Riordan Manufacturing Human Resources System Analysis Paper
Riordan Human Resources Systems Analysis
Riordan Manufacturing sells customized bottles and designs, computer and room fans, and medical devices such as heart valves and stents. The main headquarters is located in San Jose, California and the three manufacturing plants are located in Pontiac, Michigan, Albany, Georgia, and overseas in China. Riordan Manufacturing wants to replace the Human Resources Information System (HRIS) that was designed in 1992.
The purpose of this project is to create a state-of-the-art HRIS for Riordan Manufacturing. The information on the current HRIS is alienated and not organized in a central location which makes it subject to the possibility of errors in the data. The system is outdated and needs to be replaced. …show more content…
Upgrading is not an option for such an outdated system. The Human Resources (HR) department keeps and maintains records in a variety of different ways including hand-written paper files, microfiche, and a number of databases. Rietsema (2014), “A HRIS allows employees to exchange information with great ease and without the need for paper” (para. 6).
Project Plan Proposal
Designing a state-of-the-art HRIS can benefit the organization in many ways. Riordan Manufacturing will integrate a variety of HR tools into one application (Apollo Group, 2007). In order to get a complete view of the organization’s needs, information will be gathered about the objectives, structure, and processes. The project will take about 6 months before it is implemented into production. Proper time management on this project is necessary to make the deadline. Following an organized plan makes for a successful HRIS implementation.
The HRIS planning and analysis phase will include assessing the needs of Riordan Manufacturing. The process used will include:
Identify and assess the current HR system used including potential and limitations of the organization
Conduct interviews with stakeholders and users
Plan and manage activities during system development
Determine what is needed to improve the system processes
Create a detailed requirements list for the system
Diagram how the system will function
Key Stakeholders
The process of analyzing the needs of Riordan Manufacturing includes interviewing the key stakeholders within the organization. Key stakeholders include:
Michael Riordan – President and CEO
Hugh McCauley – COO
Yvonne McMillan – Director of Human Resources
Andrea Gamby – Employee Relations Manager
Karen Essenburg – Employee Relations Manager
Kenneth Collins – Senior Vice President of research and Development
Maria Trinh – Chief Information Officer
Project Plan Proposal Diagram
The system planning and analysis of the HRIS includes gathering the information and organizing it into proposal to provide for the management of Riordan Manufacturing. Figure 1 shows the system planning and analysis phases.
Figure 1: System Planning and System Analysis
Scope
The Current HR department spends more time than needed manually keeping records of employees of Riordan Manufacturing. The main objective is to replace manual processes with automation by associating different sections of the HR records including: personal information, beneficiaries, benefit enrollment information, W-4s, performance appraisals, and retirement plan. A new HRIS can make processes easier and reduce the possibility of error. Integrating the individual systems at each facility will make it easier to keep track of HR activity.
Feasibility Study
It is not economical to upgrade the system because current technology used is extremely outdated and is in need of a major overhaul. It will need to be replaced with state-of-the-art technology that is within Riordan Manufacturing’s budget. There are six important factors that need to be addressed during the process of creating and deploying the new HRIS. They are: coding, testing, installation, documentation, training, and support. Security controls are a necessity for the HRIS because of sensitive data kept regarding the employees of Riordan Manufacturing.
The initial costs of developing a new HRIS can be expensive. Costs include: hardware, software, installation and testing, training, and maintenance. Once the system is implemented it will require maintenance after the system is installed. Several options are available for Riordan Manufacturing to use, but a list of requirements is necessary to use as a guideline.
List of the requirements:
Integrate with old HRIS system
Secure sensitive data
Friendly user interface for all employees to use
Allow secured access for management and employees
Set user access rights
Employee training
Design Process
The application architecture design is an important step to creating an information system. Different options available are client-server, client-based, and server-based architectures. Four functions are performed in each of the architectures, but are handled in a different way. In the client-based architecture, the client is responsible for the presentation logic, the application logic, and the data access logic. The server stores the data. In the server-based architecture, the server performs all the functions.
The most common of the architectures is the client-server. In the client-server architecture, the client is responsible for the presentation logic and the server is responsible for the data storage and data access logic (Dennis, Roth, Wixom, 2012). Client-server architectures allow the organization to balance the processing of the data between the client devices and the server.
