Assignment: UMUC Haircuts Stage 4:  Write a short paper that includes:

I.              Introduction:  Introduce what is to come in your paper, and include the generic strategy for competitive advantage and the business process to be improved.

II.           Proposed IT Solution:  Identify the vendor and the system you selected to improve the process at UMUC Haircuts.  Explain why you selected that system over others, including how it best meets the business requirements (see Stage 2) and IT requirements (see Stage 3) of UMUC Haircuts.  Explain if/how cost was a factor in your selection.

III.         Implementation Steps:  Identify and explain the steps Myra will have to take to implement the system you have proposed.  Include:

a.    Vendor agreement – What does Myra need to do in order to be able to start using the system?  How much will it cost to use the system?

b.    Hardware and Telecommunications – What hardware will Myra need to install at UMUC Haircuts in order to implement the solutions?  What kind of telecommunications will be needed for the solution, including local connectivity inside UMUC Haircuts and Internet access?  How will she acquire the necessary hardware components and Internet access?

c.     Configuration – What options does the vendor offer for configuring the system to UMUC Haircuts’ needs?  How will the configuration be done, and by whom?

d.    Testing – How will Myra test the system to see if it is working properly for her needs?

e.    Employee preparation – What will Myra need to do to prepare her employees to use the new system?

f.     Data Migration – How will the current employee work schedules be entered into the system to get started?  How will the customer appointments that have already been made for future dates be entered?

g.    System use – Who will use the system and for what purposes?  When users have questions about how to use the system, how will they get answers?

h.    Maintenance – Who will provide updates and corrections to the system? 

IV.          Conclusion:  Close your paper with a brief summary of the entire project and what benefits Myra can expect to gain from it.