human resources analysis

Human Resources Analysis 1

System Analysis for Riordan Manufacturing’s Human Resources Department

Kelly Beckwith

University of Phoenix, Online


Table of Contents

Abstract ………………………………………………………………………………………… 3

Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………. 4

Scope and Goals………………………………………………………………………………… 4

Supporting Measures …………………………………………………………………………. 5

System Requirements …………………………………………………………………………. 7

Application Architecture and Process Design …………………………………………………. 9

Data Flow and Protection………………………………………………………………………. 10

Data Flow Chart ………………………………………………………………………………. 10

Flow of Data Chart ………………………………………………………………………….…. 11

Implementation Process………………………………………………………………………… 12

Human Resource Organizational Chart………………………………………………………… 12

Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………… 14

Resources ………………………………………………………………………………………. 16


Abstract

Designing a new system for Riordan Manufacturing’s Human Resources Department is a crucial

and important part of Riordan efforts to evolve with new technology. The company has asked

that installation of their new system occur within six months. The current Human Resources

Information Systems (HRIS) is outdated by over 10 years. Allowing an outside company to

implement a new system will save Riordan Manufacturing time and money, and allowing

completion of the project in the time allowed. Combining all of the systems used by Riordan’s

human resources staff will allow easier access for all.


System Analysis for Riordan Manufacturing’s Human Resources Department

As computer technology evolves, companies find themselves analyzing and improving

their systems on a regular basis. However, some companies have such a vast amount of

departments, employees, and locations that they find it can take years to update and improve all

of their departments and locations. Riordan Manufacturing has been in need of updating their

human resources department for sometime. With a well-devised systems development life cycle

Riordan Manufacturing should be able to update and improve their human resources systems

quickly and effectively.

The human resources department currently has a system that they received in 1992 that

came incorporated into the financial systems package. In order to determine the type of system

that will best suit Riordan Manufacturing the IT department needs to gather data regarding the

information that human resource personal uses. Ultimately, the company’s central human

resources department uses this data the most. However, each location also needs this data as well

as managers.

Scope and Goals

Riordan Manufacturing would like a new Human Resources System. This system needs

to include all the information that the Human Resources Department uses on a daily basis. The

system also needs to allow limited access to employees that are outside Human Resources, such

as managers who input employee information. Recruiters also need to have access to the Human

Resources system; however, their access should be limited to resumes and new employee

information.

The department definitely needs to combine all the programs and personal files into one

system. The current system only tracks personal information, pay rate, personal exemptions for


taxes, hire date and seniority date, organizational information and vacation. The company needs

to track this information plus other key information that is currently being complied in several of

different locations. The other information Riordan needs to track with there new system is

training and development, resumes and applicant information, FMLA and ADA, job analysis,

salary surveys, individual compensation decisions, and complaints and grievances.

With this in mind, Riordan Manufacturing is asking for a complete overhaul of their

current system. Before installing the new systems, the overhaul will require a great amount of

employee training as well as cooperation from many managers and departments across Riordan’s

four locations. Even though the scope of this project seems very small, it actually will involve

many departments throughout the locations to cooperate and agree on many things.

Supporting Measures

Along with the cooperation of many departments, there will have to be a lot of updating

and files to go though. Riordan will have to assign employees to concentrate their hours to

getting the data entered into the new system. Since so many of the human resources files and

data are stored in different areas and different ways their will be a lot of transfer and data moving

around. The company needs to be careful not to lose this data during the transfers.

Riordan Manufacturing has asked for a six-month period roll out the new system. If

employees are trained as the systems are installed they should not have a problem getting the

system updated in the period allowed. However, training is crucial and finishing in a timely

matter is important or it could slow the rollout down and potentially harm the timeframe of the

rollout. Riordan Manufacturing should use a program like Microsoft Project to ensure that

everything rolls out on time.


Microsoft Project can control all kinds of things that the rollout will need. “Stay informed

by controlling your project work, schedule, and finances, and effectively communicate project

data. Get started with the new Project,” (Microsoft, 2007, para. 1). Using this type of

organization will allow Riordan Manufacturing to rollout their new system with the six-month

timeframe, effectively.

