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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.
Page 1
EZ-ATS
APPLICANT TRACKING SOFTWARE
EZ-ATS
Brought to you by UMUC Hiring Solutions, Inc .
Applicant Tracking Software that provides
everything you need to create a high performing
Hiring Process and a great Candidate Experience!
More Efficient and Cost-Effective
Hiring!
Easy to implement…..and
Easy to use!
Guaranteed!
EZ-ATS is a single platform for all of your applicant
tracking needs. We guarantee that we’ll improve
your total hiring system results or your money
back!
Do you need to replace your paper applications
and spreadsheets, but don’t have a big
budget? We make it easy to get a hiring system
without breaking the bank!
With EZ-ATS you’ll see:
With EZ-ATS you’ll get:
Increased Collaboration and
Communication with Hiring Managers
Decreased Time to Fill Positions
Applicants’ Skills Highlighted
The Best Candidates Before Others Hire
Them
Decreased Cost-per-Hire
Less work for HR to Manage and Report
on the Hiring Process
No Long-Term Contracts Required
Access to all EZ-ATS Capabilities
Global access 24/7
System and data security
Mobile device access
Unlimited Support at No Additional Cost
Pricing Based on Number of Users
($50 to $500/month)
Free 30-day Trial
What You Get
Custom Implementation
Dedicated Account Manager Automatic Software Updates
UMUC Hiring Solutions, Inc. is a fictitious company designed for the UMUC IFSM 300 case study and is representative of typical SaaS products.
Page 2
EZ-ATS
APPLICANT TRACKING SOFTWARE
Use EZ-ATS to:
Attract top talent with a responsive, professional interaction
with applicants.
Retain and motivate top HR talent with a flexible, workflowdriven applicant tracking system.
Align hiring goals with corporate goals with clear visibility
into how efficiently hiring the right talent contributes to the
success of the organization.
Drive a strategic, end-to-end hiring strategy with a single,
integrated system for all hiring-related activities.
Customers love our:
Configurability: Arrange your dashboards and workflows
however you like, to meet your needs.
Custom Reports: Create customizable reports to track
performance and recruit more effectively.
Workflow: Expedite approval processes for job openings,
candidates, and formal offers.
Customer Support: Our mission is your success — our
customers are our top priority.
Cloud-Based Software as a Service (SaaS)
√ Connect Anywhere – Just connect with Internet or Wifi
√ Use Any Device – PC, laptop, mobile devices
√ No New Hardware – Systems at our data centers
√ Unlimited data storage – Online and archived data
√ Secure Your Data – Professional protection
UMUC Hiring Solutions, Inc. is a fictitious company designed for the UMUC IFSM 300 case study and is representative of typical SaaS products.
Page 3
EZ-ATS
APPLICANT TRACKING SOFTWARE
Everything You Need to Track and Manage Applications
Preparation: Work seamlessly with hiring managers to develop job requisitions that will allow automatic
screening.
Advertise: Post your job to hundreds of job boards, social media sites, workforce services, colleges, and
associations with a click of the mouse.
Screening: Automate your screening of new applicants by having the system compare the application to the
requisition and highlight resumes with requisite expertise and/or experience.
Evaluation: Easily review and evaluate candidates to ensure minimum qualifications are met.
Workflow: Use the system to automate your company’s steps in the hiring procedure workflow from recruiter
to reviewer to hiring manager as tasks are completed – working the way your company already works.
Dashboards: All authorized stakeholders in the organization can have a custom dashboard with relevant
information and notices of actions that need to be taken in the system.
Collaboration: Quickly coordinate actions while maintaining transparency and security in the hiring process.
Interview Scheduling: Coordinate electronic calendars to schedule interviews to include all participants.
Selection: Obtain the best candidates before they are hired by others by using a streamlined hiring process.
Communication: Efficiently and effectively communicate with job seekers and hiring managers throughout the
hiring process using our integrated email and QuickText communication inbox.
