REAL TIME CASUAL STAFF AVAILABILITY MANAGEMENT AND TRAINING

SYSTEMS

Project Plan

Version No: 26-03-2020

Document Acceptance and Release Notice

This document is authorised for release once all signatures have been obtained.

PREPARED: Date: / /
(for <Name>
acceptance)
Project Manager, Student Group

ACCEPTED: Date: / /
(for release) Dr Paul Darbyshire

Project Sponsor, VIT

Table of Contents
Introduction 5
Objectives of the Project 5
Scope 5
Major Deliverable 7
Assumptions 7
Organization 8
Structure 8
Roles and Responsibilities 8
Scheduling 9
Control and Reporting 9
Risk/ Constraints Management 9
Delivery Strategy 10
Approach/ Methodology 10
Standards and Procedures 10
Introduction
The initial proposal is the development of a system used to manage real-time casual staff
availability and training. The primary use of a management and training system is for business
managers to access schedules, manage shifts, and track the completion of training requirements
online. Online business schedules are shown to be very efficient and bring a better workplace
environment and improving work-life balance for employees. (Golden, 2015) The increasing
difficulty companies face to manage ever-changing schedules has resulted in the crucial, immediate
need to develop an effective management and training system. There is currently a gap in the
market for a well-constructed system that allows supervisors to track and manage staff duties,
deliverables, and training. The defining targets for this project are to produce a system that is simple
to use for the general user, guarantee protection from data theft and hacking, and ensure stability. A
subsequent requirement is to confirm that the system serves its purpose through comprehensive
testing.

Objectives of the Project

The goal for this project is to successfully be able to organize, design, and implement a real-time
casual staff availability, management and training system with large-scale capabilities. In order to
reach these objectives, the project will require hiring a comprehensive team of programmers,
graphic designers, and testers to develop the system and build an application to which the program
will be employed. With this system, the business owners would be able to properly schedule work,
manage training, become more cost-effective, and keep records safe. Our foremost business values
include accountability, commitment to innovation, and efficiency. These principles are significant
in encouraging potential stakeholders and users to put their trust into a competent team who will
increase productivity, while protecting business data.

Scope
A. Product Scope: The main goal and objective is to design, develop and launch a real time
casual staff availability management and training system, and ensure that they work
seamlessly and efficiently for the targeted users. The system must be simple to use and
increase user productivity, while protecting customers from data theft and hacking.

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 B. Project Scope: The scope of this project is product design, development, initial testing and
beta roll-out. Our initial target userbase will be our stakeholders. The stakeholders will
initially be the most vital userbase because not only will they assist in the funding of the
system, but they will implement the product within their own businesses and companies and
provide the first wave of product testing at a consumer-level. This will be an equally
beneficial partnership. By leveraging our stakeholders’ resources and feedback, the app will
run more efficiently and gain higher reviews for targeted users, thus increasing the
investor’s ROI. For the outcome, it is crucial that all the requirements of the stakeholders are
met in order to avoid the withdrawal of funds and organizational disruptions. The output
will be a high-quality version of a real-time casual staff availability management and
training system. While the beta version should run error free and without issue, stakeholders
will be trained to better understand the stages of beta testing in order to provide more
productive feedback. In order to maintain our values of innovation, technology should
continuously be improved upon at every stage. (Hammersley, 2012) All stakeholders should
also make sure their requirements are met, which include funding, full program
implementation, continual testing, and constructive feedback. It is the stakeholders’
responsibility to make timely suggestions, therefore it is important to react quickly to early-
stage feedback and work to add features to fulfill unexpected needs.
are met in order to avoid the withdrawal of funds and organizational disruptions. The output will be
a high-quality version of a real-time casual staff availability management and training system.
While the beta version should run error free and without issue, stakeholders will be trained to better
understand the stages of beta testing in order to provide more productive feedback. In order to
maintain our values of innovation, technology should continuously be improved upon at every
stage. (Hammersley, 2012) All stakeholders should also make sure their requirements are met,
which include funding, full program implementation, continual testing, and constructive feedback.
It is the stakeholders’ responsibility to make timely suggestions, therefore it is important to react
quickly to early-stage feedback and work to add features to fulfill unexpected needs.

