plan, the project manager needs a tool to detect and manage the changes. The process of change management is this tool. The project manager documents all approved changes, revises the project plan accordingly, and then continues managing and monitoring the project. Keep in mind that the job of the project manager is to stay on top of all the variables and manage the cost, schedule (time), scope, and quality. He or she must seek additional resources (money or people) or a schedule change (time) when the scope increases, and must be able to articulate the effect on quality if additional resources or a schedule change are not authorized. The project manager is responsible to senior leaders to monitor the variables, keep leadership informed, and propose solutions for changes as they occur. Module 3 Commentary 1 of 6 https://umuc.equella.ecollege.com/file/e2a93351-7126-4c02-95eb-b3b81ea... Solution Management III. Project Management What is a project? A project is an effort with specific starting and ending points that concludes with a result. Building a house is a project, completing a research paper is a project, and planning a wedding is a project. Key characteristics of all projects are a timeline, resources, tasks, person effort ("man hours"), and dependencies. The Project Management Institute is an excellent resource for project management information. Furthermore, PMI has a professional certification program that requires certified project managers to update their knowledge of new developments in the field of project management. For our purposes, let's use the project we discussed in module 2: streamlining the invoice payment process. Figure 3.8 shows the high-level scope of the proposed solution (without technical details) to highlight its key elements. Figure 3.8 Invoice Processing Automation Project Rather than creating a detailed project plan, we will discuss general aspects of the plan. Elements Details timeline January 3, 2008–September 30, 2008 resources Budget: $675,000 effort 1,200 hours dependencies (These would be detailed in the project plan.) Examples: Software cannot be installed until the new file servers are installed, data must be standardized across functions, user training cannot happen until the software application is finalized. tasks (These would be defined in detail in the project plan.) For our purposes, we will assume that the correct business process redesign occurred and the best solution was chosen. So what do we need from a project management perspective? It would seem easy enough: plan the work and work the plan, and voilà! The solution is implemented on schedule and on budget. Of course, anyone who has participated in a project knows that it rarely happens that way. Building a house gets complicated because two solid weeks of rain delays the pouring of the concrete. You thought you could conduct your term paper research on Saturday, but a friend had a ticket for the big 10/11/2017, 1:11 AM Module 3 Commentary 2 of 6 https://umuc.equella.ecollege.com/file/e2a93351-7126-4c02-95eb-b3b81ea... game and you could not decline his offer; therefore, you didn't gather the information so you could begin writing your paper on Sunday. And planning a wedding—there are so many potential issues there—the bridesmaids hate their dresses, the caterer backed out, the organist broke her wrist, and so forth. You get the idea; even the best-planned project will have challenges. Before moving ahead with our discussion of project management, it is important that we define a few key terms. Term Definition Examples project scope describes the work that must be accomplished to complete the project three-bedroom, two-bath house completed and occupancy certificate obtained; research paper submitted to professor; wedding held project manager "expert" responsible for planning, managing, and controlling all aspects of a project construction manager; student; wedding planner project management "the process of scoping, planning, staffing, organizing, directing, and controlling the development of an acceptable system at a minimum cost within a specified time frame" (Whitten & Bentley, 2008, p. 80) the construction plan for building the house; the "todo" list for researching and writing the research paper; the wedding planning notebook project deliverables concrete, tangible outcomes, results, or products generated as a result of a project drywall completed on new house construction; first draft of research paper written; wedding invitations printed milestones key dates when specific, critical tasks or groups of activities are completed March 15: electrical wiring completed; May 1: research completed; June 1: reception hall booked contingency anticipating delays or problems, and having an alternative solution or strategy planned backup plumber and electrician identified in case primary contractors are unavailable Characteristics of a sound project plan include: easy to understand—Tasks and deliverables are specifically presented in commonly understood, well-defined terms. readable—Graphical