A system proposal forGross, Mendelsohn, and

Associates – Technology Solutions Group

Michael Williams – Project Manager Currently enrolled in the combined BS/MS

program in information systems with a minor in economics

Has been working at CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield since May of 2007.

After graduation in December he will work full time while completing his MS degree in IS

Juan Cubillos – Librarian Systems engineer with a bachelor’s degree in

computer sciences and an MBA Certified as an Oracle Certified Professional

(DBA and Programmer) and as a Project Management Professional

10 years of IT experience including working as a computer programmer, IT analyst, IT researcher, and IT project manager in both the public and private sectors of Colombia, South America.

Topics of interest are database technology, web development, and IT architecture.

Michael Marinaro – Site Liaison 10 years experience implementing and

supporting mid-market ERP systems Graduated with a BS degree in Accounting in

1998 and passed the CPA exam in 1999 Currently enrolled in a master’s degree

program in Information Systems Holds several technical certifications including

MCP certifications on Microsoft SQL Server Areas of interest include database technology

and business intelligence

Brian O’Donohue – Editor Graduated in December 2007 with dual B.S.

degrees in Computer Networking and Information Security

Currently pursuing a master’s degree in Information Systems

Is employed at a financial services company as a member of their network project group.

Wynsome Bryan – Editor Customer Support Analyst, Tier 2 and 24/7 on call

Escalation Support at Micros Systems, Inc, a the world's leading developer of enterprise applications serving the hospitality and specialty retail industries.

She works on a regular basis with Oracle and Sybase application databases.

Previously worked as a Project Coordinator with IBM Global Services in Atlanta, Georgia.

Received her BA in Finance and Banking from Bowie State University.

Implementation of a VOIP phone system Design of VOIP system Phone configuration Desktop Software

Employee Portal Allow employees to maintain their information such as

addresses, dependents, etc. Benefits enrollment/tracking Record time and expenses View paychecks and other documents

Client Case Management System Maintain client information and case history Document/knowledgebase management Scheduling and workflow routing

Client Case Management System

For Gross, Mendelsohn, and Associates – Technology Solutions Group

The project had the unique purpose of helping to manage cases and client configuration

This project is temporary and has a clear start and end date

The project will develop in detail after meeting with the project sponsor and resources at the client site

The project has several resources The project has a primary sponsor – Sharon

Paul The project has some degree of uncertainty

and presents a challenge The project has between 5 and 10 features

Sharon Paul, CPA, CITP

Partner in Gross, Mendelsohn, and Associates – Technology Solutions Group

Founded the group 13 years ago

Christina Haiss, CPA – Partner in Gross, Mendelsohn, and Associates – Technology Solutions Group

William Walter – Head of the hardware and network support team

Began as a small group within an accounting firm

Saw a need for people who understand both accounting/business process and information technology to implement and support accounting (ERP) packages

Group has grown from 4 people 5 years ago to 12 people now and is continuing to grow

Taking on more complex projects with multiple consultants working on jobs

Expanded services to include hardware and network support

Previously relied on 1 to 1 communication Each consultant has their own group of

clients that they worked with Small number of clients and consultants

meant personal relationships Growth and more complex projects have

resulted in the need for better information sharing and resource scheduling to help maintain a high level of professionalism and client satisfaction

Design a system to enable the Technology Solutions Group to:

Improve service levels Balance resources Reduce costs Share information between team

members Better service their client's needs

Track client contact information, software and hardware configuration information, and documentation

Track open cases and provide workflow and routing options for efficient scheduling of consultant time

Maintain a case history for every client with the ability to get statistics, graphics, performance reports, and consolidated information about a client's issues

Provide a repository for support articles and documents regarding to the business of Technology Solutions Group and client's issues

Enable consultants to search case history and support articles by product and issue

All information related to a client is in one place No need to look in several locations or make

phone calls to the previous consultant or implementer to find information

Consultants will be more efficient and effective.

Less wasted time and more billable time to their clients

Consultants will be able to respond to client issues quickly and with the proper information Clients will have shorter wait times and most

issues can be resolved in fewer calls since all the information is at hand

Customer satisfaction will improve

The ability to see a case history gives a more complete view of a client Information can be used as a marketing and

client relationship tool Will help when a salesperson or partner meets

with a decision maker at a client to bid for new business or negotiate rates or bills.

Will help identify problem areas with specific clients who may need software or hardware upgrades or may have personnel issues.

The ability to view case history by product will assist the group in working with software vendors to resolve problem areas.

All consultants work in a virtual office so remote access to this information is essential

Any system should attempt to make use of existing technology infrastructure if possible. Currently the office uses Microsoft CRM for their sales and marketing efforts and is in the process of implementing Microsoft Office Sharepoint Server.