Use Existing App or a Purpose Built One

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Faced with a choice between a manual system and one based on Information technology such as using an application, it would be logical to use an application, possibly one with online capabilities (Cohn, 2014). However, there is always a choice between developing an application from scratch, and using available ones that can be customized to meet the specific needs of the organization. Aspects like cost and time to market become factors of consideration in this case (Rundle, 2017). This paper evaluates the case of a taxi company seeking to offer better services to replace the manual system in which users make calls and reserve taxis, especially in light of increased in call volumes and the need to have a better system. The paper begins by developing a project charter, before recommending the feasibility of using an existing system/ application and customizing it versus a purpose built application. The business process models in the context of AS-IS and To-BE are then discussed as is the business process re-engineering. The advantages to the business in using such applications (app) is then discussed, followed by a description of the features of the recommended app and a diagram showing how human and technological components are linked. The costs are outlined, as is the implementation, integration, and testing plan. The criteria for success is then discussed and a plan for evaluation Title    Recommendations of whether to customize and use an existing app or develop a purpose built one for taxi booking Scope     Due to increased calls and the need for better customer services, the taxi hailing company seeks to use an app to expedite the service, have a better customer experience, and improve services. Objectives    Evaluate whether to customize and use an existing app or develop a purpose built one Discuss the business process modeling and business re-engineering processEvaluate the advantages of the app and features of the desired app Illustration of how the human and technological components are linked.

Charter developed following the Project Management Body of Knowledge guidelines and nature of the project (Estrella, 2012) Use Existing App or a Purpose Built One Existing (or white label apps) are those built by a specialist (or even open source ones) and can be used by any party, such as this company and can be customized and branded for its use. The developer then charges a fee, such as development and a monthly maintenance fee. This model has its advantages including a short time to market, low initial investment, plenty of customization, and maintenance post release. Purpose built apps are those developed in house either by in-house staff or hired experts, specifically for the organization, which then owns all its rights (Welder, 2016).  Advantages of this model are that it is built specifically for the client, can be scaled easily, integration can be built in easily with other company IT resources, and the firm will get high level support and maintenance. The security features can be customized and enhanced based on a robust threat and risk assessment in the context of the taxi hailing company, although costs and time to market can be high (Thomas, 2014). Based on this short evaluation, the purpose built app is the recommended solution. This is informed by security needs, the need for future scalability, and integration with other existing IT resources for the company. These are going to be important factors for the company, especially security because the app will feature payment portals and also store user data that can be sensitive. Further, the app should integrate with existing IT systems of the taxi hailing company, including its existing ERP system, databases, and network resources, including in the cloud. The company may want to scale, change, or add a lot of features to the app depending on demand, and even use it as a customer service portal linked to its social networking sites. Based on these reasons, it is recommended that the firm develops a purpose built app for its taxi hailing service.
Business Process Modeling (BPM)

Business Process Modeling (BPM)

The processes of the organization in ordering for, and securing a taxi are discussed based on the present (as-is) model and the desired future model (to-be): the BPM is developed to create a clear understanding of the taxi hailing process at present and when the app will be in use (Fleischmann, Rass & Singer, 2013). BPM As-Is The BPM as-is is shown below where a customer makes a call and request for a ride. The administration team receives the call and then reviews it; knowing the location, and possibly time needed and amount to pay. The car/ garage division then either allocates the car, where transportation is offered and payment received; this is a successful request. Alternatively, the request may be rejected and review done by administration, meaning the request is rejected and unsuccessful

The business process of booking taxi rides for the company will change drastically; one, there will be no need for a large administrative department with people to receive calls, inquire about cars from the garage and negotiate with client on prices. Further, a large garage or car holding area with employed drivers will be removed or reduced. The customer will have complete control, using a ‘self service’ model to get taxis. The system will automate processes for the company, removing manual systems such as fare discussions, manual allocation of cars and drivers, and having to use a call logging system to manage customer requests.
Advantages Reduced operational costs,enhanced customer experience as they can hail a ride from any location and don’t need to make a call, flexibility in managing the business, increased efficiency, and improved safety for drivers. Customers will benefit from reduced costs compared to traditional yellow cabs or the black limousine. These will reduce costs, enhance efficiency, automate tasks, and enable managers to have a top level single shot view of company performance, when the system is integrated into the financial system, of where demand is coming from, revenues, and trends, and make suitable decisions. Its profitability will improve due to increased efficiency (Barrett & Baldry, 2009)

