Business Analysis and System Recommendation for MTC

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Introduction

This Business Analysis and System Recommendation report is prepared to help MTC meet its organizational objectives by increasing its competitive advantage. The goal of MTC is to continuously grow the number of projects and deliver quality service to customers. To accomplish this objective, MTC regularly submits applications to Request for Proposals. To ensure customer satisfaction, the company needs to provide its clients with highly skilled IT consultants for work on-site within the 60 days of signing the contract. The streamlined and automated hiring process is essential to maintain a competitive advantage and increase the company’s reputation. MTC needs to have qualified professionals available for new projects within a short period of time. The current hiring process is entirely manual, which increases the recruitment time and leads to decreased efficacy when the number of required applicants increases. This report is prepared to address the issues pertaining to the hiring process and includes information about the motivation behind using the applicant tracking system and expected benefits. An analysis of the current recruitment process and a detailed set of requirements for the IT system are also covered.

Strategic Use of Technology

Business Strategy

The company’s business strategy revolves around increasing revenue and reputation. These two elements are dependent on the constant flow of new contracts and the availability of appropriately skilled personnel to serve these new projects. The manual hiring process MTC currently uses poses a hindrance to achieving the described business strategy. First, it sets a limit on how many new projects the company has the capacity to accomplish at the same time. Recruiting new employees is time-consuming, and when this process is done manually, time costs to begin and finish a given project are increased substantially (Bourgeois, 2014). Second, manually hiring personnel deteriorates reputation – MTC is an IT consulting company, which means it should be the first one to use innovative IT solutions. The proposed information system will enable the HR department to streamline the hiring process and avoid manual paperwork. Information will be shared consistently and on a secure basis between hiring managers and recruiters. The analytical dashboard will allow the senior managers to use the system to aid the decision-making procedures.

Contemporary analytical tools are powered by machine learning algorithms that can do a significant portion of work in an automated manner (Buzkan, 2016). For instance, by analyzing historical data on employee performance and comparing it to the description of a new project, the system may advise on the qualities and qualifications that are recommended for a given venture (Buzkan, 2016). These powerful features of modern HR information systems may help act on available data and make the most appropriate decisions.

Competitive Advantage

MTC is a small to mid-size business (SMB), which means the competition is stiff. The company does not have resources to compete with large enterprises like HP but should ensure that it has an advantage over SMB consulting firms. MTC can make its employees a competitive edge by hiring top talent from both local and international markets. Having an appropriate IT solution for the hiring process will allow the business to accept applications from remote locations, which means improved access to the job market. Reducing the hiring time will enable MTC to deliver skilled consultants to its clients more quickly, which will contribute to the reputation of the company.

Strategic Objectives

The following table provides a more detailed overview of strategic objectives and how the new hiring system will contribute to each goal:

Strategic Goal (from the case study)	Objective (clear, measurable and time-bound)	Explanation (2-3 sentences)
Increase MTC Business Development by winning new contracts in the areas of IT Consulting	Increase MTC staff by 75 employees in the next 60 days after the system is implemented and integrated.	MTC is expected to win new contracts very soon, and it will require additional 75 employees to serve these projects. Within the current business environment, MTC’s consultants need to be on-site within 60 days of signing the contract. Because there is a strong likelihood of winning another contract in the coming months, the system should be implemented and integrated by the beginning of the upcoming projects and deliver the required number of employees within 60 days.
Build a cadre of consultants internationally to provide remote research and analysis support to MTC’s onsite teams in the U. S.	Increase international recruiting efforts and employ 5 research analysts in the next 12 months.	The new hiring system would allow applicants from around the world to apply online, increasing the number of international candidates. It would enable the recruiters to carefully monitor the applications for these positions, identify the necessary research and analysis skills needed, and screen resumes for these key skills. Recruiters could quickly view the number of applicants and identify when additional recruiting efforts are needed to meet the objective.
Continue to increase MTC’s ability to quickly provide high quality consultants to awarded contracts to best serve the clients’ needs	Reduce the hiring time by 20%	Currently employed manual process of hiring employees is inefficient as it is not possible to streamline the recruitment pipeline. With the IT solution, the HR department will reduce the hiring time by 20% because many of the processes like interview scheduling, resume screening, and onward delivery to the higher-level managers will be fully or partially automated.
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	At least 50% of new hires the company makes by the end of the year are senior consultants. Decrease consultation team availability on-site from 60 days to 30 days.	An information system frees the company from being bound to offline and local job posting platforms. By advertising a job opening to both international and interstate markets, MTC increases its chances to reach highly-skilled talent. The goal is to ensure that at least half of the new hires the company makes by the next year are senior consultants. It will ensure that clients receive support from qualified employees, which will boost MTC’s reputation on the market. Furthermore, the information system will allow the HR department to quickly fill the vacant positions on a need basis, which will ensure that consultants start a client’s project within 30 days of signing the contract. While other companies offer project initiation within 60 days, MTC will beat the competition by giving much more beneficial terms for clients.

