Task Management: Sports-Qits


Table of Contents


Task 1: Aims of the Business, Information System Requirements and Constraints  3


A.        Aims of the Business. 3


B.        Information System Requirements. 4


C.        Constraints. 6


Task 2: Project Plan.. 7


A.        Start-up/Initiation Stage. 7


B.        Development Stage. 7


Stage 1 – The Problem Unstructured Stage. 7


Stage 2 – The Problematic Situation Expressed. 8


Stage 3 – Root Definition.. 10


Stage 4 – Conceptual Models. 12


Stage 5 – Identification of Feasible and Desirable Change. 13


C.        Resources and Timescales. 14


D.        Project Controls. 14


a.     End Stage Assessments. 14


b.     Project Closure. 14


c.     Change/Issue Management 14


Task 3: Leadership Style: Decision-making and Problem Solving. 15


A.        Authoritarian or Autocratic Leadership Style. 16


B.        Participative or the democratic leadership style. 17


C.        Delegative or the free-reign leadership styles. 18


D.        Decision-making and Problem Solving in Sports-Qits. 18


Task 4: Communication Process: Mentoring and Coaching. 19


A.        Communication.. 20


B.        Coaching. 22


C.        Mentoring. 23


References. 26


Appendices. 27


Appendix A: Rich Picture of the Sports-Qits System 27


Appendix B: Budget and Time Allocation of Sports-Qits Project Plan.. 28


Table of Figures


Figure 1 Three Types of Leadership. 16


Table of Tables


Table 1 CATWOE Analysis: Company Website. 10


Table 2 CATWOE Analysis: Sales System 11


Table 3 CATWOE Analysis: Inventory System 12


 


 


 


Task 1: Aims of the Business, Information System Requirements and Constraints


  • Aims of the Business

  • Due to the growing demand of their customer as well as the management itself in terms of services and product offering of the business, the company had started to plan to implement their own Information System or IS that will cater to the different demands and transactions of the company with regards to the marketing aspects as well as sales with connection to the customer relationship strategies of the company. The objectives and aims of the company are:


  • To develop the quality of their services as well as product in order to meet the standards and preferences of the customers that will enables them to gain the loyalty of their customers, and eventually maintain their position in the market;

  • To link and connect different information and data that will be gathering by the company in the different aspects of the business such as the different transactions in sales, orders as well as the marketing.;

  • To facilitate error-free transactions by reducing the human intervention to the different data handling of the company;

  • To reduce the workload of the employees; and

  • To ready the company for future development such as expansion.

  •  


  • Information System Requirements

  • The current manual system of the company has many faults or error that makes the transactions of the company difficult both for the management and the customers. In addition to that, the errors of the transactions are causing different significant problems to the employees of the company that eventually affects the image of the company to their customers.


    The problem of the company focuses on the inability of the system to gather and save the real-time demand of their customers as well as to process the said information and data in order to deliver the specific demand of the customers. In addition to that, the company doesn’t have a real-time connection with their customers that makes it hard for the customers to reach for them. The said problem can be solved with the help of the Internet. The Internet can be considered as one of the most phenomenal tools and strategies that are used by different sectors in order to maintain their position in the market in the entire history of the world. It is considered as the most helpful medium for different businesses to interact with their customers in order to know their demands and preferences and used it in order to gain competitive advantage as well as to maintain their position in the market.


    Online selling or e-commerce will be a great help for the company, the Internet cannot only just considered as a selling tool but also a tool that is useful for promotion, customer support, cost control, employment, procurement, interactions and other important functions and aspects in the company (Caroll & Broadhead 2001, p. 1).


    E-commerce or the online selling will help the company; this is due to the fact that the number or the rates of the people who are buying online is growing. According to the study by the Forrester Research for the Shop.org, in New York, the online spending of the people had raised from 4.5 billion in 2007 to 4 billion in 2008 (CNNMoney.com 2008).


    That is the reason why e-commerce is considered as one of the most important and most used strategies in terms of selling.


    The overall system of the company will handle the most important aspects or transactions of the company: the order, the delivery, the payment, the marketing process as well as the customer support or customer service.