There is several ways that the IT manager can gather the data that will determine what

type of system they will use. First, the IT manager needs to send out a company wide memo to

human resources personal and managers that ask their opinion on the upgrades. The best source

for information is the people who use it every day. Joint application development (JAD) is the

terminology used when collecting this data. JAD allows the managers, IT department, and a

group of users (the human resources department) to work on the development together (Shelly,

Cashman, & Rosenblatt, 2003).

To allow JAD to work correctly the managers need to implement SWOT (Strengths,

Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats). This will gather the information that users think are

strengths in the system as well as the weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. SWOT can show

many things the will help evaluate and improve the current system. Using SWOT helps analyze

the systems already in place so that new and improved systems can be determined. In using

SWOT it was determined that Riordan Manufacturing currently uses several processes for human

resource data and collection.

Using these two techniques will also increase a wide spread company awareness of the

new system. With this wide spread knowledge the managers are worried that employees might

fear for their job. To eliminate this threat of possible employee rebellion the company should

send out a company wide memo that ensures employees that while the new system will make


their job and position easier, they will still have plenty of work to do. Sending this memo will

allow the company to advise the employees of the new system as well as ensure job security.

System Requirements

The company’s current human resources system stores limited data. This data includes

employee information. However, that information is very limited at a central level and the

employee’s manager keeps most data at the local office. This organization effects more than just

the human resources department. With the current system, there are files everywhere and the

company’s filing system is very disorganized. Riordan Manufacturing has probably lost much of

the information that they track over the years by.

According to About.com, the human resource information system commonly includes

many features that Riordan Manufacturing system does not. These items include:

Typically, the better The Human Resource Information Systems

(HRIS) provide overall:

o Management of all employee information.

o Reporting and analysis of employee information.

o Company-related documents such as employee handbooks, emergency

evacuation procedures, and safety guidelines.

o Benefits administration including enrollment, status changes, and personal

information updating.

o Complete integration with payroll and other company financial software

and accounting systems.

o Applicant and resume management.

The HRIS that most effectively serves companies tracks:


o attendance and PTO use,

o pay raises and history,

o pay grades and positions held,

o performance development plans,

o training received,

o disciplinary action received,

o personal employee information, and occasionally,

o management and key employee succession plans,

o high potential employee identification, and

o applicant tracking, interviewing, and selection (Heathfield, 2007, para. 2-

3).

Riordan Manufacturing’s current human resources system does not implement all of these in a

single integrated application. Riordan’s system uses a very basic system connected to the

financial systems package as well as many other simple programs that require a lot of tracking

and cross-referencing.

To upgrade to a new system Riordan will also have to upgrade all of their current

computer systems. Since each location is using different types of computers that are different

ages, Riordan will have to implement a company wide mandatory system upgrade. With today’s

programs and systems it is recommended that Riordan enforces a strict Windows or MAC only

workstation for each employee that needs it based on the department that he or she is in. Many

programs will work across platforms. These programs, known as Cross-Platform programs and

usually will work with Windows and MACs.


Application Architecture and Process Design

When looking for the right software for Riordan Manufacturing several options presented

themselves. There were two programs that stood out above the rest, !Trak-It HR and Perfect HR.

These programs have all the necessary functions that Riordan needs for their Human Resources

Department plus some. However, there are some differences between the programs and Perfect

HR has a payroll management system (Aspetuck Systems Inc., 2007). Since Riordan does not

need a payroll management system because they have their own financial software, !Trak-It HR

will be used.

There are many reasons choosing !Trak-it HR, one being the fact that it is easy to use.

There is three ways to navigate through the system making it easy for anyone to use. The system

uses “a graphic toolbar, pull-down menus, or shortcut keys” (!Trak-It Solutions, para. 2) that will

allow any user to navigate with ease. It always has very easy to follow buttons and icons and a

main navigation screen for quick access to the most commonly used applications (!Trak-It

Solutions, 2007).

