Stage 2

Please review attachments. I have attached the first part of the assignment as well as the instructions and case study.

Stage2: 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 task; therefore, think about what the users are doing as part of the hiring process. Retain the as-is 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

Responsible MTC Position

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.)

1. Recruiter receives application from job hunter via Postal Service Mail.

Recruiter

EXAMPLE PROVIDED – (Retain text as #1 but remove this label and gray shading in your report)

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 Assistant via interoffice mail

4. Administrative Assistant forwards candidates’ resumes and applications to hiring manager for the position via interoffice mail.

5. Hiring Manager reviews applications and selects who he/she wants to interview.

6. Hiring Manager sends email to Administrative Assistant on who he/she has selected to interview and identifies members of the interview team.

7. AA schedules interviews by contacting interview team members and hiring manager to identify possible time slots

8. AA emails candidates to schedule interviews.

9. Interview is conducted with candidate, hiring manager and other members of the interview team.

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

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 the mail to the chosen candidate.

Administrative Assistant

EXAMPLE PROVIDED – (Retain text as #12 but remove this label and gray shading in your report)

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 template, which can then be reviewed and emailed to the candidate.

More efficient offer process presents positive image to applicants and decreases time needed to prepare offer letter, and enables MTC to hire in 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

Current Issues

(from the Case Study)

Improvements

(due to use of technology)

Collaboration:

EXAMPLE PROVIDED

(Retain text but remove this label and gray shading in your report)

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.

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, 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 title of report, company name, 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

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 Stakeholder Identification Identification of a logical stakeholder based on the case study Generally, 1 point per stakeholder. 9-10 Points 10 stakeholders correctly identified as derived from the Case Study. 8.5 Points 10 stakeholders correctly identified as derived from the case study or logical assumption. 7.5 Points Minimum of 8 stakeholders correctly identified as derived from the case study or logical assumption. 6-7 Points Fewer than 8 stakeholders correctly identified as derived from the case study or logical assumptions; and/or contains significant incorrect information. 0-5 Points 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. 10 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. 27-30 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. 24-26 Points To-Be Process step improvements relate to corresponding As-Is Process step and explains how the system will support it; demonstrates effective analysis. 21-23 Points To-Be Process step improvement is provided for each As-Is Process step and an explanation is provided for each. 18-20 Points Fewer than 10 To-Be Process step improvements and/or explanations are provided; and/or contains significant incorrect information. 0-17 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. 30 Business Benefits of Improved Process Explains how each step in the process can contribute to the overall business strategy Generally, 0-2 points per improved process step. Both quantity and quality evaluated. 18-20 Points Business benefits for all 10 process steps are fully explained; demonstrates sophisticated analysis. 16-17 Points Business benefits for all 10 process steps are explained; demonstrates effective analysis. 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. 0-11 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. 20 Expected Improvements Issues from case study and improvements due to technology in areas of Communication, Workflow, and Relationships Generally, 0-7 points per area. Both quantity and quality evaluated. 18-20 Points Issues and improvements for all 3 areas are fully and correctly explained; demonstrates sophisticated analysis. 16-17 Points 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. 0-11 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. 20 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 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 At least two sources are incorporated and are relevant and somewhat support the analysis. References are appropriately incorporated and cited using APA style. 7.5 Points Only one resource is used and properly incorporated and/or reference(s) lack correct APA style. 6.5 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. 0-5 Points No course content or external research incorporated; or reference listed is not cited within the text. 10 Format Uses outline format provided; includes Title Page and Reference Page 9-10 Points Well organized and easy to read. Very few or no errors in sentence structure, grammar, and spelling; double-spaced, written in third person 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 and presented in a professional format. 7.5 Points Some organization; may have some errors in sentence structure, grammar and spelling. 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 and written in third person. 0-5 Points Extremely poorly written, has many grammar and/or spelling errors, or does not convey the information. 10 TOTAL Points Possible 100

Stage 2: Process Analysis 03/17/2020 1

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.”

(This is provided as an example of the paper layout and spacing.

No running header required

for this report. Don’t add graphic title pages or additional embellishments. Follow complete

instructions provided for each staged assignment. Note: The BA&SR report is a business

report, and you will be expected to follow the specific formatting guidelines that are shown

in the assignment instructions. This report should be typed and double-spaced on standard-

sized paper (8.5″ x 11″), with 1″ margins on all sides. You should use a font consistently

throughout the paper. APA recommends using either a sans serif font such as 11-point Calibri,

11-point Arial, or 10-point Lucida Sans Unicode, or a serif font such as 12-point Times New

Roman, 11-point Georgia, or 10-point Computer Modern.

