Information Technology

Business Process Management

Business Process Management (BPM) is the notion of reformulating the day-to-day operations of a business unit or department, or of any system in such a way as to maximize its efficiency. This includes a detailed analysis of the process as well as all of the interdependent functions that impact the process or are impacted by it. By applying proven, repeatable methodologies and leveraging our experience in process analysis and technology, Aspire Solutions Group can assist you in evaluating your current processes and finding ways to optimize them, often through the selection, acquisition, and implementation of supporting information technology solutions.

Requirements Development

The first step in any project, including a BPM project, is defining the overall goals of the system or function being analyzed. In other words, "How do we know when we're done?" These goals help to justify the effort and to evaluate the predicted impact of process improvements within the organization before re-engineering is started.

The next step in the process is to define the specific needs of the organization, in the format of clearly articulated, prioritized requirements. This enables the organization to understand its needs and to develop action plans to address areas that can be improved, focusing on the most critical issues first. Effective requirements development and documentation communicates the needs of the organization in clear, easy to understand, non-technical terms.

Workflow Analysis

Workflow Analysis is a detailed focus on the stages of a process; the path a piece of work takes while it travels through a system and the business rules that affect its course. Evaluating workflow in a systematic manner typically uncovers opportunities for optimization that can be translated into immediate value via additional capacity or cost saving efficiencies. Automating the approval of a work item, for instance, using e-mail and electronic signatures can save days of dead time within a process, leading to higher levels of productivity.

Architecture Analysis

Just as processes evolve, so do the systems that support the processes. An architecture analysis or IT audit can quickly compare an organization's business requirements with the systems in place to support them, and identify opportunities for enhancements. If new investments are required to improve the current IT infrastructure, using process management methods, ROI can be predicted in the analysis phase of the project, before any capital expenditures are made. This provides business resources and management with an understanding of the predicted return on the investment in IT in clear, predictable ways.

Systems Design

Once the needs of an organization are clearly defined and an analysis is completed to assess the gap that may exist between these needs and the capabilities of the organizations' current information systems, what's left is to fill the gap. This could mean fixing or enhancing an existing system, identifying a packaged software solution that may meet the needs of a particular workgroup, or designing and building a customized application. Regardless of the solution, time spent up front to define and understand exactly how the solution will address the needs of the business is vital.

This important step ensures that the solution being developed effectively meets the needs of the organization, is usable by the intended audience and fits within the information technology standards of the organization. Methods such as system prototyping can be used during the design phase to gather feedback from users of the system, before systems development begins, where changes are more difficult and costly to implement.

Technology Management

If your need is more discrete than Business Process Management, Aspire Solutions Group offers Technology Management consulting services that may be just the additional help you need. Whether it's the customization of a packaged software application, the deployment of a Content Management System (CMS) for your web site, an audit of your IT systems or help desk support...experience pays huge benefits.

Our consultants have expertise across a wide range of disciplines and technologies. Additionally, our consulting services and solutions are tailored to the particular needs of our clients, ranging from an individual consultant added to a client's existing team to provide instant IT expertise, to providing a fully outsourced team to design and build a new application or to run the helpdesk operations of a business. Whatever your business needs may be, Aspire Solutions Group can assist in fulfilling them.

We follow a structured deployment lifecycle to ensure the successful delivery of technology solutions for our clients. Our methodology follows industry "best practices" and emphasizes planning and communications with the client to minimize surprises and to effectively deal with sometimes unavoidable technology issues. When appropriate, knowledge transfer is also emphasized to ensure the successful transition of our technology solutions to our clients' IT support resources. This can take the shape of systems documentation, formal training, or - as is often the case - collaboration and "hands on" training with our team of technology consultants.

Staff Optimization

Company’s using the latest in technology often suffers from the “feast or famine” theory. The late 90's were a time where development efforts were stalled because experienced, talented developers were difficult to find and expensive. Finding good people who were not already allocated was a challenge. The early 21st century is marked by the other end of the spectrum where there seems to be an excess of resources on the market. Scratch the surface and you find a surprising similarity because the experienced, talented professionals have found homes and are being held onto.

The professionals that are being hired today are being asked to do more with less. They are required to cover a broader range of skills and to maintain proficiency while technology continues to evolve.

At the same time, the utilization of these resources is changing. It is more common to outsource component development efforts or to bring in temporary talent to help overcome demand spikes and to introduce new ideas into an existing group. Once the demand spike has smoothed and the knowledge transfer has taken place, the cost of the talent is removed leaving behind the progress and the knowledge.

Finding the right team member to augment your existing staff requires more than just entering a job onto an on-line job board. These days, such practices make the problem worse since it invariably generates a flood of unfiltered resumes that tax an already overextended technical staff.

Aspire Solutions Group seeks to partner with your company to accomplish the goals being set forth. If your need is for a small supplement of development professionals, from analysts to developers, to project managers to testers, Aspire Solutions Group can add value by eliminating the time wasted by your staff in finding the right team members to optimize your group. A longer vision may indicate the need for a similar skill set with the added ability to affect knowledge transfer back to your staff. Our staff optimization practice is constantly in the job marketplace and we can most easily locate technology experts interested in short-term assignments.

If your desire is to limit your risk on hiring permanent staff, Aspire Solutions Group contract-to-hire option offers your team a chance to work with chosen professionals for a period of time before making a hire/no-hire decision. Everyone benefits - the employee has an opportunity to show their value to your organization and you avoid employee relations costs until you are certain that the fit is right.