Before you begin this assignment, be sure you:

1. Have completed all previously assigned readings, particularly those assigned in Weeks 3 and 4 of the class.

2. Re-read the "Kelly's Salon Case Study" and the Stage 1, 2 &3 assignments, and review the "Walmart Example."

3. Review Instructor feedback from previous assignment submissions.

Overview ofIT Solution and Next Steps for Kelly's Salon

For your Case Study Stage 1 assignment, you performed a Five Forces Analysis and justified Kelly's chosengeneric strategy for competitive advantage and the business process that she would like to improve through the application of technology.

For your Stage 2 assignment, you identified the inputs, processing, and outputs of Kelly's selected business process.Those inputs, processing, and outputs form the functional (business) requirements for an IT system to improve the process.

In Stage 3, you identified theIT requirementsby evaluating their applicability and importance in a new system to be implemented to improve the identified business process for Kelly's Salon.

Following your analysis of the business environment and the business and IT requirements, Kelly Kostanzahas decided to move ahead and implement an IT solution. She has asked you to identify an IT solution and explain what the steps would be to implement it.

Since Kelly's Salon is a small business, Kelly should take advantage of a Software as a Service (SaaS), or a cloud-based system, that has already been developed and is maintained and operated by a vendor. You should do some research and find a vendor-provided solution that will support the process that is being improved. Refer to the process model and your Stage 2 inputs, processing, and outputs that define the business requirements; and refer to your Stage 3 IT requirements as you select an appropriate solution. Consider the cost of the solution as you make your choice, so that your recommended solution will be affordable for Kelly.

For this assignment, you will prepare a short paper explaining your proposed IT solution and the next steps in the implementation of that solution. The next steps will includeeverything that Kelly needs to do, from getting a subscription to the software (or otherwise arranging to use it), to purchasing hardware, to preparing employees and implementing the system. The specific steps and how they are accomplished will be different for different system solutions.
Assignment:Kelly's Salon 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 Kelly's Salon. 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 Kelly's Salon. Explain if/how cost was a factor in your selection.

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

a. Vendor agreement - What does Kelly 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 Kelly need to install at Kelly's Salon in order to implement the solutions? What kind of telecommunications will be needed for the solution, including local connectivity inside Kelly's Salon 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 Kelly's Salon' needs? How will the configuration be done, and by whom?

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

e. Employee preparation - What will Kelly 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 Kelly can expect to gain from it.

References: Incorporate at least one external resource (NOTE: two or more external resources are required to receive all possible points) into your paper on an area of your choice. An external resource is a resource other than those provided in the class or textbook.

Incorporate a properly formatted APA citation in the text of your document. Then, place an APA style list of references at the end of your paper.

Formatting:

• Write a short, concise paper, about 3-4 pages in length.

• Your paper should be double-spaced.

• For academic writing, the writer is expected to write in the third person. In third person, the writer avoids the pronouns I, we, my, and our. The third person is used to make the writing more objective by taking the individual, the "self," out of the writing. This method is very helpful for academic writing, a form in which facts, not opinion, drive the tone of the text. Writing in the third person allows the writer to come across as unbiased and thus more informed.

• Use at least one external resource (two for full credit) with APA formatted citation and reference.

• Include a title page and a reference page.

• Compare your final work to the rubric to be sure you have met content and quality criteria.