Page 1 EZ-ATS APPLICANT TRACKING SOFTWARE EZ-ATS Brought to you by UMGC Hiring Solutions, Inc . Applicant Tracking Software that provides everything you need to create a high performing Hiring Process and a great Candidate Experience! More Efficient and Cost-Effective Hiring! Easy to implement…..and Easy to use! Guaranteed! EZ-ATS is a single platform for all of your applicant tracking needs. We guarantee that we'll improve your total hiring system results or your money back! Do you need to replace your paper applications and spreadsheets, but don't have a big budget? We make it easy to get a hiring system without breaking the bank! With EZ-ATS you'll see: With EZ-ATS you'll get: • • • • • • Increased Collaboration and Communication with Hiring Managers Decreased Time to Fill Positions Applicants' Skills Highlighted The Best Candidates Before Others Hire Them Decreased Cost-per-Hire Less work for HR to Manage and Report on the Hiring Process • • • • • • • • No Long-Term Contracts Required Access to all EZ-ATS Capabilities Global access 24/7 System and data security Mobile device access Unlimited Support at No Additional Cost Pricing Based on Number of Users ($50 to $500/month) Free 30-day Trial What You Get Custom Implementation Dedicated Account Manager Automatic Software Updates UMGC Hiring Solutions, Inc. is a fictitious company designed for the UMGC IFSM 300 case study and its product, EZ-ATS is an applicant tracking system representative of typical SaaS products. (10/19/2019 ver. 1) Page 2 EZ-ATS APPLICANT TRACKING SOFTWARE Use EZ-ATS to: • • • • Attract top talent with a responsive, professional interaction with applicants. Retain and motivate top HR talent with a flexible, workflowdriven applicant tracking system. Align hiring goals with corporate goals with clear visibility into how efficiently hiring the right talent contributes to the success of the organization. Drive a strategic, end-to-end hiring strategy with a single, integrated system for all hiring-related activities. Customers love our: • • • • Configurability: Arrange your dashboards and workflows however you like, to meet your needs. Custom Reports: Create customizable reports to track performance and recruit more effectively. Workflow: Expedite approval processes for job openings, candidates, and formal offers. Customer Support: Our mission is your success — our customers are our top priority. Cloud-Based Software as a Service (SaaS) √ Connect Anywhere – Just connect with Internet or WIFI √ Use Any Device – PC, laptop, mobile devices √ No New Hardware – Systems at our data centers √ Unlimited data storage – Online and archived data √ Secure Your Data – Professional protection UMGC Hiring Solutions, Inc. is a fictitious company designed for the UMGC IFSM 300 case study and its product, EZ-ATS is an applicant tracking system representative of typical SaaS products. (10/19/2019 ver. 1) Page 3 EZ-ATS APPLICANT TRACKING SOFTWARE Everything You Need to Track and Manage Applications Preparation: Work seamlessly with hiring managers to develop job requisitions that will allow automatic screening. Advertise: Post your job to hundreds of job boards, social media sites, workforce services, colleges, and associations with a click of the mouse. Screening: Automate your screening of new applicants by having the system compare the application to the requisition and highlight resumes with requisite expertise and/or experience. Evaluation: Easily review and evaluate candidates to ensure minimum qualifications are met. Workflow: Use the system to automate your company's steps in the hiring procedure workflow from recruiter to reviewer to hiring manager as tasks are completed – working the way your company already works. Dashboards: All authorized stakeholders in the organization can have a custom dashboard with relevant information and notices of actions that need to be taken in the system. Collaboration: Quickly coordinate actions while maintaining transparency and security in the hiring process. Interview Scheduling: Coordinate electronic calendars to schedule interviews to include all participants. Selection: Obtain the best candidates before they are hired by others by using a streamlined hiring process. Communication: Efficiently and effectively communicate with job seekers and hiring managers throughout the hiring process using our integrated email and QuickText communication inbox. Metrics: Generate real time hiring metrics to help you identify opportunities for improvement in your process and job requirements. Integration: Easy integration with your corporate email, existing systems, website, and social media sites. Impress the Candidates: Impress applicants with the efficiency of the process and professional communication, including offer letters. Capture Skills of New Hires: As applicants are hired, their information and skills can be exported to your employee management system. Try EZ-ATS for FREE! FREE 30-day trial No obligation, no credit card needed. Getting started is as easy as 1-2-3! Test drive EZ-ATS and when you have decided it is the system for you, visit our website and sign up! UMGC Hiring Solutions, Inc. is a fictitious company designed for the UMGC IFSM 300 case study and its product, EZ-ATS is an applicant tracking system representative of typical SaaS products. (10/19/2019 ver. 1) Page 4 EZ-ATS APPLICANT TRACKING SOFTWARE Launching EZ-ATS 1. Select the services you need at a price that fits your budget ➢ Up to 25 system users $50 per month ➢ 25-100 system users $100 per month ➢ 101-1000 system users $200 per month ➢ Over 1000 system users $500 per month ➢ One-time system setup fee $1,000 to initialize system connections ➢ One-time configuration fee $2,500 to individualize system for your company ➢ Web-based training $295 for "Train the Trainers" course ➢ Unlimited data storage Included in licensing fees ➢ Comprehensive security Included in licensing fees ➢ System maintenance Included in licensing fees ➢ Regular updates Included in licensing fees ➢ Offsite backup and recovery Included in licensing fees 2. Sign the User Agreement with the vendor and provide credit card or purchase order information. 3. When your User Agreement and payment are received, your dedicated Account Manager will contact you to help you with the configuration steps and preparation to "go live." ➢ Use your company name and logo ➢ Link to your corporate email and social media sites ➢ Link to the LinkedIn and job boards you use to post job announcements ➢ Show you how to ▪ Set up custom reports ▪ Set up user accounts for your employees ▪ Set up your custom workflow ▪ Redesign and upload your job requisitions to use the automated screening function ▪ Test each function to ensure it is working as intended Deploying EZ-ATS is just as simple! 1. Train your employees ➢ Using free EZ-ATS website videos ➢ Using EZ-ATS training resources to develop on-site training to meet your needs 2. Provide users with account and login information, including one-time password 3. Identify user support resources provided by your company Using the system is even easier! 1. Authorized users can access EZ-ATS ➢ From any device ➢ From any location ➢ At any time 2. System maintenance does not interrupt user experience 3. Security and other updates are automatically installed – with no action on your part required! UMGC Hiring Solutions, Inc. is a fictitious company designed for the UMGC IFSM 300 case study and its product, EZ-ATS is an applicant tracking system representative of typical SaaS products. (10/19/2019 ver. 1) Page 5 EZ-ATS APPLICANT TRACKING SOFTWARE About Software as a Service (SaaS) What is Software-as-a-Service? • Available to customers over the Internet; available from anywhere • Application is hosted by a third-party provider; typically no additional IT infrastructure or expertise required for customer; low startup costs for customer • Updates and data backups automatically available • Subscription services available; cost based on number of users; predictable scheduled payments Key Benefits of EZ-ATS Cloud-based SaaS to Your Organization • • • • • • • Cost efficiency and fixed payment schedule Saves time and money on implementing a solution; low up-front costs No disruption due to product installation Frees staff to focus on key business activities Greater flexibility – available anywhere, anytime, from any device More efficient support – controlled environment managed by experts Safety and security of systems and data through access control, network security using firewalls, and data encryption • Easy scalability as business grows • Free upgrades and enhancements Reference Listing and Citation for this Brochure UMGC Hiring Solutions, Inc. (2019). EZ-ATS Brochure [Course Resources]. In IFSM 300: Information Systems in Organizations. Retrieved from http://learn.umgc.edu In-text citation (UMGC Hiring Solutions, 2019) UMGC Hiring Solutions, Inc. is a fictitious company designed for the UMGC IFSM 300 case study and its product, EZ-ATS is an applicant tracking system representative of typical SaaS products. (10/19/2019 ver. 1) 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. Overview As the business analyst in the CIO's department of Maryland Technology Consulting (MTC), your next task in working towards an IT solution to improve the hiring process at MTC is to write a justification and implementation plan for a system that the CIO has decided will meet MTC's needs. The system, EZ-ATS, is described in the vendor brochure provided with this assignment. The vendor, UMUC Hiring Solutions, Inc., and EZ-ATS are fictitious names created for use with this case study but based on real-world SaaS application information. In this Stage 4 assignment, you will explain how the selected system meets MTC's requirements, and what needs to be done to implement the system within MTC. You will combine Stages 1-4 to provide a complete final BA&SR Report. Assignment – BA&SR Section IV. System Recommendation and Summary & Conclusion The first step is to review any feedback from previous stages to help improve the effectiveness of your overall report and then add the new section to your report. In addition to the Stage 4 content, part of the grading criteria for this final stage includes evaluating if the document is a very effective and cohesive assemblage of the four sections, is well formatted and flows smoothly from one section to the next Section IV of the Business Analysis and System Recommendation Report will explain how the selected system helps MTC achieve its strategy, improve its hiring process, and meet its system requirements, and you will explain how each implementation area might be addressed to help ensure a successful implementation of the technology solution. Using the case study, assignment instructions, vendor brochure, Course readings (in particular, Implementing a SaaS Solution and Developing a System Proposal) and external research, develop your Section IV. System Recommendation. Approximate lengths for each section are provided as a guideline; be sure to provide all pertinent information. As you review the case study, use the assignment instructions to take notes to assist in your analysis; in addition, review information provided in earlier stages of this report to identify where the proposed solution can address the needs and requirements. Use the outline format and headings provided and follow all formatting instructions below. Stage 4: System Recommendation 11/6/19 ver. 1 1 IV. System Recommendation A. System Justification Provided with the Stage 4 Assignment Instructions is a brochure that describes an IT solution that the CIO has selected, with the HR Director’s endorsement, to meet the needs of improving MTC’s hiring process. In Stage 1, you