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Areas to Include/Exclude
Things that should be particularly included in this project is to make sure that the system is scalable
to meet the requirements of users across multiple industries and company sizes. Efficiency, ease-of-
use, and security will be prioritized. The product will include both a desktop website and
application in order to service a range of companies. Areas to exclude during start-up would be any
unnecessary features that do not pertain to the core mission of increasing productivity through a
secure, online management system. By focusing on first building a core userbase for the primary
product, the capital and resources may be generated for potential add-ons and extra features to be
implemented in future versions. By perfecting and simplifying the initial product launch, we will
increase the likelihood for manger and employee engagement. Modern graphics and an ergonomic
design will increase the rate of customer adoption. As more clients adopt the program to an integral
daily work tool, the more flexibility the company is afforded to introduce updates and add-on
features. (Leonard-Barton &amp; Kraus, 2014)

System Interface
The system interface of this system would start with our clients and their staff. After entering their
credentials, they are checked by a php system. If the credentials are verified, users will then gain
access into the system. If not, then they are rejected and prompted to try again. Once the user is
granted access, they are shown the schedule chart in which they are shown each employee’s profile
and their work schedules. They can also add, edit, and other actions. A user would input the data
that they want inside the application, and then the application would process this data and send it
through a cloud-based system. The data would then be securely saved and interpreted. Once it is
saved online, then it can be put back as an output through whichever device it is currently being run
on. Then the user will be able to interpret the data. The structure of the product begins with the
main home screen, in which users are prompted to login.
access into the system. If not, then they are rejected and prompted to try again. Once the user is
granted access, they are shown the schedule chart in which they are shown each employee’s profile
and their work schedules. They can also add, edit, and other actions. A user would input the data
that they want inside the application, and then the application would process this data and send it
through a cloud-based system

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Major Deliverable
As a result of the system being produced, customers would be able to manage their businesses
efficiently and be able to manage staff availability and training schedules. They would be able to
see what days their staff could work, which they cannot, and days that they have already worked.
Additionally, they will be able to see staff in-training’s schedules and manage them. The research
conducted shows that clearer scheduling creates a better work-environments and may even become
a legal requirement in certain jurisdictions. Most recently, California lawmakers are demanding
more predictive scheduling for hourly workers, pushing companies to provide their staff with 14
days' notice of their schedules. (Moody, 2018) This is a major deliverable because it is mainly what
the stakeholders want - a quality system that aligns with their needs and propels them ahead of
ahead of the cultural and legislative curve.

Assumptions
There are a lot of assumptions when it comes to our application so here is where they are addressed
and discussed. The application needs to be scalable. If the application is not scalable, it may not
meet customers’ growing needs. This is presumed because it is predicted that there will be a larger
number of users than there will be expected, based on staff demands, employer interest, and the
ever-increasing regulations regarding employee scheduling. (Romeo, 2020) Another assumption is
that users will typically be newer business owners who do not have a set system in place. This
aligns with the current spike in millennial entrepreneurs, as younger business owners tend to be
more open to adopting digital methods as opposed to older, traditionalist ones. Younger
generations, consisting of digital natives, are more comfortable adopting and testing out new
technology and are likely to have more success extracting value from the application. (Salkowitz,
2011)

Organization
Within the first 2 years, the company will maintain a tight organizational structure in order to
prioritize resources towards product quality and data security. A total of six employees would be
required to sufficiently design, develop, launch, sell, and maintain customer engagement. In
addition to the organizational flow chart, we will also be seeking 2-3 investors to fund the initial
start-up and act as independent consultants. They will be rewarded in stock, as well as early access
to the product and all of its features.

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Structure

The organizational flow chart will be led by the CEO. Reporting to the CEO will be a programmer,
UX designer, sales manager, and marketing manager. The customer success associate will support
the UX designer, sales manager and marketing.