(Title page – centered horizontally and vertically; no running head required)

Title of Report

Company Name

Your Name

Course and Section #

Date of Submission

1

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

2

hiring system to improve its competitive advantage. (Paragraph of 4-5

sentences))

C. Strategic Objectives

(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.)

Strategic Goal
(from case study)

Objective
(clear, measurable and time-bound)

Explanation
(2-3 sentences)

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.

EXAMPLE PROVIDED – (Retain
text but remove this label and
gray shading in your report)

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.

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

D. Decision Making

3

(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.)

II. Process Analysis

A. Hiring Process

Continue with Stages 2, 3 and 4 following headings and outline provided with each assignment.

Review specific assignment instructions for requirements.

4

References

(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. In Course Content>Course

Resources>Writing Resources, there is a specific document – APA Requirements for IFSM 300

classes. This provides guidance on citing course content as APA information does not

specifically address on-line content from course content (not the same as citing a website). Any

in-text citation for information from course content should indicate the title of the section; just

listing UMGC is insufficient.) For general information on APA format, refer to Content>Course

Resources>Writing Resources.) Reference list will be added to with each staged assignment.

Stage 4 requires an additional source for the provided vendor brochure, and final reference page

should be cumulative for all 4 stages.

Example for format for case study:

Maryland Technology Consultants case study [Course Resources]. (2019). In IFSM 300:

Information Systems in Organizations: Summer 2020. Retrieved from

http://learn.umgc.edu

http://learn.umgc.edu/

http://learn.umuc.edu/

Business Analysis and System Recommendation Report

Maryland Technology Consultants, Inc.

Diamond Sears

IFSM 300

BA and SR Report

Introduction

MTC is a fictitious company that deals with the provision of consultancy IT services. The company is still on its developmental stage but it has already worked on different types of projects and the future only seems to be bright. The goals of the company are to ensure that its clients are satisfied with the services rendered and increase its market base not only locally but globally. However, like any business, the company is facing numerous challenges that it must be able to the outcome for the set goals to be achieved. For instance, there is stiff competition from already established companies such as Hewlett-Packard (HP), Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), and Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH). These are established companies with good profits and resources that MTC has to work against to ensure that it gets its niche in the environment. Besides that, the company also faces challenges in the hiring docket, for a long time the company has been in turmoil in terms of getting qualified and skilled staff that would be effective in achieving its goals (Horstman, 2019).

Therefore, this BA&SR report provides an analysis of the company in terms of its challenges and the goals that have been set. To achieve these goals and overcome the challenges faced the company must initiate the most appropriate technique that would result in achieving the targeted goals. The MTC`s goals have also to be aligned with the prevailing business environment especially with the advances taking place in information technology to achieve the desired goals. As a result, through strategic planning highlighted in this report, the company should be in a position to achieve its goals.

Strategic Use of Technology

Business Strategy

MTC has its business strategy aimed at ensuring that it remains active in the market through seeking new projects upon completion of the current projects. The strategy is to ensure that more customers are targeted and that they are in a position to win the tenders despite the competitive nature of the business. The management of this company also aims at ensuring that its employees once contracted they are kept busy not to be paid yet they are not working (Clement, 2015). Therefore, to achieve this they seek more projects and employ the best-skilled employees that would guarantee them higher chances of completing the project with high standards and meeting the needs of the clients.

The company goals of increasing its global consultant services would be achieved if its plan of getting highly skilled employees work out. The ability to ensure that the reputation of the company is safeguarded and well built in the environment is determined by the work done by the staff. In this regard, the new hiring system will be in apposition to identify and track the most qualified and skilled staff in different parts of the world and make them accessible to the company. This is because skills are vital for this kind of company and its only through investing in the best that MTC will be in a position to outsmart its established competitors in the market (Kuebiko Global, 2017).

Additionally, the company`s strategy to remain abreast of the technological changes and advances made in the business would be effective enough in ensuring that the business remains relevant in the market. This is a vital aspect of the information technology sector where there are always continuous changes taking place daily. For MTC to achieve its goals there must be an acquisition of the skilled staff equipped with the modern technological skills that would make it easier in running the company`s projects. The new hiring system will be effective enough to get the required employees from different locations and by employees who understand the needs of the clients` needs thus making it easier to meet the changes and advances taking place in the sector.

