300 Stage 1-4 Cic Case Study Chesapeake All Stages College Essay
CIC Case Study
Chesapeake IT Consultants
Chesapeake IT Consultants (CIC) is a successful Information Technology consulting services 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. CIC feels strongly that its success is dependent on the combination of the talent of its IT consultants, the best practices CIC employs, and a dedication to delivering truly beneficial IT solutions to their clients.
Corporate Profile
Corporate Name: Chesapeake IT Consultants, Inc.
Founded: May 2004
Headquarters: Baltimore, Maryland
Satellite Locations: Herndon, Virginia; Bethesda, Maryland
Number of Employees: 400
Total Annual Gross Revenue: $80,000,000
President and
Chief Executive Officer (CEO): Alvin Morrison
Business Areas
CIC provides consulting services in the following areas:
Business Process Consulting Business process redesign, process improvement
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
CICs 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.
Current Business Environment
CIC provides consultants on-site to work with its clients, delivering a wide variety of IT-related services. CIC 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. CIC anticipates it will win two large contracts in the near future and is preparing proposals for several other large projects.
CIC Case Study 3/18/2017 2
CIC, 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 CIC to quickly provide the consultants and begin work on the project. CIC, like other consulting companies, cannot afford to carry a large 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 when needed. CIC relies on its HR Department to find and hire the personnel that the line managers need for upcoming contracts. It is very much a just in time hiring situation.
The Headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland, houses approximately 300 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 customers locations.
Strategic Direction
As a small to mid-size business (SMB), CIC 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, CIC 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.
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. With all the competition in IT consulting services, CIC is planning to incorporate consultants in other countries to provide remote research and analysis support to the on-site teams. Since CIC has no experience in the global marketplace, the Director of HR has begun examining international labor laws to determine where CIC should recruit and hire employees.
Challenges
The two contracts that CIC expects to win very soon will require the hiring of an additional 75 consultants very quickly. The Director of Human Resources (HR) is concerned that the current manual process of recruiting and hiring employees will not allow his department to be responsive to these needs. 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 CIC to hire employees located in other countries around the world.
CIC Case Study 3/18/2017 3
Additional business plans include adding help desk support as a provided service. This may include partnering with another vendor offshore to provide economical competitive services in this area.
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 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 relatively short period of time to reap the benefits. The CEO has asked the CIO to work with HR to recommend a solution.
Your Task
As a business analyst in the CIOs department, you have been assigned to conduct an analysis, develop a set of system requirements, and propose an IT solution. The CIO has set up a series of interviews for you to collect information about the current hiring process and the requirements for a system. He has asked you to produce a Business Analysis and System Recommendation Report (BA&SR) as your final deliverable
Stage 1: Background and Organizational Analysis
Before you begin work on this assignment, be sure you have read the Case Study which is located in Content under Course Resources. Refer to the Business Analysis and System Recommendations (BA&SR) Table of Contents below to see where you are in the process of developing this report.
Overview
As a business analyst in the Chief Information Officers (CIOs) department of Chesapeake IT Consulting (CIC), you have been assigned to conduct an analysis, develop a set of system requirements and propose an IT solution to improve the hiring process for CIC. This work will be completed in four stages, and each of these four stages will focus on one section of an overall Business Analysis and System Recommendation (BA&SR) report to be delivered to the CIO.
The graphic below outlines the Table of Contents for this report:
Section I: Background and Organizational Analysis (Stage 1) WEEK 2 Submission The first step is to look at the organization and explain how an IT system could benefit CIC by improving its hiring system.
Section II: Strategic Use of Technology (Stage 2) WEEK 4 Submission Next you will explain, in general, how CIC can use IT for strategic purposes.
Section III: Strategic and Operational Outcomes (Stage 3) WEEK 4 Submission Then you will analyze CICs strategy and processes to determine how technology solutions can be used to support the organizational processes and enable CICs strategic and operational outcomes, and develop a set of requirements for the new hiring system.
Section IV: System Recommendation (Stage 4)WEEK 8 Submission Finally, you will identify an enterprise hiring system for CIC, and explain how it meets the requirements, and what needs to be done to implement the system within CIC.
The sections of the BA&SR will be developed and submitted as four staged assignments. In stages 2, 3 and 4, you will also incorporate any feedback received when the previous stage is graded to improve the effectiveness of your overall report and then add the new section to your report. At the end of the course, you will submit a complete BA&SR document that includes all the sections and changes that resulted from previous feedback.
