IFSM 495 Prince George Technology Business Need and Proposed Solution Project Technology Solution – Individual Assignment Please follow the individual ass

IFSM 495 Prince George Technology Business Need and Proposed Solution Project Technology Solution – Individual Assignment

Please follow the individual assignments instructions carefully (heighted in yellow ) – Technology Solution Assignment.docx
Approach to Developing This Section– will provide you hints how to approach particular sections
Assignment Deliverables – Includes all we have to submit
Please follow formatting instructions – Project Documentation Requirements — Report Format

Materials to used:

Case study
Technology solution (system) identified by your group in Section III of your Business Case. (Managing and maintaining multiple businesses as one is not unheard of; throughout the years organizations have been successful at accomplishing this task by implementing an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution.An ERP solution provides organizations with the ability to “integrate planning, purchasing inventory, sales, marketing, finance, human resources, and more” within one system (LaBarre, 2019). After conducting research on numerous ERP solutions based on goals and objectives provided; Alpha Team is proposing the implementation of a Software as a Service (SaaS) based version of QFloors.This cloud-based service will allow Jerry and his staff to access Trusty Carpets and Metro Carpets inventory, customer and vendor orders, accounting data, and additional services from anywhere, with any device, provided the device has an internet connection (Turner, 2019). ) – Alpha Group_Sections V and VI (Final Draft).docx
Technology Solution Assignment: IT Architecture and IT Components
Using the ROI Calculator – Explanation with Notes
INSTRUCTIONS FOR USING THE ROI CALCULATOR SPREADSHEET
ROI_Calculator and Cost Spreadsheet

When a system solution is designed, the major aspects of the IT architecture to be defined are:the business processes to be included, the data needed, the applications needed, and the infrastructure required to support it.Some solutions are simple spreadsheets or databases that may reside on one or more PCs; others require workgroup access; still others require world-wide corporate access, including potential access by customers, partners, suppliers, etc.Therefore, as you define your proposed Technology Solution for the Case Study, the content of your paper will depend on the particular solution your team has selected and identified in Section III of the business case.

For your Technology Solution, you are asked to describe resources needed and how the system will work.The resources are to also be depicted in a diagram or other illustration; the costs of the implementing the solution and the estimated savings that will come as a result of implementing the system are to be included on a spreadsheet.The detailed assignment instructions provide additional information and resources.

Please keep in mind that the technical description of the proposed solution is an independent effort.You should not discuss it with your team at this point.