analyzed the strategy and objectives for MTC and how a technology solution to improve the hiring process would contribute. In Stage 2, you analyzed how to improve the hiring process with a technology solution, and in Stage 3 you identified specific requirements. After reviewing the EZ-ATS Brochure, briefly describe the recommended solution. Then, describe how that selected solution aligns with achieving the strategy, improves the process, and meets the requirements. Write two to three clear, concise, well-organized paragraphs to summarize this assessment. Don’t just repeat information from previous stages but synthesize this information and provide strong information and justification to explain why this proposed solution is a good fit for MTC. Don’t describe details of the functionality but address overall how this solution will address the current issues with the manual hiring process and benefit MTC. Remember you are writing a report to your boss, the CIO of MTC, that he can use to convince the leadership team why this is the best solution based on your analysis. B. Implementation Areas To successfully implement this technology solution, MTC will need to develop an Implementation Plan and below is a list of key implementation areas that should be included. First, provide a brief introduction to this section – what it contains and why an Implementation Plan is so important for MTC. Then address each of the seven (7) areas below to explain what MTC needs to do (with support by the vendor). Provide the numbered heading and then write one to two paragraphs to address the area. The subareas (a,b,c, etc.) contain questions and areas to help guide your thinking about what should be covered and should be incorporated within your response to the major category. For an explanation of the implementation areas, refer to the Week 7 Reading "Implementing a SaaS Solution" as well as conduct additional external research. The vendor brochure provides information for some of these areas, but you need to include what MTC must do as well. Remember you are writing this section to help MTC plan for a successful implementation. It is not sufficient to just indicate “Vendor provides” or “employees need to be trained." In addition to incorporating course content, external research on implementation areas will strengthen your understanding and explanation. The goal for this section is to help MTC know what needs to happen in each area and who might be responsible for given activities to help support a successful implementation of EZ-ATS. 1. Vendor agreement (MTC must enter into a contractual agreement with the vendor before full implementation. This identifies responsibilities as well as costs.) Incorporate answers to the following questions in your paragraph – do not include the questions themselves. a. What does the vendor require from MTC to be able to start using the system? b. How much will it cost to get access to and configure the system for MTC's use? c. How much will it cost per month to support 60 system users? d. What option is offered for MTC to just try out the system to see how it works? Stage 4: System Recommendation 11/6/19 ver. 1 2 2. Hardware and telecommunications (Although this is a SaaS solution, MTC must ensure that its IT infrastructure can support the use of the system and that its employees can correctly access the system.) Include the following: a. List the types of hardware MTC employees can use to access the system. b. Identify what kind of telecommunications will be used for the solution, including local connectivity inside MTC and Internet access from outside MTC. c. List any other considerations related to ensuring employees can access the applicant tracking system. 3. Configuration (Even SaaS solutions require a degree of configuration for each client. What needs to be done to implement the MTC job requisitions, workflow, reports, terminology and/or logo/graphics?) (Include the answers to the questions below, but not the questions themselves.) a. What options does the vendor offer for configuring the off-the-shelf system to MTC's needs? b. How will the configuration be done and by whom? 4. Testing a. Once MTC has signed up and configured the system, how will it test the system to see if it is working properly for its needs? Describe how MTC will conduct User Acceptance Testing. (This would be a good area for you to research.) b. Choose one of the user requirements (listed in Section III of your BA&SR Report) and explain how that requirement will be specifically tested to ensure it is working properly and the requirement is met. (Note: A free trial period does not suffice as software testing) 5. Employee preparation and support – Identify what MTC should do in each area below to prepare the employees (including the hiring managers in the various departments) for the introduction and use of the new applicant tracking system. Identify who (by their title or role) should do what in each area. (Incorporate information from Course readings on Leadership and Change Management.) a. Leadership (2-3 sentences) b. Change Management (2-3 sentences) c. Training (2-3 sentences) d. User Support (2-3 sentences) 6. Data Migration – Consider what existing data (applications in process with the manual process) would need to be entered into the system to get started and how this might be accomplished. 7. Maintenance – How will updates and enhancements to the EZ-ATS system be made? What will the vendor be responsible for and what should MTC address? Stage 4: System Recommendation 11/6/19 ver. 1 3 Summary and Conclusion: Close your Business Analysis and System Recommendation Report with a summary of the key points including the benefits MTC can expect to gain from this solution and the alignment with strategic objectives. (One well-written paragraph). Don’t just repeat information presented earlier but put it in context of a conclusion to provide a strong finish to this report. Just as your introduction informed your reader about why you’re writing and what’s to come, the conclusion should provide a clear and concise final paragraph to reinforce/emphasize key points and a compelling argument for the chosen solution – and it should urge the reader to take action. Formatting Your Assignment NOTE: This final submission should be a cohesive Business Analysis and Systems Recommendation Report for the CIO of Maryland Technology Consulting. The formatting should be consistent throughout the document, and the writing should flow well from beginning to end. Headings, section and page numbering should be correct for a final submission. Although you prepared this in stages, the final product should not seem to be piecemeal or disconnected. Any track changes or feedback from previous versions should be removed once addressed. Consider your audience – you are writing in the role of a MTC business analyst and your audience is MTC and your boss, the CIO. Don’t discuss MTC as if the reader has no knowledge of the organization. Use third person consistently throughout the report. 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 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. • In Stage 4, you are preparing the final part of a 4-stage report. Use the structure, headings, and outline format provided here for your report. Use the numbering/lettering in the assignment instructions as shown below. IV. System Recommendation A. System Justification B. Implementation Areas 1. Vendor Agreement 2. Hardware and telecommunications 3. Configuration 4. Testing 5. Employee preparation and support 6. Data migration 7. Maintenance Summary and Conclusion • Begin with Sections I, II and III, considering any feedback received, and add Section IV to your final report. 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. It’s important to value quality over quantity. Length for Section IV should not exceed five (5) pages in addition to Sections I, II and III. Content areas should be double spaced; table entries should be single-spaced. • • Stage 4: System Recommendation 11/6/19 ver. 1 4 • Ensure that each of the tables in the final report is preceded by an introductory sentence that explains what is contained in the table, so the reader understands why the table has been included. • Continue to use the title page created in Stage 1 that includes: The company name, title of report, your name, Course and Section Number, and date of this submission. • For Section IV, use at least three resources with APA formatted citation and reference. One reference must be from an external source, one must be the EZ-ATS Brochure, and one must be another reference from the IFSM 300 course content. Course content should be from the class reading content, not the assignment instructions or case study itself. For information on APA format, refer to Content>Course Resources>Writing Resources. • Finalize the Reference Page for resources required for all sections of the report. The final document should contain all references from all stages appropriately formatted and alphabetized. • Running headers are not required for this report. • 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. Keep tables in Word format – do not paste in graphics. Your submission should include your last name first in the filename: Lastname_firstname_Stage_4 Stage 4: System Recommendation 11/6/19 ver. 1 5 GRADING RUBRIC: Criteria How the Proposed IT Solution Meets the Requirements How the IT solution aligns with achieving the strategy, improves the process, and meets the requirements Implementation Steps 90-100% 80-89% 70-79% 60-69% < 60% Far Above Standards 14-15 Points Above Standards Meets Standards Below Standards 12-13 Points 10-11 Points 9 Points Well Below Standards 0-8 Points Clear, complete, compelling and related to the Case Study and Vendor Brochure; demonstrates sophisticated analysis and writing. Complete and related to the Case Study and Vendor Brochure; demonstrates effective analysis. Provided and related to the Case Study. Incomplete, inaccurate and/or not related to the Case Study. 31.5-35 Points 28-31 Points 24.5-27 Points 21-24 Points An introduction and all areas (vendor agreement, hardware/ telecom, configuration, testing, employee preparation, data migration, and maintenance) Clearly and thoroughly included introduction and covered all areas, strongly derived from the Case Study and vendor brochure, and demonstrates sophisticated analysis and writing. Clearly covered and included introduction and all areas, derived from the Case Study and vendor brochure, and demonstrates effective analysis and writing. Covered and included introduction and majority of areas and related to the Case Study and the vendor brochure. All areas not covered, and/or are not related to the Case Study and/or the vendor brochure. Generally, 0-5 points each. Both quantity and quality evaluated. All 7 areas well done. 6 areas covered. 5 areas covered. 4 areas covered. Possible Points 15 Content missing or extremely incomplete, did not reflect the assignment instructions, showed little or no originality, demonstrated little effort, is not supported with information from the Case Study; and/or is not original work for this class section. 0-20 Points 35 Content missing or extremely incomplete, did not reflect the assignment instructions, showed little or no originality, demonstrated little effort, is not supported with information from the Case Study; and/or is not original work for this class section. 3 or fewer areas covered. Stage 4: System Recommendation 11/6/19 ver. 1 6 Summary and Conclusion Summarizes the BA&SR and provides a compelling explanation of benefits to be gained Research Three or more sources—one is the vendor brochure, one from within the IFSM 300 course content, and one external (other than the course materials) 9-10 Points Provides strong, clear and concise summary; demonstrates sophisticated analysis and writing. 