Systems Implementation Plan for Home Away From Home Project

This document presents a detailed systems implementation plan for Home Away From Home (HAFH), a hospitality organization. The plan addresses the upgrade of existing IT infrastructure, including Wi-Fi, PCs, and operating systems, as well as the implementation of new software packages like BookIT and CookIT. It outlines pre-implementation requirements, site-specific needs, and a management strategy for the project, including task descriptions, implementation schedules, and staff support. The plan also covers performance monitoring, a back-off strategy, and post-implementation verification processes. The project aims to improve services, expand offerings with conference and event IT management, and ensure a smooth transition with minimal disruption to customers. The plan details the role of an IT service desk, the use of a billing partner for Wi-Fi, and the phased approach to service upgrades. The project also considers necessary civil construction and staff training to ensure a successful outcome. This plan is designed to keep the business competitive and grow its market share.

I must emphasize that this is an implementation plan not a project. Yes it can be viewed as a project
and certainly there are significant similarities. For example you will need to be aware of the
objectives and major deliverables of the implementation. However, the purpose of this plan is to
detail how you are going to develop and deploy the major deliverables of the system.
The Implementation Plan describes how the information system will be deployed, installed and
transitioned into an operational system. The plan contains an overview of the system, a brief
description of the major tasks involved in the implementation, the personnel and any site-specific
implementation requirements. The plan is used for guidance during the Implementation Phase.

Systems Implementation
SYSTEMS IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
<PROJECT NAME>
TEAM MEMBER NAMES:
<NAME 1>
<NAME 2>
ETC
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Note: the following document has been prepared based on the template for a Systems Implementation Plan at
Maryland County, USA (www. Maryland.gov)

Table of Contents
1 INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................................4
2 System Description..........................................................................................................4
2.1 Outline of system components and deliverables......................................................4
2.2 Pre-implementation requirements............................................................................4
2.3 Site-specific requirements........................................................................................4
3 MANAGEMENT of system implementation......................................................................5
3.1 Description of Implementation..................................................................................5
3.2 Major Tasks..............................................................................................................5
3.3 Startup & Cutover.....................................................................................................6
3.4 Training & Documentation........................................................................................6
3.5 Implementation Schedule.........................................................................................6
4 IMPLEMENTATION staff & SUPPORT............................................................................6
5 Performance Monitoring...................................................................................................6
6 Back-Off Plan...................................................................................................................6
7 Post-Implementation Plan and Verification......................................................................6
BIT 352 HAFH Systems Implementation Plan Page 3

SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FOR
HOME AWAY FROM HOME
1 INTRODUCTION
Home away from home is a large organization employing about 3000 men and women from a wide
background like catering, hospitality, IT, management etc. HAFH has been in hospitality business for
like a decade now and it has grown admirably to reach where it stands tall today.
Perhaps we have been very complacent about our achievements that we aren’t able to keep up with
the quality we have been always provided to our business clientele and customer base. A growing
service based industry needs to keep itself updated with the latest IT cum growth culture otherwise
it takes less than a fortnight to be left years behind. We have proposed a wide set of improvements
to be implemented in order to keep the market share and expand grabbing more of it.
2 SYSTEM DESCRIPTION
2.1 Outline of system components and deliverables
The various systems which have been adentified for being implemented are as
follws:
a. Upgrading WIFI in all our hotels, motels, appartments as we have been getting
complaints from our most regular client base.
b. PCs are slow and hence it needs to be upgraded, CRT screens needs to be
replaced with latest LED screens for performance as well as looks of it. All the
existing windows XP needs to be updated to Win 10.
c. A strategy needs to be designed for the implementation of BookIT & CookIT
packages as it would take 20 and 15 hours respectively to become fully
functional.
d. Now for the expansion, as per our current data analysis, we can see that if we
provide Conference and Event IT management services, we can grow by 12%,
hence implementation of associated hardware and software is to be undertaken.
2.2 Pre-implementation requirements
For implementation of the BookmIT and CookIT, the log files of all the employees
needs to be kept handy as it is very likely that we will be facing shortage of human
resources for a short period.
Store rooms needs to be kept ready for receiving computer hardware as well as
furniture in all the respective hotels, appartments.
Software packages needs to be bought beforehand and their respective service
engineers are required to be intimidated beforehand.
2.3 Site-specific requirements
Hardware Requirements : New PCs need to be bought with new Window 10 OS.
WiFi routers also need to be purchased with a throughput of 100MBPS.
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Software Requirements: Windows 10 OS and softwares for managing routers
and networking are required.
Data Requirements: Since the entire IT service would be centralized, it would
need servers used previously to be stationed so that data analytics could be
run, facilitating predictive analysis for the growth of the company.
3 MANAGEMENT OF SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION
Since, HAFH is a group of hotels and apartments at various locations, an IT service desk
central to all needs to be set up. This would be done at our largest hotel, which would
house the server room, technicians and the security and maintenance staff..
3.1 Description of Implementation
The upgrading of WiFi would be done one by one at all the locations in a span
of about a week using our core IT team.
For the WiFi coverage, I think the best most economical way would be to
make the ISP as a partner for billing, as it’s a large project and the cost for the
wifi is deducted with the hotel bill and not separately. For this we can use a
billing partner which would supply the equipment & hotspot system. Such
ISPs usually provide and install wifi in hotels, shopping centres etc and have
a lot of experience in setting up wifi networks. Usually they charge 25% -
50% of the revenue from the hotspot.
Again, as the number of computers we need to buy are more than 150 for the
server room, IT service desk, analytics team and reception meeting rooms and
to be newly introduced conference rooms, we need to ask for quotations from
wholesale dealers of computers and parts and also the warrantee and
extraneous maintenance. The printers and copiers should also be applied here
and bought together as it would help reduce cost or/and get a package deals
from the companies.
The installations of the printers and copiers should be done following the
installation of the wifi hotspots at different locations so that they can be
networked together cutting cost and saving time.
As a thirdparty “Hospitality Solutions” is responsible for the modification of the
old modules and introduction of BookIT and CookIT which would be taking
about 20 and 15 hours respectively, we will have to have an interim
arrangement. Also the thing to be noted is that since we are setting up a
central IT service desk for monitoring and quality control, the calls or
requests for reservation to meals would be processed at the central desk
located in the largest hotel. We need to install and modify the package at only
one location. I propose that:
I. Calls for booking the hotels rooms, reservation of appartments etc
would be diverted to a make shift call centre for the interim period.
II. In case the management decides that the registration or booking
though BookIT is to be made central but CookIT be distributed at
respective service locations, then the other nearest facility of the group
would take over the operations for the period of modification. This
will make sure that the customers are not affected by the work.
BIT 352 HAFH Systems Implementation Plan Page 5

