Organizational Issues

• Centralization, Decentralization, and Control

• Interdependence & Coordination• Conflict & Power• Managing change

– in the business, environment, workforce, & technology

For your prototype. . .

• Identify 3 examples of typical tasks or transactions

• Who might be involved (or interested)? What functions/roles do they represent?

• What is the data flow (in & out)?• What issues might arise in

development and on-going operations?

Information Flows in HR

Payroll

Other Apps

Health &

Safety HRPlannin

g

Training & Developme

nt

Emp&Ind

Rels

Benefits

Compen-sation

EEOApplicant

& Employme

ntMgmt

Systems Interfaces: Troubletown!

• Interfaces are potential trouble spots– Human error (input, interpretation)– Political battles (“That data is ours!”)– Data definitions (“Is that dollars or yen?”)– Hardware/software incompatibility

• HRIS interfaces with payroll, accounting, human users & external organizations (union, government)

Human interfaces

• On-going trouble here has spawned huge field of “human-computer interaction” (HCI)– Design of menus, forms, pointing

devices, display technology, etc.• Reports are also an interface

– Display of data (e.g., color, graphics)– Interpretation of data

Some human interface issues

• Need to control access/security– Who is allowed to see the data?– Who is allowed to enter/update?

• What kind of interface is needed?– Who are the users? How much training will

they have? How often will they use it?• What kind of interface can you afford?

– Paper & pencil? Dumb terminal? PCs with Windows? Voice activation? Touch-screen?

Example: Menus

• Functions should be grouped logically• User should be able to move freely

and always tell where they are• Consider “pop-up” menus

– Menus that attach to objects on the screen, rather than a “menu bar”

• Consider “tool bars” -- special menu items that bring up small applications

System interfaces

• What other files/systems supply data?• What other applications need to use

your data?– “Enduser” applications, such as word

processing & spreadsheets– “Enterprise” applications, such as payroll

• This is where a dataflow diagram becomes essential!

Interfaces Often Cross Organizational Boundaries

• Boundaries require formal management– Direct deposit paychecks --> banks – Tax payments & reporting --> IRS– Benefits info --> insurance companies– Payroll data --> service bureau – Dues --> unions

• These kinds of interfaces represent legal/contractual obligations

Some system interface issues

• Will data be compatible in format & meaning? (common data dictionary)

• Who will maintain the data?• Processing cycles: when does data

become available? Is it current?• What media (disk, tape, network)

can be used to transfer it? Manually or automatically?

HR & Payroll Data Overlap

PAYROLL Demographics: Marital status for tax purposesNEEDS: Earnings: Types, rates, hours, pay basis

Taxes: Types, calculation rules, witholdingDeductions: types, amounts, frequencies, limitsPayment data: Bank account, check addressReporting info: W-2, 1099, 941,

BOTH HR Demographics: name, address, birth dateAND Employment status: Category, FLSA, work shift, etc

PAYROLL Compensation: type, pay rateNEED: Time and attendance data: accumulations and usage

Benefits: plan particitation, contribution rate

HR NEEDS Emplyoment status: job classification, location, positionDemographics: spouse/emergency informationCompensation: salary/wage ranges, salary historyEmployee relations: Performance review, work historyEEO dataBenefits: Coverage amounts, beneficiaries, accrual ratesTraining and development dataSafety and Health data

Payroll & HR Differences

Issue Payroll HRSystem

orientationProduction Maintenance

Data structure For update For inquiry

Cycles Rigid timing Flexible

Transactionvolume

Larger Smaller

Record sizes Smaller Larger

Accuracy CRITICAL Less critical

Data content Determined by tax law,etc.

Determined by userneeds

Routines Arithmetic Data manipulation

Integrate or interface?

• Standardize data definitions/formats• Agree on data sources &

maintenance responsibilities• Consider differing processing cycles &

transaction volumes• Is system capacity as much of an issue

as indicated in text?• Considerations are similar for any

internal interface

Your process diagrams

• Problems? • Can we identify interface issues?• IS support possibilities?• What are your plans for the next

project?