representation follows standard structure and layout. communicated to all key stakeholders—Those involved and affected know what the plan is. appropriate to the project's size, complexity, and importance—The plan is not overly involved or complicated for a minor, small-cost, short-term project, and is not too general and abbreviated for a complex, high-cost, long-term, high-priority project. prepared by the team—Project team members contribute to the project plan development, rather than a project manager developing in a vacuum. Having a well-prepared project plan can help reduce the risk of project failure, but it cannot eliminate the possibility of failure. There are many reasons why even a well-planned project can fail. Some common project problems result from mismanagement (Whitten & Bentley, 2008, p. 81): 10/11/2017, 1:11 AM Module 3 Commentary 3 of 6 https://umuc.equella.ecollege.com/file/e2a93351-7126-4c02-95eb-b3b81ea... failure to establish upper-management commitment to the project poor expectations of management (expectations of users and managers not in agreement, or expectations change over the life of the project) premature commitment to budget and schedule overly optimistic mythical man-month inadequate people-management skills failure to adapt to business change insufficient resources failure to work the plan As you review this list, how many of these causes are related to hardware, software, or other technology issues? Right—none! This indicates that it is frequently the human aspect of projects that creates most of the problems and greatly increases the risk of failure. Therefore, the importance of paying attention to the softer skills of managing people in IT cannot be overemphasized. A. Project Management Dilemma Figure 3.9 shows four variables that provide a constant challenge and balancing act in project management. Figure 3.9 Project Management Variables Mouseover the labels for more information. If you look back at the list of causes of project failures, you will see that many connect to one or more of these interrelated elements. For example, premature commitment to budget and schedule will definitely affect the time and cost variables. Let's relate this cause to our earlier examples. Project Cause of Failure building a house estimating the construction budget with insufficient research into the current costs of construction materials, or assuming stable pricing preparing a research paper planning your schedule to complete the paper without considering other course assignments or personal requirements planning a wedding establishing a budget for "dear old dad" without obtaining the costs of catering the reception 10/11/2017, 1:11 AM Module 3 Commentary 4 of 6 https://umuc.equella.ecollege.com/file/e2a93351-7126-4c02-95eb-b3b81ea... A critical success factor for projects is having a sound project management methodology; however, the specific methodology used is less important than having a structured process (Dorsey, 2000). The project methodology provides the structure and processes to define and plan a project, monitor its progress, and evaluate its end result. A standard methodology also provides for consistency, allows the process to be refined and improved over time by incorporating lessons learned, and increases the transferability of skills among team members. Let's look at a project management framework from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Information Services and Technology Group's website. Figure 3.10 MIT's Project Management Framework Mouseover the center area to enlarge it. Source: Adapted from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (n.d.) An extremely important part of project management is monitoring (or tracking) and controlling the progress of the project. The project plan provides the road map for the project. The project manager is responsible for monitoring to ensure that tasks are completed on schedule, resources are available as planned, and key milestones and deliverables are met. Routine status reports are an important part of tracking the progress of the project. This monitoring process helps the project manager keep time, cost, and scope in balance. Project managers must also address team issues to help guide the project team. People should be recognized for their contributions and successes and held accountable for failing to meet commitments. Far too often, members of project teams know things aren't going well but bolster themselves by vowing to get caught up next week. Addressing problems as early as possible in the project allows time to make corrections and help keep the project on target. B. Scope Management Failure to manage the scope of a project will result in scope creep—the natural tendency of projects to become bigger than originally intended, with detrimental impact on cost, time, and outcome. For example, while building a house, we decide to add a home theater in the basement; you decide to add a PowerPoint presentation to your research paper; and the wedding reception entertainment changes from Cousin