The App should work with most if not all major mobile operating systems including Android, Mac OS, and Windows and work across multiple devices including desktop and laptop computers. The App should be available for free downloading and have automatic updates. It should have a small footprint to ensure it does not slow down or freeze and that users do not have to upgrade their devices regularly to use it. It needs to synchronize with all user devices, so that, for instance, a user can book a ride from a mobile device, a laptop, desktop, or tablet device. The App should have a registration system that inks with the customers’ and drivers’ identification details for security. Further, it ought to work with cashless payment systems including credit cards, NFC, and mobile wallets. The App should be user friendly, with few processes to get a transaction complete, with predictive location features so users do not have to type all letters for a location. It should have Geo fencing and Geo location features with a real time map fro tracking drivers. It needs to have an automated charge calculator based on distance covered. It should have capabilities for scaling, such as adding mobile parking management systems in the future for ease of parking space location. Linking of Human and Technological Components  This is shown below; the App ecosystem with cloud capability is the main point of interaction between the company, drivers, and customers, with the application installed in their devices and data processed, managed, and stored in cloud based servers

The software will be tested extensively at each iteration; the Agile method of SCRUM will be used in its development. Testing will be done at each iteration and any bugs detected. After the final lab testing is done, the system will be tested in a real life situation and any issues noted and corrected. Integration will then be done with existing systems and tested to be working okay, before a ‘live test’ is done using the cloud platform, and any issues identified and resolved. Live testing will run for a week, and if smooth, then existing data will be migrated into the App. Testing will be done a further one week before the beta version is released for real life live testing with selected users. Feedback will be obtained and any improvements made before a commercial version is released. Performance will be monitored and continuous improvements undertaken through maintenance contracts. Criteria for Success and Evaluation Plan    The success criteria are based on the project objectives and deliverables, as well as the performance of the App. Evaluation is done by analyzing the success criteria metrics with expectations gauges against actual performance: for instance if the budget was exceeded or underutilized (Howsawi, Eager, Bagia & Niebecker, 2014). The success criteria and evaluation plan is shown below.

References

Barrett, P., & Baldry, D. (2009). Facilities Management (p. 179). New York, NY: John Wiley &     Sons.

Cohn, C. (2014). Build vs. Buy: How to Know When You Should Build Custom Software Over     Canned Solutions. Forbes.com. Retrieved 21 April 2018, from     https://www.forbes.com/sites/chuckcohn/2014/09/15/build-vs-buy-how-to-know-when-    you-should-build-custom-software-over-canned-solutions/#6fb4dcdac371

Estrella, J. (2012). PMP–practice makes perfect (1st ed., p. 170). Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley.

Fleischmann, A., Rass, S., & Singer, R. (2013). S-BPM illustrated (1st ed., pp. 1, 24). Berlin:     Springer.

Howsawi, E., Eager, D., Bagia, R., & Niebecker, K. (2014). The four-level project success     framework: application and assessment. Organisational Project

Management, 1(1), 5-7.     https://dx.doi.org/https://dx.doi.org/10.5130/.v1i0.3865

Rundle, D. (2017). 15 Things That Can, and Probably Will, Go Wrong with Your Custom     Software Development Project. Worthwhile.com. Retrieved 21 April 2018, from     https://worthwhile.com/blog/2016/07/26/custom-software-development-problems/

Thomas, R. (2014). Geeks | Bespoke Software Development Experts. Geeks.ltd.uk. Retrieved 21     April 2018, from https://www.geeks.ltd.uk/about-us/blog/details/gnnuTs/buy-or-build-is-    off-the-shelf-software-cheaper-than-bespoke

Welder, L. (2016). The Pros and Cons of DIY Website vs. Professionally Developed.     Entrepreneur. Retrieved 21 April 2018, from     https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/269992