Posted: April 1st, 2015

IT Requirements for a System to Improve the Process at UMUC Haircuts

IT Requirements for a System to Improve the Process at UMUC Haircuts

For your Case Study Stage 1 assignment, you performed a Five Forces Analysis and justified Myra’s chosen strategy for competitive advantage and the 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 UMUC 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 be considered 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 UMUC Haircuts.  Researching and finding an appropriate system to improve the process at UMUC 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 UMUC 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 UMUC 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 UMUC Haircuts business.  Be sure to consider 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 NOT copy definitions into the table; use your own words to explain the term.

Example:  If the process to be improved is the method for customers to use to pay for their haircuts or salon visits, then for the requirement of Usability, the following might be entered.  Note the thorough explanation of the ranking that demonstrates an understanding of usability.
Requirement
High/Medium/Low Importance or Relevance or Not Applicable (N/A)    Explanation for Ranking
Usability     Medium    Since the customers will use a system to make their payments, it must be easy to understand and easy to use.  It would be inappropriate to require any training for customers.  If it is too complicated, customers will not use it. In addition, front desk staff should be able to easily learn the system without extensive training.  That is an entry level job with frequent turnover.so having a system that is intuitive and easy to navigate is critical. It is ranked “Medium” because it is important for any customer who chooses to use the system to be able to do so quickly, easily and intuitively.  However, it is not “High” since there are other methods of paying.

Course Resources (for Weeks 1-5)
Where to find the definitions of IT Requirements

Usability     The 7 Software “-ilities” You Need to Know  (Week3)
Maintainability     The 7 Software “-ilities” You Need to Know  (Week 3)
Scalability      The 7 Software “-ilities” You Need to Know  (Week 3)
Reliability/Availability        The 7 Software “-ilities” You Need to Know  (Week 3)
Extensibility     The 7 Software “-ilities” You Need to Know  (Week 3)
Portability    The 7 Software “-ilities” You Need to Know  (Week 3)
Security    The 7 Software “-ilities” You Need to Know  (Week 3)
Information Quality    High Quality Information, Chapter 1, Section 1.2  (Week 1)
Authentication    Chapter 5, Section 5.4 (Week 4)
Business Continuity Plan      Chapter 5, Section 5.7 (Week 4)
Cloud Computing     Chapter 2, Section 2.4  (Week 3)
Enterprise Systems (ERP, CRM, SCM)      Chapter 10 (Week 5)
Networks     Chapter 4 (Week 3)
Database, Data Warehouse, Data Mining    Chapter 3 (Week 4)
Business Intelligence    Chapter 3 (Week 4)
Transaction Processing      Chapter 2 (Week 3)
Decision Support    Chapter 2 (Week 3)
Executive Information    Chapter 2 (Week 3)
Business-to-Business eCommerce    Chapter 6 (Week 2)
Business-to-Consumer eCommerce    Chapter 6 (Week 2)

Assignment: UMUC 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.

IT Requirement
Importance/
Relevance
High,
Medium,
Low, or
Not Applicable (N/A)    Explanation for Ranking
(Write a minimum of 3 good sentences for each; both the process to be improved and the case study should be mentioned in each explanation; the data used in the process should be included in the explanation where applicable.)
1    Usability
2    Maintainability
3    Scalability
4    Reliability/ Availability
5    Extensibility
6    Portability
7    Security
8    Information Quality
9    Authentication
10    Business Continuity Plan
11    Cloud Computing
12    Enterprise Systems (ERP, CRM, SCM)
13    Communications
14    Database, Data Warehouse, Data Mining
15    Business Intelligence
16    Transaction Processing
17    Decision Support
18    Executive Information
19    Business-to-Business eCommerce
20    Business-to-Consumer eCommerce

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