Decision Making

To achieve organizational goals, all types of managers need to make informed and correct decisions. The following table describes how the hiring system will help with the decision-making process on each level:

Role	Level as defined in Course Content Reading	Example of Possible Decision Supported by Hiring System	Example of Information the Hiring System Could Provide to Support Your Example Decision
Senior/Executive Managers (Decisions made by the CEO and the CFO at MTC supported by the hiring system.)	Strategic Level	Whether or not to bid for a particular type of project	Number of employees with appropriate qualifications
Middle Managers (Decisions made by the Director of HR and the Manager of Recruiting supported by the hiring system.)	Managerial Level	Whether or not to increase recruiting efforts in a particular region	Number of applicants per each region
Operational Managers (Decisions made by the line managers in the organization who are hiring for their projects supported by the hiring system.)	Operational Level	Whether or not to hire recent graduates	Availability of skilled candidates, average salary expectation of a skilled candidate

Hiring Process

In order to develop an accurate requirements specification document for a future system, it is essential to identify the steps of the current process and how the system would aid these procedures. The following table provides a more detailed view of the current hiring process and how it will be affected.

MTC Hiring Process
As-Is Process	Responsible MTC Position	To-Be Process – How the system Will Support and Improve the hiring process	Business Benefits of Improved Process (Align with MTC’s overall business strategy and needs.)