The new program also has all the employee information stored in one location, “Screens

for employee data collection: Personal, Job Screen, Secondary Job, Benefits, Dependents,

Education, Emergency Contacts, Events, Former Employers, Injuries, Photo, Skills, Wellness,

Grievance, Follow-Up Notes, Termination, Assets, Training, Medical History, Contacts” (!Trak-

It Solutions, 2007, para. 3) as well as attendance records. !Trak-It HR also offers standard along

with custom reporting features.

Riordan will benefit from this system because of its payroll import features that will

allow the Human Resources Department to import important payroll data. Other benefits include

grievance tracking, security and limited access to features, and centralized server connection that


works with most servers. Cross-Platform access is also available so if some department managers

such as the IT manager use a MAC instead of Windows, he or she can still access the data.

Finally, Riordan’s Human Resources employees will be able to access anyone’s data, at any time

and at any of their four locations.

Implementing this system will require updating all employees that use Human Resource

information. This includes any manager, recruiter, employee relation specialist, human resources

personal, payroll personal, and so forth. Upgrades should rollout based on the user’s position and

how often they use the information included in the new system. Anyone in the Human Resource

Department should receive the first rounds of upgrades, followed by recruiters then managers

and then anyone else.

Data Flow and Protection

With all the new access to the human resource system, there needs to be structure

regarding the user access. This is an idea of who will be accessing the HRIS and why:


With this in mind there needs to be a serious amount of security to the human resources system.

“Because security is a process and not a state, ongoing refinement and assessment is needed for

prolonged success” (Security Innovation Inc., 2007, para. 1). Using an outside security company

like security innovation would be a smart move on Riordan Manufacturing’s part. If they decide

to use an outside company rather then an in house company they will reduce the amount of extra

technical help that they might need. Reducing in house support will also reduce the workload on

the current employees.

By improving the security and HRIS system Riordan will also improve the way

workflows throughout the company. Now, files have to be transported back and forth between

managers, recruiters, and specialist. Files also are broken up and disorganized, different

departments have different pieces of an employees file. Here is what the flow of data could look

like with the new system:

Using this Diagram as a reference all managers and or other important personal will be able to

access all the files on a particular employee and not just some of the information. For the


moment, managers do not have access to potential employees. The data will be restricted to some

individuals based on their security clearance.

Implementation Process

Implementing !Trak-it HR into Riordan Manufacturing’s everyday process will be harder

then just designing it. Bellow is a copy of the current structure of the human resources

department.

To best implement, the new system the actual human resources department will get the first

rollout. The employees who actually use the current system are Yvonne McMillian, Silvija

Peterson, and Ana Richlich; therefore, they will receive the first rollout. Then recruiting,

training, and development will receive the next rollout because they will benefit the most from

the new system. The rollouts will continue to prioritize based on the employees’ use of the new

system.

Riordan Manufacturing needs to make sure to complete all six of the major

implementation stages by the time the installation of the new program is complete. According to


Shelly, Cashman, and Rosenblatt “coding is the process of turning program logic into specific

instructions that the computer system can execute” (2003, p. 422) when commanded, this will

allow users to see what the programmer want them to see. It will take time to convert Riordan’s

current system into the new system; this will require a lot of coding. This stage will start the

implementation process to ensure that the old system will convert smoothly to the new system.

Testing the coding is the next stage of the project that Riordan needs to do.

Before installing !Trak-it HR Riordan will have to ensure that everything will work

smoothly with the older systems already in place. The best way to do this is by testing the coding

and the rest of the system before installation. There are many different types of tests that Riordan

can perform there are system tests, build and smoke tests, performance tests, and acceptance tests

(Stazinger, Jackson, and Burd, 2004). During this stage of the installation, Riordan will use

systems tests. “System testing is normally first performed by developers or test personnel to

ensure that the system does not malfunction in obvious ways and that the system fulfills the

developers’ understanding of user requirements” (Stazinger, Jackson, & Burd, 2004, p. 645).

