Stage 1: Strategic Use of Technology

Posted: May 30th, 2023

Stage 1: Strategic Use of Technology

Before you begin work on this assignment, be sure you have read the Case Study on Maryland Technology Consultants (MTC). MTC is a fictional company created for IFSM 300’s Case Study. It is also recommended that you review the additional Stages (2, 3 and 4) as well as the vendor brochure provided for Stage 4. This will help you understand the overall report and potential solution.
Overview

As a business analyst in the Chief Information Officer’s (CIO’s) department of Maryland Technology Consulting (MTC), you have been assigned to conduct an analysis, develop a set of system requirements, evaluate a proposed solution, and develop an implementation plan for an IT solution (applicant tracking or hiring system) to improve the hiring process for MTC. This work will be completed in four stages, and each of these four stages will focus on one section of an overall Business Analysis and System Recommendation (BA&SR) report to be delivered to the CIO.

Section I. Strategic Use of Technology (Stage 1) – The first step is to look at the organization and explain how an IT system could be used to support MTC’s strategies and objectives and support its decision-making processes.

Section II. Process Analysis (Stage 2) – Next you will evaluate current processes and workflow and explain how MTC can use IT to improve its processes and workflow.

Section III. Requirements (Stage 3) –Then you will identify key stakeholder expectations for the new technology solution to support MTC’s hiring process and develop a set of requirements.

Section IV. System Recommendation (Stage 4) – Finally, you will review the provided Vendor brochure for a proposed applicant tracking system and explain how it meets the requirements and what needs to be done to implement the system within MTC.

The sections of the BA&SR will be developed and submitted as four staged assignments. For stages 1, 2, and 3, only the material associated with that stage will be graded. The stage 2, 3, and 4 submissions will include the stage that is due, which will be graded according to the assignment requirements and rubric criteria, as well as include all previously submitted stages with any revisions made. It is recommended that when preparing stages 2, 3, and 4, you review any feedback from previous assignments to help improve the effectiveness of your overall report and increase the likelihood of a well-written final submission. For stage 4, the complete BA&SR submission includes grading criteria for evaluating if the document is a very effective and cohesive assemblage of the four sections, is well formatted across all sections and flows smoothly from one section to the next.

Assignment – BA&SR: Introduction and Section I. Strategic Use of Technology

Write an appropriate Introduction to the entire BA&SR Report (guidelines are provided below). Section I of the BA&SR document contains an organizational analysis and identifies ways in which an information system to improve the hiring process can help MTC, the organization in the case study, meet its strategic goals and meet the information needs of various levels of management.

Using the case study, assignment instructions, Content readings, and external research, develop your Introduction and Section I. Strategic Use of Technology. To start, review the readings in Weeks 1 and 2. The case study tells you that the executives and employees at 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.

Use the outline format, headings and tables provided and follow all formatting instructions below. For Stage 1, create a title page and reference page that will be used for all 4 stages.

Apply specific information from the case study to address each area.

Introduction

Begin your report with a clear, concise, well organized introduction to explain why you are writing and what is to come in the complete BA&SR report (not just Stage 1). This should briefly set the context for MTC – business purpose, environment, and current challenges related to hiring. Then specifically provide what is to come in the full report. Keep your audience in mind – this is an internal report for the CIO of MTC. Provide an introduction in one paragraph that engages the reader’s interest in continuing to read your report.
I. Strategic Use of Technology
A. Business Strategy – In this section, you should clearly present – at a broad level – what MTC’s business strategy is (refer to case study information), then what issues the current manual hiring process may present that interfere with achieving that strategy, and how improving the hiring process will benefit MTC and support its business strategy. (Use two to three strong sentences that explain how the system would support the strategy and justify your position with specifics from the Case Study.)

B. Competitive Advantage – First, provide an overview of the competitive environment that MTC is currently operating in based on information from the case study. Then explain how and why MTC can use the new hiring system to increase its competitive advantage and help achieve its overall business strategy. Your explanation should demonstrate your understanding of what competitive advantage is as well as how improving the hiring process will help achieve MTC’s competitive advantage. Include how MTC can use the type of data or information that will be in the hiring system to improve its competitive advantage. (Paragraph of 4-5 sentences)

C. Strategic Objectives- Review the four Strategic Goals presented in the Strategic Business Plan section of the MTC Case Study. The CIO has asked you to come up with an example of an objective to help meet each goal and explain how a new hiring system would help achieve that objective. As you can see from the example provided in the table below, an objective is a statement that is clear (not vague) and is something that can be measured or evaluated to determine whether it has been met or not. An important part of setting objectives is that they are SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound). In order to evaluate whether an objective has been achieved, it’s important to be able to measure it. Consider this difference – Student wants to get a degree (non-specific and not measurable) vs. Student wants to earn a degree in Information Systems Management by May 2020. (This objective provides specific what and when.) First, insert an introductory opening sentence for this table. Then, for each of the rows listed below, complete the table with the requested information. (Provide an introductory sentence and copy the table. Create an objective for each of the 3 remaining goals and explain using 2-3 complete sentences for each.) Need first-class papers? Get Fast Essay Writers US & urgent essay writing service Ca – Note: This is not about an objective to implement a hiring system or broad business goals but rather the focus is on objectives that would be supported by the use of a technology solution to support/improve the hiring process.
Strategic Goal
(from 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
Build a cadre of consultants internationally to provide remote research and analysis support to MTC’s onsite teams in the U. S.