Business Analysis and System Recommendation (BA&SR) Table of Contents
I. Background and Organizational Analysis (Stage 1)
A. Introduction
B. Organizational Strategy
C. Components of an Information System
1. People and Technology
2. Processes
3. Data/Information
II. Strategic Use of Technology (Stage 2)
A. Decision Making
B. Communication
C. Collaboration
D. Relationships
E. Structure
F. Competitive Advantage
III. Strategic and Operational Outcomes (Stage 3)
A. Strategic Outcomes
B. Process Analysis
C. Requirements
IV. System Recommendation (Stage 4)
A. Benefits of an Enterprise Solution
B. Proposed IT solution
C. How the Proposed IT Solution Meets the Requirements
D. Implementation Steps
E. Conclusion
Assignment BA&SR Section I Background and Organizational Analysis (Stage 1)
Section I of the BA&SR document contains an organizational analysis and identifies ways in which information systems can help the organization in the case study (CIC) to meet its strategic goals and meet the information needs of various levels of management. This analysis lays the ground work for the next section of the BA&SR which will explain how technology can be used to support specific strategic activities of the organization.
Using the case study, assignment instructions, Course Content readings, and external resources, develop your Section I: Background and Organizational Analysis. Recommended lengths for each section are provided and be sure to include all pertinent information. A key to successful business writing is quality and conciseness rather than quantity.
To start, review the Business Perspectives Module (week 1 content), particularly the sections that describe the example of Booz Allen Hamilton, a services company with a business model similar to that of CIC in the case study. The case study tells you that the executives and employees at CIC have identified a need for an effective and efficient hiring system. As you review the case study, use the outline below to help you take notes to assist in your analysis; in particular, list the needs of the individuals expressed in the interviews.
Background and Organizational Analysis
Introduction briefly describe (at a high level) the organization in the Case Study; provide a context for the rest of the document. (one paragraph)
Organizational Strategy Using the Business Strategy statement and information from the Case Study, explain how a new hiring system would support that strategy. (Two to three strong sentences that explain how the system would support the strategy and justify your position with specifics from the Case Study).
Components of an Information System Explain each of the following in relationship to an information system to support the hiring process at CIC:
People and Technology Identify the interest or objectives for the new hiring system for each stakeholder listed below based on his or her organizational role. Include how the technology will improve how the job is done; that is, identify what each of the stakeholders needs the system to do. (Introductory sentence or two, followed by 1-2 sentences for each role)
CEO
CFO
Director of Human Resources
Manager of Recruiting
Recruiters
Administrative Assistant
Hiring Manager
Processes The overall hiring process has several sub-processes, four of which are listed in the table below. For each of the sub-processes listed, complete the table with the requested information. You will describe the process as it is currently being done (As/Is Process), the process as it will be done after the system is implemented (To/Be Process) and the business benefits of the improved process. (Provide an introductory sentence for this section and copy the table and insert the information within.)
Hiring Process
Below are sub-processes that are part of the overall hiring process
As/Is Process
To/Be Process
Business Benefits of Improved Process
Receiving applications
Matching applications with open job requisitions
Screening Resumes
Scheduling Interviews
Data/Information In order to support CICs hiring process, the new system will need to collect, store and process data. An example of needed data is Name of Hiring Manager.- The case study provides insight into the kinds of data that will be needed. First, insert an introductory opening sentence for this section. Then identify ten (10) critical data/ information items for this hiring information system solution. (Provide an introductory sentence and copy the table and insert information within.)
Data/Information Requirement
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Formatting Your Assignment
For academic writing, the writer is expected to write in the third person. In third person, the writer avoids the pronouns I, we, my, and ours. The third person is used to make the writing more objective by taking the individual, the self, out of the writing. This method is very helpful for academic writing, a form in which facts, not opinion, drive the tone of the text. Writing in the third person allows the writer to come across as unbiased and thus more informed.
Write a short concise paper: Use the recommendations provided in each area for length of response. Content areas should be double spaced; table entries should be single-spaced. Its important to value quality over quantity. Assignment should not exceed 4 pages.
Ensure that each of the tables is preceded by an introductory sentence that explains what is contained in the table, so the reader understands why the table has been included.
Use at least two resources with APA formatted citation and reference. Use at least one external reference and one from the course content.
Stage 2: Strategic Use of Technology
Assignment
The first step is to incorporate the feedback you received on your Stage 1 assignment, making any needed corrections or adjustments. For this assignment, you will add Section II of the Business Analysis and System Recommendation (BA&SR) and identify and explain how the organization in the case study can use technology for strategic purposes in the areas listed below. This analysis lays the ground work for Section III Strategic and Operational Outcomes of the BA&SR (Stage 3 assignment) which will explain how technology can be used to support the strategic outcomes of the organization.
