This report pinpoints the purpose and business practices identified for enhancing Baderman Island Resort and Smith Systems Consulting.
Introduction
Baderman Island Resort and Smith Systems Consulting comprise of four restaurants, three major hotels, a spa, two gift shops and a Convention Centre. It owns other business units, managed by Boardman Management Group; each of these business units is run autonomously. The business entities at Baderman Island Resort and Smith Systems Consulting started at varying times, with each having up -to-dated computer software and hardware, although major upgrades on its hardware and software have not been harmonized since they were installed.
The current word program in the company has provided a challenge in terms of operations, because, compatibility with existing hardware architecture exists. This implies that; 26 computers have been installed with XP operating system and running Microsoft XP word,38 computers have been installed with Windows 2000 and running Microsoft Word 2000 and 6 computers have been installed with Windows 98 and running Microsoft Word 97. The situation, therefore, made Baderman Island Resort and Smith Systems Consulting contemplate upgrading their word processing application or have a standard word program fit for this architecture.
Project Purpose
The key purpose of this project is; to implement an upgrade of the word program in use at Baderman Island Resort and Smith Systems Consulting. The project will implement an upgrade of word programs in all departments in the organization, to ensure standard software architecture exists i.e. computer platform that currently exists; Microsoft XP word, Microsoft Word 2000 and Microsoft Word 97 will be upgraded to facilitate uniformity and ease usage.
Business Requirement
Baderman Island Resort and Smith Systems Consulting have an outdated word application program which has affected its operations in augmenting effective day-to-day administrations and delivery of quality service. Baderman Island Resort and Smith Systems Consulting business objective entail streamlining its administrative and operational practices to achieve; reduced costs, streamlined software and architecture in all departments, improve employee training, boost confidence in internal and external communication and improve its customer satisfaction by having a word program which meets these needs (Taylor, 2004). Currently, Baderman Island Resort and Smith Systems Consulting, have an outdated word program which does not meet its business requirements. Thus, a word application which is reliable, effective and in line with its business objectives will be critical at Baderman Island Resort and Smith Systems Consulting.
Achieving Business Requirements
Baderman Island Resort and Smith Systems Consulting should consider several technological strategies to ensure the selected word program meet its business needs. In terms of; ease of use and functionality, costs associated with policy of upgrade, vendor standing, superiority of documentation, training availability for the application, ease of integration with the existing system and system security among other important requirements (Taylor, 2004). This will ensure the anticipated application performs to the intended task and eliminates the current out dated system.
Training will be an important element in meeting business requirements of Baderman Island Resort and Smith Systems Consulting attaining. The objective of proposing training strategy in relation to the upgrade will empower end users to surge efficiency and condense losses linked to the software upgrade (Cadle & Yeates, 2008). Equally, time frame will important to facilitate faster and correctness usage of the new software by users, as they were used to the old application. Training will depend on the complexity of the new application and the size of users. To ensure training meets the threshold of the organization requirement and the new upgrade; assessing user needs, training delivery process, inaugurating a training program and scaling the training program should be embraced (Martin, et al, 2000).
References List
Cadle, J. & Yeates, D. (2008). Project Management for Information Systems. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall
Martin, E. W. et al. (2000). Managing Information Technology. New Jersey: Prentice Hall
Taylor, J. (2004). Managing Information Technology Projects Applying Project Management Strategies To Software, Hardware, And Integration Initiatives. New York: American Management Association