14-15 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. 8.5 Points 7.5 Points 6.5 Points 0-5 Point 10 Provides summary. Lacks sufficient information to provide adequate summary. 12-13 Points 10-11 Points 9 Points Content missing or extremely incomplete, did not reflect the assignment instructions, showed little or no originality, demonstrated little effort, is not supported with information from the Case Study; and/or is not original work for this class section. 0-8 Points 15 At least three sources are incorporated (vendor, course content and external) and are relevant and somewhat support the analysis. References are appropriately incorporated and cited using APA style. Fewer 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. Provides clear summary; demonstrates effective analysis and writing. Stage 4: System Recommendation 11/6/19 ver. 1 No course content or external research incorporated; or reference listed is not cited within the text 7 Complete BA&SR Report Well organized and clearly presented information for all four stages. ` Format Uses outline format provided; includes Title Page and complete Reference Page including sources for all 4 stages. 14-15 points Document is a very effective and cohesive assemblage of the four sections, is well formatted and flows smoothly from one section to the next. 12-13 Points Document is a good assemblage of the four sections with appropriate formatting and flow. 10-11 Points 9 Points 0-8 Points Document includes content for all four stages; lacks a cohesive presentation and flow. Incomplete stages; lack of continuity of flow and presentation of final information. Incomplete report, missing stages, is not supported with information from the Case Study; and/or not well compiled and presented as a cohesive document. 9-10 Points 8.5 Points 7.5 Points 6.5 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, contains all required references, and presented in a professional format. Effective organization; has few errors in sentence structure, grammar, and spelling; doublespaced, written in third person, contains all required references, and presented in a professional format. Some organization; may have some errors in sentence structure, grammar, and spelling; missing some required references. 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, missing several required references, and written in third person. Extremely poorly written, has many grammar and/or spelling errors, missing required references, or does not convey the information. TOTAL Possible Points Stage 4: System Recommendation 11/6/19 ver. 1 15 10 100 8 Maryland Technology Consultants, Inc. Maryland Technology Consultants (MTC) is a successful Information Technology consulting firm that utilizes proven IT and management methodologies to achieve measurable results for its customers. Its customer base includes small to mid-tier businesses, non-profit organizations and governmental agencies at the local, state and federal levels. MTC feels strongly that its success is dependent on the combination of the talent of its IT consultants in the areas of, Business Process Consulting, IT Consulting and IT Outsourcing Consulting and their ability to deliver truly extraordinary results to their clients. Corporate Profile Corporate Name: Founded: Maryland Technology Consultants, Inc. May 2008 Headquarters: Baltimore, Maryland Satellite Locations: Herndon, Virginia; Bethesda, Maryland Number of Employees: 450 Total Annual Gross Revenue: $95,000,000 President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO): Samuel Johnson Business Areas MTC provides consulting services in the following areas: • • • Business Process Consulting - Business process redesign, process improvement, and best practices IT Consulting - IT strategy, analysis, planning, system development, implementation, and network support IT Outsourcing Consulting – Requirements analysis; vendor evaluation, due diligence, selection and performance management; Service Level Agreements Business Strategy MTC's business strategy is to provide extraordinary consulting services and recommendations to its customers by employing highly skilled consultants and staying abreast of new business concepts and technology and/or developing new business concepts and best practices of its own. Maryland Technology Consultants is a fictitious company created for the IFSM 300 Case Study. MTC Case Study 11/23/2019 Ver. 1 1 Excerpt from the MTC Strategic Business Plan While the complete strategic plan touches on many areas, below is an excerpt from MTC’s latest Strategic Business Plan that identifies a few of MTC's Goals. Goal 1: Increase MTC Business Development by winning new contracts in the areas of IT consulting. Goal 2: Build a cadre of consultants internationally to provide remote research and analysis support to MTC’s onsite teams in the U. S. Goal 3: Continue to increase MTC’s ability to quickly provide high quality consultants to awarded contracts to best serve the clients’ needs. Goal 4: Increase MTC’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. Current Business Environment MTC provides consultants on-site to work with its clients, delivering a wide variety of IT-related services. MTC obtains most of its business through competitively bidding on Requests for Proposals issued by business, government and non-profit organizations. A small but growing portion of its business is through referrals and follow-on contracts from satisfied clients. MTC anticipates it will win two large contracts in the near future and is preparing proposals for several other large projects. MTC, as a consulting company, relies on the quality and expertise of its employees to provide the services needed by the clients. When it is awarded a contract, the customer expects MTC to quickly provide the consultants and begin work on the project. MTC, like other consulting companies, cannot afford to carry a significant e number of employees that are not assigned to contracts. Therefore, they need to determine the likelihood of winning a new contract and ensure the appropriately skilled consultants are ready to go to work within 60 days of signing the contract. MTC relies on its Human Resources (HR) Department to find, research, and assess applicants so that line managers can review and select their top candidates and hire appropriate consultants to meet their needs for current new contracts. It is very much a "just in time" hiring situation. The Headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland, houses approximately 350 employees. Satellite offices have been opened in the last two years in both Herndon, Virginia and Bethesda, Maryland to provide close proximity to existing clients. It is anticipated that new pending contracts would add staff to all locations. The management team believes there is capacity at all locations, as much of the consultants' work is done on-site at the clients’ locations. Maryland Technology Consultants is a fictitious company created for the IFSM 300 Case Study. MTC Case Study 11/23/2019 Ver. 1 2 Strategic Direction As a small to mid-size business (SMB), MTC recognizes that it needs to carefully plan its future strategy. Considering the competitive environment that contains many very large IT consulting firms, such as Hewlett-Packard (HP), Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH), and Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), as well as numerous smaller companies with various skill sets, market niches, and established customer bases, MTC will be evaluating how best to position itself for the future and recognizes that its ability to identify its core competencies, move with agility and flexibility, and deliver consistent high quality service to its clients is critical for continued success. MTC’s plan for growth includes growing by 7% per year over the next five years. This would require an increase in consulting contract overall volume and an expanded workforce. One area that is critical to a consulting company is the ability to have employees who possess the necessary knowledge and skills to fulfill current and future contracts. Given the intense competition in the IT consulting sector, MTC is planning to incorporate a few consultants in other countries to provide remote research and analysis support to the on-site U. S. teams. Since MTC has no experience in the global marketplace, the Director of HR has begun examining international labor laws to determine where MTC should recruit and hire employees. Challenges Increased business creates a need to hire IT consultants more quickly. Overall, the Director of HR is concerned that the current manual process of recruiting and hiring employees will not allow his department to be responsive to the demands of future growth and increased hiring requirements. There are currently two contracts that MTC expects to win very soon will require the hiring of an additional 75 consultants very quickly. He is looking for a near-term solution that will automate many of the manual hiring process steps and reduce the time it takes to hire new staff. He is also looking for a solution that will allow MTC to hire employees located in other countries around the world. Management Direction The management team has been discussing how to ramp up to fill the requirements of the two new contracts and prepare the company to continue growing as additional contracts are awarded in the future. The company has been steadily growing and thus far hiring of new employees has been handled through a process that is largely manual. The HR Director reported that his staff will be unable to handle the expanded hiring projections as well as accommodate the hiring of the 75 new employees in the timeframe required. The Chief Information Officer (CIO) then recommended that the company look for a commercial off-theshelf software product that can dramatically improve the hiring process and shorten the time it takes to hire new employees. The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) wants to ensure that all investments are in line with the corporate mission and will achieve the desired return on investment. She will be looking for clear information that proposals have been well researched, provide a needed capability for the organization, and can be cost-effectively implemented in a Maryland Technology Consultants is a fictitious company created for the IFSM 300 Case Study. MTC Case Study 11/23/2019 Ver. 1 3 relatively short period of time to reap the benefits. The CEO has asked HR to work with the CIO to recommend a solution. Your Task As a business analyst assigned to HR, you have been assigned to conduct an analysis, develop a set of system requirements, evaluate a proposed solution, and develop an implementation plan for an IT solution (applicant tracking system hiring system) to improve the hiring process. You have begun your analysis by conducting a series of interviews with key stakeholders to collect information about the current hiring process and the requirements for a technology solution to improve the hiring process. Based on your analysis and in coordination with key users you will produce a Business Analysis and System Recommendation Report (BA&SR) as your final deliverable. Interviews In the interviews you conducted with the organizational leaders, you hear the comments recorded below. CEO: Samuel Johnson “While I trust my HR staff to address the nuts and bolts of the staffing processes, what is critically important to me is that the right people can be in place to fulfill our current contracts and additional