SoftServe’s IT Academy (ITA), which trains individuals for potential emp loyment, planned to significantly increase the number and capacity of its groups beginning February 2014. At that time, the recruiting process was executed using the recruitment automation system (RAS) and workforce management system (WMS) applications, softserve.ua capabilities, Excel spreadsheets, and manual work including phone calls and mailing letters. Without process improvements, the ITA recruiters would be overloaded as its graduate flow was expected to double in 2014.

Project Description

SoftServe’s team envisioned an application that is a web-based extension of the WMS system.

External parties such as candidates, recruiters, and referrals can use the web application to access a personal private page that will contain useful and up-to-date information about training and employment opportunities as well as application status.

The business analyst (BA) provided a full suite of business analysis services and produced numerous BA artifacts. Additionally, a solution vision and scope was documented in the Confluence space for easy access by business stakeholders and the team. As the product was used by various roles and departments, stakeholder analysis was performed and the results were documented in a responsible, accountable, consulted and informed (RACI) matrix. The BA elicited user requirements through individual and group interviews, document analysis, and elements of benchmarking when applicable.

The modeling techniques used included a state-transition diagram and a business process diagram. The state-transition diagram helped identify an extra transition between statuses that was declared in text requirements, but not considered for implementation. The gap analysis helped to identify missing automatic notifications, align technology dictionaries between the developed web application and interfacing applications (WMS, RAS), and reconciled the screening stages between the web application and the adjacent softserve.u a website.

Jira was used as a requirements repository where individual user stories were interlinked—if considered important. Following the Agile approach, documentation was kept to the necessary minimum with an emphasis placed on communication and collaboration.

The BA explained user scenarios, provided user education, and conducted two UAT sessions. The BA also contributed to the transition plan by creating an initial checklist of release-to-production items and identified touch points between web application and the adjacent softserve.ua website.

As a result of solution validation and scope management efforts, automatic emails were in English only versus the three languages considered earlier. In addition, an agreement was reached to provide Ukrainian UI in the first release with three more languages included in future roadmaps.