QUESTION 1 "what initial research should be carried out?
"
1. Assessing the current HR systems and processes to identify the areas where
improvements are required.
2. Investigating the options for integrating the new vacancy and recruitment system (VARS)
and personal assets management system (PAMS) with the existing core HR system.
3. Examining the cost and feasibility of upgrading the core HR system to the latest software
version.
4. Determining the capability of the in-house development team to deliver the PAMS project
using Agile methodology.
5. Assessing the potential impact of the new systems on existing reporting functionality.
6. Evaluating the potential cost and time implications of the project, including the cost of
upgrading the core HR system, consultancy fees, and the impact on overall licencing
costs.
QUESTION 2: "What upskilling will you need to do as a BA and how
will you go about it"
As a Business Analyst (BA) in this scenario, the upskilling that may be required is in the areas of
technology integration, project management (Agile methodology), and data management. To go
about upskilling, the BA can attend training programs or workshops in these areas, network with
colleagues in similar positions, or take online courses to acquire the necessary skills.
Additionally, the BA can seek guidance and support from senior colleagues and take on more
challenging projects to gain hands-on experience.
QUESTION 3: Problem Statement:
"The Large Company Limited" is facing challenges in improving its efficiency and
competitiveness by rapidly innovating with technology. The CEO of the company expects to save
£25k pa through improved recruitment and retention of staff and £10k pa by reducing downtime.
The HR Director wants to improve recruitment processes, allocation and recovery of equipment,
and overall customer experience. The HR support team is overwhelmed with requests for
updates to HR systems and requests for personal assets. The core HR system is over a decade
old, two versions behind the most recent release, and connected to disparate internal systems
with little or no integration, resulting in poor customer experience. Data duplication across the
business functions causes inefficiencies and communication errors. The company wants to
procure and connect two new systems, VARS and PAMS, to the existing core system without
impacting existing reporting functionality. However, the existing HR system requires an upgrade
at a cost of £33k, and the in-house development team lacks experience in delivering Agile
projects.
QUESTION 4 Identify all potential stakeholders
1. The Large Company Limited
2. CEO (Mary Fergus)
3. HR Director (Frank Olsen)
4. HR support team
5. Recruiting managers
6. Staff
7. Existing supplier of the HR system
8. In-house development team
QUESTION 5: Investigative techniques for each of the stakeholders
1. CEO Mary Fergus:
Interview: A one-on-one interview with the CEO would be a good way to understand their
specific concerns and priorities for the project. This will give a clear understanding of
what the CEO is expecting from the project and what their key objectives are.
2. HR Director Frank Olsen:
Interview: A one-on-one interview with the HR Director would provide an understanding of
the HR Director's priorities and specific requirements for the project. This will give a clear
understanding of what the HR Director is expecting from the project and what their key
objectives are.
3. HR Support Team:
Focus Group: A focus group with the HR support team would provide a collective view of
their challenges and opportunities. This will help to understand the HR support team's
view of the HR systems they use, what they like and dislike, and what they would like to
see in a new system.
4. Recruiting Managers:
Interview: A one-on-one interview with recruiting managers would provide a clear
understanding of their requirements for the recruitment process. This will help to
understand what they would like to see in a new recruitment system and how they would
like it to be integrated with the HR system.
5. Staff:
Surveys: A survey would be a good way to get a collective view of the staff's
requirements. This will help to understand what the staff would like to see in a new HR
system and what changes they would like to see in the recruitment process.
QUESTION 6: Options and
recommendation/Benefits/Risks/Assumptions/ Financial costs
and benefits over a three year period for the VARs using payback
Options and Recommendation:.
Option 1: VARS system through existing HR system supplier
The existing supplier of the HR system has an add-on component that fully integrates with the
core HR system but the core HR system would need to be upgraded to the latest software. The
cost of the upgrade would be a one-off cost of £33k and the licensing costs of the add-on
component license would increase overall licensing costs by £20k pa after year 1, additionally
there would be 20 days consultancy at a cost of £1500 per day required. Internal costs would not
be charged back to the project.
Option 2: PAMS system through in-house development using Agile methodology
The company would develop the PAMS system in-house using Agile methodology to deliver the
project.
The recommendation is to proceed with Option 1, the VARS system through the existing HR
system supplier. This option offers the advantage of fully integrating with the existing core HR
system, thereby reducing the risk of disrupting existing reporting functionality. Additionally, the
cost of upgrading the core HR system is a one-off cost, and the licensing costs of the add-on
component license would increase overall licensing costs by £20k pa after year 1, which is lower
than in-house development.
Benefits:
Improved recruitment and greater retention of staff, leading to savings of £25k pa.
Reduced downtime caused by staff waiting for equipment and missing equipment,
leading to savings of £10k pa.
Improved overall customer experience through innovative management of people.
Improved recruitment processes and allocation and recovery of equipment including
uniforms and IT kit such as devices.
Integration of recruitment activities into the HR system, reducing manual effort and
errors.
Quicker reflection of salary changes in monthly pay and better availability of equipment
for staff.
Reduction of duplication of information across business functions and more efficient
data collection and communication.
Improved reporting across the organization relating to people including regulatory and
financial reporting.
Risks:
The cost of upgrading the core HR system to the latest software may increase if
additional costs are incurred during the upgrade process.
The 20 days consultancy required may take longer than expected, affecting project
timeline and increasing costs.
The in-house development team may not have the required skills and experience to
deliver the PAMS system successfully, affecting project quality and timeline.
The VARS system may not fully integrate with the existing core HR system as expected,
leading to disruptions in existing reporting functionality.
The licensing costs of the add-on component license may increase after year 1, affecting
the overall costs of the project.
Assumptions:
The VARS system will integrate with the core HR system as expected.
The in-house development team will have the required skills and experience to deliver the
PAMS system successfully.
The 20 days consultancy required will be completed within the required timeframe and
budget.
The licensing costs of the add-on component license will not increase after year 1.
The cost of upgrading the core HR system to the latest software will not increase beyond
the expected £33k.
Financial costs and benefits over a three year period for the VARs using payback:
To assess the financial costs and benefits over a three year period for the VARs using payback,
we need to compare the costs of the project with the benefits it will generate over a three year
period. The payback period is calculated as the time it takes for the benefits to exceed the costs
of the project.
Costs:
Upgrade cost for the core HR system: £33,000
Licensing costs for the add-on component: £20,000 pa after year 1
20 days of consultancy at £1500 per day: £30,000
Benefits:
Improved recruitment and greater retention of staff resulting in savings of £25,000 pa
Reduced downtime and savings of £10,000 pa
The total costs over three years would be £33,000 + (3 x £20,000) + £30,000 = £123,000
The total benefits over three years would be 3 x (£25,000 + £10,000) = £90,000
The payback period can be calculated as follows:
Payback period = costs / benefits
Payback period = £123,000 / £90,000
Payback period = 1.36 years
This means that after 1.36 years, the benefits of the VARs project will have exceeded the costs.
This indicates that the project is economically viable and has a positive return on investment
(ROI).
QUESTION 7: Write 4 high level user stories and associated
acceptance criteria to the extent that you can given the
information you have available.
1. User Story: As a recruitment manager, I want to have an integrated recruitment process
so that I can save time and effort in updating HR systems after a vacancy is filled.
Acceptance Criteria:
The recruitment process is seamlessly integrated into the HR system
All details recorded during the recruitment process are automatically transferred to the
HR system
The HR system is updated in real-time as soon as the recruitment process is completed
The recruitment manager can view a record of all recruitment activities in the HR system
2. User Story: As an HR support team member, I want a Personal Assets Management
System (PAMS) to streamline the management of employee assets and requests.
Acceptance Criteria:
The PAMS is easily accessible to HR support team members
All requests for updates to HR systems and personal assets are centralized in the PAMS
Data is only entered into the PAMS once, reducing errors and inefficiencies
The HR support team can quickly and easily update the status of requests in the PAMS
3. User Story: As an employee, I want my salary changes to be reflected in my monthly pay
promptly.
Acceptance Criteria:
The HR system is updated in real-time to reflect any changes to an employee's salary
The updated salary information is reflected in the employee's monthly pay
The employee can view their updated salary information in the HR system
4. User Story: As a staff member, I want to have access to my equipment when I need it.
Acceptance Criteria:
The Personal Assets Management System (PAMS) tracks the allocation and recovery of
equipment
The staff member can view the availability of equipment in the PAMS
The PAMS allows staff members to request equipment and tracks the status of requests
The staff member receives their requested equipment in a timely manner.
QUESTION 8: Write 4 non-functional requirements and associated
acceptance criteria to the
extent that you can given the information you have available.
Usability Non-Functional Requirement: The new HR systems must be user-friendly and easy to
navigate.
1. Acceptance Criteria:
The HR systems should have a clean and intuitive user interface that minimizes the need
for user training.
Users should be able to access all relevant information with minimal clicks and steps.
The HR systems should be accessible through multiple platforms and devices.
Users should be able to perform their tasks without encountering any technical
difficulties.
Performance Non-Functional Requirement: The new HR systems must have high performance
standards.
2. Acceptance Criteria:
The HR systems should have a response time of less than 3 seconds for most actions.
The HR systems should have a capacity to handle a large volume of data and
transactions.
The HR systems should be scalable and easily adaptable to changes in business needs.
The HR systems should be able to run smoothly without any technical disruptions or
downtime.
Security Non-Functional Requirement: The new HR systems must have robust security features.
3. Acceptance Criteria:
The HR systems should have multi-layered security protocols, including user
authentication and encryption.
The HR systems should comply with all relevant data protection and privacy regulations.
User access should be restricted to the least privilege necessary to perform their job
functions.
The HR systems should have a robust backup and disaster recovery plan in place.
Integration Non-Functional Requirement: The new HR systems must integrate smoothly with the
existing core HR system.
4. Acceptance Criteria:
The HR systems should be able to exchange data with the core HR system in real-time.
The HR systems should be able to generate reports that are compatible with the existing
reporting functionality.
The integration process should be seamless and should not disrupt any existing
processes.
The HR systems should be able to access relevant data from the core HR system when
required