talented staff can be quickly hired to address needs of future contracts that we win. I can’t be out in the market soliciting new business if we can’t deliver on what we’re selling. Our reputation is largely dependent on having knowledgeable and capable staff to deliver the services our clients are paying for and expect from MTC.” CFO: Evelyn Liu “So glad we’re talking about this initiative. As CFO, obviously I’m focused on the bottom line. I also recognize it’s necessary to invest in certain areas to ensure our viability moving forward. I recognize that the current manual hiring process is inefficient and not cost-effective. Having technology solutions that improve current process and enable future functionality is very important to MTC’s success. We must consider the total cost of ownership of any technology we adopt. MTC is run as a lean-and-mean organization and support processes must be effective but not overbuilt. We do want to think towards the future and our strategic goals as well and don’t want to invest in technology with a short shelf-life. Along those lines, we currently have a timekeeping and payroll system that requires input from the hiring process to be entered to establish new employees; and to help support our bottom line financially, any new solution should effectively integrate with, but not replace, those systems. Maryland Technology Consultants is a fictitious company created for the IFSM 300 Case Study. MTC Case Study 11/23/2019 Ver. 1 4 CIO: Raj Patel “As a member of the IT Department, you have a good understanding of our overall architecture and strategy; however, let me emphasize a few things I want to be sure we keep in mind for this project. Any solution needs to be compatible with our existing architecture and systems as appropriate. Obviously, we have chosen not to maintain a large software development staff so building a solution from the ground up does not fit our IT strategic plan. Our current strategy has been to adopt Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions that can be deployed relatively quickly and leverage industry best practices at a low total cost. In addition, our distributed workforce means we are very dependent on mobile computing – this brings some challenges in term of portability, maintenance, and solutions that present well on mobile devices. We’ve been expanding at a rapid rate and are seeking to expand internationally so any solution will need to be viable globally. And last, but certainly not least, MTC’s success is largely dependent on our ability to satisfy the requirements of our clients and maintain a reputation of high credibility, reliability and security. Any security breach of our applicants’ data could have a devastating effect to our ability to compete for new business as well as maintain current clients. Any technology solution adopted by MTC must contain clear security measures to control access and protect data and allow us to use our current security for mobile links. I recognize that MTC can no longer rely on a manual hiring process to meet these needs.” Director of HR: Joseph Cummings “Thanks for talking with me today. I see this effort as very important to the success of MTC. While the recruiting staff has done an excellent job of hiring top IT consultants, the rapid growth to date and future plans for expansion have pushed our recruiting staff, and we recognize we can no longer meet the hiring and staffing demands with manual processes. I’m also interested in solutions that are easy-to-use and can interface with our existing systems and enhance processes. I’m willing to consider a basic system that can grow as MTC grows and provide more capabilities in the future. I’m sure Sofia, our Manager of Recruiting, can provide more specifics.” Manager of Recruiting: Sofia Perez “You don’t know how long I’ve been waiting to begin the process of finding a technology solution to support our recruiting processes. In addition to myself, there are 2-3 full-time recruiters who have been very busy keeping up with the increased hiring at MTC; and there are no plans to increase the recruiting staff. It goes without saying that a consulting company is dependent on having well-qualified employees to deliver to our customers. We’re in a competitive market for IT talent and want to be able to recruit efficiently, process applicants quickly, and move to making a job offer to the best candidate before the competition snaps him/her up. When I talk with my colleagues in other companies, they mention applicant tracking systems that have enabled them to reduce their hiring time by 15-20%. I’m so envious of them and look forward to having our new solution in place before the next set of contracts are won and we need to hire 75 (to as many as 150) staff in a 2-month period. I do not think my Maryland Technology Consultants is a fictitious company created for the IFSM 300 Case Study. MTC Case Study 11/23/2019 Ver. 1 5 team can handle such an increase in an efficient and effective manner. On-going growth at MTC will continue to increase the demands to hire more consultants quickly. It really seems like there would be a rapid return on investment in a technology solution to support and improve the hiring process.” Recruiters: Peter O’Neil (along with Mike Thomas and Jennifer Blackwell) “This project should have happened 2 years ago but glad it’s finally getting some attention. As a recruiter, I’m sort of the middleperson in this process. On one hand, we have the job applicant who is anxious to know the status of his/her application and fit for the advertised position. It’s important that the recruiters represent MTC well, as we want the best applicants to want to come to work for us. Then we have the actual hiring manager in one of our business areas who has issued the job requisition and wants to get the best applicant hired as quickly as possible. Obviously recruiting is not the hiring manager’s full-time job, so we’re always competing for time with other job responsibilities, so we can keep things moving as quickly as possible. They provide us with job descriptions to meet the needs of clients and look to us to screen resumes and only forward the best qualified applicants to them so they can quickly identify their top candidates. Working with Tom, our administrative assistant, we need interviews to be scheduled to accommodate everyone’s calendars. After the hiring managers make their final selections of who they would like to hire, it is our task to get the job offers presented to the candidates - hopefully for their acceptance. Everything is very time sensitive, and the current process is not nearly as efficient as it could be. Applications and resumes can get lost in interoffice mail or buried in email; and, when a hiring manager calls us, we often cannot immediately provide the status of where an applicant is in the process. This can be very frustrating all around. Speaking for myself and the other recruiters, I have high expectations for this solution. We need to really be able to deliver world-class service to MTC in the recruiting and hiring areas to meet the business goals.” Administrative Assistant: Tom Arbuckle “I support the recruiters in the hiring process. After the recruiters screen the resumes and select the best candidates for a position, my job is to route those applications and resumes via interoffice mail to the respective functional/hiring manager, receive his or her feedback on who to interview and who should be involved in the interviews, schedule the interviews based on availability of applicants and the interview team members, collect the feedback from the interview team and inform the assigned recruiter of the status of each candidate who was interviewed. In addition to preparing the job offer letter based on the recruiter’s direction, after a job offer has been made and accepted, I coordinate the paperwork for the new hire with HR and Payroll to ensure everything is ready to go on the first day. As you can imagine when hiring volume is up, I’m buried in paperwork and trying to keep all the applicants and their resumes straight, track their status in the process, and ensure everyone has what they need is very challenging. I love my job, but want to ensure I can continue to keep on top of the increased hiring demands and support the recruiting team effectively. Any tool that would help the workflow and enable many steps in the process to be done electronically would be wonderful.” Maryland Technology Consultants is a fictitious company created for the IFSM 300 Case Study. MTC Case Study 11/23/2019 Ver. 1 6 Hiring Manager (in functional area; this person would be the supervisor of the new employee and would likely issue the job requisition to fill a need in his/her department/team): “While it’s a good problem to have – new business means new hires -- the current method for screening applications, scheduling interviews, identifying the best qualified applicants, and getting a job offer to them is not working. My team is evaluated on the level of service we provide our clients, and it is very important that we have well-qualified staff members to fulfill our contracts. Turnover is common in the IT world and that along with new business development, makes the need for hiring new staff critical and time-sensitive. I confess that sometimes I’m not as responsive to HR as I should be; but although hiring new consultants for the contracts I manage is important to successfully meet the clients’ needs, this is only one of several areas for which I’m responsible. I look to the recruiters to stay on top of this for me. In the ideal world, I’d like an electronic dashboard from which I can see the status of any job openings in my area, information on all qualified candidates who have applied and where they are in the pipeline. Electronic scheduling of interviews on my calendar would be a real time saver. It’s important that we impress candidates with our technology and efficiency – after all we are an IT consulting company—and using manual processes makes us look bad. And, this system must be easy to use – I don’t have time for training or reading a 100-page user’s manual. Just need to get my job done." Maryland Technology Consultants is a fictitious company created for the IFSM 300 Case Study. MTC Case Study 11/23/2019 Ver. 1 7 Stage 1: Strategic Use of Technology Before you begin work on this assignment, be sure you have read the Case Study on Maryland Technology Consultants (MTC). MTC is a fictional company created for IFSM 300’s Case Study. It is also recommended that you review the additional Stages (2, 3 and 4) as well as the vendor brochure provided for Stage 4. This will help you understand the overall report and potential solution. Overview As a business analyst in the Chief Information Officer’s (CIO's) department of Maryland Technology Consulting (MTC), you have been assigned to conduct an analysis, develop a set of system requirements, evaluate a proposed solution, and develop an implementation plan for an IT solution (applicant tracking or hiring system) to improve the hiring process for MTC. This work will be completed in four stages, and each of these four stages will focus on one section of an overall Business Analysis and System Recommendation (BA&SR) report to be delivered to the CIO. Section I. Strategic Use of Technology (Stage 1) - The first step is to look at the organization and explain how an IT system could be used to support MTC's strategies and objectives and support its decisionmaking processes. Section II. Process Analysis (Stage 2) – Next you will evaluate current processes and workflow and explain how MTC can use IT to improve its processes and workflow. Section III. Requirements (Stage 3) –Then