If you have any questions about this assignment, please post them in the questions discussion. Business Case: Trusty Carpets
Alpha Group
IFSM 495 6380 (2205): Capstone Course
June 9, 2020
Alpha Group
Rose Nchapanu, Project Manager
Rotimi Ogundeyin
Gabriel Bjorkman
Brittanie Spivey-Perry
Vincent Taylor
Business Case: Trusty Carpets
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Business Case: Trusty Carpets
Background and Environmental Analysis
Background
Environmental Analysis
Vision, Strategy or Objectives
Business Process/Obsolete Technology
New Technology and Business Trends
Product Enhancements
Statutory, Legislative, and Environmental
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Problem Analysis
Business Problem
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Proposed Solution
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Expected Improvements
Benefits of the Proposed Solutions
Financial Benefits
Non-financial Benefits
Other Value Trusty Carpet Would Gain
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Alternatives Analysis
Status Quo
Proposed Solution
Alternate Solution
Process Change
Comparison of Alternatives.
Justification for Proposed System.
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Feasibility Analysis
Economic/Financial Feasibility
Organizational/Operational Feasibility
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References
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Appendix
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I.
Background and Environmental Analysis
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Business Case: Trusty Carpets
A.
Background
Trusty Carpets is owned and operated by Jerry Montgomery and has been in
business for 20 years. Jerry’s store is in a strip mall that has become increasingly
busy over the years due to the growth of the area and the building of new homes.
Jerry employs two salespeople to serve customers in the store. Additionally, Jerry
works with his brother-in-law Mike Baker who owns a carpet installation business
to sub-contract the installations. Jerry also employs an accountant to maintain his
finances, send invoices, collect payments, and process payroll. With sales of about
$1.2 million and a net profit of about $100,000, Jerry’s current costs are in line with
industry averages, but his profits are below average due to the fact he keeps his
prices low to help grow his business.
Jerry’s success has led him to be able to acquire Metro Carpets which is
located across town has a large showroom and an adjoining 20,000 square foot
warehouse attached. In addition, there are three members of the sales staff and two
warehouse staff which he intends to keep onboard. Jerry and Mike have also
decided to combine their businesses into one. With the expansion of the business
Jerry needs the ability to manage the two locations and the installation operations as
one business. He also wishes to increase business using internet sales, building
relationships with new home builders, and in-home sales.
Trusty Carpet’s technology infrastructure is in its infancy stages. The
infrastructure consists of 3 computers (2 laptops and 1 PC), an all-in-one printer
(printer, scanner, and fax), an internet connection, and a router. Trusty Carpets
utilizes Google’s Gmail platform for email. The company maintains two Gmail
accounts, and a Google Cloud account to store the company’s data. This data
consists of sales, product prices, inventory availability, and order status(s).
To continue to increase profit margins, Jerry believes he needs to upgrade
his current technology to better suit the expansion. He has hired the Alpha Group to
evaluate what is needed and provide recommendations.
B.
Environmental Analysis
1. Vision, Strategy or Objectives
Corporate vision, strategies, and objectives play an increasing role in
enhancing the success of a company in the highly competitive markets.
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Business Case: Trusty Carpets
Rothauer (2018) noted that corporate vision and strategies focus on the
accomplishment of future goals of a company such as maintaining a high level
of sustainability amid numerous constraints that reduce the probability of
achieving corporate objectives. Based on the nature of the markets, companies
require changing vision, strategies, and aims to aid in aligning the corporate
operations with the set goals. This increasing awareness and utilization of the
green economy, corporations are adjusting their vision, business strategies, and
objectives to align with environmentally friendly requirements.
Trusty Carpets should utilize this opportunity to streamline the business
by going green, which would reduce chemical emissions, energy, and water
usage in the manufacturing process. The new opportunity would not only aid in
meeting the environmental regulation but act as an active marketing strategy for
the company products in the most competitive market. Furthermore, the
company should spearhead the vision and objectives by embracing recycling as
part of the business, promoting the ability to keep track of the company’s Waste
Reduction Model (WARM), and is essential in overseeing a positive impact in
diverse operations areas of the company. Based on the case, Trusty Carpets is
on course to realize the goal of recycling where the management objective is to
receive used mats monthly and at no cost and recycle them.
Another valuable opportunity that Trusty Carpets should exploit is the
integration of modern technology. Currently, the company lags technologically,
based on the level of competitiveness evident in the carpet market. The present
technology in the company does not allow for customization. It forms the most
basic kind of information technology such a company should have, based on its
magnitude. In this case, the company should embrace a technology that would
enhance the company’s ability to reach existing and potential clients, enhance
the promotional process, and contribute to selling the company products.
2. Business Process/Obsolete Technology
The present technology used by Trusty Carpets is obsolete, given the
emerging modern and highly customizable technologies with a capacity to
propel business growth and attainment of the corporate goals and objectives.
Therefore, the company requires replacing the existing IT infrastructure with a
modern system that can improve and heighten the company processes in the bid
to accomplish the corporate goals and objectives. Implementing a modernized
technology infrastructure would stimulate the business process and offer better
corporate solutions aligned with Trusty Carpet’s vision, strategies, and
objectives. A more dynamic IT strategy would improve the Trusty Carpets
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Business Case: Trusty Carpets
business process, such as the promotion of corporate products to the consumers
