Work With Food

 
1. Case-study Purpose
The purpose of this case-study is to describe the WorkWithFood.com project with a predominantly technical slant. A number of images are presented that show components of the system which are not normally available to users (eg. administration module pages).

 
2. About the Company
WorkWithFood.com offers a wide range of recruitment services targeted towards the hospitality industry (eg. restaurants, cafes, bards, etc). The company was established in 2001 by a chef who identified a need within the hospitality industry for more streamlined employment practices.

 

3. The WorkWithFood Website
A website was designed with the intention of encouraging the establishment of an online community, which would in turn ensure the constant growth of the Hospitality Industry and the individuals who are a part of it.

Once a user is logged logged in, full access to the job searching facilities is made available. Job seekers can search for employment based on location, work hours, listing date, or occupation (including compinations of these criteria). Once a suitable position is found, application is quick and easy seeing resumes are securely stored online.
 
 
 
Job seeker members are able to construct an online resume and cover letter. When they apply for a job though the site, their resume and cover letter can be sent off with the application. This process is much faster and more convenient then mailing a resume or even uploading a word document.
 
 
 
WorkWithFood.com provides a unique method by which Job Seekers and Employers can communicate with each other. The system is called JobMessenger; its like an internal email service, but designed for sending short messages between job seekers and potential employers.
 
 
 
The Hospitality Directory lets people search for business' based on details such as; location, venue (eg. bar, restaurant), cuisine type, and many other options. Any hospitality based business is entitled to listing in the directory (standard free listing). Employer members however receive a an enhanced listing which provides further details about a business (eg. entree price, entertainment, BYO, take away, and more).
 

 
 
Employer members are entitled to post as many job advertisements as needed. Once their vacancy is listed in the system, it has the potential of being seen by thousands of prospective job hunters. This increases the chance of finding the right person to work in the employer's business.
 


 
As more and more people apply for a job vacancy, it becomes increasingly difficult to keep track of all the applicants. WorkWithFood.com offers an innovative facility which helps manage a short-list of potential candidates.
 


Staff Finder is another exclusive resource made available to employer members. It works like a job search, only in the 'reverse direction' - it lets employers look for job seekers matching a particular criteria.
 

 
4. Project Management
The WorkWithFood.com project and support material was three months in the making, involving a total of 5 staff members (1 project manager/programmer, 2 junior programmers, 1 graphic designer, and 1 independent quality tester).

To give an indication of the size of the project, the system files alone totalled 388 in number (157 ASP and support files, 231 image and multimedia files).

The database comprises some 41 relational tables (nb. the database is mostly in 4th normal form). Database Layout in MS SQL Server Enterprise Manager.
 


The system's functional specification was close to 100 pages long. 
 
 
 
The Project Schedule was roughly 60 pages in length.
 

 

5. Technology
The system uses ASP (VBScript) as its server side language, integrating with Microsoft SQL Server 2000 for its database services. Stored procedures were used extensively to ensure optimal performance.

Other software tools used for imaging and multimedia purposes during the project include; Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and Macromedia Flash.
 

6. Administration System
KDG developed a powerful custom Administration System so that WorkWithFood.com staff could entirely maintain their website from the comfort of their office without needing any programming or development skills.
 

 

The custom Administration System allows staff to; list existing job adverts, create or edit job ads, register and maintain employer users, see details about any system user (including job seekers) and manage directory listings (standard and enhanced).
 
 
 
The Administration System also included an enhanced version of the JobMessenger system that allowed for system-wide broadcasts.
 
 

7. User Scenarios
When trying to understand how the WorkWithFood.com system functions, it helps to imagine a few real life stories of how actual (stereotypical) people would use the service. The following are two scenario's taken from the functional specification;
 
  • Scenario 1: Greg (Job Seeker)
    Greg is a typical uni student who likes to go clubbing on the weekends and leaves his assignments until the day they are due. His conundrum is that his partying habits have left him with a wallet that's quite bare.

    So Greg decides he's in need of some fast cast, but what sort of job can he do that will fit in with his 'demanding' uni schedule (note: Greg is doing a bachelor of arts degree). Being the intellectual dynamo that he is, Greg figures he can make some cash working as a waiter.

    He's pretty comfortable surfing the web and remembers that his mate 'Dangerous Dave' told him about a site called WorkWithFood.com. All he knows is that a lot of restaurants post jobs on the WorkWithFood.com web site, so he's willing to check it out.

    Greg fires up his web browser, enters the web address and away he goes, traversing the cyber-ether at a blistering pace using his 56k modem.
    Greg signs up for an account at WorkWithFood.com and chooses not to fill in the detailed resume because he's a little pressed for time (The Weakest Link starts in 10 minutes).

    Once he's logged in, Greg goes to the Job Search section and starts entering details for the sort of work he is looking for; he selects 'Waiter' from the job type list, then 'Casual' from the hours list and finally 'Melbourne' from the location list.

    After hitting the 'Go' button Greg starts skimming through the results when something catches his eye hmm… The Three-hair Chinese Restaurant in Clayton. This looks interesting he says out loud. He then presses on the 'Apply Now' button which takes him to the 'Application Page' where he has a chance to include a cover letter and resume. Finally, all that's left to do is for Greg to press the 'Send' button and his application is fired off.

  • Scenario 2: Mario (Restaurant Owner)
    Mario is a busy restaurant owner, he runs a trendy little eatery located in Lygon street that specialises in Italian cuisine. Business has been good to Mario recently and as part of the expansion he decides the best course of action is to take on some more waiting staff, but where to begin?

    Last time he got a recruitment agency to help him out it cost a small fortune. Suddenly, Mario remembers a salesmen who came in a month ago offering him membership to the WorkWithFood.com service. He makes some phone calls and a short while later becomes a member of the WorkWithFood.com network.

    Eager to make the most of his membership, Mario logs onto the Internet and goes straight to the WorkWithFood.com website. Slowly but surely, Mario pokes away at his keyboard typing in his username and password. Upon clicking the 'Login' button Lefty enters the 'Employer Services' members section.

    Ah… there it is, Advertise a Job... he thinks to himself as he scratches his stump. Clicking on the appropriate button, Mario is transported to the 'Advertise a Job' page, here he fills in a few details about the job he wants to list.

    Happy with the job description he's provided, Mario presses the 'Continue' button and is taken to the 'Preview' page where he can see how his job advert will appear. Last but not least, Mario clicks the 'Finish' button to have his listing committed to the digital landscape that is the web as we know it.

 


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