you will identify key stakeholder expectations for the new technology solution to support MTC’s hiring process and develop a set of requirements. Section IV. System Recommendation (Stage 4) – Finally, you will review the provided Vendor brochure for a proposed applicant tracking system and explain how it meets the requirements and what needs to be done to implement the system within MTC. The sections of the BA&SR will be developed and submitted as four staged assignments. For stages 1, 2, and 3, only the material associated with that stage will be graded. The stage 2, 3, and 4 submissions will include the stage that is due, which will be graded according to the assignment requirements and rubric criteria, as well as include all previously submitted stages with any revisions made. It is recommended that when preparing stages 2, 3, and 4, you review any feedback from previous assignments to help improve the effectiveness of your overall report and increase the likelihood of a well-written final submission. For stage 4, the complete BA&SR submission includes grading criteria for evaluating if the document is a very effective and cohesive assemblage of the four sections, is well formatted across all sections and flows smoothly from one section to the next. Assignment – BA&SR: Introduction and Section I. Strategic Use of Technology Write an appropriate Introduction to the entire BA&SR Report (guidelines are provided below). Section I of the BA&SR document contains an organizational analysis and identifies ways in which an information system to improve the hiring process can help MTC, the organization in the case study, meet its strategic goals and meet the information needs of various levels of management. Stage 1: Strategic Use of Technology 11/6/2019 ver. 1 1 Using the case study, assignment instructions, Content readings, and external research, develop your Introduction and Section I. Strategic Use of Technology. To start, review the readings in Weeks 1 and 2. The case study tells you that the executives and employees at MTC have identified a need for an effective and efficient applicant tracking or hiring system. As you review the case study, use the assignment instructions to take notes to assist in your analysis. Use the outline format, headings and tables provided and follow all formatting instructions below. For Stage 1, create a title page and reference page that will be used for all 4 stages. Apply specific information from the case study to address each area. Introduction Begin your report with a clear, concise, well organized introduction to explain why you are writing and what is to come in the complete BA&SR report (not just Stage 1). This should briefly set the context for MTC – business purpose, environment, and current challenges related to hiring. Then specifically provide what is to come in the full report. Keep your audience in mind – this is an internal report for the CIO of MTC. Provide an introduction in one paragraph that engages the reader’s interest in continuing to read your report. I. Strategic Use of Technology A. Business Strategy – In this section, you should clearly present – at a broad level – what MTC’s business strategy is (refer to case study information), then what issues the current manual hiring process may present that interfere with achieving that strategy, and how improving the hiring process will benefit MTC and support its business strategy. (Use two to three strong sentences that explain how the system would support the strategy and justify your position with specifics from the Case Study.) B. Competitive Advantage - First, provide an overview of the competitive environment that MTC is currently operating in based on information from the case study. Then explain how and why MTC can use the new hiring system to increase its competitive advantage and help achieve its overall business strategy. Your explanation should demonstrate your understanding of what competitive advantage is as well as how improving the hiring process will help achieve MTC’s competitive advantage. Include how MTC can use the type of data or information that will be in the hiring system to improve its competitive advantage. (Paragraph of 4-5 sentences) C. Strategic Objectives- Review the four Strategic Goals presented in the Strategic Business Plan section of the MTC Case Study. The CIO has asked you to come up with an example of an objective to help meet each goal and explain how a new hiring system would help achieve that objective. As you can see from the example provided in the table below, an objective is a statement that is clear (not vague) and is something that can be measured or evaluated to determine whether it has been met or not. An important part of setting objectives is that they are SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timebound). In order to evaluate whether an objective has been achieved, it’s important to be able to measure it. Consider this difference – Student wants to get a degree (non-specific Stage 1: Strategic Use of Technology 11/6/2019 ver. 1 2 and not measurable) vs. Student wants to earn a degree in Information Systems Management by May 2020. (This objective provides specific what and when.) First, insert an introductory opening sentence for this table. Then, for each of the rows listed below, complete the table with the requested information. (Provide an introductory sentence and copy the table. Create an objective for each of the 3 remaining goals and explain using 2-3 complete sentences for each.) Note: This is not about an objective to implement a hiring system or broad business goals but rather the focus is on objectives that would be supported by the use of a technology solution to support/improve the hiring process. Strategic Goal (from case study) Increase MTC Business Development by winning new contracts in the areas of IT Consulting Build a cadre of consultants internationally to provide remote research and analysis support to MTC’s onsite teams in the U. S. Objective Explanation (clear, measurable and time-bound) (2-3 sentences) Increase international recruiting efforts and employ 5 research analysts in the next 12 months. The new hiring system would allow applicants from around the world to apply online, increasing the number of international applicants. It would enable the recruiters to carefully monitor the applications for these positions, identify the necessary research and analysis skills needed, and screen resumes for these key skills. Recruiters could quickly view the number of applicants and identify when additional recruiting efforts are needed to meet the objective. EXAMPLE PROVIDED – (Retain text but remove this label and gray shading in your report) Continue to increase MTC’s ability to quickly provide high quality consultants to awarded contracts to best serve the clients’ needs Increase MTC’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 Stage 1: Strategic Use of Technology 11/6/2019 ver. 1 3 D. Decision Making - In the reading, “How Information Supports Decision Making,” you were introduced to the information requirements of various levels of the organization. First, insert an introductory opening sentence for this section. Then, for each of the management roles listed below, complete the table with the appropriate level (as defined in the reading – one word is all that is required in this column), an example of a specific decision supported by the Hiring System to be made at that level, and what type of information from the hiring system would be needed to support that decision. Think about what information the hiring system could provide about applicants, etc., and then identify an example of a decision that might be made by each level of management. A decision is a choice or conclusion that the management might make about business operations or future planning. This is not about the decisions about implementing a new technology solution or about general responsibilities of each role. Example: A decision example could be stated as: CEO decides to expand MTC’s services to include cybersecurity. He can make this decision because the hiring system provides information that many applicants have the needed skills, certifications and experience to enable MTC to easily recruit IT consultants in this area. (Provide an introductory sentence then copy the table and insert information within, writing in complete sentences.) Role Level as defined in Course Content Reading Example of Possible Decision Supported by Hiring System Example of Information the Hiring System Could Provide to Support Your Example Decision Senior/Executive Managers (Decisions made by the CEO and the CFO at MTC supported by the hiring system.) Middle Managers (Decisions made by the Director of HR and the Manager of Recruiting supported by the hiring system.) Operational Managers (Decisions made by the line managers in the organization who are hiring for their projects supported by the hiring system.) Formatting Your Assignment Consider your audience – you are writing in the role of an MTC business analyst and your audience is MTC and your boss, the CIO. Don’t discuss MTC as if the reader has no knowledge of the organization. Also do not reference “stage #” or “case study” – these are class terms and would not be in a business report. Use third person consistently throughout the report. 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 Stage 1: Strategic Use of Technology 11/6/2019 ver. 1 4 individual, the “self,” out of the writing. This method is very helpful for effective business 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. • • • • • • • • • • • • Create a title page that includes: The company name, title of report, your name, Course and Section number and date. In Stage 1, you are preparing the first part of a 4-stage report. Use the structure, headings, and outline format provided here for your report. Use the numbering/lettering in the assignment instructions as shown below. Introduction I. Strategic Use of Technology A. Business Strategy B. Competitive Advantage C. Strategic Objectives D. Decision Making Write a short concise paper: Use the recommendations provided in each area for length of response. It’s important to value quality over quantity. Assignment should not exceed 4 pages excluding title and reference pages. Content areas should be double spaced; table entries should be single-spaced. To copy a table: Move your cursor to the table, then click on the small box that appears at the upper left corner of the table to highlight the table; right click and COPY the table; put the cursor in your paper where you want the table and right click and PASTE the table. 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. Use at least two resources with APA formatted citation and reference. Use at least one external reference and one from the course content. Course content should be from the class reading content, not the assignment instructions or case study itself. For information on APA format, refer to Content>Course Resources>Writing Resources. Begin a Reference Page for resources required for this assignment. Additional research in the next stages will be added to this as you build the report. The final document should contain all references from all stages appropriately formatted and alphabetized. Use APA format for your reference page. Running headers are not required for this report. 