Business Analysis Project: Dairy Farm Group MIS System Analysis

This business analysis project examines the Dairy Farm Group (DFG), a food retailer in Hong Kong, facing challenges in achieving wider profit margins. The project investigates the company's current management information system (MIS) and proposes recommendations for improvement. The analysis covers terms of reference, strategic alignment, stakeholder analysis, and management. It includes principles for aligning IT and business strategies, utilizes the strategic alignment model by Henderson & Venkatraman, and provides a stakeholder analysis and management plan. The project aims to address the dilemma arising from differing recommendations of two consulting firms by focusing on MIS re-implementation and recommending a tender for one of the firms. The report also addresses project constraints, assumptions, reporting, and potential risks, ensuring the project's alignment with DFG's overall business strategy. The project also emphasizes stakeholder engagement and effective communication methods to ensure successful implementation and staff training for the new system.

Business Analysis Project 1
BUSINESS ANALYSIS PROJECT
By Name
Course
Instructor
Institution
Location
Date

Business Analysis Project 2
Executive Summary
This research activity is based on DFG Company (Dairy Farm Group); a food retailer based in
the city of Hong Kong in China. Regardless of the fact that this company is a leading drug and
food store, it has not been in a position of achieving wider profit margins with regards to their
competitors. Due to such challenges, the management team of the company employed two
consultation firms to investigate the existing system after which they would be expected to
provide their recommendations on the outcome.
The first consultation firm (call it A) had its focus on the development of information
management system as well as the employment of technology. Consequently, the other firm (B)
focused on the manner in which the company restructured business processes that are critical in
association of supportive technology. With the outcomes of the two firms ideologically differing,
dilemma arose. With regards to the management team, this research project considers working
with information management systems re-implementation as well as recommending a tender for
firm A.
Table of Contents

Business Analysis Project 3
1.0 Terms of Reference Effective from 17/1/17 to 8/12/17............................................................2
1.1 Project Background................................................................................................................3
1.2 Project Objectives..................................................................................................................3
1.3 Project Scope..........................................................................................................................3
1.4 Project Constraints.................................................................................................................3
1.5 Project Assumptions..............................................................................................................4
1.6 Reporting................................................................................................................................4
1.7 Issues and Risks.....................................................................................................................4
2.0 Proposed Strategic Alignment...................................................................................................5
2.1 Principles of Aligning IT Strategy and Business Strategy.....................................................5
2.2 Strategic Alignment Model....................................................................................................7
3.0 Proposed Stakeholder Analysis and Management.....................................................................8
3.1 Stakeholder Analysis..............................................................................................................8
3.2 Stakeholder Engagement and Management Plan...................................................................9
3.3 Stakeholder Power Grid.......................................................................................................10
4.0 References................................................................................................................................11

Business Analysis Project 4
Rebuilding of MIS system for Dairy Farm Group
1.0 Terms of Reference Effective from 17/1/17 to 8/12/17

Business Analysis Project 5
TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR DAIRY BOARD MIS PROJECT
1.1 Project
Background
Dairy Farm Group of companies is a leading food and drugstore retailer organisation in
the Asia-Pacific Region. They are facing some issues with their current management
information system and have seen a decrease in their bottom-line. The project aims to
install a new MIS to the company (Bell 2014).
1.2 Project
Objectives
 Reviewing past processes of Dairy Farm
 Identification of the weaknesses in the current system
 Reduction of costs used for maintenance.
 Reducing human resource waste
 Gathering and analysing stakeholder feedback
 Implementation of effective communication methods
 Identification of a suitable MIS system
 Training of staff to embrace change through new system
1.3 Project
Scope
The project will look at handling data and information exchange in different Dairy Farm
branches all over the world. This will be done through building of a data warehouse,
data mining and availing the data to users who are authorized to access the system
(Burke 2013).
1.4 Project  Financial constraints-Higher project cost than anticipated
 Resource constraints-Inadequate resources hence slowing down delivery of the

Business Analysis Project 6
Constraints MIS project
 Implementation and approval-If the sponsor and authority take too long to make
decisions it may delay the project
 Training and testing-Resistance to change from employees hence making it
difficult to train
 Schedule-Due to unforeseen circumstances the project can take longer than
anticipated
 Scope Creep-Can occur due to increase in time, cost and resources (Bell 2014)
1.5 Project
Assumptions
 Dairy Farm employees are willing to embrace change
 Management will ensure that the project team members are available to
complete tasks
 Timely approvals will be carried out by sponsor and management
 Failure to identify changes on time will result in the project delaying
 All stakeholders will comply with the communications plan
 There will be an existence of technological infrastructure
 Project teams will abide by set guidelines
 The project plan will be subject to change if the business strategy changes
1.6
Reporting
 Reporting will be done weekly to all stakeholders
1.7 Issues
and Risks
 A risk assessment will be carried out so that Dairy Farm comes up with a