C-LEVEL CEO
SALES
EXECUTIVES PROGRAMMER UX DESIGNER MARKETING
MANAGER

ASSOCIATES CUSTOMER SUCCESS ASSOCIATE

Roles and Responsibilities

The following are the roles and responsibilities needed for the creation of this system:
● CEO – The CEO will oversee the programmer (engineer), UX designer, sales, and
marketing, as well as serve as the product manager in the company’s early stages.
● Programmer – The programmer will be responsible for creating the code for the application
and website, as well as initial testing and quality assurance. As the company expands, the
lead programmer would develop a team of engineers and programmers.
● UX Designer – UX Designers (user experience designers) collaborate with the developer to
create easy-to-use, intuitive, aesthetically-pleasing products that are straight-forward to
adopt, as well as organize user research and post-launch testing.
● Marketing - The marketing manager is responsible for promoting the application and
services at tradeshows and conferences, as well as on forums, B2B blogs, LinkedIn, and the
through local commerce channels. The marketing manager would also maintain the
company blog and digital campaigns. Their aim will be to spread awareness and interest.
● Sales Manager – Sales is responsible for developing strategies to qualify and close leads and
will be expected to achieve monthly sales quotas. As the company grows, this position will
later become a sales director role, directing one or more sales associates.
● Customer Success Associate – Customer Success reports to the UX Designer, Sales
Manager, and Marketing to ensure customers are gaining the maximum value from the
product. Customer Success is responsible for setting up training for clients who are
struggling to adopt and fully utilize the features of the product. This role is the first line of
communication between customers and management.

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 ● Investors – The investors will fund the project and act as independent consultants,
implementing the system in their own companies, providing first-hand feedback about the
product, and offering guidance regarding desired add-ons.

Scheduling
Phase One (Months 1-6): Hire part-time programmer and UX designer on a task-basis. Develop,
test, and launch an initial basic version of the product to pitch the concept to initial
investors/stakeholders under the guidance of the CEO.
Phase Two (Months 7-8): Once investor funds are secured, hire the programmer and UX designer
full-time. UX designer will interpret initial feedback from stakeholders and collaborate with
programmer to make the appropriate changes.
Phase Three (Months 9-12): Hire Sales Manager and Marketing Manager to expand customer base,
increase interest, and qualify leads. Gauge interest to determine appropriate Year 2 sales quotas.
Continue to adjust product features based on customer feedback.
Phase Four (Months 12-16): As the user base expands, hire Customer Success Associate to assist
companies in adopting the new technologies and train customers on how to maximize their value of
the product.
Phase Five (Months 17-24): Customer Success Associate will collaborate with managers to
pinpoint potential pitfalls to the client experience. The team will continue to make appropriate
adjustments and additions based on client data.

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Control and Reporting
Prior to launching the system, the developer will work to ensure that data will be easy to collect and
interpret on the back end. Projected data indicates that the application users will be mostly within
small businesses, concentrated in the retail, food service and hospitality industries. (Mallery, 2020)
Initial data will be collected from our stakeholders once the basic version is launched, tracking the
average number of seconds it takes each user to navigate a page, most common exit pages, and
which features tend to direct users to the ‘Help’ page. Once on the market, the data will become
more robust. A more in-depth system will be implemented that will also include analytics about the
business industry, size, and location, so we can track which users this app is best suited for, which
features are most marketable to particular industries, and how all of these factors affect user
opinion, feedback, and frequency.

Risk/ Constraints Management

Some risks and constraints that may be possible include data theft, hacking, and application crash
frequency. Data theft is a risk that needs to be considered because people’s data should be private
and it is a federal crime, punishable by law. Hacking is also a federal crime and shows that the data
may not be secure and safe and that the code is not secure, either. Hacking is a large risk, as a data
breach would put companies' data and information at risk. Application crash frequency is also a
concern because it shows that the app is unstable and frustrates potential users, who may leave due
to the constant glitching. A resolution to this could be a system where users report when a crash
occurs, thus giving data to understand and assess where things could have gone wrong.

Delivery Strategy

A well-rounded delivery strategy is needed in order to make sure users will be satisfied with the
work. In the proposal, it was stated that the output should require all the needs of the shareholders.

