Exam (elaborations) IFSM 300 Stage 4 System Recommendation And Final BA&SR Report

Exam (elaborations) IFSM 300 Stage 4 System Recommendation And Final BA&SR Report Chesapeake IT Consultants Inc. (CIC), headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, was founded in May 2004. Two additional satellite locations reside in Herndon, Virginia and Bethesda, Maryland. CIC has an annual revenue of $80,000,000 and has a total of 400 employees. Alvin Morrison is the current President and CEO of CIC. Recently, CIC has been working on winning two contracts that will require an additional 75 consultants. This has revealed concerns in the current process for recruiting and hiring employees from the Director of Human Resources. An automated process in the hiring system would alleviate the man power and the time that it would take for a new hire to come onboard. Additionally, there is a request for a solution that would allow CIC to hire employees from other countries around the world. The purpose of this Business Analysis and System Recommendation (BA&SR) report is to highlight and propose an IT solution that will improve the hiring process in four stages; Background and Organizational Analysis, Strategic Use of Technology, Strategic and Operational Outcomes, and System Recommendations. Below is the breakdown and discussion of these concepts. Organizational Strategy The business strategy in place for CIC is to provide world class consulting services. However, these services can only be offered if CIC is able to employ highly skilled consultants who are motivated by new technology and developing upon business concepts. A new automated hiring system would further this strategy by lessening the burden of employees manually completing processing steps in the hiring process, which in turn, would lessen the amount of time it takes for a new employee to be hired and guarantee that highly skilled employees are brought into the organization in a timely manner. A possible system that CIC could implement would be by using the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, that provides organizations with a centralized database with an automated platform for every aspect of the hiring process, which will help CIC compete and win the top talent world-wide (Bourgeois, 2014). Components of an Information System: People and Technology The implementation of a new hiring system will provide the solution to the upcoming challenges that CIC will face once the new contracts have been approved. As the CEO, Alvin Morrison, stated “while I trust my HR staff to address the details of the staffing processes… I can’t be out in the market soliciting new business if we can’t deliver on what we’re selling.” He went on to say that CIC’s reputation is dependent upon having a knowledgeable and skilled staff to deliver the consulting services in which the clientele is paying for and expect. This also reflects what the CFO, Marianne Cho, expressed when she commented on moving CIC forward in initiatives that ensure viability. By committing to these initiatives, her role in the systems financial essential point would be preserved. As the CIO, Fadil Abadi, explained, initiatives are technically unrealized ideas and for CIC, building their own platform would not fit in the IT strategic plan. He further detailed how a quickly deployed Software as a Service (SaaS) product could benefit CIC. SaaS, is an alternative to the traditional business environment in which the company is essentially renting the software they are using rather than building, maintaining, and configuring the software themselves. Long term, this type of service reduces time, cuts costs, increases scalability and integration, and provides and easy to use platform with already established best practices (Sylos, 2016). As mentioned previously, the Director of Human Resources, William Bradley, reveled concerns for the current hiring and recruiting system in place, explaining how certain functions could benefit and enhance the existing process, such as an easy to use interface that eliminates the manual hiring process. This hiring and recruiting will also largely impact the Manager of Recruiting, Suzanne Rodriguez, that has been waiting for an IT solution for her recruiting processes. Along with her team of 2-3 other full-time recruiters, who are extremely busy with the increased hiring at CIC, she explained how competitive the market is and how other organizations are reducing their hiring time by 15-20%, something that makes CIC less than competitive in the IT consulting landscape. Recruiters, Paul O’Brien, Mac Thompson, and Juliet Jackson) applaud the initiative and have seen a need for upgrades over the passed two years in the organization due to the amount of work that is necessary to carry out their main responsibilities of screening resumes and presenting the Administrative Assistant, Ted Anderson, with the most qualified candidates. The ability to screen resumes through an automated process would eliminate candidates who are not qualified and cut down on time spent reviewing resumes of unqualified applicants. After the most qualified candidates are identified, Mr. Anderson then routes those applications to the functional and hiring managers. Once there, these applications are considered for interview wherein the hiring manager in each functional area, determines the best qualified applicant for the position. A new hiring system with an easy to use user interface, applications that allow a status or requirement check for potential new hires, and a scheduling area for quick access and full calendar view would benefit this position immensely. Process Before the needs for the new hiring process can be determine, an in-depth look at the current hiring process will be analyzed. Hiring Process Step Responsible CIC Position 1. Recruiter receives application from job hunter via Postal Service Mail Recruiter 2. Resumes are Screened Recruiter 3. Most qualified candidate forwarded Recruiter 4. Applications/Resumes are routed via interoffice mail to hiring manager Administrative Assistant 5. Provides feedback to the Administrative Assistant for who he/she would like to interview Hiring Manager 6. Interviews are scheduled Administrative Assistant 7. Interview is conducted Hiring Manager 8. Feedback is collected from the interview Administrative Assistant 9. Assigned recruiter is informed on the status of each candidate interviewed Administrative Assistant 10. Candidate is selected Hiring Manager 11. Job is offered to the candidate of choice Recruiter 12. Administrative Assistant prepares and sends Hiring Offer to Selected Candidate by mailing offer letter Administrative Assistant Data For the hiring process to run in accordance the system will need to collect and store important data. Data Element 1. Resume: Name, location, job experience, skills/certifications 2. Hiring Manager name 3. Recruiters name 4. Date of Interview 5. Time of Interview 6. Application Status 7. Application: Scheduled work days, rate of pay 8. Position 9. Job Description 10. Contact Information Strategic Use of Technology Decision Making The decision-making process in an organization incorporates three levels: strategic, managerial, and operational. As information is collected and stored by an organization it is interpreted and viewed differently by all levels within the organization. The table below depicts potential decisions, supported by the hiring system, at the various levels with the different roles in an organization. Role Level Example of Possible Decision