Business Analysis Project 7
mitigation approach on time
 The risk assessment will be monitored and updated throughout the project
 There will be monthly assessments in the status report
 A risk committee will be formed and they will come up with a risk register for
the project
 The risk register will be reviewed monthly and the necessary changes made
(Burke 2013)
2.0 Proposed Strategic Alignment
It is important that the Dairy Farm Group’s management information systems project be aligned
with the overall business strategy. Project managers are the main actors and should be able to
interact with the organization’s strategic managers (Slack 2015). The Dairy Farm Group will
implement the following nine principles so that the MIS project is aligned to business strategy.
2.1 Principles of Aligning IT Strategy and Business Strategy
PRINCIPLE IMPLEMENTATION
1. Focusing on Ultimate Value Dairy Farm Group will align the MIS project with
overall company strategy. The project manager of the
MIS system will have to understand the business needs
of Dairy Farm Group and integrate the project strategy
as required (Slack 2015).
2 Identification with Project Goals All concerned Dairy Farm group project members
must have personal ownership and commitment

Business Analysis Project 8
3 Investment in Trust Ensure trust between Dairy Farm Group and
stakeholders through establishment and sustaining of
relationships
4 Responsibility to be collective and
devolved
The decisions at Dairy Farm Group must be made by
those who are most equipped to make best decisions
and all team members must be involved (Grant 2016)
5 Willingness to Adapt Continually When the business needs of Dairy Farm Group
change, the MIS project team must also adapt
accordingly
6 Development of People Dairy Farm Group must ensure that competencies of
members of the MIS project are developed
7 Learning Orientation Dairy Farm Group to ensure learning on the go on all
projects
8 Innovation and Creativity The management of Dairy Farm Group must challenge
the project team to be innovative
9 Proactiveness Encouraging Proactiveness and breaking rules where
necessary just to ensure MIS project and overall
business strategy are aligned (Slack 2015)

Business Analysis Project 9
2.2 Strategic Alignment Model
Dairy Farm Group will use the strategic alignment model by Henderson & Venkatraman to
manage business and its management information system. The alignment perspectives that will
be used are as follows.
 Strategy execution- This will be used to view Dairy Group’s business strategy as a driver
of design and any choices, which are linked to business infrastructure and MIS
infrastructure (Coltman et al 2015).
 Technology Potential-Will view business strategy as the driver but will make an inclusion
of the IT strategy as a support to the business strategy and specify the required MIS
processes.
 Competitive Potential Alignment-This will be concerned with exploitation of MIS
capabilities in influencing Dairy Group’s products and services, key business strategies
and developing new relationships through business governance. Dairy Group’s business
strategies will therefore be modified through the new MIS capabilities (Coltman et al
2015).

Business Analysis Project 10
 Service Level perspective- This will focus on how Dairy Farm Group can build a top
MIS organization within the company. It will ensure effective use of resources and meet
the constantly changing user needs.
3.0 Proposed Stakeholder Analysis and Management
3.1 Stakeholder Analysis
Program/Project Name: Dairy Farm Group MIS Project
Stakeholder Interest and
Impact
Influence
Level
Attitude
towards
MIS
Project
Stakeholder
managemen
t strategy
Stakeholder
Engagement
and
Management
1 Sponsor High Interest
High Impact
Big Support Keeping alert
and
Consultation
Two-way
communication
Important
2 Board of Project Big Interest
Impact Medium
Big Support Consultation
and keeping
alert
Two-way
communication
Important
3 Affected Business
Users
Big Interest
Big Impact
Medium Opposed Consultation,
involving
and support
Two-way
communication
and close
support
Important
4 Suppliers Small Interest
Small Impact
Small Impartial Keeping alert One-way
engagement
5 Outside Customers Small Interest
Small Impact
Small Impartial Keeping alert One-way
engagement
6 Information
Technology
Department
Big Interest
Big Impact
Big Support Consultation
and keeping
alert
Two-way
communication
Important
7 Government Medium Interest
Medium Impact
Medium Impartial Keeping alert One-way
engagement
3.2 Stakeholder Engagement and Management Plan
Parties Parties
Characteristics
Expected needs important
Messages
Engagement
Method

Business Analysis Project 11
High Impact Project
Comittee –
sponsors of
change
Updated regularly
and issues raised
promptly
Progress
against plan
and resolving
issues
Meeting, reports
and briefings
High Impact Impacted
Business
Users –
resistant to
change
Afraid of new ways
of working
Hear out and
respond to
their concerns
– make them
aware of the
help available
Constant meetings
and involvement in
designing change
High Impact IT
Department
Consistent updates Update
Progress and
give IT
updates
One on One
briefing plus
project involvement
High Impact Sponsor Updated Constantly
and Issues raised
promptly
Progress
against plan
and resolving
issues
Meeting, reports
and briefings
Medium
Impact
Government Compliance to IT
rules and regulations
Progress
against plan
and
compliance
updates
Briefings (Leyden
et al 2015)
Low Impact External
Customers
Keep Informed Update on
Progress
Newsletters
Low Impact Suppliers Keep Informed Update on
Progress
Newsletters
3.3 Stakeholder Power Grid

Business Analysis Project 12