Metrics: Generate real time hiring metrics to help you identify opportunities for improvement in your process
and job requirements.
Integration: Easy integration with your corporate email, existing systems, website, and social media sites.
Impress the Candidates: Impress applicants with the efficiency of the process and professional
communication, including offer letters.
Capture Skills of New Hires: As applicants are hired, their information and skills can be exported to your
employee management system.
Try EZ-ATS for FREE!
FREE 30-day trial
No obligation, no credit card needed. Getting started is as easy as 1-2-3!
Test drive EZ-ATS and when you have decided it is the system for you, visit our website and sign up!
UMUC Hiring Solutions, Inc. is a fictitious company designed for the UMUC IFSM 300 case study and is representative of typical SaaS products.
Page 4
EZ-ATS
APPLICANT TRACKING SOFTWARE
Launching EZ-ATS
1. Select the services you need at a price that fits your budget
Up to 25 system users
$50 per month
25-100 system users
$100 per month
101-1000 system users
$200 per month
Over 1000 system users
$500 per month
One-time system setup fee $1,000 to initialize system connections
One-time configuration fee $2,500 to individualize system for your company
Web-based training
$295 for “Train the Trainers” course
Unlimited data storage
FREE!
Comprehensive security
FREE!
System maintenance
FREE!
Regular updates
FREE!
Offsite backup and recovery FREE!
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!
UMUC Hiring Solutions, Inc. is a fictitious company designed for the UMUC IFSM 300 case study and is representative of typical SaaS products.
Page 5
EZ-ATS
APPLICANT TRACKING SOFTWARE
About Software as a Service (SaaS)
What is Software-as-a-Service?
Available to customers over the Internet; available from anywhere
Application is hosted by a third-party provider; typically no additional IT
infrastructure or expertise required for customer; low startup costs for customer
Updates and data backups automatically available
Subscription services available; cost based on number of users; predictable
scheduled payments
Key Benefits of EZ-ATS Cloud-based SaaS to Your Organization
Cost efficiency and fixed payment schedule
Saves time and money on implementing a solution; low up-front costs
No disruption due to product installation
Frees staff to focus on key business activities
Greater flexibility – available anywhere, anytime, from any device
More efficient support – controlled environment managed by experts
Safety and security of systems and data through access control, network security
using firewalls, and data encryption
Easy scalability as business grows
Free upgrades and enhancements
Reference Listing and Citation for this Brochure
UMUC Hiring Solutions, Inc. (2019). EZ-ATS Brochure [Course Resources]. In IFSM 300: Information
Systems in Organizations. Retrieved from http://learn.umuc.edu
In-text citation (UMUC Hiring Solutions, 2019)
UMUC Hiring Solutions, Inc. is a fictitious company designed for the UMUC IFSM 300 case study and is representative of typical SaaS products.
Stage 4: System Recommendation and Final BA&SR Report
Before you begin work on this assignment, be sure you have read the Case Study, and reviewed the
feedback received on your Stage 1, 2 and 3 assignments.
Overview
As the business analyst in the CIO’s department of Maryland Technology Consulting (MTC), your next
task in working towards an IT solution to improve the hiring process at MTC is to write a justification and
implementation plan for a system that the CIO has decided will meet MTC’s needs. The system, EZ-ATS,
is described in the vendor brochure provided with this assignment. The vendor, UMUC Hiring Solutions,
Inc., and EZ-ATS are fictitious names created for use with this case study but based on real-world SaaS
application information. In this Stage 4 assignment, you will explain how the selected system meets
MTC’s requirements, and what needs to be done to implement the system within MTC. You will
combine Stages 1-4 to provide a complete final BA&SR Report.
Assignment – BA&SR Section IV. System Recommendation and Summary & Conclusion
The first step is to review any feedback from previous stages to help improve the effectiveness of your
overall report and then add the new section to your report. Part of the grading criteria for this final
stage includes evaluating if the document is a very effective and cohesive assemblage of the four
sections, is well formatted and flows smoothly from one section to the next
Section IV of the Business Analysis and System Recommendation Report will explain how the selected
system helps MTC achieve its strategy, improve its hiring process, and meet its system requirements,
and you will explain how each implementation area might be addressed to help ensure a successful
implementation of the technology solution.