After the coding and testing is, finished Riordan can finally start to install the new

system. To install the new system they should do a phased rollout. There are several options for

rolling out a new system but to minimize the down time for Riordan a phased rollout is the best,

because the users for the HRIS system is so widely spread. The three major types of rollouts are

phased, parallel, and direct installations (Stazinger, Jackson, & Burd, 2004). Parallel would run

both systems at the same time and direct would replace everything at once with no backup

system. Because Riordan needs to have backup and parallel systems would be too complicated

for the system update, phased rollouts are the only logical explanation.


During the phased rollouts, Riordan will provide documentation and training.

“Comprehensive description and schedule of all activities related to the installation and

activation of the information system, including end user training and data conversion” (Van

Vliet, & Pietron, 2006). Training and documentation go hand-in-hand to finish the rollouts and

have a success crossover. Without training and documentation for the users Riordan’s efforts

would be wasted. Along with training Riordan also needs to build a successful support team for

the users.

Support teams are crucial to the success of the new HRIS system. Training the current

systems technical support team is an essential part of the implementation process. Riordan will

start training their technical support team now while other implementation processes are taking

place. “This is a misconception. We do not read from any script. Yes, we do use a few suggested

verbiages occasionally. We are given extensive hands-on training on Dell systems before we

start taking calls” (Rhey, 2007). Every support person should know the new system inside and

out before taking calls and giving advice on the new system.

After training, the support staff and rolling out the installation Riordan will start on a

maintenance system that will allow continued support to everyone. The maintenance system will

require Riordan to keep in constant contact with the makers of !Trak-it HR so that they can

receive all updates for the system. This will required Riordan to form a Wide Area Network

(WAN) with !Trak-it solutions. The WAN will allow users and technical support to update their

systems on a daily or weekly basis. Doing weekly updates automatically will also decease the

amount of problems that may occur with the system.

In conclusion, planning, developing, designing, and implementing Riordan

Manufacturing’s new Human Resources information system will take much effort from many


parties involved in the company. Since Riordan’s systems are outdated by more than 10 years

they really need to consider upgrading to a new system design like !Trak-it HR. The developers

of !Trak-it HR will allow Riordan to focus on other company issue besides programming a new

HRIS. Using this outside company will better allow for the time restraints that Riordan has put

upon this project. Along with development, the outside system will allow ease in the design stage

of the project as well as implementation. Because the outside company will be doing the training

for the support staff, Riordan does not have to worry about hiring any extra staff during the

transition process. Overall !Trak-it HR is the way for Riordan Manufacturing to go with their

new HRIS system.


Resources

Aspetuck Systems Inc. (2007). Human resources software and payroll software solutions.

Retrieved August 12, 2007 from http://www.perfectsoftware.com/

Heathfield, Susan. (2007). Human resources information system (HRIS). Retrieved August, 2

2007 from http://humanresources.about.com/od/glossaryh/a/hris.htm

Microsoft (2007). Project home page. Retrieved August 2, 2007 from

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/project/FX100487771033.aspx

Rhey, Eric. (2007). Secrets of the call center guy. Retrieved August 24, 2007 from EBSCOhost

database. (Document ID: 25641223).

Satzinger, J.W., Jackson, R.J., Burd, S.D. (2004). System analysis and design in a changing

world. Boston, MA: Thomson Course Technology.

Security Innovation Inc. (2007). Solutions for sustainable security. Retrieved August 13, 2007

from http://www.securityinnovation.com/company/index.shtml

Shelly, G.B., Cashman, T.J., & Rosenblatt, H.J. (2003). Systems analysis and design. Boston,

MA: Thomson Course Technology.

!Trak-It Solutions. (2007). !Trak-It HR. Retrieved August 12, 2007 from http://www.hris-

software.net/index.html

Van Vliet, P.A., & Pietron, L.R. (2006). Information Systems Development Education in the

Real World - A Project Methodology and Assessment. Journal of Information Systems

Education, 17(3), 285-293. Retrieved August 24, 2007, from ABI/INFORM

Global database. (Document ID: 1164952421).

http://www.hris-software.net/index.html

http://www.hris-software.net/index.html

http://www.securityinnovation.com/company/index.shtml

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/project/FX100487771033.aspx

http://humanresources.about.com/od/glossaryh/a/hris.htm

http://www.perfectsoftware.com/

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