Using the case study, assignment instructions, Course Content readings, and external resources, develop your Section II on Strategic Use of Technology. Approximate lengths for each section are provided as a guideline; be sure to provide all pertinent information
As you review the case study, including the description of CIC as well as the interviews that are documented, list opportunities for CIC to use technology for strategic purposes in the areas of: decision making, communication, collaboration, relationships, structure, and competitive advantage. Keep in mind, these are to be aligned to the business strategy and the organizational goals; the uses described in this section should not be just automating manual processes. Begin with Section I (the Stage 1 assignment), making changes based on feedback you received and add Section II. Note: In addition to the criteria for Stage 2, as indicated in the grading rubric, the incorporation of improvements based on substantive feedback (more significant problems with content) from the previous stage will also be evaluated.
Apply specific information from the case study to address each area listed below.
Strategic Use of Technology
Decision-Making In the Information Systems course module (included in the Week 4 Learning Resources), you were introduced to the information requirements of various levels of the organization. First, insert an introductory opening sentence for this section. Then, for each of the processes listed below, complete the table with the appropriate level) and an example of a decision supported by the Hiring System to be made at that level. (Provide an introductory sentence then copy the table and insert information within.)
Role
Level
Example of Possible Decision Supported by Hiring System.
Senior/Executive Managers
(Decisions made by the CEO and the CFO at CIC supported by the hiring system.)
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.)
Communication Explain how a hiring system would improve internal and external communications. (Paragraph of 4-5 sentences)
Collaboration Explain how a hiring system would improve collaboration internally within CIC. (Paragraph of 4-5 sentences)
Relationships Explain how implementing an enterprise hiring system would foster stronger relationships with applicants/potential employees. (Paragraph of 4-5 sentences)
Structure Explain how a system would improve the CIC hiring process by providing a consistent structure for each participant to perform his/her part in the hiring process. (Paragraph of 4-5 sentences)
Competitive Advantage Explain how and why CIC can use the new hiring system to increase its competitive advantage. Your explanation should demonstrate your understanding of what competitive advantage is as well as how improving the hiring process will help achieve CICs competitive advantage. Include how CIC can use the type of data/information that will be in the hiring system for strategic advantage. (Paragraph of 4-5 sentences)
Formatting Your Assignment
For academic writing, the writer is expected to write in the third person. In third person, the writer avoids the pronouns I, we, my, and ours. The third person is used to make the writing more objective by taking the individual, the self, out of the writing. This method is very helpful for academic 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.
Include Section I, revised according to 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. Content areas should be double spaced; table entries should be single-spaced. Its important to value quality over quantity. Section II should not exceed 4 pages.
Ensure that each of the tables is preceded by an introductory sentence that explains what is contained in the table, so the reader understands why the table has been included.
Use at least two resources with APA formatted citation and reference. Use at least one external reference and one from the course content.
Compare your work to the Grading Rubric below to be sure you have met content and quality criteria.
Submit your paper as a Word document, or a document that can be read in Word.
Your submission should include your last name first in the filename: Lastname_firstname_Stage_2
Stage 3: Strategic and Operational Outcomes
Before you begin work on this assignment, be sure you have read the Case Study and reviewed the feedback received on your Stage 2 assignment. Refer to the Business Analysis and System Recommendations (BA&SR) Table of Contents below to see where you are in the process of developing this report.
Overview
As the business analyst in the CIOs department of Chesapeake IT Consulting (CIC), your next step in working towards an IT solution to improve the hiring process at CIC is to analyze the strategic outcomes and processes at CIC and develop a set of requirements for the hiring system.
Business Analysis and System Recommendation (BA&SR) Table of Contents
V. Background and Organizational Analysis (Stage 1)
A. Introduction
B. Organizational Strategy
C. Components of an Information System
1. People and Technology
2. Processes
3. Data/Information
VI. Strategic Use of Technology (Stage 2)
A. Decision Making
B. Communication
C. Collaboration
D. Relationships
E. Structure
F. Competitive Advantage
VII. Strategic and Operational Outcomes (Stage 3)
A. Strategic Outcomes
B. Process Analysis
C. Requirements
VIII. System Recommendation (Stage 4)
A. Benefits of an Enterprise Solution
B. Proposed IT solution
C. How the Proposed IT Solution Meets the Requirements
D. Implementation Steps
E. Conclusion
Assignment
The first step is to incorporate the feedback you received on your Stage 2 assignment, making any needed corrections or adjustments. (If you have not incorporated the feedback from your Stage 1 assignment, you should do so prior to submitting Stage 3.) For this assignment, you will add Section III to Sections I and II, as outlined below. Note: In addition to the criteria for Stage 3, as indicated in the grading rubric, the incorporation of improvements based on substantive feedback (more significant problems with content) from the previous stage will also be evaluated.