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. Keep tables in Word format – do not paste in graphics. Your submission should include your last name first in the filename: Lastname_firstname_Stage_1 Stage 1: Strategic Use of Technology 11/6/2019 ver. 1 5 GRADING RUBRIC: Criteria Introduction Describes the organization and provides an introduction to the overall Report Strategy How the system will support the organization’s strategy as derived from the case study Competitive Advantage Explanation of how the system and its data can be used for competitive advantage 90-100% 80-89% 70-79% 60-69% < 60% Far Above Standards 9-10 Points Above Standards Meets Standards 8.5 Points 7.5 Points Below Standards 6.5 Points Well Below Standards 0-5 Points The introduction is clear, logical, and derived from the Case Study. The introduction is adequate and is derived from the Case Study. The introduction is not clear, logical and/or derived from the Case Study. 18-20 Points 16-17 Points 14-15 Points 12-13 Points Content missing or extremely incomplete, did not reflect the assignment instructions, showed little or no originality, demonstrated little effort, is not derived from the Case Study; and/or is not original work for this class section. 0-11 Points 20 The explanation is clear, logical and fully supported with information from the Case study and using a sophisticated level of writing. The explanation is clear, logical and supported with information from the Case study. The explanation is provided and supported with information from the Case Study. The explanation is not clear, logical and/or supported with information from the Case Study. 13-15 Points 12.75 Points 10-11 Points 9 Points Content missing or extremely incomplete, did not reflect the assignment instructions, showed little or no originality, demonstrated little effort, is not supported with information from the Case Study; and/or is not original work for this class section. 0-8 Points 15 Clear, complete, logical, derived from the Case Study, and demonstrates sophisticated analysis and writing. Complete and accurate; derived from the Case Study, demonstrates analysis and effective writing. Explanation is provided and related to the Case Study, may lack specifics and/or clear logic. Explanation is not clear, logical and/or supported with information from the Case Study. The introduction is very effective; is clear, logical, derived from the Case Study; and demonstrates a sophisticated level of writing. Stage 1: Strategic Use of Technology 11/6/2019 ver. 1 6 Content missing or extremely incomplete, did not reflect the assignment instructions, showed little or no originality, demonstrated little effort, is not supported with information from Possible Points 10 Strategic Objectives 13-15 Points 12.75 Points Objectives are clear, measurable and time-bound and are strongly and fully explained using a sophisticated level of writing. Objectives are clear, measurable and time-bound, and are clearly explained. 13-15 Points 12.75 Points Types of decisions supported by the system for each of the three levels of the organization Identified correctly and fully, clearly and logically explained; are derived from the Case Study; and demonstrate sophisticated analysis and writing. Generally, 0-5 points per decision example. Both quantity and quality evaluated. Research Three objectives derived from Strategic Goals in Case Study with explanation of how new hiring system would help achieve. Generally, 0-5 points per objective. Both quantity and quality evaluated. DecisionMaking Two or more sources--one source from within the IFSM 300 course content and one external (other than the course materials) 10-11 Points Objectives are not clear, measurable and/or timebound, and/or are not explained. Content missing or extremely incomplete, did not reflect the assignment instructions, showed little or no originality, demonstrated little effort, is not supported with information from the Case Study; and/or is not original work for this class section. 10-11 Points 9 Points 0-8 Points Identified correctly and clearly and logically explained; are derived from the Case Study; and demonstrate analysis and effective writing. Identified correctly and explained and are derived from the Case Study. Not all provided; and/or are not correct and/or not derived from the Case Study. Content missing or extremely incomplete, did not reflect the assignment instructions, showed little or no originality, demonstrated little effort, is not supported with information from the Case Study; and/or is not original work for this class section. 9-10 Points 8.5 Points 7.5 Points 6.5 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 At least two sources are incorporated and are relevant and somewhat support the analysis. References are appropriately incorporated and cited using APA style. Only one resource is used and properly incorporated and/or reference(s) lack correct 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 No course content or external research incorporated; or reference listed is not cited within the text. Stage 1: Strategic Use of Technology 11/6/2019 ver. 1 Objectives are somewhat clear, measurable and time-bound, and are explained. 9 Points the Case Study; and/or is not original work for this class section. 0-8 Points 7 15 15 10 Format Uses outline format provided; includes Title Page and Reference Page cited using APA style. 13-15 Points Well organized and 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. 12.75 Points 10-11 Points 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. references and citations. 9 Points Not well organized, and/or contains several grammar and/or spelling errors; and/or is not doublespaced and written in third person. 0-8 Points Extremely poorly written, has many grammar and/or spelling errors, or does not convey the information required. TOTAL Points Possible Stage 1: Strategic Use of Technology 11/6/2019 ver. 1 8 15 100 Stage 2: Process Analysis Before you begin work on this assignment, be sure you have read the Case Study and reviewed the feedback received on your Stage 1 assignment. Overview As the business analyst in the CIO's department of Maryland Technology Consulting (MTC), your next task in developing your Business Analysis and System Recommendation (BA&SR) Report is to conduct a process analysis. This will identify how the current manual process is working and what improvements could be made to the process that would be supported by a technology solution. Assignment – BA&SR: Section II. Process Analysis The first step is to review any feedback from Stage 1 to help improve the effectiveness of your overall report and then add the new section to your report. Only content for Stage 2 will be graded for this submission. Part of the grading criteria for Stage 4 includes evaluating if the document is a very effective and cohesive assemblage of the four sections, is well formatted and flows smoothly from one section to the next. For this assignment, you will add Section II of the Business Analysis and System Recommendation (BA&SR) Report to Section I. You will conduct an analysis of the current hiring process and present information on expected business improvements. This analysis lays the ground work for Section III. Requirements of the BA&SR Report (Stage 3 assignment) which will identify MTC's requirements for a system. Using the case study, assignment instructions, Content readings, and external research, develop your Section II. Process Analysis. The case study tells you that the executives and employees at MTC have identified a need for an effective and efficient hiring system. As you review the case study, use the assignment instructions to take notes to assist in your analysis. As the stakeholders provide their needs and expectations to improve the process, identify steps that could be improved with the support of a hiring system. Also look for examples of issues and problems that can be improved with a technology solution. Use the outline format, headings and tables provided and follow all formatting instructions below. Begin with your Section I (Stage 1 assignment) and add Section II. Apply specific information from the case study to address each area along with relevant supporting research. II. Process Analysis A. Hiring Process At the beginning of this section, write an introductory opening sentence for this section that addresses what the complete table provides. Refer to Week 3 and 4 content on processes and analyzing process improvements. Additional research can expand your knowledge of these areas. The first step in analyzing the process is to document what the current process steps are and who is responsible for doing them. Therefore, the table provides the current steps in the manual hiring process provided by the case study. Remember, a process is a series of steps to perform a Stage 2: Process Analysis 11/23/19 ver. 1 1 task; therefore, think about what the users are doing as part of the hiring process. Retain the asis process steps provided; do not remove or revise these. Complete the second column by identifying the stakeholder responsible for this step based on the interviews in the MTC Case. The next step is to identify how a hiring or applicant tracking system could improve each step in the process and how the business will benefit from that improvement. For each of the as-is process steps provided, complete the To-Be Process column in the table. indicating how this step in the process will be done using the hiring or applicant tracking system. For each process step, the statement should be concise and include an action verb and align with improving or replacing the current manual, as-is process step provided. Then complete the Business Benefits of the Improved Process column by explaining how this part of the process can contribute to the overall business strategy – think at a higher level than the specific process step. Review the examples provided in the Hiring Process table. For each to-be process step, identify the result of using the system, as shown in the two examples. While it is true that the system will speed up each step of the process, think about how MTC would benefit more strategically from using an automated system to perform that step. The first row and last rows have been completed for you as an example and must be retained and not revised. Be sure your table contains a total of 12 steps. Use the examples to help you provide clear to-be process steps and business benefits. Your responses should be written in complete sentences. MTC Hiring Process As-Is Process 1. Recruiter receives application from job hunter via Postal Service Mail. Responsible MTC Position Recruiter EXAMPLE PROVIDED – (Retain text as #1 but remove this label and gray shading in your report) To-Be Process – How the system Will Support and Improve the hiring process Business Benefits of Improved Process (Align with MTC’s overall business strategy and needs.) System will receive application via on-line submission through MTC Employment Website and store in the applicant database within the hiring system. A more efficient submission process decreases time needed to receive and begin processing applications. This will present a positive image to potential employees and help MTC compete for top IT talent. 2. Recruiter screens resumes to identify top candidates by matching with job requirements from job description. 