Using the case study, assignment instructions, vendor brochure, Course readings (in particular,
Implementing a SaaS Solution and Developing a System Proposal) and external research, develop your
Section IV. System Recommendation. Approximate lengths for each section are provided as a guideline;
be sure to provide all pertinent information.
As you review the case study, use the assignment instructions to take notes to assist in your analysis;
in addition, review information provided in earlier stages of this report to identify where the
proposed solution can address the needs and requirements.
Use the outline format and headings provided and follow all formatting instructions below.
Stage 4: System Recommendation 7/5/19 ver. 4
1
IV.
System Recommendation
A. System Justification
Provided with the Stage 4 Assignment Instructions is a brochure that describes an IT solution
that the CIO has selected, with the HR Director’s endorsement, to meet the needs of
improving MTC’s hiring process. In Stage 1, you analyzed the strategy and objectives for
MTC and how a technology solution to improve the hiring process would contribute. In
Stage 2, you analyzed how to improve the hiring process with a technology solution, and in
Stage 3 you identified specific requirements. After reviewing the EZ-ATS Brochure, briefly
describe the selected 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.
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). Below the numbered
heading, 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”. 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 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:
Stage 4: System Recommendation 7/5/19 ver. 4
2
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.
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? Again,
provide the information, but not the questions themselves.
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
Stage 4: System Recommendation 7/5/19 ver. 4
3
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
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 company name, title of report,
your name, Course and Section Number, and date of this submission.
For Section IV, use at least three resources with APA formatted citation and reference. One
reference must be from an external source, one must be the EZ-ATS Brochure, and one must be
another reference from the IFSM 300 course content. Course content should be from the class
reading content, not the assignment instructions or case study itself. For information on APA
format, refer to Content>Course Resources>Writing Resources.
Finalize the Reference Page for resources required for all sections of the report. The final document
should contain all references from all stages appropriately formatted and alphabetized.
Running headers are not required for this report.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Stage 4: System Recommendation 7/5/19 ver. 4
4
•
Compare your work to the Grading Rubric below to be sure you have met content and quality
criteria.
• Submit your paper as a Word document, or a document that can be read in Word. Keep tables in
Word format – do not paste in graphics.
Your submission should include your last name first in the filename: Lastname_firstname_Stage_4
Stage 4: System Recommendation 7/5/19 ver. 4
5
GRADING RUBRIC:
Criteria
How the
Proposed IT
Solution Meets
the
Requirements
How the IT
solution aligns
with achieving
the strategy,
improves the
process, and
meets the
requirements
Implementation
Steps
90-100%
80-89%
70-79%
60-69%
< 60%
Far Above
Standards
14-15 Points
Above Standards
Meets Standards
Below Standards
12-13 Points
10-11 Points
9 Points
Well Below
Standards
0-8 Points
Clear, complete,
compelling and
related to the Case
Study and Vendor
Brochure;
demonstrates
sophisticated
analysis and
writing.
Complete and
related to the Case
Study and Vendor
Brochure;
demonstrates
effective analysis.
Provided and
related to the Case
Study.
Incomplete,
inaccurate and/or
not related to the
Case Study.
31.5-35 Points
28-31 Points
24.5-27 Points
21-24 Points
An introduction
and all areas
(vendor
agreement,
hardware/
telecom,
configuration,
testing, employee
preparation, data
migration, and
maintenance)
Clearly and
thoroughly
included
introduction and
covered all areas,
strongly derived
from the Case
Study and vendor
brochure, and
demonstrates
sophisticated
analysis and
writing.
Clearly covered
and included
introduction and
all areas, derived
from the Case
Study and vendor
brochure, and
demonstrates
effective analysis
and writing.
