Business Analysis and System Recommendation (BA&SR)

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. Only content for Stage 3 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 III of the Business Analysis and System Recommendation (BA&SR) Report to your Sections I and II. In this section you will identify requirements for the new hiring system. This analysis leads into Section IV. System Recommendation of the BA&SR (Stage 4 assignment) that will analyze a proposed IT solution to ensure it meets MTC's organizational strategy and fulfills its operational needs.

Using the case study, assignment instructions, Content readings, and external research, develop your Section III. Requirements. The case study tells you that the executives and employees at Maryland Technology Consultants (MTC) have identified a need for an effective and efficient applicant tracking or hiring system. As you review the case study, use the assignment instructions to take notes to assist in your analysis. In particular, look for information in the interviews to provide stakeholder interests and needs.

Use the outline format, headings and tables provided and follow all formatting instructions below.
III. Requirements
A. Stakeholder Interests - Review the interest or objectives for the new hiring system for each stakeholder listed below based on his or her organizational role and case study information. Consider how the technology will improve how his/her job is done; that is, identify what each of the stakeholders needs the hiring system to do. Then to complete the table below, use information from the stakeholder interviews and identify one significant challenge or problem for each stakeholder related to the current hiring process (not their future expectations). Then explain how a system could address their problems. Do not define what that position does in the organization. (Provide an introductory sentence for this section, copy the table below and complete the two columns with 1-2 complete sentences for each role in each column.)

Role Specific problem related to the current hiring process How a technology solution to support the hiring process could address the problem

  1. CEO
  2. CFO
  3. CIO
  4. Director of Human Resources
  5. Manager of Recruiting
  6. Recruiters
  7. Administrative Assistant
  8. Hiring Manager (Functional supervisor the new employee would be working for.)

Defining Requirements - The next step is to identify the essential requirements for the information system. In addition to the stakeholder interests identified above, review the Case Study, especially the interviews, highlighting any statements that tell what the person expects or needs the system to do. User requirements express specifically what the user needs the system to do. This can be in terms of tasks the users need to perform, data they need to input, what the system might do with that data input, and output required. System performance requirements express how the system will perform in several performance areas and security. As a member of the CIO's organization, you will use your professional knowledge to Identify 5 User Requirements (including one specifically related to reporting) and 5 System Performance Requirements (including 2 security-related requirements). Refer to Week 5 content on requirements; security requirements are covered in Week 6. Additional research can expand your knowledge of these areas.

Once you have identified the 10 requirements, evaluate each one using the criteria below and create 10 well-written requirements statements for the new hiring system.

The requirement statement:
• Is a complete sentence, with a subject (system) and predicate (intended result, action or condition).
• Identifies only one requirement; does not include the words "and," "also," "with," and "or."
• For User Requirements, states what tasks the system will support or perform.
• For System Performance Requirements, states how the system will perform.
• Includes a measure or metric that can be used to determine whether the requirement is met (time or quantity), where appropriate.
• Is stated in positive terms and uses "must" (not "shall," "may" or "should"); "the system must xxxx" not "the system must not xxx".
• Avoids the use of terms that cannot be defined and measured, such as "approximately," "robust," "user friendly," etc.
• Is achievable and realistic; avoids terms such as "100% uptime," or "no failures".

(Provide an introductory sentence, copy the table, and complete the Requirements Statement and Stakeholder columns. No additional information should be entered into the first column, Requirement ID.)

Full Answer Section

     

B. Defining Requirements

Based on the stakeholder needs and case study information, here are ten requirements for the new hiring system:

User Requirements

Requirement ID Requirement Statement
UR-1 The system must allow users to create and post job openings with detailed descriptions, qualifications, and application instructions.
UR-2 The system must enable users to electronically receive, store, and manage applications (resumes, cover letters, references).
UR-3 The system must allow users to search and filter applicants based on keywords, skills, and experience.
UR-4 The system must facilitate online assessments and skills testing for candidates.
UR-5 The system must generate reports providing insights into key hiring metrics (e.g., time-to-fill, cost-per-hire, source of hire).

System Performance Requirements

Requirement ID Requirement Statement
SPR-1 The system must be accessible 24/7 with a guaranteed uptime of 99.5%.
SPR-2 The system must ensure secure storage and transmission of all applicant data in compliance with relevant data privacy regulations.
SPR-3 The system must recover critical data within four hours in the event of a system outage.
SPR-4 The system response time for common user actions (e.g., searching candidates, submitting applications) must be less than three seconds.
SPR-5 The system must be scalable to accommodate future growth in the number of users and applications.

These requirements follow the prescribed format and include a clear, measurable statement of what the system must do. They avoid subjective terms and focus on achieving specific results. The user requirements address functionalities like job posting, application management, candidate search, and reporting, while the system performance requirements ensure reliability, security, scalability, and responsiveness.

Sample Answer

   

III. Requirements

A. Stakeholder Interests

The following table identifies stakeholder interests and challenges related to the current hiring process at Maryland Technology Consultants (MTC), along with how a technology solution could address those problems:

Role Specific Problem Related to Current Hiring Process How a Technology Solution Could Address the Problem
CEO Difficulty tracking key hiring metrics (e.g., time-to-fill, cost-per-hire) The system should generate reports providing insights into key hiring metrics, allowing the CEO to monitor the effectiveness of the recruiting process.
CFO Lack of transparency and control over hiring costs The system should track and report on hiring costs associated with each position, enabling the CFO to monitor and control expenses.
CIO Inefficient paper-based resume management and manual data entry The system must integrate with existing applicant tracking systems (ATS) to streamline resume collection and data entry.
Director of HR Difficulty managing the high volume of applications and ensuring a consistent interview process The system must automate tasks like screening resumes, scheduling interviews, and sending notifications, allowing HR to focus on strategic initiatives.
Manager of Recruiting Time-consuming process of sourcing qualified candidates The system should integrate with job boards and social media platforms to facilitate targeted candidate sourcing.
Recruiters Difficulty collaborating with hiring managers and sharing candidate information The system must provide a centralized platform for recruiters and hiring managers to collaborate, share feedback, and track candidate progress.
Administrative Assistant Manual and error-prone process of scheduling interviews and sending notifications The system must automate interview scheduling and send automated notifications to candidates and interviewers, reducing administrative burden.
Hiring Manager (Functional supervisor the new employee would be working for.) Limited access to qualified candidates and lengthy time to fill open positions The system should provide hiring managers with access to a wider pool of qualified candidates and streamline the interview process, reducing time-to-fill.