    The order system will handle all the information regarding the orders or the requests of the customers. The said system will be deployed in the Internet in order for the customer to order their needs anytime of the day. The data and information that will be gathered from the said system will be linked and useful for the delivery system. The payment system will handle the most important information and data because it will pertain to the in-flow of money from the customers to the company.


    The most important problem of the company is their lack of real-time communication with their customers. The said system will enable the company to get connected as well as to answer the different needed information that will help their customers.


    The website of the company will handle the important information of the company such as their history, the list of the products as well as the different important information about the company and their objectives.


  • Constraints

  • One of the primary constraints in application of IS for the Sports-Qits is the needs for a high initial capital. This is due to the fact that there are several machines and gadgets as well as software and man power that are needed in order to plan, implement and maintain their IS.


    In addition to that, due to the fact that the company had been suffering from the different errors and problems that causing their customers to complain about their services, the company doesn’t have that much time in order to implement their system in order to correct their wrong. Time will be one of the most important aspects in the overall task management.


    Another important thing is that the company is planning for their national expansion, where in they are planning to branch out in other places. This might affect the priority of the company. It means that the attention of the upper management can be divided from the planning of their IS and their expansion. In addition to that, it can also affect the budget allocation of the company.


    Money, time and priority are three of the most important factors that might affect the overall development of the system. This is due to the fact that lack or excess of these might cause the plan to be unsuccessful. It can affect the quality or the functionality of the overall system.


    Task 2: Project Plan


  • Start-up/Initiation Stage

  • In this stage, the main activities of the project management team will undertake the following:


  • Familiarization and adaptation with the current background documentation;

  • Producing a Project Initiation Document or PID for the project;

  • Gaining the approval and support of the Sports-Qits management for the PID.

  • Development Stage

  • In this stage, the team will focus on the different problematic area of the company and then used all of the said information in order to create a new relationship as well as new flow of data that will be helpful in developing the new system. The soft system methodology will be used.


    Stage 1 – The Problem Unstructured Stage


                In this stage, the team will deal with the different problems of Sports-Qits that serves as a source of the different errors that are encountered by the company. This stage will focus on the problematic situation alone such as the problems in storing the information and data about the orders of the customers, late deliveries and low quality of products, the communication gap between the company and the customers and the discrepancy between the data from different transaction of the company.


    Stage 2 – The Problematic Situation Expressed


                During this stage the team will conduct different interview and survey in order for them to know more about the problems of the company as well as to know about the details of the sources or the reasons about the problems. Observation and survey method will be used.


                The team will focus on the perspective of the employees of the company because they will become the future end-user of the system.


                The rich picture of the current system of the company shows the 6 major problems which the company is facing (see Appendix A). All of the said problems are connected to the communication and relationship of the company to their customers. It is important due to the fact that it can affect the loyalty as well as the position of the company in the market.


                The first problem is the ordering process or transaction between the customers and the administration and finance department. Because the current system of the company is manual and in great need of human intervention, it causes too much error. In addition to that, the said error can cause a domino effect to the other department of the company such as the delivery of the company. The said problem causes the company to deliver wrong product to the customer or right product to the wrong customer. It also causes the company to deliver their product in late manner.


                The delivery and inventory of the company is also one of the most improperly manage aspects of the company. The customers are already complaining about the wrong delivery as well as low-quality or standard of the product that the company is selling. It means that the company is not implementing their quality control in their warehouses.


                The company is also having a problem in issuing their invoice to their customers. That is why it can affect the payment of the customers to the company. More often than not, customers are paying their bills in late manners that can last up to six months. The said problem is happening because the company has no ability to monitor the bill of their customers.


                One of the most important problems of the company is their marketing strategies and customer services. The company is currently using the old fashioned way of marketing method which is the leaflets in order to inform their old customers as well as their target or prospect customers. The said method is costly due to the fact that it must be done again and again. With accordance to the customer service of the company, the information about them is not available for the customers or if there is an available it is limited. The leaflets of the company don’t give enough information for their customers to know such as their offerings as well as the price list of their product. Another important thing is that the company doesn’t have a department that will handle the enquiry of their customers anytime. The customer service of the company is only available during office hours.