Covered and
included
introduction and
majority of areas
and related to the
Case Study and the
vendor brochure.
All areas not
covered, and/or
are not related to
the Case Study
and/or the vendor
brochure.
Generally, 0-5
points each. Both
quantity and
quality evaluated.
All 7 areas well
done.
6 areas covered.
5 areas covered.
4 areas covered.
Possible
Points
15
Content missing
or extremely
incomplete, did
not reflect the
assignment
instructions,
showed little or
no originality,
demonstrated
little effort, is not
supported with
information from
the Case Study;
and/or is not
original work for
this class section.
0-20 Points
35
Content missing
or extremely
incomplete, did
not reflect the
assignment
instructions,
showed little or
no originality,
demonstrated
little effort, is not
supported with
information from
the Case Study;
and/or is not
original work for
this class section.
3 or fewer areas
covered.
Stage 4: System Recommendation 7/5/19 ver. 4
6
Summary and
Conclusion
Summarizes the
BA&SR and
provides a
compelling
explanation of
benefits to be
gained
Research
Three or more
sources—one is
the vendor
brochure, one
from within the
IFSM 300 course
content, and one
external (other
than the course
materials)
9-10 Points
Provides strong,
clear and concise
summary;
demonstrates
sophisticated
analysis and
writing.
14-15 Points
Required
resources are
incorporated and
used effectively.
Sources used are
relevant and
timely and
contribute
strongly to the
analysis.
References are
appropriately
incorporated and
cited using APA
style.
8.5 Points
7.5 Points
6.5 Points
0-5 Point
10
Provides summary.
Lacks sufficient
information to
provide adequate
summary.
12-13 Points
10-11 Points
9 Points
Content missing
or extremely
incomplete, did
not reflect the
assignment
instructions,
showed little or
no originality,
demonstrated
little effort, is not
supported with
information from
the Case Study;
and/or is not
original work for
this class section.
0-8 Points
15
At least three
sources are
incorporated
(vendor, course
content and
external) and are
relevant and
somewhat support
the analysis.
References are
appropriately
incorporated and
cited using APA
style.
Fewer than 3
resources properly
incorporated,
and/or reference(s)
are not cited using
APA style.
A source may be
used, but is not
properly
incorporated or
used, and/or is
not effective or
appropriate;
and/or does not
follow APA style
for references and
citations.
Provides clear
summary;
demonstrates
effective analysis
and writing.
Stage 4: System Recommendation 7/5/19 ver. 4
No course
content or
external research
incorporated; or
reference listed is
not cited within
the text
7
Complete BA&SR
Report
Well organized
and clearly
presented
information for
all four stages. `
Format
Uses outline
format provided;
includes Title
Page and
complete
Reference Page
including sources
for all 4 stages.
14-15 points
Document is a
very effective and
cohesive
assemblage of the
four sections, is
well formatted
and flows
smoothly from
one section to the
next.
12-13 Points
Document is a
good assemblage
of the four
sections with
appropriate
formatting and
flow.
10-11 Points
9 Points
0-8 Points
Document includes
content for all four
stages; lacks a
cohesive
presentation and
flow.
Incomplete
stages; lack of
continuity of flow
and presentation
of final
information.
Incomplete
report, missing
stages, is not
supported with
information from
the Case Study;
and/or not well
compiled and
presented as a
cohesive
document.
9-10 Points
8.5 Points
7.5 Points
6.5 Points
0-5 Points
Very well
organized and is
easy to read. Very
few or no errors in
sentence
structure,
grammar, and
spelling; doublespaced, written in
third person,
contains all
required
references, and
presented in a
professional
format.
Effective
organization; has
few errors in
sentence
structure,
grammar, and
spelling; doublespaced, written in
third person,
contains all
required
references, and
presented in a
professional
format.
Some organization;
may have some
errors in sentence
structure,
grammar, and
spelling; missing
some required
references. Report
is double spaced,
and written in third
person.