Approach/ Methodology

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Initial Start-Up Cost: $120,000
Phase 1 (Month 1-6) $10,000 – This initial cost includes developing the basic version of the app
and the website and running an initial round of testing.
Phase 2-3 (Months 7-12) $110,000 – This secondary round of funding will cover the salaries of the
CEO and four manager hires,* as well as office overhead costs.
*Incentivize new hires with stock options to increase the desirability of the compensation package.
Phase 4-5 (Year 2) – Maintain salaries and office costs through sales revenue. Annual costs of
$465K would require monthly sales of $39K

Revenue Projections:
Customer pricing would range based on the number of employees an employer has and the level of
complexity from their local legislation. Average annual contracts would range between $2400-
4800. To maintain our second-year costs, that would require 130 businesses to sign on within the
first two years. Based on changes to global employment standards, it is estimated that over 100,000
companies will have to comply with new predictive scheduling laws in the US restaurant industry
alone. (Mallery, 2020) Based on these changes, the company target is estimated to easily double the
130 contract required.

The main assumptions are:

● There will be more users than expected.
● Users will be typically new business owners or owners affected by changing legislation.
● Users will be average technology users.

Standards and Procedures

This company has four major standards of business:
1. Be accountable – Ensure customer trust with a timely product that works seamlessly and
consistently.
2. Commit to Innovation – Continue to analyse consumer data, collect feedback, and anticipate
the needs of the users. Quickly make adjustments based on consumer feedback and usage.
3. Deliver Efficiency – Provide employers and their staff the tools to increase productivity,
enhance the company culture, and improve work-live balance.
4. Guarantee Security – Safeguard the data of companies and their employees from data
breaches and hackers.
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The standards and procedures being used are the typical app development model, two of which of
the steps have already been completed:
1. Look at the requirements: What is required to create this system? How much money will I
need? What resources are available?
2. Plan. A good plan is needed in order to make sure the app development process runs
smoothly.
3. Design. Design the interface, layout, and color scheme of the system. It should be user-
friendly and easy to understand.
4. Develop. Program the system to the desires of the shareholders, making sure the program
also serves the intended purpose.
5. Release. Release it to the public and obtain feedback about the system from the shareholders
and the early users of the app to improve it.
6. Track and monitor. Track the reviews and how the app is doing in terms of ratings at any
given time. Monitor performance and how the app runs. Is it smooth? Are there any
outstanding problems which cause the program to frustrate and inconvenience users? What
improvements can be made?

References

Golden, L. (2015, April 9). Irregular Work Scheduling and Its Consequences. Retrieved March 20,
2020, from https://www.epi.org/publication/irregular-work-scheduling-and-its-consequences/

Hammersley, B. (2012, July 04). Testing: Try again, fail again, fail beta. Retrieved March 19, 2020,
from https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/features/testing-try-again-
fail-again-fail-beta-7912529.html

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Leonard-Barton, D., & Kraus, W. (2014, August 01). Implementing New Technology. Retrieved
March 18, 2020, from https://hbr.org/1985/11/implementing-new-technology

Mallery, S. (2020, March 26). "You Want Me In When?" Lawmakers Demand More Predictive
Scheduling - Employment and HR - United States. Retrieved March 26, 2020, from
https://www.mondaq.com/unitedstates/Employment-and-HR/907762/You-Want-Me-In-
When-Lawmakers-Demand-More-Predictive-Scheduling

Maurya, A. (2017). Running lean iterate from plan A to a plan that works. Sebastopol, CA:
O'Reilly.

Moody, K. (2018, October 30). A running list of states and localities with predictive scheduling
mandates. Retrieved March 21, 2020, from https://www.hrdive.com/news/a-running-list-of-
states-and-localities-with-predictive-scheduling-mandates/540835/

Romeo, P. (2020, March 11). Scheduling laws drop a new cost on restaurants, study finds.
Retrieved March 21, 2020, from
https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/workforce/scheduling-laws-drop-new-cost-
restaurants-study-finds

Salkowitz, R. (2011). Young world rising how youth, technology and entrepreneurship are changing
the world from the bottom up. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley Sons.

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