3. Recruiter forwards top candidates to Administrative Stage 2: Process Analysis 11/23/19 ver. 1 2 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Assistant via interoffice mail Administrative Assistant forwards candidates’ resumes and applications to hiring manager for the position via interoffice mail. Hiring Manager reviews applications and selects who he/she wants to interview. Hiring Manager sends email to Administrative Assistant on who he/she has selected to interview and identifies members of the interview team. AA schedules interviews by contacting interview team members and hiring manager to identify possible time slots AA emails candidates to schedule interviews. Interview is conducted with candidate, hiring manager and other members of the interview team. 10. Hiring manager informs the AA on his top candidate for hiring 11. AA collects feedback from interviews and status of candidates 12. Administrative Assistant prepares offer letter based on information from recruiter and puts in Hiring Manager and Interview Team Interview is conducted with candidate, hiring manager and other members of the interview team. (Hiring System is not used for this step.) n/a Administrative Assistant System enables AA to prepare job offer letter by storing the offer letter template and information on each candidate; allows AA to select information to go into letter and put it into the More efficient offer process presents positive image to applicants and decreases time needed to prepare offer letter, and enables MTC to hire in EXAMPLE PROVIDED – (Retain text as #12 but remove this label and gray shading in your report) Stage 2: Process Analysis 11/23/19 ver. 1 3 the mail to the chosen candidate. template, which can then be reviewed and emailed to the candidate. advance of the competition. B. Expected Improvements - As noted in the case study, there are a lot of manual processes, overwhelming paperwork, difficulty scheduling interviews, etc. related to MTC’s current manual hiring process. A technology solution can address many of these issues. For each of the areas listed in the table below, provide an example of an issue from the case study and how a technology solution could be used to improve that area. Issues and improvements should be addressed in 1-2 clear, complete sentences with information incorporated from the case study. The first one is provided as an example. Note: This is not about the stakeholders' wishes or expectations for the new system but identifying the current issues they have. Some may be explicitly stated in the interviews and for others you may need to apply some critical thinking. (Provide an introductory sentence and copy the table and insert information within.) For explanations of these areas, refer to Week 4 content on analyzing process improvements. Additional research can expand your knowledge of these areas. Area Collaboration: EXAMPLE PROVIDED (Retain text but remove this label and gray shading in your report) Current Issues Improvements (from the Case Study) The Hiring Manager states that recruiting is only one area he is responsible for and he isn’t as responsive to HR as he could be. Therefore, he counts on the Recruiters to help manage the process and keep him informed. Current manual system causes considerable communication breakdowns and takes additional effort and time to stay on top of the hiring process. (due to use of technology) An efficient system with all information in one place, easily accessible via a dashboard, and updated in real time could make his recruiting job easier; and he could devote time to effectively working collaboratively and proactively with HR on his staffing needs. Communications: Explain how a hiring system could improve internal and external communications Workflow: Explain how a hiring system could improve the MTC hiring process by providing a consistent structure for each participant to perform his/her part in the hiring process. Relationships: Explain how implementing an enterprise hiring system could foster stronger relationships with applicants/potential employees. Formatting Your Assignment Consider your audience – you are writing in the role of an MTC business analyst and your audience is MTC and your boss, the CIO. Don’t discuss MTC as if the reader has no knowledge of the organization. Use third person consistently throughout the report. In third person, the writer avoids the pronouns I, Stage 2: Process Analysis 11/23/19 ver. 1 4 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 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. • In Stage 2, you are preparing the second part of a 4-stage report. Use the structure, headings, and outline format provided here for your report. Use the numbering/lettering in the assignment instructions as shown below. II. Process Analysis A. Hiring Process B. Expected Improvements • • Begin with Section I, considering any feedback received, and add to it Section II. Write a short concise paper: Use the recommendations provided in each area for length of response. It’s important to value quality over quantity. Section II should not exceed 3 pages. Content areas should be double spaced; table entries should be single-spaced. To copy a table: Move your cursor to the table, then click on the small box that appears at the upper left corner of the table to highlight the table; right click and COPY the table; put the cursor in your paper where you want the table and right click and PASTE the table. 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. Continue to use the title page created in Stage 1 that includes: The company name, title of report, your name, Course and Section Number, and date of this submission. Use at least two resources with APA formatted citation and reference for this Stage 2 assignment. Use at least one external reference and one from the course content. Course content should be from the class reading content, not the assignment instructions or case study itself. For information on APA format, refer to Content>Course Resources>Writing Resources. Add the references required for this assignment to the Reference Page. Additional research in the next stages will be added to this as you build the report. The final document should contain all references from all stages appropriately formatted and alphabetized. Running headers are not required for this report. 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. Keep tables in Word format – do not paste in graphics. Your submission should include your last name first in the filename: Lastname_firstname_Stage_2 • • • • • • • • • • Stage 2: Process Analysis 11/23/19 ver. 1 5 GRADING RUBRIC: Criteria Stakeholder Identification Identification of a logical stakeholder based on the case study 90-100% 80-89% 70-79% 60-69% < 60% Far Above Standards Above Standards Meets Standards Below Standards 9-10 Points 8.5 Points 7.5 Points 6-7 Points Well Below Standards 0-5 Points 10 stakeholders correctly identified as derived from the case study or logical assumption. Minimum of 8 stakeholders correctly identified as derived from the case study or logical assumption. Fewer than 8 stakeholders correctly identified as derived from the case study or logical assumptions; and/or contains significant incorrect information. 27-30 Points 24-26 Points 21-23 Points 18-20 Points To-Be Process step improvements clearly relate to corresponding As-Is Process step and fully explain how the system will support it; demonstrates sophisticated analysis. To-Be Process step improvements relate to corresponding As-Is Process step and explains how the system will support it; demonstrates effective analysis. To-Be Process step improvement is provided for each As-Is Process step and an explanation is provided for each. Fewer than 10 ToBe Process step improvements and/or explanations are provided; and/or contains significant incorrect information. 10 stakeholders correctly identified as derived from the Case Study. Generally, 1 point per stakeholder. To-Be Process Analysis Analysis describes how the system will support and improve the hiring process Generally, 0-3 points per to-be process step. Both quantity and quality evaluated. Stage 2: Process Analysis 11/23/19 ver. 1 Possible Points 10 Content missing or extremely incomplete, did not reflect the assignment instructions, demonstrated little effort, is not supported with information from the Case Study; and/or is not original work for this class section. 0-17 Points 30 Content missing or extremely incomplete, did not reflect the assignment instructions, showed little or no originality, demonstrated little effort, is not supported with information from the Case Study; and/or is not original work for this class section. 6 Business Benefits of Improved Process Explains how each step in the process can contribute to the overall business strategy 18-20 Points 16-17 Points Business benefits for all 10 process steps are fully explained; demonstrates sophisticated analysis. Business benefits for all 10 process steps are explained; demonstrates effective analysis. 18-20 Points 16-17 Points 14-15 Points Business benefits for all 10 process steps are included. 12-13 Points Business benefits for fewer than 10 process steps are provided; and/or contains significant incorrect information. Generally, 0-2 points per improved process step. Both quantity and quality evaluated. Expected Improvements Issues from case study and improvements due to technology in areas of Communication, Workflow, and Relationships Issues and improvements for all 3 areas are fully and correctly explained; demonstrates sophisticated analysis. Issues and improvements for all 3 areas are explained; demonstrates effective analysis. 14-15 Points Issues and improvements for all 3 areas are provided. 12-13 Points Issues and improvements for fewer than 3 areas are provided; and/or contains significant incorrect information. Generally, 0-7 points per area. Both quantity and quality evaluated. Research Two or more sources--one source from within the IFSM 300 course content and one external (other than the course materials) 9-10 Points 8.5 Points 7.5 Points 6.5 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 two sources are incorporated and are relevant and somewhat support the analysis. References are appropriately incorporated and cited using APA style. Only one resource is used and properly incorporated and/or reference(s) lack correct 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. Stage 2: Process Analysis 11/23/19 ver. 1 0-11 Points 20 Content missing or extremely incomplete, did not reflect the assignment instructions, showed little or no originality, demonstrated little effort, is not supported with information from the Case Study; and/or is not original work for this class section. 0-11 Points 20 Content missing or extremely incomplete, did not reflect the assignment instructions, showed little or no originality, demonstrated little effort, is not supported with information from the Case Study; and/or is not original work for this class section. 0-5 Points 10 No course content or external research incorporated; or reference listed is not cited within the text. 7 Format Uses outline format provided; includes Title Page and Reference Page 9-10 Points 8.5 Points 7.5 Points 6.5 Points 0-5 Points Well organized and 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. 