Chesapeake it consultants case study: stage 3 business analysis and

  

Stage 3: Requirements

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. 

Overview

As the business analyst in the CIO’s department of Chesapeake IT Consulting (CIC), your next task in developing your Business Analysis and System Recommendation (BA&SR) Report is to develop a set of requirements for the hiring system. 

Assignment – BA&SR Section III – Requirements

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.)  Part of the grading criteria for Stage 4 submission includes addressing previous feedback to improve the final report. For this assignment, you will add Section III of the Business Analysis and System Recommendation (BA&SR) Report by identifying 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 CIC’s organizational strategy and fulfill its operational needs. 

Using the case study, assignment instructions, Course Content readings, and external resources, develop your Section III: Requirements.  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, 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 system to do. Then to complete the table below, use information from the stakeholder interviews and describe what the most significant challenges or problems related to the 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   problems related to the hiring process 

How a   technology solution to support the hiring process could address the challenge

 

i. CEO

 

ii.  CFO 

 

iii.  CIO 

 

iv.  Director of Human   Resources

 

v.  Manager   of Recruiting

 

vi.  Recruiters

 

vii.  Administrative   Assistant

 

viii.  Hiring   Manager (Functional supervisor the new   employee would be working for.)

B.  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 the system to do. Functional 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.  Non-Functional 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 Functional Requirements (including one specifically related to reporting) and 5 Non-Functional Requirements (including 2 security-related requirements). Refer to Week 6 content on requirements; security requirements are covered in Chapter 6 of the textbook. 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 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 Functional Requirements, states what tasks the system will support or perform

· For Non-Functional 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 “shall” (not “may” or “should”); “the system shall xxxx” not “the system shall not xxx”.

· Avoids the use of terms that cannot be defined and measured, such as “approximately,” “robust,” “user friendly,” etc.

· Is achievable; avoids terms such as “100% uptime,” or “no failures”.

For a full requirement specification, there will be many requirements statements; you only need to provide the number of requirements identified for each category. Do not provide generic statements but relate to the needs of CIC to improve its hiring process. 

(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.) 

  

Requirement ID

Requirement Statement

Stakeholder 

(Position and Name from Case Study that   identified this requirement)

 

Functional Requirements

 

Example

The   system shall store all information from the candidate’s application/resume in   a central applicant database. 

Recruiter   – Paul O’Brien

 

1.

 

2.

 

3.

 

4.

 

5.   (Reporting)

 

Non-Functional Requirements

 

Example

The   system shall be implemented as a Software as a Service solution. 

CIO – Fadil Abadi

 

1.

 

2.

 

3.

 

4.   (Security)

 

5.   (Security)

Formatting Your Assignment

Consider your audience – you are writing in the role of a CIC business analyst and your audience is CIC and your boss, the CIO. Don’t discuss CIC 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 3, you are preparing the third part of a 4-stage report. Use the structure, headings, and outline format provided here for your report. 

· Begin with Sections I and II, revised according to any feedback received, and add to it Section III. 

· Write a short concise paper: Use the recommendations provided in each area for length of response. It’s important to value quality over quantity. Section III should not exceed 4 pages.

· Content areas should be double spaced; table entries should be single-spaced. 

· To copy a table: Move your cursor to the table, then click on the small box that appears at the upper left corner of the table to highlight the table; right click and COPY the table; put the cursor in your paper where you want the table and right click and PASTE the table.

· Ensure that each of the tables is preceded by an introductory sentence that explains what is contained in the table, so the reader understands why the table has been included.

· Continue to use the title page created in Stage 1 that includes: The company name, title of report, your name, Course and Section Number, and date of this submission.

· Use at least two resources with APA formatted citation and reference for this Stage 3 assignment. Use at least one external reference and one from the course content. Course content should be from the class reading content, not the assignment instructions or case study itself. 

· Add the references required for this assignment to the Reference Page. Additional research in the next stage will be added to this as you build the report. The final document should contain all references from all stages appropriately formatted and alphabetized.

· Running headers are not required for this report.

· Compare your work to the Grading Rubric below to be sure you have met content and quality criteria. 