EXAMPLE PROVIDED – (Retain text but remove this label and gray shading in your report) 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 applicants. 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
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

D. Decision Making – In the reading, “How Information Supports Decision Making,” you were introduced to the information requirements of various levels of the organization. First, insert an introductory opening sentence for this section. Then, for each of the management roles listed below, complete the table with the appropriate level (as defined in the reading – one word is all that is required in this column), an example of a specific decision supported by the Hiring System to be made at that level, and what type of information from the hiring system would be needed to support that decision. Think about what information the hiring system could provide about applicants, etc., and then identify an example of a decision that might be made by each level of management. A decision is a choice or conclusion that the management might make about business operations or future planning. This is not about the decisions about implementing a new technology solution or about general responsibilities of each role. Example: A decision example could be stated as: CEO decides to expand MTC’s services to include cybersecurity. He can make this decision because the hiring system provides information that many applicants have the needed skills, certifications and experience to enable MTC to easily recruit IT consultants in this area. (Provide an introductory sentence then copy the table and insert information within, writing in complete sentences.)

Role Level as defined in Cours
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Sure, I can help you with that. Here is the Strategic Use of Technology section of your BA&SR report:

Introduction

Maryland Technology Consultants (MTC) is a leading IT consulting firm that provides a wide range of services to businesses of all sizes. In order to continue to grow and succeed, MTC needs to be able to attract and hire the best talent. However, the current manual hiring process is inefficient and time-consuming. This can lead to delays in filling open positions, which can hurt the company’s bottom line.

This report will explore how an information system can be used to improve the hiring process at MTC. The system will automate many of the manual tasks involved in hiring, such as screening resumes, scheduling interviews, and tracking candidates. This will free up time for recruiters to focus on more strategic tasks, such as developing relationships with potential candidates. The system will also provide recruiters with a more comprehensive view of each candidate, which will help them make better hiring decisions.

Strategic Use of Technology

MTC’s business strategy is to provide high-quality IT consulting services to businesses of all sizes. The company’s competitive advantage is its ability to quickly and efficiently deliver innovative solutions that meet the needs of its clients. In order to maintain its competitive advantage, MTC needs to be able to attract and hire the best talent.

An information system can help MTC improve its hiring process in a number of ways. First, the system can automate many of the manual tasks involved in hiring, such as screening resumes, scheduling interviews, and tracking candidates. This will free up time for recruiters to focus on more strategic tasks, such as developing relationships with potential candidates. Second, the system will provide recruiters with a more comprehensive view of each candidate, which will help them make better hiring decisions. Third, the system will help MTC to track the performance of its hiring process, which will help the company to identify areas where it can improve.

Competitive Advantage

The competitive environment in the IT consulting industry is very competitive. There are a number of large, well-established firms that compete with MTC for clients. In order to succeed in this competitive environment, MTC needs to be able to provide its clients with the best possible service. This includes being able to quickly and efficiently deliver innovative solutions that meet the needs of its clients.

An information system can help MTC to improve its competitive advantage in a number of ways. First, the system can help MTC to attract and hire the best talent. This is important because the best talent is essential for developing innovative solutions that meet the needs of clients. Second, the system can help MTC to track the performance of its hiring process. This information can be used to identify areas where MTC can improve its hiring process, which will help the company to attract and hire the best talent. Third, the system can help MTC to track the performance of its consultants. This information can be used to identify consultants who are performing well and consultants who are not performing well. This information can then be used to provide additional training to consultants who are not performing well and to reward consultants who are performing well.

Strategic Objectives

MTC has four strategic goals:

Increase business development by winning new contracts in the areas of IT consulting.
Continue to increase MTC’s ability to quickly provide high-quality consultants to awarded contracts to best serve the clients’ needs.
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.
Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of MTC’s hiring process.

An information system can help MTC to achieve all four of its strategic goals. For example, the system can help MTC to increase business development by automating the process of searching for and qualifying new clients. The system can also help MTC to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of its hiring process by automating many of the manual tasks involved in hiring.

Decision Making

An information system can help MTC to make better decisions at all levels of the organization. For example, the system can help the CEO to make decisions about the company’s strategic direction by providing information about the company’s competitive landscape and the needs of its clients. The system can also help the hiring manager to make decisions about which candidates to hire by providing information about each candidate’s skills, experience, and fit with the company’s culture.

In conclusion, an information system can help MTC to improve its hiring process in a number of ways. The system can automate many of the manual tasks involved in hiring, provide recruiters with a more comprehensive view of each candidate, and help MTC to track the performance of its hiring process. This will help MTC to attract and hire the best talent, which will help the company to achieve its strategic goals

References
Borges, A.F., Laurindo, F.J., Spínola, M.M., Gonçalves, R.F. and Mattos, C.A., 2021. The strategic use of artificial intelligence in the digital era: Systematic literature review and future research directions. International Journal of Information Management, 57, p.102225.
Palmié, M., Rüegger, S. and Parida, V., 2023. Microfoundations in the strategic management of technology and innovation: Definitions, systematic literature review, integrative framework, and research agenda. Journal of Business Research, 154, p.113351.
Tsou, H.T. and Chen, J.S., 2022. How does digital technology usage benefit firm performance? Digital transformation strategy and organisational innovation as mediators. Technology Analysis & Strategic Management, pp.1-14.