Recruiter receives an application from job hunter via Postal Service Mail.	Recruiter	System will receive an application via on-line submission through MTC Employment Website and store in the applicant database within the hiring system.	A more efficient submission process decreases time needed to receive and begin processing applications. This will present a positive image to potential employees and help MTC compete for top IT talents.
Recruiter screens resumes to identify top candidates by matching with job requirements from job description.	Recruiter	The system will automatically screen resumes by mapping candidate’s qualifications to the job requirements. Alternatively, the system may aid the recruiter by filtering candidates that do not meet minimum requirements.	Automation often leads to an unbiased process, which fosters a positive brand image in the eyes of potential employees. Through automation, recruiters will be able to handle a much higher load, which leads to increased effectiveness (Analyzing process improvements, 2020).
Recruiter forwards top candidates to Administrative Assistant via interoffice mail	Recruiter and Administrative Assistant	The system will automatically redirect suitable applicants to Administrative Assistant (AA) once the recruiter confirms the list of qualified candidates. AA does not need to wait for interoffice mail transfer because candidate profiles are delivered instantaneously through the system.	Reduces the amount of paperwork because there is no need to print applicants’ profiles and send them via interoffice mail. Corporate social responsibility and care for the environment are modern trends, and decreasing paper usage will demonstrate MTC’s readiness for new business concepts and technologies.
Administrative Assistant forwards candidates’ resumes and applications to hiring manager for the position via interoffice mail.	Administrative Assistant	This step will be eliminated because the system can automatically route applicant profiles to respective hiring managers.	Reduces the hiring process time significantly by eliminating abundant steps and decreasing the level of bureaucracy. With a shorter hiring process, MTC increases its competitiveness on the job market by quickly securing top candidates.
Hiring Manager reviews applications and selects who he/she wants to interview.	Hiring Manager	The hiring manager selects the desired candidates and appoints interview team members. The system sends an automatic e-mail to the interview team members with available time slots they can choose from.	Contributes to shorter hiring process times and provides the company with a new best-practice approach it can later offer to its customers.
Hiring Manager sends an email to the Administrative Assistant on who he/she has selected to interview and identifies members of the interview team.	Hiring manager and Administrative Assistant	This step can be eliminated because the hiring manager no longer needs to email the Administrative Assistant about chosen candidates and interview team members.	Manually tracking time slots comfortable for interview team members is time-consuming. Furthermore, the as-is process demands AA to call each of the members to inquire about their wishes. This ineffective approach has an unfavorable impact on the image of MTC. The system will not only reduce the time needed to appoint an interview but will also make the process less prone to errors.
AA schedules interviews by contacting interview team members and hiring manager to identify possible time slots	Administrative Assistant	Based on the interview team members’ responses, the system makes a list of suitable time slots.	Under the as-is process, AA may serve as a bottleneck when the number of applicants is high. Implementing the system will enable MTC to broaden its range of consultation services and provide first-hand information about how IT solutions may automate tedious and error-prone tasks.
AA emails candidates to schedule interviews.	Administrative Assistant	When time slots are confirmed, the system sends emails to candidates with available time slots. Applicants visit a link sent via email and select the desired time slot. When a candidate reserves a slot, the list of available time periods shrinks.	By demonstrating how business processes are automated in MTC to potential employees, the company will assure top candidates that they are applying to a reputable company.
Interview is conducted with candidate, hiring manager and other members of the interview team.	Hiring Manager and Interview Team	Interview is conducted with candidate, hiring manager and other members of the interview team. (Hiring System is not used for this step.)	n/a
Hiring manager informs the AA on his top candidate for hiring	Hiring Manager and Administrative Assistant	In place of sending an email, the hiring manager flags suitable candidates in the system, and the AA receives a notification via email.	Streamlines communication processes and contributes to faster hiring. Notification systems may be the next best approach to workplace communications, and MTC will gain experience by implementing this system.
AA collects feedback from interviews and status of candidates	Administrative Assistant and Interview Team Members	Interview team members submit their feedback into the system immediately after an interview	The system eases the AA’s work, thus contributing to job satisfaction, which is an essential concept in employee retention (Tanwar & Prasad, 2016). The company will increase its chances of retaining top talent by contributing to the efficiency of its employees and creating a comfortable work environment.
Administrative Assistant prepares offer letter based on information from recruiter and puts in the mail to the chosen candidate.	Administrative Assistant	System enables AA to prepare job offer letter by storing the offer letter template and information on each candidate; allows AA to select information to go into letter and put it into the template, which can then be reviewed and emailed to the candidate.	More efficient offer process presents positive image to applicants and decreases time needed to prepare offer letter, and enables MTC to hire in advance of the competition.

Expected Improvements

The following table summarizes what improvements are expected from the future system.