· Submit your paper as a Word document, or a document that can be read in Word. Keep tables in Word format – do not paste in graphics.

· Your submission should include your last name first in the filename: Lastname_firstname_Stage_3

GRADING RUBRIC: 

  

Criteria

90-100%

Far Above Standards

80-89%

Above Standards

70-79%

Meets Standards

60-69%

Below Standards

< 60%

Well Below Standards

Possible Points

 

Stakeholder   Interests

Identification   of specific stakeholder interests and objectives for improving the hiring   process and how a technology system could address. Generally, 0-3 points per role.

22-24   Points

Challenges and how a technology solution   will address are clearly described and fully explained using a sophisticated   level of writing.

20-21   Points

Challenges and how a technology solution   will address are clearly described and explained using an effective level of   writing.

17-19   Points

Challenges and how a technology solution will address are described   and explained. 

15-16   Points

Challenges and how a technology solution   will address are not clearly described and explained; and/or lacks effective   presentation of information

0-14 Points

Content   missing or extremely incomplete, did not reflect the assignment instructions,   showed little or no originality, demonstrated little effort and/or is not   original work for this class section.

24

 

Functional   Requirements

5   user requirements (1 addresses reporting) 

Generally,   0-5 points each

23-25   Points

Correctly identified and sourced; clearly   derived from the Case Study; demonstrates sophisticated analysis.

20-22   Points

Identified and sourced; requirements are   derived from the Case Study; demonstrates effective analysis.

17-19   Points

Identified and sourced; requirements are related   to the Case Study.

15-16   Points

Fewer than 5 requirements are identified and   sourced; and/or information provided is not correct; and/or requirements are   not all related to the Case Study. 

0-14 Points

Content missing or extremely incomplete, did not reflect the   assignment instructions, showed little or no originality, demonstrated little   effort and/or is not original work for this class section.

25

 

Non-Functional   Requirements

3   system performance requirements and 2 system security requirements

Generally,   0-5 points each 

23-25   Points

Correctly identified and sourced; clearly   derived from the Case Study; demonstrates sophisticated analysis.

20-22   Points

Identified and sourced; requirements are   derived from the Case Study; demonstrates effective analysis.

17-19   Points

Identified and sourced; requirements are   related to the Case Study.

15-16   Points

Fewer than 5 requirements are identified and   sourced; and/or information provided is not correct; and/or requirements are   not all related to the Case Study. 

0-14 Points

Content missing or extremely incomplete, did   not reflect the assignment instructions, showed little or no originality,   demonstrated little effort and/or is not original work for this class section.

25

 

Research

Two   or more   sources–one source from within the IFSM 300 course content and one external   (other than the course materials)

9-10 Points

Required resources are incorporated and used effectively.   Sources used are relevant and timely and contribute strongly to the   analysis. References are appropriately   incorporated and cited using APA style.

8.5 Points

At least two sources are incorporated and are relevant and   somewhat support the analysis. References are appropriately incorporated and   cited using APA style.

7.5 Points

Only one resource is used and properly incorporated and/or   reference(s) lack correct APA style. 

6.5   Points

A source may be used, but is not properly incorporated or used,   and/or is not effective or appropriate; and/or does not follow APA style for   references and citations.

0-5 Points

No course content or external research incorporated; or   reference listed is not cited within the text.

10

 

Format

Uses   outline format provided; includes Title Page and Reference Page

14-16 Points

Very well organized and easy to read. Very few or no errors in sentence   structure, grammar, and spelling; double-spaced, written in third person and   presented in a professional format.

12-13 Points

Effective organization; has few errors in sentence structure,   grammar, and spelling; double-spaced, written in third person and presented   in a professional format. 

11 Points

Some organization; may have some errors in sentence structure,   grammar and spelling. Report is double spaced and written in third   person. 

10 Points

Not well organized, and/or contains several grammar and/or   spelling errors; and/or is not double-spaced and written in third   person. 

0-9 Points

Extremely poorly written, has many grammar and/or spelling   errors, or does not convey the information.

16

 

TOTAL   Points Possible

100