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Conducting a Process Analysis

Overview

As the business analyst in the CIO’s department of Maryland Technology Consulting (MTC), your task in developing your Business Analysis and System Recommendation (BA&SR) Report is to conduct a process analysis.  This will identify how the current manual process is working and what improvements could be made to the process that would be supported by a technology solution.

Using the case study, assignment instructions, Content readings, and external research, develop your Section II. Process Analysis.   The case study tells you that the executives and employees at MTC 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.  As the stakeholders provide their needs and expectations to improve the process, identify steps that could be improved with the support of a hiring system.  Also look for examples of issues and problems that can be improved with a technology solution.

Apply specific information from the case study to address each area along with relevant supporting research.

1. Process Analysis
2. Hiring Process

At the beginning of this section, write an introductory opening sentence for this section that addresses what the complete table provides. Refer to Week 3 and 4 content on processes and analyzing process improvements.  Additional research can expand your knowledge of these areas.

The first step in analyzing the process is to document what the current process steps are and who is responsible for doing them. Therefore, the table provides the current steps in the manual hiring process provided by the case study. Remember, a process is a series of steps to perform a task; therefore, think about what the users are doing as part of the hiring process. Retain the as-is process steps provided; do not remove or revise these. Complete the second column by identifying the stakeholder responsible for this step based on the interviews in the MTC Case.

The next step is to identify how a hiring or applicant tracking system could improve each step in the process and how the business will benefit from that improvement. For each of the as-is process steps provided, complete the To-Be Process column in the table. indicating how this step in the process will be done using the hiring or applicant tracking system. For each process step, the statement should be concise and include an action verb and align with improving or replacing the current manual, as-is process step provided.  Then complete the Business Benefits of the Improved Process column by explaining how this part of the process can contribute to the overall business strategy– think at a higher level than the specific process step. Review the examples provided in the Hiring Process table. For each to-be process step, identify the result of using the system, as shown in the two examples.  While it is true that the system will speed up each step of the process, think about how MTC would benefit more strategically from using an automated system to perform that step.

Discuss MTC 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 2, you are preparing the second part of a 4-stage report. Use the structure, headings, and outline format provided here for your report.  Use the numbering/lettering in the assignment instructions as shown below.

1. Process Analysis
2. Hiring Process
3. Expected Improvements

Conducting a Process Analysis

Overview

As the business analyst in the CIO’s department of Maryland Technology Consulting (MTC), your task in developing your Business Analysis and System Recommendation (BA&SR) Report is to conduct a process analysis.  This will identify how the current manual process is working and what improvements could be made to the process that would be supported by a technology solution.

Using the case study, assignment instructions, Content readings, and external research, develop your Section II. Process Analysis.   The case study tells you that the executives and employees at MTC 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.  As the stakeholders provide their needs and expectations to improve the process, identify steps that could be improved with the support of a hiring system.  Also look for examples of issues and problems that can be improved with a technology solution.

Apply specific information from the case study to address each area along with relevant supporting research.

1. Process Analysis
2. Hiring Process

At the beginning of this section, write an introductory opening sentence for this section that addresses what the complete table provides. Refer to Week 3 and 4 content on processes and analyzing process improvements.  Additional research can expand your knowledge of these areas.

The first step in analyzing the process is to document what the current process steps are and who is responsible for doing them. Therefore, the table provides the current steps in the manual hiring process provided by the case study. Remember, a process is a series of steps to perform a task; therefore, think about what the users are doing as part of the hiring process. Retain the as-is process steps provided; do not remove or revise these. Complete the second column by identifying the stakeholder responsible for this step based on the interviews in the MTC Case.

The next step is to identify how a hiring or applicant tracking system could improve each step in the process and how the business will benefit from that improvement. For each of the as-is process steps provided, complete the To-Be Process column in the table. indicating how this step in the process will be done using the hiring or applicant tracking system. For each process step, the statement should be concise and include an action verb and align with improving or replacing the current manual, as-is process step provided.  Then complete the Business Benefits of the Improved Process column by explaining how this part of the process can contribute to the overall business strategy– think at a higher level than the specific process step. Review the examples provided in the Hiring Process table. For each to-be process step, identify the result of using the system, as shown in the two examples.  While it is true that the system will speed up each step of the process, think about how MTC would benefit more strategically from using an automated system to perform that step.

Discuss MTC 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 2, you are preparing the second part of a 4-stage report. Use the structure, headings, and outline format provided here for your report.  Use the numbering/lettering in the assignment instructions as shown below.

1. Process Analysis
2. Hiring Process
3. Expected Improvements