Area	Current Issues (from the Case Study)	Improvements (due to use of technology)
Collaboration:	The Hiring Manager states that recruiting is the only one area he/she is responsible for and he isn’t as responsive to HR as he could be. Therefore, he counts on the Recruiters to help manage the process and keep him informed. Current manual system causes considerable communication breakdowns and takes additional effort and time to stay on top of the hiring process.	An efficient system with all information in one place, easily accessible via a dashboard, and updated in real time could make his recruiting job easier; and he/she could devote time to effectively working collaboratively and proactively with HR on his staffing needs.
Communications: Explain how a hiring system could improve internal and external communications	With the current manual process, communication is slow and has a large room for mistakes. On the one hand, there are managers that may request information from recruiters and assistants. Because the current process is based on paperwork, it is not possible to immediately provide inquired data. On the other hand, there are candidates willing to know about their status. When an applicant emails to receive information, recruiters have to go through a chain of steps in order to get an updated status.	The system will allow the company to streamline both internal and external communications. Hiring managers will always have up-to-date information from the dashboard, while applicants will be able to monitor their status in real-time. Recruiters will not need to process papers to provide managers with relevant information because the system will contain everything needed.
Workflow: Explain how a hiring system could improve the MTC hiring process by providing a consistent structure for each participant to perform his/her part in the hiring process.	The Administrative Assistant states that their function is essential for both recruiters and hiring managers. They serve as the communication channel between various parties in the hiring process. When the number of applicants increases, the amount of paperwork for the AA rises exponentially, deteriorating the workflow consistency.	The system will aid workflow by automating tedious tasks such as identifying interview time slots and collecting feedback from interview team members. The system ensures that each member has a designed role in the hiring process. For instance, it is the responsibility of the interview team members to provide feedback, and the system ensures that they do so by notifying them about submitting.
Relationships: Explain how implementing an enterprise hiring system could foster stronger relationships with applicants/potential employees.	Building strong relationships with applicants is important for their success in the company should they be hired by. Therefore, it is important to start fostering these relationships from the start of the hiring process. Currently, the problem is that some applications may get lost due to high volumes of paperwork. Not only do such situations damage the reputation of MTC, but they also have an unfavorable impact on employer-candidate relationships.	With an efficient system, recruiters can stay responsive even when the number of applicants is high. Communication is a major part of relationship-building, and by streamlining interaction processes, MTC can construct life-long relationships with all employees and candidates. Also, upon submission of an application, a candidate’s resume will be stored in the system. Recruiters will have an opportunity to contact them once a suitable position is opened.

Requirements

Stakeholder Interests

A general picture of what should be developed must be grasped before dealing with details. Stakeholder opinions are used as the basis for more specific requirements (Ali & Lai, 2017). The stakeholder perspective is the most helpful when determining what functionality a system must support (Developing requirements, 2020). The following table provides information about the problems of the current process and how stakeholders think the system will aid in resolving those issues.

Role	Specific problem related to the current hiring process	How a technology solution to support the hiring process could address the problem
1. CEO	CEO delegates the responsibilities related to the specifics of the hiring process to the HR department. However, he is concerned with the issue of shortage of qualified consultants because of the inefficacy of current hiring methods.	CEO needs to have enough qualified personnel to be able to sell the company’s services to its clients. A technology solution would address the shortage of human resources by decreasing hiring times and reaching broader geographies in search of new talent.
2. CFO	CFO is interested in the financial implications of any process, and the current manual hiring method is not cost-efficient. It can handle less input while requiring more human effort and time.	A technology solution would increase the company’s financial viability both in a short and long-term perspective. By feeding information obtained from a hiring system into payroll and timekeeping modules, the company will be able to elevate the financial impact of the technology. In other words, fewer human resources will be required to provide payroll and timekeeping systems with the necessary information in order for a new employee to start working.
3. CIO	The manual hiring process introduces risks in terms of the security of applicants’ data. Currently, applications need to be sent from one place to another via physical mail, which creates multiple possible points of a data breach.	Centrally storing applicant information and managing the system’s security from a unified interface would reduce the risk of data theft.
4. Director of Human Resources	The current hiring process can no longer meet the growing demands of the company. As the number of contracts grows, the hiring staff faces the challenge of delivering a larger amount of qualified personnel to new projects. It is becoming impossible to fit into time constraints determined by projects’ start deadlines.	A new technology solution would assist the HR department and automate much of the routine activities. This automation would increase the efficacy of the staff and allow them to hire more people with less effort.
5. Manager of Recruiting	Manual hiring implies that there is an upper bound of how many new hires can be accommodated within a particular time period. There are no new recruiters expected to join the team, which indicates that output per unit of input must increase in order to meet the growing hiring needs of the company.	A new hiring system would help recruiters decrease hiring time by 20% and automate much of the tedious tasks.
6. Recruiters	Communications with the hiring manager and applicants are not streamlined. Recruiters need to continually contact the hiring managers to learn about the status of an application. Also, job descriptions are received via e-mail and are not stored in one central repository. Recruiters receive applications via regular mail and forward the most suitable ones to the hiring manager. This manual process is prone to human errors; for instance, a recruiter may fail to appropriately deliver an application.	Storing information in a central location would alleviate recruiters from the need to contact the hiring manager in order to update an applicant on their status. Prospective employees could continuously monitor the progress of their application through an online portal. Recruiters would not need to physically forward applications and deal with paperwork because must of the activities will be streamlined. For instance, suitable applications can be sent to the hiring manager through the information system.
7. Administrative Assistant	Interviews are scheduled by manually contacting interview team members and discussing suitable time slots. Feedback from interviewers is also collected manually, which increases the hiring time substantially.	Automatic interview scheduling and providing team members with an opportunity to submit their feedback to an online form would allow the administrative assistant to handle more applications.
8. Hiring Manager (Functional supervisor the new employee would be working for.)	Learning about the status of job openings in a respective area requires the hiring manager to contact recruiters manually.	The solution would allow the hiring manager to visit a web application dashboard and receive up-to-date information regarding job openings and application statuses.

