Learner outcome: Analyze how technology impacts society and evaluate and propose technology solutions for an organization.

Course: ICT 701 ICT in Organizations | 3 cr. | Spring 2024

Artifact:

In the spring 2024 semester, I took ICT 701 - ICT in Organizations, a course that covered adopting new technology, designing ICT systems, assessing technology's impact on society, and predicting future trends. For my final project, this paper and corresponding PowerPoint contain my proposed technological solution for a pseudo organization based on an examination of their challenges and goals.

I researched mainstream software and evaluated it against various requirements, including cost, accessibility, integration with the existing technology environment, privacy, and functionality. Based on this research, I proposed a suite of apps within Microsoft Viva - Glint, Pulse, and Insights - that would assist the organization in its efforts to create an engaged and productive workforce. The solution could address their communication, feedback, goal setting, and learning needs.

Work sample:

Understanding Employee Sentiment with Microsoft Viva (paper)

Understanding Employee Sentiment with Microsoft Viva (PowerPoint)

Self-Reflection:

What did you learn?

I learned how to understand an organization's challenges and identify opportunities for improvement. This led me to learn how to write a clear problem statement that describes the gap between a current state and a desired future state. This included explaining why the problem matters, proposing a solution with its benefits and costs, and detailing how the solution should work.

From this project, I also learned how to write a formal proposal with sections for an introduction, background, proposed solution, impact analysis, and recommendations. I gained a greater ability to compare software and evaluate it against business objectives and constraints, plus distinguish between features that align with needs versus those that do not provide value. Finally, I learned how to package this research and insight into a persuasive presentation to help leaders make an informed decision about implementation.

How did you learn this?

I approached this project in a logical, step-by-step order. First, I identified challenges I thought the organization's leaders would want to resolve, which were related to communication, capturing the voice of employees, feedback, retention, and engagement. From there, I started brainstorming software and hardware with the potential to address their needs.

Next, I did a deep dive into two products: Motivosity and MS Viva. I compared the individual features of the software and mapped them to how they could be used in a real environment and translate into improved outcomes for the organization. I performed an impact analysis of the MS Viva suite, which included looking at the implications from multiple perspectives: social, technical, environmental, economic, legal, and ethical. Throughout this process, I was mindful of the organization's constraints, including the soft and hard dollar costs of purchasing, implementing, and using the software. For the final steps, I drew insights from all the information I had gathered to compile a paper and PowerPoint, reinforcing the concepts I learned in the course.

What were some challenges that you overcame?

While there were no major obstacles, a few steps in the process required diligence. One challenge was that many apps seemed similar, and their features were highly interconnected, making it difficult to discern if a full suite or an individual app was sufficient. I overcame this by familiarizing myself with all major apps from Microsoft and downloading comparison tables, advertising materials, and technical manuals to gain an in-depth understanding. During this research, I kept the project's constraints in mind to ensure my proposal would meet all parameters.

Another challenge was imagining how the software would actually be used and tying it to tangible improvements like turnover, engagement, and contributions to strategic goals. It can be tough to distinguish between "nice to have" requests and hard requirements and to measure the return on investment. I addressed these items by looking into the developers' initial intent and finding studies that provided evidence linking certain organizational characteristics to culture and success, and how technology can assist in those efforts.

How will you apply this information in the future?

I can take the learnings from this project and the ICT in Organizations course and use them in future IT roles. This knowledge enables me to be part of strategic work teams dedicated to innovation, change management, and decisions surrounding technology upgrades and their impacts. I can provide insights to leaders about how technology influences business operations from multiple perspectives, including social, economic, legal, and ethical. I can also contribute to efforts related to estimating when to adopt new technology, predicting trends, and designing ICT systems.

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