    Stage 3 – Root Definition


                In this stage, the related system will be made. This is to develop a system that will handle the different aspects or subsystem that will target the different problems. The related systems are the: company website, sales system and the inventory system.


    Table 1 CATWOE Analysis: Company Website



    This system will handle the problem of the company in terms of its communication and relationship with the customers. The website will handle information about the company such us the history, mission, vision and goals. It will also contain information about the offerings of the company, together with the price. In addition to that, it will also serve as a replacement for their marketing approach via the use of leaflets.


    Table 2 CATWOE Analysis: Sales System


     



    This system will handle the problem of the company in terms of the product and money flow. Furthermore, the said system will handle the problem of the company in terms of their order transactions where in the customers are complaining about the services such as late deliveries and wrong deliveries.


    In terms of payment, it will help the company to monitor the payment of the customers, so that they will be able to collect the payment at the right time.


     


     


     


     


    Table 3 CATWOE Analysis: Inventory System


     


                


    This system will handle the problem of the company about the product that they are delivering to their customers. By doing this, the company will be able to monitor the quality of their product that are entering and leaving their stock room. 


    Stage 4 – Conceptual Models


                All of the said systems are continuous process. It will all start from gathering different information and data such as the history of the company as well as the product and price list, the data and money flow, as well as the standard and protocol of the company towards their quality control. All of the said data and information will be transformed in order to be used in the electronic media or the computerized system. The information about the company will be used in order to create a website that will show the characteristics as well as the culture and values of the company. It will be showed to the customers in order to catch their attention. Maintenance is needed in order to ensure that the design as well as the features of the website will follow the changes in the company as well as the innovation in technology.


                The data and money flow information of the company will be gathered in order to apply into the logical design of the sales system. It is to ensure that the system will be following the current and the applied business rule of the company. Maintenance will be needed in order to cater to the future enhancements of the system.


                The quality control procedure and protocol will be needed in order to follow the standard of the company in terms of the quality of the product. The said system will serve as an aid for the checker in order to make sure that the product that will enter and leave the stock room had passed the protocol of the company. Maintenance is also needed in order to give way for future enhancements.


    Stage 5 – Identification of Feasible and Desirable Change


                The company will be facing different changes after the application of the system. First is the change in the structure of the company, change is the procedure as well as the roles of the employees.


                The structure of the company will follow the flow of the system. It means that the company will build or establish separate departments for each and every system.


                The role and the procedure will also follow the specification and the flow of data and information of the system.


  • Resources and Timescales

  • See Appendix B for details


  • Project Controls
  • End Stage Assessments


  • End stage assessments will be carried out at the end of each stage. It will be supported by the different deliverables or output of the each stage.


  • Project Closure

  • Project closure will be provided at the end of the project. It will show the different important information about the development, different stages, events and effects of the project.


    It is a complete report or document that will show the characteristics as well as the whole process of the project.


  • Change/Issue Management

  • All of the issue as well as changes that will be encountered during the project will be recorded in the Issue Log. The project manager or leader must make sure that all of the issues or the changes that will be encountered by the project will be solved in appropriate and timely manner.


    Task 3: Leadership Style: Decision-making and Problem Solving


                Problem solving and decision-making are two of the most important skills and ability that must be acquired by the leaders. The decision-making process is depend on the situation, the different leadership styles, the type of the personality of the members and the leaders as well as the communication style that is being implemented inside the company (Ricketts 2003, p. 325).


                According to the U.S. Army Handbook (1973), the leadership style can be defined as the manner as well as approach of endowing with the directions as well as executing different plans and agendas as well as a great approach in inspiring the people (cited in Clark 1997). In addition to that, there are three main styles that are defined in the said handbook: the authoritarian or the autocratic leadership style; the participative or the democratic leadership style; and the delegative or the free-reign leadership styles (Clark 1997). Figure 1 shows the three leadership styles and its differences in terms of the focus in the power and the emphasis.