Section III of the Business Analysis and System Recommendation Report analyzes the organizations strategy and processes to determine how technology solutions can be used to support organizational processes and enable strategic and operational outcomes. For this assignment, you will list requirements for a new hiring system. This analysis leads into Section IV System Recommendation section of the BA&SR (the Stage 4 assignment) that will propose an IT solution to meet CICs organizational strategy and fulfill its operational needs.
Using the case study, assignment instructions, Course Content readings, and external resources, develop your Section III on Strategic and Operational Outcomes. Approximate lengths for each section are provided as a guideline; be sure to provide all pertinent information. A key to successful business writing is quality and conciseness rather than quantity.
The case study tells you that the executives and employees at Chesapeake IT Consultants (CIC) have identified a need for an effective and efficient hiring system. As you review the case study, list three goals (or strategies) from the description of the company, as well as from the interviews that are documented. Then, to focus on operational outcomes, you will analyze the hiring process in use at CIC by identifying specific steps.
Note: Refer to the Week 6 Content Good Practices for Developing User Requirements in particular for this assignment. Business Requirements why the project is being undertaken aligns with the Strategic Outcomes section III- A. User Requirements and Software Requirements are addressed in III-C Requirements below.
Strategic and Operational Outcomes
Strategic Outcomes Identify three strategic goals or objectives mentioned in the company description and interviews in the CIC Case Study, and explain how the new hiring system would help achieve those goals/objectives. (2-3 sentences for each goal/objective)
Strategic Goal/Objective 1 and explanation:
Strategy Goal/Objective 2 and explanation:
Strategy Goal/Objective 3 and explanation:
Process Analysis To understand what the new hiring system needs to do for CIC, you will first analyze the current hiring process. The Interviews in the CIC Case Study provide the information you need about how the process is currently conducted. You will need to combine the steps that each interviewee discusses and organize them into a logical sequence showing the high level start to finish process. First, insert an introductory opening sentence for this section. Then, for each of the elements listed below, complete the table with the requested information. The beginning and ending step have been provided for you. Each process step should be concise and start with an action verb. (Provide an introductory sentence and copy the table and insert information within.)
Hiring Process Step
Responsible CIC Position
1. Receive application from job hunter
Recruiter
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12. Extend Hiring Offer to Selected Candidate
Recruiter/Hiring Manager
Requirements The next step is to identify the essential requirements for the information system. Refer to the Week 6 Content -Good Practices for Developing User Requirements. Here you are focusing on the Business Requirements and the Software Requirements. Each requirement is one sentence in length and addresses one thing the system must do. The requirements are documented in a table, as shown below. For a full requirement specification, there will be many requirements statements; you only need to provide the number of requirements identified for each category. The requirements should be derived from the Case Study; an analyst should not invent requirements.
For this assignment, you will identify:
4 user requirements (what users will be able to do with the product (functional) requirements (numbered in the table as U-#). requirement in this section
1 reporting requirement (UR-#)
5 software requirements related to security (SS-#)
3 software requirements related to system performance requirements (SP=-#)
Heres an example of a business requirement:
Requirement Number
Requirement
Source (individual) from Case Study
U-1
Prepare job offer for chosen candidate
Recruiter Paul OBrien
First, insert an introductory opening sentence for this section. Then, for each of the rows listed below, complete the table with the requested information. (Provide an introductory sentence and copy the table and insert information within.
Requirement Number
Requirement
Source (individual) from Case Study name and title
U-1
U-2
U-3
U-4
UR-1
SS-1
SS-2
SP-1
SP-2
SP-3
Formatting Your Assignment
For academic writing, the writer is expected to write in the third person. In third person, the writer avoids the pronouns I, we, my, and ours. The third person is used to make the writing more objective by taking the individual, the self, out of the writing. This method is very helpful for academic 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.
Include Sections I and II, revised according to any feedback received and add Section III.
Write a short concise paper: Use the recommendations provided in each area for length of response. Content areas should be double spaced; table entries should be single-spaced. Its important to value quality over quantity. Section III should not exceed 4 pages.
Ensure that each of the tables is preceded by an introductory sentence that explains what is contained in the table, so the reader understands why the table has been included.
Use at least two resources with APA formatted citation and reference. Use at least one external reference and one from the course content.
Compare your work to the Grading Rubric below to be sure you have met content and quality criteria.
Stage 4: System Recommendation and Final BA&SR Report
Before you begin work on this assignment, be sure you have read the Case Study, and reviewed the feedback received on your Stage 1, 2 and 3 assignments. Refer to the Business Analysis and System Recommendations (BA&SR) Table of Contents below to see where you are in the process of developing this report.
Overview
In this Stage 4 assignment, you will identify an enterprise hiring system for CIC and explain how it meets the requirements, and what needs to be done
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