The Challenge
With a series of major projects scheduled for the upcoming year, a Director of Store Systems for a national retailer grew concerned that aggressive goals and time constraints threatened to put an unsupportable strain on the resources within his development group.
The sheer volume of work was too much for the established, permanent staff to handle. Additionally, the staff was unfamiliar with newly introduced technologies, adding yet another degree of difficulty.
Sophelle’s Assessment
Sophelle found that the company lacked detailed job descriptions, causing inefficiencies and preventing them from recognizing their recruiting and staffing needs. Likewise, the company was unaware of available staffing options to help them meet their challenges.
Solution
Sophelle reviewed the job requirements and provided a detailed breakdown of costs and staffing options. The client required a wide array of skilled and experienced personnel, with employment duration and terms varying with each position. Sophelle delivered capable IT professionals in each of the following areas:
- Developers – To address resource limitations, the company required contract developers through the lifecycle of the upcoming project. Sophelle provided several developers with the varying skill sets necessary to successfully tackle the projected workload. Knowledge transfer from the additional resources resulted in significantly enhanced productivity.
- Business Analysts – The sudden influx of projects and introduction of new technologies required additional analysis. To get over the short-term hurdle, Sophelle provided two business analysts on a contract basis. Due to their combined experience in retail and the new technologies, they immediately deliver value.
- Quality Assurance – The projects necessitated the immediate implementation of quality assurance personnel, with additional QA services needed on an ongoing basis. Initially, the client wanted the flexibility of a contractual relationship with the option to hire at a later date.
- Sophelle provided personnel on a contract-to-hire basis, meeting the client’s needs for both QA expertise and flexible employment terms.
Result
Contract staff allowed the team to meet goals and rapidly brief employees on new technologies. Contract-to-hire arrangements allowed the director to find and retain proven talent, strengthening his organization. Due to Sophelle’s diligence, the department was more responsive to its customers and well positioned to meet the ever-increasing demands being placed on it.
Please contact Sophelle today for more information.