      


     


    Figure 1 Three Types of Leadership


     



    Adopted from: (Clark 1997)


  • Authoritarian or Autocratic Leadership Style

  • In this type of leadership, the leader keeps hold of a great deal of authority and power that include the process of decision-making as well as giving instructions to the subordinates (Certo 2005, p. 198).


    This type of leadership has four main important characteristics: first is that the leader makes all the significant decisions; second is that the leader is more focus with the accomplishments of the task or the project and not in the contentment of approval of his or her subordinates; third is that the leader keeps a considerable social distance from his or her subordinates; and fourth is that motivations are being driven by means of punishments rather than rewards (Goethals & Jones 2004, p. 68)   


    After the decision had been made by the leader, the group or the subordinate will be inform about the reason behind the decision. The said leadership style may be effective if: there is no enough time to consult or ask the subordinates about the plan of the leaders; there is no enough information that are available for the leader to make the decision; the subordinates is willing to accept as well as put into practice the independent decision of the leader; and the subordinates doesn’t have the capability to make the decision (Ricketts 2003, p. 324).


  • Participative or the democratic leadership style

  • In this type of leadership, the leader permits the subordinates to participate in the decision-making process of the company as well as the problem solving activities (Certo 2005, p. 198). The leader has already a tentative decision or solution in mind but goes to his or her subordinate in order to ask for their opinions and suggestions. The leader is open for any change regarding his or her solution or decision based on the inputs from the subordinates (Ricketts 2003, p. 324).


    The said leadership style is applicable if: the leader has enough time in order to include the participation of the members of the group or the subordinate; if the leader doesn’t have enough information regarding the different aspects of the problem to be solved; if the subordinate will reject a decision if there is a little or no input at all coming from them; and if the group is capable and willing to participate and be directly affected by the decision that will be made (Ricketts 2003, p. 324).


  • Delegative or the free-reign leadership styles

  • This type of leadership is also called as the laissaz-faire leadership. It permits the subordinates to decide about what they want. The leaders are not directly involved in the decision-making and problem solving process; instead, they allow the subordinates to decide on their own (Certo 2005, p. 198).


    The said leadership style may be successful or applicable if: there is plenty of time for the decision making process; the leader has a little or no information at all, about the problematic areas or aspects; the subordinate has their different input or contribution in the decision-making process; and if the level of the ability and skills of the group is outstanding (Ricketts 2003, p. 324).


  • Decision-making and Problem Solving in Sports-Qits

  •             The different leadership styles can help the management of the Sports-Qits to face the different problems and do some necessary decision-making in the entire project management of the company. A problem arises when there is difference between what is actually happening and what the individual or the group wants to happen (Ricketts 2003, p. 325).


                In terms of the company, the application of online and computerized system can create some negative reaction from the current employees of the company. The said plan of the company can be considered as part of the biggest change of the company, and an appropriate change management is needed in order to control the reaction and the action of the employees. This is due to the fact that employees might feel reluctant and might refuse to the said change.


                The reaction of the employees regarding change is important because, if they are not into the right mood, there is a big possibility that the system might be used improperly.


                With accordance to the situation of the company, in terms of the decision in centralization or the computerization of their system, the autocratic style of leadership might be used. This is due to the fact that there is no enough time, in order for the company to ask their employees if they are into the idea of computerization. Another thing is that their employees do not have sufficient knowledge regarding the said field.


                The participative leadership style will be useful in the data gathering and information sharing of the different aspects of the company that are in great need in the computerization. This is due to the fact that the employees have their sufficient knowledge regarding the said different areas. It will be helpful for the project manager.


    Task 4: Communication Process: Mentoring and Coaching


                The Sports-Qits will be facing one of the most important management that will happen in any of company or organization: the change management. Communication needs to be well planned, and it must be clear and focus on the issue of how to get the right information to the right people at the right time, using the right medium (Cameron & Green 2004, p. 181).


                In addition to that, mentoring and coaching are also two of the most important aspect of the organizational change as well as two of the most important activities in the implementation of new IS in an organization.


                The said three aspects will enable the company to face the different problems that they will be facing during the implementation of their new IS.