Not well
organized, and/or
contains several
grammar and/or
spelling errors;
and/or is not
double-spaced,
missing several
required
references, and
written in third
person.
Extremely poorly
written, has
many grammar
and/or spelling
errors, missing
required
references, or
does not convey
the information.
TOTAL Possible
Points
Stage 4: System Recommendation 7/5/19 ver. 4
15
10
100
8
Maryland Technology Consultants, Inc.
Maryland Technology Consultants (MTC) 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. MTC feels
strongly that its success is dependent on the combination of the talent of its IT consultants, the
best practices MTC employs, and a dedication to delivering truly beneficial IT solutions 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
• 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 12/5/2018
1
Excerpt from the MTC Strategic Business Plan
While the complete strategic plan touches on many areas, below is an excerpt from MTC’s
latest Strategic Business Plan that identifies a few of MTC's Goals.
Goal 1: Increase MTC Business Development by winning new contracts in the areas of IT
consulting.
Goal 2: Build a cadre of consultants internationally to provide remote research and analysis
support to MTC’s onsite teams in the U. S.
Goal 3: Continue to increase MTC’s ability to quickly provide high quality consultants to
awarded contracts to best serve the clients’ needs.
Goal 4: Increase MTC’s competitive advantage in the IT consulting marketplace by increasing its
reputation for having IT consultants who are highly skilled in leading edge technologies and
innovative solutions for its clients.
Current Business Environment
MTC provides consultants on-site to work with its clients, delivering a wide variety of IT-related
services. MTC obtains most of its business through competitively bidding on Requests for
Proposals issued by business, government and non-profit organizations. A small but growing
portion of its business is through referrals and follow-on contracts from satisfied clients. MTC
anticipates it will win two large contracts in the near future and is preparing proposals for
several other large projects.
MTC, as a consulting company, relies on the quality and expertise of its employees to provide
the services needed by the clients. When it is awarded a contract, the customer expects MTC
to quickly provide the consultants and begin work on the project. MTC, like other consulting
companies, cannot afford to carry a 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. MTC relies
on its Human Resources (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 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 customers' locations.
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
Maryland Technology Consultants is a fictitious company created for the IFSM 300 Case Study.
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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.
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
The two contracts that MTC expects to win very soon will require the hiring of an additional 75
consultants very quickly. 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 these needs
as well as the demands of future growth and increased hiring requirements. 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 accommodate the hiring of the 75 new employees in
the timeframe required as well as continue to handle the expanded hiring projections. The
Chief Information Officer (CIO) then recommended that the company look for a commercial offthe-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 CIO's department, 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 or recruiting system) to
improve the hiring process. The CIO has set up a series of interviews for you to collect
Maryland Technology Consultants is a fictitious company created for the IFSM 300 Case Study.
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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.
Interviews
In the interviews you conduct 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 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 processes 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 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; and to help support our bottom line financially, any new solution should
effectively integrate with, but not replace, that system.
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. 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
Maryland Technology Consultants is a fictitious company created for the IFSM 300 Case Study.
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ability to compete for new business as well as maintain current clients. 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. 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. 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 3-month period. I do not think my 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 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
Maryland Technology Consultants is a fictitious company created for the IFSM 300 Case Study.
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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. Then, 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. Any tool that would help the workflow and enable many
steps in the process to be done electronically would be wonderful.”
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 this is only one of several areas I’m
responsible for. I look to the recruiters to stay on top of this for me. In the ideal world, I’d like
an electronic dashboard from which I can see the status of any job openings in my area,
information on all qualified candidates who have applied and where they are in the
pipeline. Electronic scheduling of interviews on my calendar would be a real time saver. It’s
important that we impress candidates with our technology and efficiency – after all we are an IT
consulting company—and using manual processes makes us look bad. And, this system must be
easy to use – I don’t have time for training or reading a 100-page user’s manual. Just need to
get my job done."
Maryland Technology Consultants is a fictitious company created for the IFSM 300 Case Study.
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