George, the DJ, to an eight-piece jazz ensemble. To minimize inadvertent scope creep, effective project managers define a change management process specifically related to the project. (This is different from the organizational change management strategies that we will discuss later in this module, which relate to generally managing the changes within the organization that a new solution may create.) At the risk of oversimplifying this concept, for the purposes of our discussion, we are talking about a structured process (part of an overall project management methodology) to address changes in requirements or expectations on the specific project outcome. As you can imagine, changes affect resources. A change may require additional staff hours, hardware and/or software costs, testing, systems configurations, and/or the assessment of impact on related IT components. There are times when these changes are necessary to maximize the intended business solution, address some unforeseen problem, or meet a changing business strategy or requirement. Having a structured methodology in place means that the change is treated as a potential miniproject: The requirements are documented and analyzed. The impact (time, money, and other resources) is analyzed, and the effects on budget and schedule are defined. At this point, the business sponsor or project owner may make a determination as to whether or not to proceed with the change. In many larger organizations, a change control board (CCB) exists for just such situations. Representatives from the affected areas review the documentation and make a decision as to whether 10/11/2017, 1:11 AM Module 3 Commentary 5 of 6 https://umuc.equella.ecollege.com/file/e2a93351-7126-4c02-95eb-b3b81ea... or not to proceed. If the decision is to proceed, the additional impact is inserted into the project plan, and appropriate adjustments are made. In module 2, we mentioned an alternative in our invoice-processing solution of having orders received electronically by using EDI. This may be a great idea and provide maximum efficiency; however, it adds significantly to the original project scope and cost. Applying a project management change process would include evaluating the impact of this request and making an appropriate business decision as to whether or not to proceed. If we look back at our definition of project manager, it seems like this individual bears most of the responsibility for making projects successful. Although he or she may delegate various tasks, the buck frequently stops with the project manager. Because of the many hats project managers wear, the variety of skills they must have, and the constant juggling act they must perform, it is no wonder that highly capable and skilled project managers can be scarce and are in great demand. Let's look at the skills, or competencies, a good project manager must have. Table 3.2 Project Manager Competencies Competencies business achievement people management problem-solving influence Description connects projects with corporate strategy and objectives partners with and involves stakeholders throughout the process provides quality perspective communicates effectively facilitates team process coaches team members to work cohesively and fosters a spirit of collaboration provides resources and training to develop team members prepares, monitors, and controls project plan— gathers input and adjusts as needed displays initiative to show creativity and innovation calculates risks and prepares contingencies applies critical thinking to problem resolutions provides systems perspective understands and is sensitive to interpersonal motivations and behaviors of others is aware of corporate political landscape and can navigate it effectively understands the implications of project decisions and manages risks knows how to enlist cooperation and build consensus among business managers, users, and IT staff 10/11/2017, 1:11 AM Module 3 Commentary 6 of 6 https://umuc.equella.ecollege.com/file/e2a93351-7126-4c02-95eb-b3b81ea... Source: Whitten & Bentley (2008, pp. 82-83) Depending on the organization and scope of a project, there may be both a business project manager and a technical project manager assigned. As we discussed in module 2, it is essential that the business owns the solution. IT's role is to help the business identify the best technology solution for the business problem. Regardless of whether one or two individuals perform this role, the critical skills they need to address the issues we have discussed are the ability to (1) manage people and (2) manage the project effectively. The project team can be staffed with technical expertise, but it is much more difficult, if not impossible, to make up for a project manager's shortcomings in the areas of understanding the business and addressing the human aspects. Project managers must also address any team issues that arise to help guide the project team. References Dorsey, P. (2000). Top 10 reasons why systems projects fail. Retrieved April 9, 2007, from http://www.dulcian.com Massachusetts Institute of Technology (n.d.). Information services and technology project management. Retrieved April 21, 2007, from http://web.mit.edu/ist/pmm/framework.html US Department of Justice, Justice Management Division (2003, January). The Department of Justice systems development life cycle guidance document. Retrieved July 8, 2011, from http://www.justice.gov/jmd/irm/lifecycle/table.htm Whitten, J. L., & Bentley, L. D. (2008). Introduction to systems analysis and design. New York: McGraw-Hill. Return to top of page Report broken links or any other problems on this page. Copyright © by University of Maryland University College. 