  • Communication

  • Any form of change can cause several numbers of emotional responses (Cameron & Green 2004, p. 181). The said emotional responses might cause different problems with regards to the total performance of each and every employee that will eventually reflect to the overall performance of the company.


    If the messages that will be sent to each and every employee will be personalized, the receiver will be more positive in accepting the content of the said message (Cameron & Green 2004, p. 181).


    Different personalized messages like the face-to-face as well as one-to-one communications can be considered as important communication strategies in order to connect to the employees who are directly affected by the change (Cameron & Green 2004, p. 181).


    In the situation of the company, the number of their employees is an advantage for their personalized communication or the one-to-one communication. It means that the upper management of the company can connect to their employees in personalized manner. It can cause a feeling of security for the employees as well as it will make them feel that they are important for the company. In addition to that, the members or the employees of the company can be considered as unready for the change until they can personally relate to it (Holland 2000, p. 95).


    The company can conduct their personal application session where in every department or unit of the company will conduct their own personal application sessions. It will be a meeting of all employees and reporting to the management, that will be followed by a face-to-face or one-on-one session between the manager and the subordinate (Holland 2000, p. 95).


    The said meeting will tackle the different significant information about the change such us the purpose of the said change. It will help the company if they will be able to explain to their employees that the primary beneficiary of the said change will be the employees due to the fact that it will facilitate their everyday function in the different transactions of the company. It is also important for the employees to understand that the planned IS or the computerized system of the company is not a replacement for them, but it will serve as a tool that will help them to acquire an error-free transaction (Holland 2000, p. 95).


    The one-on-one session will also help the employees to ask whatever questions or open up their fears and speculations regarding their role and the direct effects of the change to their position in the company.


    Above all, the communication process will also enable the employees to know about what is going on in the change management process of the company as well as the development of the system as well as their part in the said process.


  • Coaching

  • Coaching can be defined as the activity that enables the managers to work with their subordinate in order to encourage their skill development, teach different knowledge as well as to indoctrinate different values as well as behaviors that will enable them to achieve the goals of the organization that will eventually prepare them for more challenging roles (Harvard Business School 2004, p. xi).


    Furthermore, it is considered as an interactive process where in the managers as well as the supervisors focus in solving the different problems in the aspect of the performance by developing the capabilities of the employees (Harvard Business School 2004, p. 2).


    In the case of the company, due to the fact that the employees are not that familiar with the use as well as applications of the computer as well as the IS and computerized system, it will affect their initial reaction to the implementation of the said technology. The employees might fear as well as feel reluctant to use the said technology due to the fact that they are ignorant or innocent about how to use it. The said feeling will often turn to refusal to change. Ignorance often turns into fear and reluctance.


    That is why coaching will be a helpful activity or process for the company due to the fact that it will enable the company to introduce as well as to link and connect the application or software, together with the different machines or hardware to them. Familiarity and knowledge about a specific thing can add up to the confidence of an individual.


    Coaching will enable the company to get connected to their employees and explain the different parts or aspects of the system, how it works as well as its connection to the overall transactions of the company. Furthermore, coaching will be connected to the training activity. It means that the company will be setting up several meeting or seminars that will enable their employees to get to know more about the said system. In addition to that they must also let their employees to know more about the computer as well as the Internet, together with its different positive impact to the current global market, as well as how it benefited its users. It will also be helpful if the company will be able to conduct a seminar or meeting that will introduce them to the fundamental knowledge about the computer as well as about the different hardware that the company will be using in their system.


    Coaching will enable the users or the employees to be more familiar with the different applications, features as well as the different flow of the transactions in the system. The more familiar the employee is, the faster he or she will be able to perform specific task, therefore, it will means more productive performance from the said employee.


  • Mentoring

  • According to Parloe (2000), mentoring is the process in which focus in supporting and encouraging the people to manage their own learning that will help them to maximize their potential, develop their ability and skills, develop their performance, therefore becoming the person that they wanted to be (cited in MentorSET 2006).  The true significance of mentoring is to capitalize on the power of one (Stromei & Phillips 2001, p. vii). In other words, it is considered as an activity that will help to develop the human resources. It is the process of guiding others regarding their personal quests for their growth in the course of learning. The mentor acts as a guide who offers advice when they are being asked that will eventually makes the learning opportunity more possible and suitable (Harvard Business School 2004, p. xi).


