Background Check
Background Check
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Issue Date
2011
Authors
Boyer, Michael
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Abstract
Small Business Administration(SBA) sought Buoy 14 Consulting Inc. to solve a problem within their 912 Form Processing Department. SBA’s 912 Form is a statement of personal history. SBA’s process to store 912 Forms was ineffective and inefficient and as a result, prolonged the time to retrieve, process, organize, disseminate, maintain and continually assess 912 forms. Two large file cabinets were used to store SBA’s 912 forms that were received into the Sacramento Loan Processing Center using two different filing systems. Each file was copied two times and filed by date of arrival and in alphabetical order. When a file was pulled by one of SBA’s clerks, it can be retrieved from either filing system. This filing process led to misfiled documents and lost records.
To solve SBA’s 912 Form filing system’s ineffectiveness, Buoy14 has reviewed their existing processes and developed a new file inventory system which included a file review system. The new filing system called Background Check(B-Check) combined the two existing filing processes — alphabetical and date of arrival — using a single repository and added the ability to remotely access, edit and retrieve a 912 form. The new B-Check system significantly improved efficiency and accountability at all levels of SBA’s data store file handling capability. B-Check now ultimately handles SBA’s entire future file and review information exchange requirements for their 912 form processing department and permits the ability to include additional functions in later system software revisions.
The B-Check project involved a team of six Buoy 14 developers for a fixed duration of three months which commenced January 31, 2011. A memorandum of understanding(/MOU) was created between SBA and Buoy 1/4 stating intention of project, essential information gathering requirements and delineated B-Check as a ‘for the public good (pro bono) project. Primary constraint placed upon Buoy14 project team was to complete project requirements within aforementioned fixed duration with the intended objective to deliver a quality product to SBA meeting or exceeding their specifications and requirements.
Major risks involved with B-Check project included Buoy 14 staff being students that had other responsibilities outside from the development of B-Check. This limited each student’s dedicated time to reach each of the project’s milestones. However, due to the moral integrity and work ethic of the Buoy14 project team and the repercussions of not delivering on schedule made this a low risk.
Description
Prepared by: Michael Boyer, Sam Daniel, David J. Hogg, Ernesto Romero, Eyoel Mekonnen, Alejandro Segura