moving away from the current used traditional print method. The company
would also benefit from enhanced data and cybersecurity, which would avert
the chances of a data breach. In its current state, Trusty Carpets IT infrastructure
is vulnerable to data privacy and confidentiality compromises. Fernandez, and
Alexander (2016), noted that contemporary and modern technologies had
incorporated various features that focus on improving data privacy and
confidentiality. Therefore, advanced technology would help the company
reduce the exposure of vital information to unauthorized personnel who could
use it for malicious gain. Moreover, the modern system would increase the
ability of Trusty Carpets to enhance business flow, improving the business
operation, and corresponding increment on the corporate profits.
Lastly, replacing the obsolete system with contemporary IT
infrastructure would aid the company in customizing the system to enhance the
company alignment with the technological system for improved business
functionality and corresponding accomplishment of the business stated vision,
mission, and objectives.
3. New Technology and Business Trends
As Trusty Carpets is making its way through business expansion, there are
a few trends that are gaining traction within the realms of technology and
commercial business operations. One of the most prominent new technology
trends is the use of mobile payment systems (MailGuard Pty Ltd, n.d.). While
some platforms have been around and utilized for small transactions and
sending money between friends and family, they are being accepted by
numerous businesses. Some of the common platforms include PayPal, Apple
Pay, Samsung Pay, Shopify, and other payment applications that can be utilized
in the form of contactless payment from any smartphone or device. All of these
platforms are linked to either bank accounts or credit/debit cards, ensuring that
businesses receive payment for their products or services while securing and
safeguarding their customer’s personal information (The Hartford, 2019).
Another technology that has been optimizing businesses globally is the
use of cloud computing. Cloud computing has enabled businesses to augment
their lack of IT resources through a shared internet-based platform. Utilizing
these internet-based platforms allows businesses and organizations to expand
their own IT infrastructure faster and, in some cases, less costly manner. Cloudbased solutions are already abundantly available and being utilized in all sectors
of the world, including the manufacturing industry. The manufacturing industry
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Business Case: Trusty Carpets
may also be a great beneficiary of cloud computing. For example, the
manufacturers can implement large internet virtual server farms for facilitating
better management of the business and manufacturing setup. Moreover, with the
use of software, platforms, and infrastructures as services, the manufacturers
can establish a virtual presence from any location around the world. Using
cloud computing, they can also connect plants to an IT infrastructure and more
easily find new business opportunities (Marković, Branović & Popović, 2014).
Since the outbreak of social media networks, such as Facebook,
YouTube, and LinkedIn, businesses have targeted these platforms for means of
public outreach and advertising as well as for analytics. To that end, having a
social media presence, as a form of easily accessible communication by the
public, was tried and tested through the study Tafesse and Wien had completed
(2018). The results of this study showed that having open communication was
essential however having an overly active presence, for example having
employees actively soliciting rather than a passive presence of a posted
advertisement, was off-putting to the potential customers. Additionally, this
study also identified that most, if not all social media platforms have some form
of built-in analytics. This data from the analytics is crucial to being able to
market either a business, service, or product on the social media platform
successfully (Tafesse & Wien, 2018). Though social media can be a risky
domain, especially for a business to operate in, it is becoming a common trend
for businesses to at least have a presence, albeit a dedicated page or channel, or
to advertise through these platforms.
The Internet of Things is a relatively common term these days which
conceptualizes the idea that most things will soon be connected to the internet
and able to be controlled remotely from a smart device, such as a mobile phone
or tablet. This idea is essential for up and coming businesses because to be able
to compete for other companies, quick delivery of a quality product is key. With
that in mind, the ability to start manufacturing a product, such as a carpet in this
case, right in front of a customer is a great feeling. Having a prompt response to
a customer will ensure that they are happy, not only with the product but also
with the service provided. This will drive additional business as a happy
customer will pass the word around just as much as an angry customer, driving
sales up with new buyers. In the end, having devices that are connected and
controlled via secured remote connections would enable ease of control between
sites, one of which is a warehouse.
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Business Case: Trusty Carpets
4. Product Enhancements
As Trusty Carpets proceeds with its business expansion, it will need to
show its customers and potential customers it is staying current with industry
trends and environmental concerns. The belief around the carpet industry is
wood-flooring is not going anywhere, but carpeting is coming back “in a big –
and stylish way” (Doherty, 2019). Doherty further explains the current trends in
carpeting as “From back-to-nature beauty to must-have maximalism and playing
with pattern…” (2019). The top 2020 carpet trends center around Eco and
green-friendly fabrics, 100% waterproof carpet, new earth tone colors, Do-ItYourself (DIY) carpet tile kits, more diverse and bold patterns, and geometric
shaped patterns like herringbone (Doherty, 2019).
During this time of a global health crisis, people are even more focused
on their health, with Phenix Flooring’s Microban technology, this worry has
been reduced. The Microban technology developed by Phenix Flooring is used
“to eliminate damaging microbial growth on products and surfaces without
impacting aesthetics or functionality” (Ryan, 2020). Trusty Carpets should
reassure its customers that their health is front and center in their minds by
offering products manufactured with Phenix Flooring’s Microban technology.
This shows potential customers that Trusty Carpets cares about their well-being.
5. Statutory, Legislative, and Environmental
Greenhouse gases (GHG) are a huge contributor to global warming.