    In addition to that, the main difference between the coaching and mentoring is that mentoring comes from the initiative of a person that comes in order to seek for greater understanding about a certain subject or issue (Harvard Business School 2004, p. xi).


    The mentoring process is the counterpart of the maintenance in the machine or in the system. It will serve as a guideline for the employees if there is something happened in the system that was not tackled in the coaching activity. Mentoring will serve as a continuous process of learning coming from the initiative of the employees. Furthermore, it will help them to maintain their comfort in using the said system as well as to improve more their skills that will eventually add up to the productivity of the company.


    Furthermore, mentoring will be important due to the fact that there is a future enhancement that is included in any systems that are being implemented by any company. It means that the company might change some parts or aspects of the system due to the fact that the transactions of the company can be affected by different external and internal factors that are significant.


    By implementing appropriate mentoring programs or activities the company will be able to maintain the self-confidence of their employees as well as to improve their relationship with the system that will eventually improve their performance.


    Above all, the mentoring program will also make the employees feel that the company is their in order to guide them as well as to answer whatever questions that they want to know regarding the system. The said situation will be able to make the employees more loyal to the company, and work at their best that will eventually make them more productive that will reflect to the overall productivity of the company.


     


     


    References


     


    Cameron, E & Green, Mike 2004, Making Sense of Change Management: A Complete Guide to the Models, Tools & Techniques of Organization Change, Kogan Page


     


    Carroll, J & Broadhead, R 2001, Selling Online: How to Become a Successful E-Commerce Merchant, Dearborn Trade Publishing


     


    Certo, S 2005, Supervision: Concepts and Skill-Building, McGraw-Hill Professional


     


    Clark, D 1997, Leadership Styles, nlink.com, viewed 14 April 2008, <http://w ww.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadstl.html>


     


    Goethals, G, Jones, G, Sorenson, J & Burns, MacGregor, B 2004, Encyclopedia of Leadership, SAGE


     


     


    Harvard Business Essentials 2004, Coaching and Mentoring: How to Develop Top Talent and Achieve Stronger Performance, Harvard Business School Press


     


    Holland, W 2000, Change is the Rule: Practical Actions for Change: On Target, On Time, On Budget, WinHope Press, dba Holland & Davis


     


    Online sales to rise 17%, survey says: Annual study by Internet analysis firm says consumer still spending on clothes, computers and cars online, despite slowing economy, CNNMoney.com, viewed 14 April 2008, < http://money.cnn.com/2008/04/08/news/economy/online_sales.ap/index.htm?postversion=2008040807>


     


    Ricketts, C 2003, Leadership: Personal Development and Career Success, 2nd edn., Thomson Delmar Learning


     


    Stromei, L K & Phillips, J (eds.) 2001, Creating Mentoring and Coaching Programs: In Actions, American Society for Training and Development


     


    What is Mentoring? 2006, MentorSET, viewed 14 April 2008, <http://www.men torset.org.uk/pages/mentoring.htm>


     


     


     


    Appendices


    Appendix A: Rich Picture of the Sports-Qits System



     


     


     


     


     


     


     


     


     


     


     


     


     


    Appendix B: Budget and Time Allocation of Sports-Qits Project Plan


     


    Budget


     


                Sports-Qits has allocated a total of 0,000 for their Information System project.


     


    Timescales


               


    Stages


    Deliverables


    Start


    Finish


    Stage 1


    The unstructured problem


    May 1, 2008


    May 7, 2008


    Stage 2


    1. Expression of Problematic Situation


    2. Rich Picture


    May 8, 2008


    May 16, 2008


    Stage 3


    1. Root Defintion


    2. CATWOE Analysis of:




    • Company Website




    • Sales System




    • Inventory Sytem




     


    May 19, 2008


    May 30, 2008


    Stage 4


    Conceptual Models


    June 2, 2008


    June 10, 2008


    Stage 5


    Feasible and Desirable Change


    June 11, 2008


    June 13, 2008


     


     



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