III. For the central hotel, and other hotels, as we might face a shortage of
crew, we have an option of limited booking for the day of operation at
a particular location, otherwise showing “Sold Out” on the app and
web. The crew then can be utilized in the upgrade.
 Now for the expansion of the services, some civil construction work also
needs to be dome which might again put some negative impoact on out
customer reviews. Hence this work should be dome gradually and major
civil cork should be dome only when there is no reservation on that
particular day, this can be achieved by shifting the other customers or
allowing no booking for a particular day, the date for such has to be
decided well in advance.
3.2 Major Tasks
 Providing overall planning and coordination for the implementation- this would make
sure that the job is done in time, with proper and judicious utilization of resources.
 Preparing site facilities for implementation – this would minimize the wastage of
resources and make sure that it is task is delivered timely.
 Providing personnel for the implementation team- this is a very important task which
ensures that the job of implementation of the systems would be done effectively and
efficiently.
 Acquiring system hardware & software- since we need to update the routers and
windows OS software we will have to get these things beforehand.
 Configuring and testing hardware & software is required since we have to reassure
that all the systems are working as they should.
 Configuring and testing networks needs to be performed and we have to test weather
the new networks are capable enough to host 100 bookings and orders at a time. We
also have to be sure of a backup of the network and associated servers in case of a
failure.
 Security features of the system- we need back up the data on special backup servers.
3.3 Startup & Cutover
The conference and IT management service needs to start for the first time, since this would
also have some civil construction work, the hotel or other property need to be vacated so no
booking for that particular day and would be carried out one by one for all the hotels so that
the customers might be accommodated in other hotels should the need arise.
3.4 Training & Documentation
All the training and documentation of the implementation shall be provided by the partner
billing company and maintenance log will have to be created for the proper record for the
future use.
3.5 Implementation Schedule
This will be done in a months time on daily basis for all the commercial properties.
.
4 IMPLEMENTATION STAFF & SUPPORT
Since, we will have ISP as billing partner, all the staff will be provided by the billing company.
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5 PERFORMANCE MONITORING
The data scientist team at the central IT service disk will monitor all the networks and data post
implementation to see the changes in business as a result of the work done.
6 BACK-OFF PLAN
We shall have backup servers for any issue with the servers.
7 POST-IMPLEMENTATION PLAN AND VERIFICATION
All the installed system would be tested continuously, customer reviews would be taken and then
fed into the data stream for analyzing, mean while data though social network and others, cheking
the ratio of new to returning customers would say everything.
BIT 352 HAFH Systems Implementation Plan Page 7