IFSM 300
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)
EZ-ATS APPLICANT TRACKING SOFTWARE
Page 1
EZ-ATS
Br ought t o you by UM G C Hir ing Solut ions, 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!
Guaranteed!
Easy to implement…..and
Easy to use!
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!
With EZ-ATS you’ll see:
• 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
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 get:
• 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)
EZ-ATS APPLICANT TRACKING SOFTWARE
Page 2
Use EZ-ATS to:
• Attract top talent with a responsive, professional interaction
with applicants.
• Retain and motivate top HR talent with a flexible, workflow-
driven 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)
EZ-ATS APPLICANT TRACKING SOFTWARE
Page 3
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)
EZ-ATS APPLICANT TRACKING SOFTWARE
Page 4
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)
EZ-ATS APPLICANT TRACKING SOFTWARE
Page 5
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)
http://learn.umgc.edu/
Stage4: 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.
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 sub-areas (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?
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?
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.
· 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 title of report, company name, 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
GRADING RUBRIC:
Criteria
90-100%
Far Above Standards
80-89%
Above Standards
70-79%
Meets Standards
60-69%
Below Standards
< 60% Well Below Standards Possible Points How the Proposed IT Solution Meets the Requirements How the IT solution aligns with achieving the strategy, improves the process, and meets the requirements 14-15 Points Clear, complete, compelling and related to the Case Study and Vendor Brochure; demonstrates sophisticated analysis and writing. 12-13 Points Complete and related to the Case Study and Vendor Brochure; demonstrates effective analysis. 10-11 Points Provided and related to the Case Study. 9 Points Incomplete, inaccurate and/or not related to the Case Study. 0-8 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. 15 Implementation Steps An introduction and all areas (vendor agreement, hardware/ telecom, configuration, testing, employee preparation, data migration, and maintenance) Generally, 0-5 points each. Both quantity and quality evaluated. 31.5-35 Points Clearly and thoroughly included introduction and covered all areas, strongly derived from the Case Study and vendor brochure, and demonstrates sophisticated analysis and writing. All 7 areas well done. 28-31 Points Clearly covered and included introduction and all areas, derived from the Case Study and vendor brochure, and demonstrates effective analysis and writing. 6 areas covered. 24.5-27 Points Covered and included introduction and majority of areas and related to the Case Study and the vendor brochure. 5 areas covered. 21-24 Points All areas not covered, and/or are not related to the Case Study and/or the vendor brochure. 4 areas covered. 0-20 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. 3 or fewer areas covered. 35 Summary and Conclusion Summarizes the BA&SR and provides a compelling explanation of benefits to be gained 9-10 Points Provides strong, clear and concise summary; demonstrates sophisticated analysis and writing. 8.5 Points Provides clear summary; demonstrates effective analysis and writing. 7.5 Points Provides summary. 6.5 Points Lacks sufficient information to provide adequate summary. 0-5 Point 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 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) 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. 12-13 Points 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. 10-11 Points Fewer than 3 resources properly incorporated, and/or reference(s) are not cited using APA style. 9 Points 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. 0-8 Points No course content or external research incorporated; or reference listed is not cited within the text 15 Complete BA&SR Report Well organized and clearly presented information for all four 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 Document includes content for all four stages; lacks a cohesive presentation and flow. 9 Points Incomplete stages; lack of continuity of flow and presentation of final information. 0-8 Points Incomplete report, missing stages, is not supported with information from the Case Study; and/or not well compiled and presented as a cohesive document. 15 Format Uses outline format provided; includes Title Page and complete Reference Page including sources for all 4 stages. 9-10 Points Very well organized and is easy to read. Very few or no errors in sentence structure, grammar, and spelling; double-spaced, written in third person, contains all required references, and presented in a professional format. 8.5 Points Effective organization; has few errors in sentence structure, grammar, and spelling; double-spaced, written in third person, contains all required references, and presented in a professional format. 7.5 Points 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. 6.5 Points 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. 0-5 Points Extremely poorly written, has many grammar and/or spelling errors, missing required references, or does not convey the information. 10 TOTAL Possible Points 100
Stage 4: System Recommendation 03/17/2020 7
Maryland Technology Consultants is a fictitious company created for the IFSM 300 Case Study.
MTC Case Study 11/23/2019 Ver. 1 1
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: Maryland Technology Consultants, Inc.
Founded: 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 2
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 3
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-the-
shelf 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 4
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 5
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 6
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 7
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.”