Defining Requirements

There should be a set of specific requirements for any software. When the prospective solution is to store sensitive data, security becomes of paramount importance (Bugliesi et al., 2017). There are additional implications when an application supports access from a wide variety of devices, including mobile computers (Stiakakis et al., 2016). The following table provides several requirements for the proposed solution.

Requirement ID# only	Requirement Statement	Stakeholder (Position and Name from Case Study that identified this requirement)
	User Requirements – (What the user needs the system to do)
EXAMPLE	The system must store all information from the candidate’s application/resume in a central applicant database.	Recruiter – Peter O’Neil
1.	The system must allow recruiters to screen resumes without downloading and opening in external software.	Recruiter – Peter O’Neil
2.	The system must allow the HR staff to forward applications between each other.	Administrative Assistant – Tom Arbuckle
3.	The system must automatically schedule interviews based on interview team members’ time preferences.	Administrative Assistant – Tom Arbuckle
4.	The system must send feedback forms after each interview and notify team members about providing feedback.	Administrative Assistant – Tom Arbuckle
5.	The system must report on the status of job openings and summarize the information in the form of a chart.	Hiring Manager
	System Performance Requirements – (How the system will perform)
EXAMPLE	The system must be implemented as a Software as a Service solution.	CIO – Raj Patel
6.	The system must integrate with current payroll and timekeeping systems without additional development effort.	CFO – Evelyn Liu
7.	The system must support access from mobile devices, such as cell phones and tablets.	CIO – Raj Patel
8.	The system must be available globally and support applications that come from international human resource markets.	CIO – Raj Patel
9.	The system must have configurable access control mechanisms so that only respective personnel has access to applicants’ data.	CIO – Raj Patel
10.	The system’s mobile version must support the same security protocols as the web version to mitigate data breach.	CIO – Raj Patel

References

Ali, N., & Lai, R. (2017). A method of software requirements specification and validation for global software development. Requirements Engineering, 22(2), 191-214.

Analyzing process improvements supported by IT [Course content]. (2020). Web.

Bourgeois, D. T. (2014). Information systems for business and beyond. Saylor Academy.

Bugliesi, M., Calzavara, S., & Focardi, R. (2017). Formal methods for web security. Journal of Logical and Algebraic Methods in Programming, 87, 110-126.

Buzkan, H. (2016). The role of human resource information system (HRIS) in organizations: A review of literature. Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 5(1), 133-138. Web.

Developing requirements for an IT system [Course content]. (2020). Web.

Stiakakis, E., Georgiadis, C. K., & Andronoudi, A. (2016). Users’ perceptions about mobile security breaches. Information Systems and e-Business Management, 14(4), 857-882.

Tanwar, K., & Prasad, A. (2016). Exploring the relationship between employer branding and employee retention. Global Business Review, 17(3), 186S-206S.