10/11/2017, 1:11 AM Stage 4: System Recommendation and Final BA&SR Report Before you begin work on this assignment, be sure you have read the Case Study, and reviewed the feedback received on your Stage 1, 2 and 3 assignments. Refer to the Business Analysis and System Recommendation (BA&SR) Table of Contents below to see where you are in the process of developing this report. Overview In this Stage 4 assignment, you will identify an enterprise hiring system for CIC and explain how it meets the requirements, and what needs to be done to implement the system within CIC. In addition, you will provide a complete final BA&SR Report incorporating feedback from earlier stages. Business Analysis and System Recommendation (BA&SR) Table of Contents I. II. III. IV. Background and Organizational Analysis (Stage 1) A. Introduction B. Organizational Strategy C. Components of an Information System 1. People and Technology 2. Processes 3. Data Strategic Use of Technology (Stage 2) A. Decision-Making B. Communication C. Collaboration D. Relationships E. Structure F. Competitive Advantage Strategic and Operational Outcomes (Stage 3) A. Strategic Outcomes B. Process Analysis C. Requirements System Recommendation (Stage 4) A. Benefits of an Enterprise Solution B. Proposed IT Solution C. How the Proposed IT Solution Meets the Requirements D. Implementation Steps E. Conclusion Assignment The first step is to incorporate the feedback you received on your Stage 3 assignment, making any needed corrections or adjustments. (If you have not incorporated the feedback from your Stage 1 and Stage 2 assignments, you should do so prior to submitting Stage 4.) For this assignment, you will add Section IV to Sections I, II and III, as outlined below. This assignment requires a complete BA&SR document with Stage 4: System Recommendation - 6/30/2017 v4 1 revisions made as needed based on the Stage 1, 2, and 3 project submissions and feedback. Note: This is a specific grading criteria in the rubric. Section IV of the Business Analysis and System Recommendation will propose an IT solution to meet CIC's organizational strategy and meet its operational needs. In Section IV, you will also Identify and explain the high-level steps that will need to take place in order to implement the system you have proposed. Using the case study and the outline and resources listed below, develop your Section IV - System Recommendation. Approximate lengths for each section are provided as a guideline; be sure to provide all pertinent information. IV. System Recommendation A. Benefits of an Enterprise Solution: Explain what an enterprise system solution is in general (one paragraph) and how such a system would help CIC (one paragraph). (Two complete paragraphs in total) Note: Enterprise solutions are not the same as ERP applications. B. Proposed IT Solution: There are many Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) HR systems available. Conduct some research on the web (using the search term "SaaS HR system") and identify a system that will support and improve the hiring process at CIC and that meets the requirements you listed in Section III -Strategic and Operational Outcomes (the Stage 3 Assignment). Be sure to evaluate potential solutions to align with the needs of CIC. Identify the vendor and the system you selected and describe the basic functionality of the system. (One paragraph) C. How the Proposed IT Solution Meets the Requirements: Using the 10 requirements you listed in your Stage 3 assignment (and incorporating any feedback you received), you will now explain how the solution you have chosen fulfills these requirements. First, insert an introductory opening sentence for this section. Then copy the entries for the 10 requirements you listed in the table in Section III (Stage 3 Assignment) into the Requirements column in the table below. Complete the table by providing the explanations of how the system you selected meets each requirement. (Provide an introductory sentence and copy the table and insert information within.) Req. Number U-1 U-2 U-3 U-4 UR-1 SS-1 SS-2 SP-1 SP-2 SP-3 Requirement (from Requirements table in Section III) Explanation of How the Proposed System Meets the Requirement D. Implementation Steps: First, insert an introductory opening sentence for this section. Then address each of the 7 implementation areas below by addressing the questions Stage 4: System Recommendation - 6/30/2017 v4 2 provided and identifying appropriate implementation steps. (Do not include the questions in your paper.) Label each paragraph with the area being addressed for clarity. (one paragraph for each item) Implementation Areas: 1. Vendor agreement – What does CIC need to do to be able to start using the system? How much will it cost to use the system? [This information will come from vendor information located in your web research] 2. Hardware and telecommunications a. What hardware will CIC need to have to implement the solution? [vendor information] b. What kind of telecommunications will be needed for the solution, including local connectivity inside CIC and Internet access? 