IFSM300 STAGE 1,2 AND 3 CASE STUDY 2015

verview of Business Process Analysis and Functional Requirements for Haircuts

For your Case Study Stage 1 assignment, you performed a Five Forces Analysis and justified Myra's chosen strategy for competitive advantageandthe business process that she would like to improve through the application of technology.

In the Stage 2 assignment, you will identify the inputs, processing and outputs of Myra's selected business process.Those inputs, processing and outputs form the functional (business) requirements for an IT system to improve the process.

The first step in identifying the functional or business requirements for an information system is to develop the high level requirements that establish the scope of the system. Myra has selected the Customer and Employee Scheduling Process for improvement using an IT solution, and together you have identified the following high level requirements. The system must

1. Allow employees to enter their availability and desired days/times to work

2. Allow Myra to review the employee requests and develop a schedule

3. Make the schedule available to employees to review their final work schedule

4. Make the employee schedule available for staff to enter customer appointments

5. Allow Myra and the staff to enter customer appointments

6. Keep track of customer appointments, including stylist and service performed

7. Accommodate changes in the employee schedules and customer appointments, and update schedule accordingly

8. Accommodate changes in the customer information stored in the system

9. Provide management reports to Myra showing employee workload, customers served, customer contact information, busy times/days, etc.

For this assignment, you will focus on the customer appointment portion of the overall process. The process model shows the steps in the customer appointment process. In a process model, rectangles are used to illustrate process steps and diamonds are used where decisions or choices are made. You need to be aware that there are other aspects of the process to be considered, as shown in the high level requirements above. The points at which these additional steps intersect with the customer appointment process are shown in the process model with a circle and a letter.

Customer Appointment Process Model:

The process model is separately provided as an Excel file, labeled "Stage 2 Process Model."

Assignment: Haircuts Stage 2: Create a document that includes:

I.Introduction

At the top of your paper, show the strategy for competitive advantage that Myra selected and the business process she has chosen to improve, using the following format:

Strategy for Competitive Advantage: xxxxxxx (just name the strategy)

Business Process to Improve: xxxxxxxxx (just name the process)

II.Table of Functional (Business) Requirements

Copy the table below into your paper. Using the To-Be Model provided complete the table of requirements for an IT system for each of the numbered process steps that includes:

· the inputs to the process – include specific items of information or data elements (for example, customer name) entered into the system as part of the process step

· processing or actions that the system takes (for example, check calendar to let person know if Haircuts is open at the specified time)

· outputs of the process – include specific items of information or data elements (for example, appointment date) that the system will display or print out for the user to see

There are 7 numbered steps in the Appointment Process itself. In addition, there are three other processes that are needed (numbered 8, 9 and 10), but are beyond the scope of the appointment process: a process for entering the time needed and costs for the various styling services; the employee scheduling process, by which the schedule is created, updated and maintained; and, the payment process that collects customer payments and updates the database accordingly. For these three processes, you should also identify the input needed for the system, what the system is to do with that input (process) and what output the system will need to create or display either immediately or later.

The responses that you enter into the table for each requirement must be aligned to the specific business process to be improved and the data it uses, and it must be appropriate to the Haircuts business.

Formatting:

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 our. 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.

· Submit a document that includes the Table of Functional Requirements.

· Table entries should be single spaced.

· Use APA formatted citations and references for any external sources used.

· Include a title page, and a reference page if references are included.

· Compare your final work to the rubric 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

The "right" and "wrong" answers have to do with whether or not you correctly incorporated the course vocabulary and concepts from the textbook to support your choices, and that you address all parts of the assignment. The specific solution you select for an IT solution is not as important as that it makes sense in light of the course content.

GRADING RUBRIC:

Before you begin this assignment, be sure you:

1. Read the “ Haircuts Case Study Stage 1 & 2” & review “Walmart Example.”

2. Review Instructor feedback from previous submissions.

Overview of IT Requirements for a System to Improve the Process at Haircuts

For your Case Study Stage 1 assignment, you performed a Five Forces Analysis and justified Myra's chosen strategy for competitive advantageandthe business process that she would like to improve through the application of technology.

For your Stage 2 assignment, you identified the inputs, processing and outputs of Myra's selected business process.Those inputs, processing and outputs form the functional (business) requirements for an IT system to improve the process.

In Stage 3, you will define the IT requirements by evaluating their applicability and importance in a new system to be implemented to improve the identified business process for Haircuts. The requirements that are identified as relevant to the business process will form the IT (technical) requirements for a system. In evaluating and selecting an IT system, both the functional (business) requirements and the IT requirements need to be considered. The areas that need to beconsidered in developing the IT requirements are listed below in the Table of IT Requirements. Depending on the specific process being improved and the data it uses, the areas listed will vary in both relevance and importance. For example, in a system to handle applications for Social Security, security and privacy are extremely important; but for a system to list what movies are being shown, privacy is not applicable at all. Your analysis must relate to the process Myra seeks to improve.

When both the functional (business) and technical (IT) requirements are identified, the system requirements are complete enough that you can then begin looking for a specific solution to meet the needs of Haircuts. Researching and finding an appropriate system to improve the process at Haircuts will be done in Stage 4.

Analysis of IT Requirements:

·IT Requirement: The areas to be considered are listed in the table. Be sure to research each term to ensure understanding as to whether and how it would apply to the Haircuts process being improved and the data it uses. A table of sources of the definitions is provided below to assist you. Be sure you use a definition that applies to IT and this assignment, and not a generic definition of the term.

·Rankings: High/Medium/Low Importance or Relevance or Not Applicable (N/A):You will rank each requirement as to how important or relevant it is to the process being improved and the data it uses. Each will be ranked as High, Medium or Low, or Not Applicable to the process and its data.

·Explanation of Ranking: Using the definition of the term you researched and the ranking you selected, provide an explanation and tell how this requirement applies to the Haircuts process and the data it uses, or why it does not apply. All requirements must be ranked and a thorough explanation that demonstrates understanding of the topic must be provided. Please note that even N/A items require an explanation. A minimum of three good sentences should be used for each explanation.

The responses that you enter into the table for each requirement must be aligned to the specific business process to be improved and the data it uses, and appropriate to the Haircuts business. Be sure toconsider the type of data (inputs and outputs – from Stage 2) that the system will handle as you determine the applicability and importance of each consideration. If a requirement is not relevant to the process, mark it "N/A." Remember to provide a thorough explanation for every item under consideration, including those marked N/A.

Do not try to create a reason if there is none, but carefully analyze each requirement and determine whether it applies and how. Explanations must provide enough information to convey the reasoning behind the ranking and to demonstrate that you understand the consideration. DO NOTcopy definitions into the table; use your own words to explain the term.

Assignment: Haircuts Stage 3: Create a document that includes:

I.Introduction

At the top of your paper, show the strategy for competitive advantage that Myra selected and the business process she has chosen to improve, using the following format:

Strategy for Competitive Advantage: xxxxxxx (just name the strategy)

Business Process to Improve: xxxxxxxxx (just name the process)

II.Table of IT Requirements

· Copy the table below into your paper

· Rank each requirement as High, Medium or Low in Importance/Relevance or Not Applicable (N/A) to a system to improve the process

· Explain each ranking, as described in the table, including explanations for N/A

· Definitions of the IT requirements are listed in Course Resources table above.

Formatting:

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 our. 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.

· Submit one document that includes the Table of Requirements.

· Table entries should be single spaced.

· Use APA formatted citations and references for any external sources used.

· Include a title page, and a reference page if references are included.

· Compare your final work to the rubric 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 _3

GRADING RUBRIC: