Cit 420 final

1

Lenyard_CIT-420_Final

CIT-420 Business Analysis Get Off Your Dime Information System By: Tacey Lenyard

2

Lenyard_CIT-420_Final

Table of Contents Introduction……….……………………………………………….Page 3 Management Summary…………………………………………….Page 4 Description of the current situation……….………………………Page 5 Analysis of Costs and Benefits…….……………………………….Page 5-6 Impact Assessment………………………………………………….Page 6 Risk Assessment……………………………………………………..Page 7 Recommendations…………………………………………………..Page 7-8 Feasibility Assessment……………………………...……………….Page 8 Appendix 1 (Domain Model)...…………………………………......Page 9 Appendix 2 (Three Use Cases)…………………..…………………Page 10 Appendix 3 (Activity Diagram 1)…………………………………Page 11 Appendix 4 (Activity Diagram 2)…………………………..Page 12 Appendix 5 (Activity Diagram 3)………………………………Page 13

3

Lenyard_CIT-420_Final

Introduction Overview Get Off Your Dime (GOYD) services provides training events for financial and small business education for the past 5 years. These events are held in a wide variety of locations throughout the United States and throughout the year. Up until this point, all of the services have been managed with manual processes. Over the course of the last few years attendance and the scope of events has grown over 30%, year over year, with the projected attendance numbers to be three times as many as there are in the current year. This is why GOYD has been prompted to move the management of these events over to a database application to increase the efficiency of the events, the people, and the processes used to support the business.

Scope The Event Management database will increase efficiency in the management of events by integrating pre-existing information and new information modifications into one localized are which can be accessed by anyone with knowledge of the system. Event providers will now be able to successfully analyze previous events for forecasting as well. The initial scope will be to have a complete design of the event management database system which will include all previous statements in regards to the scope, as well as tables, forms and queries for contacts, event, and seminar capabilities. The scope of subsequent releases will include to add funding capabilities as well as potential new data.

Objectives •

To allow an increase in volume of attendees, vendors, and exhibitors to be managed more efficiently.

•

To allow for future expansion in capability for event management.

•

To allow for easier analysis of past event activity for new event forecasting.

•

To make volunteers, vendors, attendees, venue contacts, exhibitors and caterers all reusable relationships.

•

An organized structure and database of pre-existing files and contacts.

•

To implement more effective course scheduling.

•

To create advanced registration process.

4 •

Lenyard_CIT-420_Final

To be able to use the system for automated mailings.

Management Summary The Get Off Your Dime new event management database system is being proposed

because of the current state of the process to manage an event and the people involved with the event. As of right now the business processes are managed manually. The event company has been looking for ways to target funding support from both private and grant sources and believes that this could be accomplished through the implementation of a new event management database. The current system is done by team members using email and Microsoft office products, and no information tracking is present in the current system.

The only two options at this point are to continue to support the business processes manually, or to implement the new event management database system. The principal advantage to continuing to support the business processes manually are that the initial cost of the event management database system will not be present. However, based on information given the cost in human resources and an increase in errors will persist. The disadvantages to building a new event management database system are: 1). Initial cost, 2).Support needs to be present for the system, 3). Time will need to be spent on modelling the processes and so staff may be unavailable for certain periods of time during their work day. The initial cost will be more in dollars initially now, but the return on investment will be greater since it is an assumption that once business processes are outlined clearly, staff is trained properly, and usability testing is done, this new event management database system will reduce the amount of human resources necessary to perform certain tasks within the business and it will reduce the amount of errors that occur during the facilitation of an event as well as managing the contact information of all necessary parties.

The recommendation for Get Off Your Dime is to implement the new event management database because it will create a vault of information as it relates to the business. This will include vendor contacts, venue contacts, attendee contacts, payments made, as well as analysis capabilities. This will allow all of the information in regards to the event management and facilitation to be housed in one localized area that all users if the system can find and access.

5

Lenyard_CIT-420_Final

Description of the Current Situation The current situation at Get Off Your Dime, as it applies to event management is that all processes are being done manually which involves increased amounts of human resources, errors in execution, and duplication of information. Team members are currently supporting business processes through email and Microsoft programs. There are some areas of opportunity in regards to reducing errors, increasing successful execution, automating certain processes as well as increasing the amount of funding available to facilitate an event. Correction of certain processes, staff training, and automation through the use of a newly implemented event management database system would cure some of these issues.

Options Considered Option 1: Continue to support business processes manually – REJECTED Option 2: Purchase an out of the box software – REJECTED Option 3: Implement a new event management database system – APPROVED Option 4: Train current and new employees on the new event management database system – APPROVED Summary: Option 1 was rejected based off of the fact that there are a substantial amount of errors that are occurring now in regards to event facilitation. Option 2 was rejected because Get Off Your Dime needs a database system that has characteristics that are specific to the business.

Analysis of Costs and Benefits Benefits •

Automation of business processes

•

One localized database for all information, accessible to all employees and executives.

•

Ability to maintain vision and scope after projected increase in attendance.

•

Usage scenarios will be simple and straight forward to use.

•

High user acceptance.

•

Less human resources needed.

•

Increase in the quality of events.

6

Lenyard_CIT-420_Final

•

Increase in event scheduling.

•

Increase in effectiveness of registration.

•

Targeted funding capabilities in regards to public and private funding.

Costs Tangible

Intangible

Immediate • Development staff costs.

• User staff costs.

• Software costs.

• Staff training and retraining.

• System maintenance.

• Disruption and loss of productivity.

• Recruitment.

Long-Term • Less human resources needed.

• Decrease in errors in facilitating events.

• More efficient registration process.

• • •

• • •

Increased job satisfaction.

Improved attendee satisfaction.

Greater capability to accept an increased amount of attendees at any one event.

Increased event analysis capabilities.

A better market image.

Better internal/external communication.

Impact Analysis Some of the areas that may be impacted by the implementation of a new event management database system are: 1). Organizational structure - Over the course of the planning stages, the domain model will need to be established as well as job description and definition.

2). Interdepartmental relations - These may change due to the fact that once the database system is implemented, the different departments may need to be defined and communicated in regards to business process.

7

Lenyard_CIT-420_Final

3). Supplier relations – These may be changed or at the very least redefined, based on the needs of the company after the implementation of the new database system as it applies to support and maintenance of the system.

Risk Assessment Description The risk in regards to implementing the new database system is that if we do not do it, is that the management of the events will require more human resources, a high cost as a result of those resources, a decay in quality events, and increases in mistakes in the execution of events.

Impact Assessment If we decide not to take on this project and implement the new database system, we run the risk of seeing a decrease in attendance of events. This would be caused by the increase in errors associated with event facilitation and contact management. We will also see an increase in the number of errors since the staff is supporting these business processes manually. We would not see future expansion, and would not be able to increase the amount of public and private funding received to facilitate these events.

Recommendations The recommendation is to complete the implementation of the new event management database system by March 1, 2014.

Feasibility of the Project This project is feasible for the business because it matches so closely with the business strategies that are highlighted in this document. Based off of the proven information given in regards to increased attendance of events and increase in the scope of the events, the system can be implemented effectively. The database system can be implemented within the physical infrastructure of the organization and could be done in waves, with the initial release being

8

Lenyard_CIT-420_Final

released on one machine. We could implement the database system one process at a time. It is a cultural and organizational fit because it is needed to support business process and will provide some stabilization and localization to the pre-existing information as well as new information that is added to the system.

Appendix 1 (Domain Model)

9

Lenyard_CIT-420_Final

10

Lenyard_CIT-420_Final

Appendix 2 (3 Use Cases)

11

Lenyard_CIT-420_Final

Appendix 3 (Event Registration Activity Diagram)

12

Lenyard_CIT-420_Final

Appendix 4 (Add a contact Activity Diagram)

13

Lenyard_CIT-420_Final

Appendix 5 (Venue Selection Activity Diagram)