Recycling old carpet into new carpet has shown to reduce GHG (Turner,
Williams, & Kemp, 2015). In 1998, the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) released the first version of the Waste Reduction Model (WARM)
(Versions of, 2019). The EPA explains WARM as “a tool that calculates and
totals the GHG emissions, energy savings and economic impacts of baseline and
alternative waste management practices, including source reduction, recycling,
combustion, composting, anaerobic digestion and landfilling” (EPA, 2019). In
May 2004, version 6 of WARM was released and it added carpet to the list of
materials covered in the model (Versions of, 2019). WARM Version 12,
released in February 2012, including new data related to combustion, and openloop recycling for residential broadloom carpeting (Versions of, 2019). In May
2019, the EPA released the latest version of WARM, version 15. There were no
new updates version 15 that related to carpet recycling. One key piece of
legislature Trusty Carpets should keep an eye on is Extended Producer
Responsibility (EPR) laws. EPR laws require manufacturers to be responsible
for the overall recycling, reuse, or disposal of products they produce (Gerlat,
2015). While EPR laws for other products have been around for years,
California is currently the only state to have an EPR law related to the carpet
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Business Case: Trusty Carpets
(RPN Staff, 2019). To continue its initiative of going green, Trusty Carpets
should contact local, state, and federal legislators to advocate for more EPR
laws not only in its area of operation but in other states as well.
II.
Problem Analysis
A.
Business Problem
The effective management of a company is essential to success, now and
in the future. Without an efficient management system, the recent changes to
Trusty Carpets, including acquiring and merging with Metro Carpets and a carpet
installation company, will prove troublesome. Unless improved, the current
management system will not be able to handle the increased workload and
coordination between each department and location. This will turn off potential
clients from doing business and quite possibly dissolve each business. At the
moment, Trusty Carpets utilizes a very basic management system that rivals that
of an in-home business, relying on Google Drive for document sharing and
availability paired with a few Google email accounts is not conducive to a
successful and developing business. Metro Carpets on the other hand is
holistically paper based without any type of Information Technology (IT)
infrastructure or support. With business expanding to another facility that is
located on the other side of town and potential future growth, the management
system must be scalable to meet the requirements at all locations while being
controlled by Jerry. Kulpa (2017) emphasized the importance of the need for a
scalable and standard system to be in place.
This system will allow the business to become more efficient by
organizing and automating several aspects and processes. From sales processes to
marketing campaigns, business analytics to customer data, a business
management system automates and streamlines these processes for businesses.
O’Shaughnessy (2017) further expands on the importance of having a standard
business management system by identifying several benefits, such as, focusing IT
costs to an all-in-one system rather than investing in several systems, enhancing
data visibility to all sections of the business rather than every division utilizing
different applications and no access to the others. Additionally, having a business
management system improves reporting and planning of services and product
availability, along with several more benefits that can simplify how Jerry and his
businesses sell and install carpets.
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Business Case: Trusty Carpets
The Trusty and Metro Carpets sales teams are currently limited to their
showrooms, which is creating a constraint on their ability to sell carpets to
customers at the actual locations where the carpets are needed. One of Jerry’s
desires is to have a mobile sales team that is able to meet with customers at their
homes or desired re-carpeting location, take measurements and ultimately create
orders for carpets and installation. Furthermore, with the current sales documents
being located on Google Drive, the potential for human error, at any location, puts
Trusty Carpets in a risky situation. Anyone who has access to the Google
accounts can easily change the password, edit or even delete the necessary
documents or even worse so, completely close the account. These risks
significantly threaten Trusty Carpets ability to survive, including the livelihood of
all its employees, especially Jerry. The risks to Trusty Carpets can be
extinguished with a management system which increases collaboration, workflow
and creates an environment of efficient business processes (O’Shaughnessy,
2017).
Given the current state of Trusty Carpets, a system should be procured that
allows accessibility on various devices such as: computers, laptops, tablets, and
other smart devices. Increasing accessibility will provide the opportunity to
expand the business outreach beyond the doors of the showrooms, potentially to
the doorsteps and carpets of possible customers.
The problems within this section are all related and can be resolved by
improving the way the business is managed and the infrastructure that supports it.
With the recent acquisition of Metro Carpets, the time to secure and implement a
new management system is now, as opposed to later when the business is going
under due to the current unsystematic approach to business management,
customer relations and carpet sales. Once a solution has been chosen, it can easily
be installed with employees trained and fully utilizing the system within a matter
of months.
III.
Proposed Solution
Managing and maintaining multiple businesses as one is not unheard of;
throughout the years organizations have been successful at accomplishing this
task by implementing an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution. An ERP
solution provides organizations with the ability to “integrate planning, purchasing
inventory, sales, marketing, finance, human resources, and more” within one
system (LaBarre, 2019). After conducting research on numerous ERP solutions
based on goals and objectives provided; Alpha Team is proposing the
implementation of a Software as a Service (SaaS) based version of QFloors. This
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Business Case: Trusty Carpets
cloud-based service will allow Jerry and his staff to access Trusty Carpets and
Metro Carpets inventory, customer and vendor orders, accounting data, and
additional services from anywhere, with any device, provid…
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