10 TOTAL Points Possible Stage 2: Process Analysis 11/23/19 ver. 1 100 8 Stage 3: Requirements Before you begin work on this assignment, be sure you have read the Case Study and reviewed the feedback received on your Stage 1 and 2 assignments. Overview As the business analyst in the CIO's department of Maryland Technology Consulting (MTC), your next task in developing your Business Analysis and System Recommendation (BA&SR) Report is to develop a set of requirements for the hiring system. Assignment – BA&SR Section III. Requirements The first step is to review any feedback from previous stages to help improve the effectiveness of your overall report and then add the new section to your report. Only content for Stage 3 will be graded for this submission. Part of the grading criteria for Stage 4 includes evaluating if the document is a very effective and cohesive assemblage of the four sections, is well formatted and flows smoothly from one section to the next. For this assignment, you will add Section III of the Business Analysis and System Recommendation (BA&SR) Report to your Sections I and II. In this section you will identify requirements for the new hiring system. This analysis leads into Section IV. System Recommendation of the BA&SR (Stage 4 assignment) that will analyze a proposed IT solution to ensure it meets MTC's organizational strategy and fulfills its operational needs. Using the case study, assignment instructions, Content readings, and external research, develop your Section III. Requirements. The case study tells you that the executives and employees at Maryland Technology Consultants (MTC) have identified a need for an effective and efficient applicant tracking or hiring system. As you review the case study, use the assignment instructions to take notes to assist in your analysis. In particular, look for information in the interviews to provide stakeholder interests and needs. Use the outline format, headings and tables provided and follow all formatting instructions below. III. Requirements A. Stakeholder Interests - Review the interest or objectives for the new hiring system for each stakeholder listed below based on his or her organizational role and case study information. Consider how the technology will improve how his/her job is done; that is, identify what each of the stakeholders needs the hiring system to do. Then to complete the table below, use information from the stakeholder interviews and identify one significant challenge or problem for each stakeholder related to the current hiring process (not their future expectations). Then explain how a system could address their problems. Do not define what that position does in the organization. (Provide an introductory sentence for this section, copy the table below and complete the two columns with 1-2 complete sentences for each role in each column.) Role Stage 3: Requirements 11/6/2019 ver. 1 Specific problem related to the current hiring process How a technology solution to support the 1 hiring process could address the problem 1. CEO 2. CFO 3. CIO 4. Director of Human Resources 5. Manager of Recruiting 6. Recruiters 7. Administrative Assistant 8. Hiring Manager (Functional supervisor the new employee would be working for.) B. Defining Requirements - The next step is to identify the essential requirements for the information system. In addition to the stakeholder interests identified above, review the Case Study, especially the interviews, highlighting any statements that tell what the person expects or needs the system to do. User requirements express specifically what the user needs the system to do. This can be in terms of tasks the users need to perform, data they need to input, what the system might do with that data input, and output required. System performance requirements express how the system will perform in several performance areas and security. As a member of the CIO's organization, you will use your professional knowledge to Identify 5 User Requirements (including one specifically related to reporting) and 5 System Performance Requirements (including 2 security-related requirements). Refer to Week 5 content on requirements; security requirements are covered in Week 6. Additional research can expand your knowledge of these areas. Once you have identified the 10 requirements, evaluate each one using the criteria below and create 10 well-written requirements statements for the new hiring system. The requirement statement: • Is a complete sentence, with a subject (system) and predicate (intended result, action or condition). • Identifies only one requirement; does not include the words "and," "also," "with," and "or." • For User Requirements, states what tasks the system will support or perform. • For System Performance Requirements, states how the system will perform. • Includes a measure or metric that can be used to determine whether the requirement is met (time or quantity), where appropriate. • Is stated in positive terms and uses "must" (not "shall," "may" or "should"); "the system must xxxx" not "the system must not xxx". • Avoids the use of terms that cannot be defined and measured, such as "approximately," "robust," "user friendly," etc. • Is achievable and realistic; avoids terms such as "100% uptime," or "no failures". For a full requirements document, there will be many requirement statements; you only need to provide the number of requirements identified for each category. Do not provide generic statements but relate to the needs of MTC to improve its hiring process. Stage 3: Requirements 11/6/2019 ver. 1 2 (Provide an introductory sentence, copy the table, and complete the Requirements Statement and Stakeholder columns. No additional information should be entered into the first column, Requirement ID.) Requirement Requirement Statement ID# only EXAMPLE User Requirements – (What the user needs the system to do) The system must store all information from the candidate’s application/resume in a central applicant database. EXAMPLE PROVIDED – (Retain text but Stakeholder (Position and Name from Case Study that identified this requirement) Recruiter – Peter O’Neil remove this label and gray shading in your report) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. EXAMPLE (Reporting-Output of organized information retrieved from the system—replace this statement with a specific reporting requirement) System Performance Requirements – (How the system will perform) The system must be implemented as a Software as a Service solution. EXAMPLE PROVIDED – (Retain text but CIO – Raj Patel remove this label and gray shading in your report) 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. (Security-replace this with a specific security requirement) (Security-replace this with a specific security requirement) Formatting Your Assignment Consider your audience – you are writing in the role of an MTC business analyst and your audience is MTC and your boss, the CIO. Don’t discuss MTC as if the reader has no knowledge of the organization. Use third person consistently throughout the report. 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 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. Stage 3: Requirements 11/6/2019 ver. 1 3 • In Stage 3, you are preparing the third part of a 4-stage report. Use the structure, headings, and outline format provided here for your report. Use the numbering/lettering in the assignment instructions as shown below. III. Requirements A. Stakeholder Interests B. Defining Requirements • • • • • • • • • • • • Begin with Sections I and II, considering any feedback received, and add to it Section III. Write a short concise paper: Use the recommendations provided in each area for length of response. It’s important to value quality over quantity. Section III should not exceed 3 pages. Content areas should be double spaced; table entries should be single-spaced. To copy a table: Move your cursor to the table, then click on the small box that appears at the upper left corner of the table to highlight the table; right click and COPY the table; put the cursor in your paper where you want the table and right click and PASTE the table. 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. Continue to use the title page created in Stage 1 that includes: The company name, title of report, your name, Course and Section Number, and date of this submission. Use at least two resources with APA formatted citation and reference for this Stage 3 assignment. Use at least one external reference and one from the course content. Course content should be from the class reading content, not the assignment instructions or case study itself. For information on APA format, refer to Content>Course Resources>Writing Resources. Add the references required for this assignment to the Reference Page. Additional research in the next stage will be added to this as you build the report. The final document should contain all references from all stages appropriately formatted and alphabetized. Running headers are not required for this report. 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. Keep tables in Word format – do not paste in graphics. Your submission should include your last name first in the filename: Lastname_firstname_Stage_3 Stage 3: Requirements 11/6/2019 ver. 1 4 GRADING RUBRIC: Criteria Stakeholder Interests Identification of specific stakeholder problems (interests and objectives for improving the hiring process) and how a technology system could address. Generally, 0-3 points per role. Both quantity and quality evaluated. User Requirements 5 user requirements (1 addresses reporting) Generally, 0-5 points each. Both quantity and quality evaluated. 90-100% 80-89% 70-79% 60-69% < 60% Far Above Standards 22-24 Points Above Standards Meets Standards Below Standards 20-21 Points 17-19 Points 15-16 Points Well Below Standards 0-14 Points Problems and how a technology solution will address are described and explained. Problems and how a technology solution will address are not clearly described and explained; and/or lacks effective presentation of information Content missing or extremely incomplete, did not reflect the assignment instructions, showed little or no originality, demonstrated little effort, is not supported with information from the Case Study; and/or is not original work for this class section. 17-19 Points 15-16 Points 0-14 Points Problems and how a technology solution will address are correctly and clearly described and fully explained using a sophisticated level of writing. 23-25 Points Correctly identified, written and sourced; clearly derived from the Case Study; demonstrates sophisticated analysis. Problems and how a technology solution will address are clearly described and explained using an effective level of writing. 20-22 Points Identified, written and sourced correctly; requirements are derived from the Case Study; demonstrates effective analysis. Stage 3: Requirements 11/6/2019 ver. 1 Identified and sourced; requirements are related to the Case Study. Fewer than 5 requirements are identified and sourced; and/or information provided is not correct; and/or requirements are not all related to the Case Study. Possible Points 24 25 Content missing or extremely incomplete, did not reflect the assignment instructions, showed little or no originality, demonstrated little effort, is not supported with information from the Case Study; and/or is not original work for this class section. 5 Performance Requirements 3 performance requirements and 2 system security requirements Generally, 0-5 points each. Both quantity and quality evaluated. Research Two or more sources--one source from within the IFSM 300 course content and one external (other than the course materials) Format Uses outline format provided; includes Title Page and Reference Page 23-25 Points Correctly identified, written and sourced; clearly derived from the Case Study; demonstrates sophisticated analysis. 20-22 Points Identified, written and sourced correctly; requirements are derived from the Case Study; demonstrates effective analysis. 17-19 Points Identified and sourced; requirements are related to the Case Study. 15-16 Points Fewer than 5 requirements are identified and sourced; and/or information provided is not correct; and/or requirements are not all related to the Case Study. 0-14 Points 25 Content missing or extremely incomplete, did not reflect the assignment instructions, showed little or no originality, demonstrated little effort, is not supported with information from the Case Study; and/or is not original work for this class section. 0-5 Points 10 9-10 Points 8.5 Points 7.5 Points 6.5 Points Required resources are incorporated an...
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