Competitive Advantage

MTC has retained its competitive nature in the market through the provision of its consultative services to the clients. To get its clients the company usually competitively bids with the rest of the companies offering similar services for the proposals that have been offered by business organizations, non-governmental organizations, non-profit making organizations, and governments. Besides that, the company is also gaining some momentum through the referrals and the follow-up techniques for the clients that might have been happy for the services rendered. Therefore, through the reliance on quality and the expertise of its employees the company aims to ensure that it remains highly competitive in the market. It’s in this quest that it also believes that it’s on the verge of getting two major projects shortly (Horstman, 2019).

To achieve its competitive advantage and increase its marketability the company has to initiate some strategies that would make it highly competitive in the market. For instance, MTC should step up its marketing strategies which will make its services well known to the public and the companies seeking its services. However, for this to be successful the recruitment plan must be put into the right use; it must employ some of the best-skilled employees which would easily improve on the services rendered and ensure that the needs of the clients are perfectly satisfied. The image of the company should also be updated such that its reputation is well known for the quality work rendered. In this regard, the company has to ensure that all the projects contracted to them are perfectly done such that the clients will also aid in promoting awareness of the company to more clients.

The new hiring system will be also making the company more competitive when the data in the system is effectively put into use. The recruits will be hired with the aim of improving the existing infrastructure while in the process adding value to the long term goals of the company. MTC seeks to remain competitive in the market and this will only be achieved if it’s equipped with some of the IT experts and expertise that can always satisfy the needs of the clients (Sennewald & Baillie, 2016). Therefore, an effective hiring system will make it easier to track and access the skilled recruits into the company.

Strategic Objectives

The success of MTC is only attributed to effective decision making made at various levels of production. In this regard, hiring skilled personnel is one of the decisions required in making the company runs smoothly. There must be the right staff required at different levels of the company for the company to achieve its targets. Therefore, the following are some of the strategic goals of the company, the objectives, and the accompanying explanations on the decisions made.

Strategic Goal (from case study)	Objective (clear, measurable and time-bound)	Explanation (2-3 sentences)
Increase MTC Business Development by winning new contracts in the areas of IT Consulting	To improve the performance of the company concerning the contracts won within the next 2 years. This is to hire highly skilled staff.	The new hiring system aims to ensure that there is effecting tracking and hiring of highly skilled staff. These staff would ensure that the needs of the clients are met hence through a good reputation created there will be more returning clients seeking our services thus improving the performance of the company overall.
Build a cadre of consultants internationally to provide remote research and analysis support to MTC’s onsite teams in the U. S.	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
Continue to increase MTC’s ability to quickly provide high-quality consultants to awarded contracts to best serve the clients’ needs	To increase the MTC’s ability to recruit highly qualified staff to meet the needs of the clients within the next 12 months.	The new hiring system will be able to track and get some of the highly qualified personnel in the field that would result in the provision of high-quality work to the clients. The recruitment will be effectively done concerning ensuring that the required values are obtained.
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	To acquire skilled staff that is competitive enough in consultation matters within the next 12 months.	The new hiring system will be able to consider the competitive edge of the company is seeking the qualities of the required staff. The recruits would be able to put into practice their skills and make the company work towards achieving its goals of being highly competitive.

Decision Making

Information is vital in the decision-making process. This is vital for the MTC and it’s vital that all the decision made is made based on the data available. Therefore, based on different levels of performance there must be effective decision making that would result in achieving the desired results.

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.)	Top-level management	Getting into a contract with a client that MTC is sure of providing the required services.	The needs of the clients, which will be required for the client to be satisfied, and the ability of the company to meet the needs of the client.
Middle Managers (Decisions made by the Director of HR and the Manager of Recruiting supported by the hiring system.)	Middle-level Management	Recruitment of the skilled staffs and training of the staffs to meet the expectations of the clients	The type of employees to be trained and the training they require, the process of getting the best employees.
Operational Managers (Decisions made by the line managers in the organization who are hiring for their projects supported by the hiring system.)	Low-Level Management	Putting into practice the required goals of the client. Making the hands on the decision to ensure that the final product meets the needs of the client.	The individual information on the skilled staff that would be appropriate in handling the projects at hand.

References

Clement, M. C. (2015). 10 steps for hiring effective teachers. doi:10.4135/9781483393339

Horstman, M. (2019). The effective hiring manager. John Wiley & Sons.

Kuebiko Global. (2017). Winning the business systems analyst job interview: A powerful compilation of real world interview questions and answers for business systems analyst positions.

Sennewald, C. A., & Baillie, C. (2016). Hiring security personnel. Effective Security Management, 71-80. doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-802774-5.00008-3