Supported by Hiring System. Senior/Executive Managers (Decisions made by the CEO and the CFO at CIC supported by the hiring system.) Strategic - The result data collected from the new hiring process would enable senior/executive managers to monitor the progress/process and detect/correct any issues that arose. Middle Managers (Decisions made by the Director of HR and the Manager of Recruiting supported by the hiring system.) Managerial - After the application and interview process is complete, hiring the best applicant for the job is decided by the Middle Managers. Operational Managers (Decisions made by the line managers in the organization who are hiring for their projects supported by the hiring system.) Operational - Operational managers may need to weigh in on what type of skills or certifications that an applicant possesses. These types of decisions may affect the overall effectiveness of the organization. Communication With the addition of a new hiring system, the internal and external communication in the organization would be dramatically enhanced. Internally, functional mangers and the Administrative Assistant would have the capability of checking on the status of applicants. As applicants progressed through the hiring process, the system would generate e-mail notifications to be sent to the team member(s) who must act in this next step. This automation will ensure a timely response to the actions required and maintain a database of all candidate’s application, as well as, allowing the team to view the progress of a candidate’s application always. Externally, the candidates may also be provided with e-mail notifications on the status of their applications. This portion, in particular, ensures that communication between candidate and organization is not lost along the way. Relationships Presently, the system in place may be straining relationships between different roles within the organization due to misplaced or lost applications. However, with the addition of an enterprise hiring system, once applications are received an automatically generated e-mail would be sent to the candidate confirming application receival, information on the status of their application as progression through the hiring process was made, and interview scheduling, eliminating the risk of losing an application (Bourgeois. 2014). Furthermore, providing this type of service for candidates eases the anxiety associated between new hires and CIC, which fosters stronger relationships between the two by way of good communication, trust, and professionalism (Relationships Are Key to Recruiting Passive Candidates, 2016). Structure During the various stages in the hiring process, team members will be required to act in their respective lanes to determine if the application can be forwarded to the next step or stopped completely. Although team members may not be able to act at the same time, all members will be able to check on the status of the application, maintaining awareness and communication. As actions are completed or comments are made, all members involved will have the access to view the application always. Competitive Advantage The key to having a competitive advantage is by placing an organization in the best possible position to compete with its rivals and produce superior returns on investment (ROI). An organization may achieve the competitive advantage through cost leadership and differentiation. Both of which, can be applied to broad and narrow markets which creates what is called a focus (Bourgeois, 2014). The potential impacts of an effective hiring system, that includes timely response rates for applications, application status checks, and generated e-mail notifications for employees and candidates alike, may give CIC the competitive advantage. Strategic and Operational Outcomes Strategic Outcomes CIC’s business strategy includes providing world class consulting services to clientele and employing highly skilled consultants. CIC’s Strategic Business Plan emphasizes that strategy and has laid out specific goals to achieve it. Strategic Goal Objective Explanation (from case study) (clear, measurable, and timebound) (2-3 sentences) Increase CIC Business Development by winning new contracts in the areas of IT consulting. Increase Business Development efforts in winning 6 new contracts in 12 months’ time. The new hiring system would enable CIC to be able to hire the best consultants available. By doing so, it would ensure that new ideas, strategies, and creativity would be deployed in winning new contracts and furthering CIC’s position as the leader in IT consulting. Build a cadre of consultants internationally to provide remote research and analysis support to CIC’s onsite teams in the U. S. Double down on the international recruiting efforts by hiring 3 new research analysists in the next 6 months. The new hiring system would enable international applicants to apply online. From this new pool of applicants, recruiters would be able to determine whom possesses the necessary skills to support teams in the U.S. Continue to increase CIC’s ability to quickly provide high quality consultants to awarded contracts to best serve the clients’ needs. Within 24 hours of winning a new contract, the contracts specific needs should be broken down, categorized into the necessary skills needed and then assigned the most qualified consultants accordingly. The new hiring system would allow CIC to search through candidate’s applications for specific skills, certifications, experience. Thus, providing its clientele with the most qualified and skilled consultants available. Increase CIC’s competitive advantage in the IT consulting marketplace by increasing its reputation for having IT consultants who are highly skilled in leading edge technologies and innovative solutions for its clients. All consultants employed by CIC will be provided with feedback on work performance. Quarterly, those feedbacks will be reviewed and consultants who are not contributing to its initiatives will no longer be employed at CIC. The new hiring system would ensure that only the most qualified and skilled applicants are employed at CIC. Increasing the competitive advantage in IT consulting. Process Analysis As/Is Process To/Be Process Business Benefits of Improved Process 1. Recruiter receives application from job hunter via Postal Service Mail. Applications are received and stored though CIC’s on-line Employment Website. Increased efficiency of processing applicant submissions. 2. Resumes are Screened Candidates without necessary job skills are eliminated from candidate pool. Manual processing time is eliminated by automated screening, providing qualified candidates instantaneously. 3. Most qualified candidate forwarded Applications that are processed and meet the qualification standards are sent to the Administrative Assistant instantaneously. When the application is received it is immediately screened and forwarded, reducing all manual processing. 4. Applications/Resumes are routed via interoffice mail to hiring manager Applications are stored on internal database. Enabling all parties involved in hiring process to view, edit, or comment on any application at any time. The threat of losing or misplacing applications is eliminated while applications are being routed. 5. Provides feedback to the Administrative Assistant for who he/she would like to interview Feedback can be inputted by the Administrative Assistant instantly and viewed by all parties immediately. Processing time is saved and internal communication/feedback i