C$2.$ Davis Humanics

Davis Humanics $($DH$)$ is a company founded in $1982$ that provides human resources services to about $7000$ companies with a total of nearly $100,000$ employees. These services include payroll processing, tax filing, health insurance and claims management, and retirement plan manage$-$ ment. DH has annual sales of $$2$ billion and about $1000$ employees. In $1997,$ DH launched a Web site that has since grown to include a variety of tools for connecting with customers. DH has expanded rapidly and has clients of all sizes, ranging from smaller companies with fewer than $50$ employees to Fortune $500$ companies.

As DH grows, it is having trouble maintaining a consistent quality of service. Account man$-$ agers each must handle more clients, and it is becoming difficult for those account managers to maintain a high degree of personal contact with the human resources executives who control DH$\text{'}$s contracts. In the past, account managers worked with a small set of client contact people, but now account managers must work with more people, many of whom they have never met. In addition to account managers, client personnel have regular contacts with DH operations staff $($who handle input tasks$),$ DH systems staff $($who help customize the interfaces between DH systems and client systems$),$ and DH professional staff $($lawyers$,$ actuaries, and human resources professionals who consult with DH clients and their legal counsel regarding the operation of their retirement and benefits plans$).$

Because DH$\text{'}$s clients are so different in size and how they operate, DH has to be flexible in handling input data. For example, DH$\text{'}$s payroll$-$processing service allows clients many different ways to send in time card data. The largest clients arrange for customized computer$-$to$-$ computer transfer of information. Some large clients use EDI transfers. Most medium and smaller$-$sized clients e$-$mail or fax the time card information, but a significant number of them mail paper lists that DH must scan into its systems. The health insurance claims$-$handling operation is even more troublesome. In addition to having clients send information in various

formats, the insurance companies demand that information be submitted in specific formats, each of which is different.

$1.$ What is the main problem in the case?

$2.$ Describe parts of business or business processes that need to be improved.

$3.$ What technical solutions $($Any solution$)$ would you recommend $($Provide as many as possible

based on any technology you learn from the graduation program so far$)?$

$4.$ What are the possible constraints or limitations if you decide to buy$/$develop the above

solutions

$5.$ Describe a progress report. How would you communicate with users and managers during the project? What would you do if the project last longer or costs more?