3. Configuration a. What options does the vendor offer for configuring the off-the-shelf system to CIC's needs? [vendor information] b. How will the configuration be done and by whom? 4. Testing – How will CIC test the system to see if it is working properly for its needs? Choose one of the ten requirements in Requirements (Section C) above and explain how this will be tested to ensure it is working properly and the requirement is met. 5. Employee preparation – Identify what CIC will need to do in each of the following areas to prepare the employees (including the hiring managers in the various departments) to use the new system: a. Leadership (2-3 sentences) b. Change Management (2-3 sentences) c. Training (2-3 sentences) 6. Data migration – What existing data would need to be entered into the system to get started, and how might this be accomplished? 7. Maintenance – Who will provide updates and corrections to the system? E. Conclusion: Close your Business Analysis and System Recommendation Report with a brief summary of the key points including the benefits CIC can expect to gain from this solution and the alignment with strategic objectives. (One well-written paragraph). NOTE: This final submission should be a cohesive Business Analysis and Systems Recommendation Report for the CIO of Chesapeake IT Consulting. Sections I, II and III should have been updated to reflect substantive feedback received during the grading process. The formatting should be consistent throughout the document, and the writing should flow well from beginning to end. Headings, numbering, and footers should be correct for a final submission. Although you prepared this in stages, the final product should not seem to be piecemeal or disconnected. Formatting Your Assignment For academic or business writing, the writer is expected to write in the third person. In third person, the writer avoids the pronouns I, we, my, and ours. The third person is used to make the writing more objective by taking the individual, the “self,” out of the writing. This method is very helpful for effective business Stage 4: System Recommendation - 6/30/2017 v4 3 writing, a form in which facts, not opinion, drive the tone of the text. Writing in the third person allows the writer to come across as unbiased and thus more informed. • Write a complete, well organized paper that includes the four sections of the Business Analysis and System Recommendations (BA&SR) report. Use the recommendations provided in each area for length of response. Content areas should be double spaced; table entries should be single-spaced. It’s important to value quality over quantity. Length for Section IV should not exceed six (6) pages in addition to Sections I, II and III. • Ensure that each of the tables is preceded by an introductory sentence that explains what is contained in the table, so the reader understands why the table has been included. • For Section IV, use at least three resources with APA formatted citation and reference. One reference must be from the vendor site for the solution you are recommending, one additional external source, and one from the IFSM 300 course content. Course content should be from the class reading content, not the assignment instructions or case study itself. The final document should contain all references from all stages appropriately formatted and alphabetized. • Compare your work to the Grading Rubric below to be sure you have met content and quality criteria. • Submit your paper as a Word document, or a document that can be read in Word. • Your submission should include your last name first in the filename: Lastname_firstname_Stage_4 GRADING RUBRIC: Criteria Benefits of Enterprise Solution General explanation and specific benefits to CIC Proposed IT Solution Identify vendor solution that will improve the hiring process at CIC and aligns with requirements derived from the Case Study 90-100% 80-89% 70-79% 60-69% < 60% Far Above Standards 5 Points Above Standards Meets Standards Below Standards 4 Points 3 Points 2 Points Well Below Standards 0-1 Points Clear, complete, strongly related to the Case Study and demonstrates a sophisticated level of writing. 18-20 Points Clear, complete, and related to the Case Study. 