Overview of IT Solution and Next Steps for UMUC Haircuts
Stage 1: you performed a Five Forces Analysis and justified Myra's chosen generic strategy for competitive advantage and the business process that she would like to improve through the application of technology.
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 identified the IT requirements by evaluating their applicability and importance in a new system to be implemented to improve the identified business process for UMUC Haircuts.
Following your analysis of the business environment and the business and IT requirements, Myra Morningstar has decided to move ahead and implement an IT solution. She has asked you to identify an IT solution and explain what the steps would be to implement it.
Since UMUC Haircuts is a small business, Myra should take advantage of a Software as a Service (SaaS), or a cloud-based system, that has already been developed and is maintained and operated by a vendor. You should do some research and find a vendor-provided solution that will support the process that is being improved. Refer to the process model and your Stage 2 inputs, processing, and outputs that define the business requirements; and refer to your Stage 3 IT requirements as you select an appropriate solution. Consider the cost of the solution as you make your choice, so that your recommended solution will be affordable for Myra.
you will prepare a short paper explaining your proposed IT solution and the next steps in the implementation of that solution. The next steps will include everything that Myra needs to do, from getting a subscription to the software (or otherwise arranging to use it), to purchasing hardware, to preparing employees and implementing the system. The specific steps and how they are accomplished will be different for different system solutions.
Assignment: UMUC Haircuts Stage 4: Write a short paper that includes:
I. Introduction: Introduce what is to come in your paper, and include the generic strategy for competitive advantage and the business process to be improved.
II. Proposed IT Solution: Identify the vendor and the system you selected to improve the process at UMUC Haircuts. Explain why you selected that system over others, including how it best meets the business requirements (see Stage 2) and IT requirements (see Stage 3) of UMUC Haircuts. Explain if/how cost was a factor in your selection.
III. Implementation Steps: Identify and explain the steps Myra will have to take to implement the system you have proposed. Include:
a. Vendor agreement - What does Myra need to do in order to be able to start using the system? How much will it cost to use the system?
b. Hardware and Telecommunications - What hardware will Myra need to install at UMUC Haircuts in order to implement the solutions? What
kind of telecommunications will be needed for the solution, including local connectivity inside UMUC Haircuts and Internet access? How will she
acquire the necessary hardware components and Internet access?
c. Configuration - What options does the vendor offer for configuring the system to UMUC Haircuts' needs? How will the configuration be done,
and by whom?
d. Testing - How will Myra test the system to see if it is working properly for her needs?
e. Employee preparation - What will Myra need to do to prepare her employees to use the new system?
f. Data Migration - How will the current employee work schedules be entered into the system to get started? How will the customer
appointments that have already been made for future dates be entered?
g. System use - Who will use the system and for what purposes? When users have questions about how to use the system, how will they get
answers?
h. Maintenance - Who will provide updates and corrections to the system?
IV. Conclusion: Close your paper with a brief summary of the entire project and what benefits Myra can expect to gain from it.