16-17 Points 14-15 Points 12-13 Points 0-11 Points Identified appropriate solution that strongly meets needs of CIC clearly derived from the Case Study; demonstrates sophisticated analysis and writing. Identified appropriate solution that aligns with needs of CIC clearly derived from the Case Study and demonstrates effective analysis. Identified possible solution that relates to needs of CIC derived from the Case Study. Missing IT solution or alignment with needs of CIC; and/or are not related to the Case Study, and/or the solution is clearly inappropriate. Extremely incomplete, or not related to the Case Study. Explanation provided. Stage 4: System Recommendation - 6/30/2017 v4 Incomplete, and/or are not related to the Case Study. Possible Points 5 Missing explanation or very minimal effort is shown. 20 4 How the Proposed IT Solution Meets the Requirements How the proposed IT solution meets the 10 requirements Implementation Steps An introduction and all areas (vendor agreement, hardware/ telecom, configuration, testing, employee preparation, data migration, and maintenance) Conclusion Summarizes the BA&SR and provides a compelling explanation of benefits to be gained Research Three or more sources--one source from the vendor for the proposed solution, one from within the IFSM 300 course content and one external (other than the course materials) 18-20 Points 16-17 Points 14-15 Points 12-13 Points 0-11 Points Complete, compelling and related to the Case Study; an effective introduction is provided; demonstrates sophisticated analysis and writing. 18-20 Points Complete and related to the Case Study; an effective introduction is provided; demonstrates effective analysis. Provided and related to the Case Study; an introduction is provided. Incomplete, inaccurate and/or not related to the Case Study. Very incomplete, or missing, or many are incorrect. 16-17 Points 14-15 Points 12-13 Points 0-11 Points Clearly and thoroughly included introduction and covered all areas, strongly derived from the Case Study, and demonstrates sophisticated analysis and writing. 5 Points Clearly covered and included introduction and all areas, derived from the Case Study, and demonstrates effective analysis and writing. All areas not covered, and/or are not related to the Case Study. Very incomplete, inaccurate or missing. 3 Points 2 Points 0-1 Point Provides strong, clear and concise summary; appropriately; demonstrates sophisticated analysis and writing. 9-10 Points Provides clear summary; demonstrates effective analysis and writing. Provides summary. Lacks sufficient information to provide sufficient summary. 8 Points 7 Points 6 Points 0-5 Points Required resources are incorporated and used effectively. Sources used are relevant and timely and contribute strongly to the analysis. References are appropriately incorporated and cited using APA style. At least three sources are incorporated (vendor, course content and internal) and are relevant and somewhat support the analysis. References are appropriately incorporated and cited using APA style. Missing vendor resource, and/or less than 3 resources properly incorporated, and/or reference(s) are not cited using APA style. A source may be used, but is not properly incorporated or used, and/or is not effective or appropriate; and/or does not follow APA style for references and citations. No course content or external research incorporated; or reference listed is not cited within the text Covered and included introduction and majority of areas and related to the Case Study. 4 Points Stage 4: System Recommendation - 6/30/2017 v4 20 20 5 Very incomplete or missing. 10 5 Complete BA&SR Report and incorporation of feedback received during the grading process Format 9-10 points 8 Points 7 Points 6 Points 0-5 Points May be lacking sufficient revisions based on feedback and/or lack a cohesive presentation and flow. Lack of incorporated feedback, continuity of flow and presentation of final information. No incorporated feedback and/or not well compiled and presented as a cohesive document. Document is a very effective and cohesive assemblage of the four sections, is well formatted and flows smoothly from one section to the next. 9-10 Points Document is a good assemblage of the four sections with appropriate formatting and flow. 8 Points 7 Points 6 Points 0-5 Points Very well organized and is easy to read. Very few or no errors in sentence structure, grammar, and spelling; doublespaced, written in third person and presented in a professional format. Effective organization; has few errors in sentence structure, grammar, and spelling; doublespaced, written in third person and presented in a professional format. Some organization; may have some errors in sentence structure, grammar and spelling. Report is double spaced and written in third person. Not well organized, and/or contains several grammar and/or spelling errors; and/or is not double-spaced and written in third person. Extremely poorly written, has many grammar and/or spelling errors, or does not convey the information. TOTAL Possible Points Stage 4: System Recommendation - 6/30/2017 v4 10 10 100 6
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