Using a top-down modular approach to show the structure of the system keeps it organized. Describing the physical processes used in the system is a good starting point. Once the processes have been established, they can be elaborated upon with specific details. Designing a new HRIS requires the functional and nonfunctional components to be described in detail. “The team must carefully review the availability, reliability, and security nonfunctional requirements to identify issues that produce trade-offs in performance, cost, and storage space” (Dennis, Roth, & Wixom, 2012, pg. 406).
Design-Build Phase Diagram
Designing and building the HRIS requires organizing the information obtained during the planning and analysis phases of the project. Figure 2 shows the basic design interface of the HRIS. Figure 2: Design Interface
The application architecture and process design builds the HRIS system in to a functional system that is tested during the design process.
Figure 3: Application Process and Architecture Design
Riordan Manufacturing requires a large database to store information on for the HRIS. Four facilities need to access and process the data. Security controls need to be put in place when the data is accessed. Prevention of data loss requires security controls to be implemented. User roles with specific access rights will ensure the data is protected.
“More and more organizations are choosing complete software solutions, called enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, to support their operations and business processes” (George, Hoffer, & Valacich, 2012, Pg. 31). Riordan Manufacturing can benefit from using an ERP because these types of solutions cover every aspect of the system. Many vendors supply information systems for human resources, accounting, distribution, and several other options available for organizations.
The process of designing interfaces is tailored to the end-user. “In typical scenarios, the key quality-of-service attributes that will be in focus are Scalability, Security, High availability, Reliability, and Performance—also known as SHARP qualities” (Evaluating Application Architecture, Quantitively, 2013). The analyst has collected information and designs the interface to be user-friendly. Like many Human Resource applications, it is accessed by the HR department and all of the employees that work for the organization. The interface needs to include a basic help file that can be accessed. This makes for minimal training of employees that access their personal information.
Securing the network when accessing data can be obtained by encryption. Encryption uses algorithms to hide information from unauthorized users. In an asymmetric encryption algorithm it uses a public key and private key. The public key can be seen by anyone and the private key can only be seen by the intended recipient. In a symmetric encryption algorithm, the same key is used to encrypt it as to decrypt it. The networks worst enemies are viruses. Viruses infect many organizations every year. Ways to prevent viruses from infecting the database is to run a security scan before uploading files, not allow employees to bring their own device, and block specific access to the internet.
Implementation and Testing
Implementation and testing of the HRIS include the following requirements to ensure the system is built correctly: coding, testing, installation, documentation, training, and support. This way issues can be recognized during the process of coding the software and the developers have not wasted precious time coding a part of the system that will not be used in the final product. Installation will only begin after the management of Riordan Manufacturing has agreed to the final product.
The code used in the new HRIS will have the ability to be integrated with the current system used for Riordan Manufacturing.
Each part of the system works on its own and has the ability to flow seamlessly with the other parts of the system. The correct process of documenting changes made in code is to have a record kept in the header of the code with information about who changed it and when it was done. Documentation during the coding and testing process assists in solving issues that could possibly arise during the implementation process.
The system needs to be thoroughly tested before it can be implemented into production. Testing should start as soon as the first code is created and becomes functional. Use cases that were created during the design phase need to be tested. Every possible scenario needs to be tested. Once the testing has been completed, the project moves forward with preparing the HRIS to go live in …show more content…
production.
Installation of the system will need to be implemented in phases, allowing it to run side-by-side with the current HRIS. A system never has enough testing done to it before implementing it into production. Every use case scenario can be used but a system doesn’t always perform the same way in production as it did when it was being tested. During the implementation process the team needs to have use cases that can be tested in the old system and then in the new system to be assured that the HRIS is performing functions correctly and creating the correct data. Each issue needs to be fixed before moving on to the next phase of the installation.
Professional documentation for technical specifications need created for reference purposes.
The specifications can be used for a base line when management needs to make enhancements or upgrades. Files in the database need created showing when a module in the system was implemented, who implemented it the module, and results of issues and successes. The user interfaces will include a help file for basic and advanced operational procedures within the new HRIS.
Training of management in the HR department begins as soon as the new HRIS is operational and can be accessed during the testing phase. This is considered beta testing. Once the system is implemented into production, a select group of users will access the new system and begin setting up user access rights. Users should be created in an organized format that is used throughout the whole system. Training of employees is provided by team members selected by Riordan Manufacturing. Depending on the user’s involvement, will decide how much training is needed.
The new HRIS should need minimal technical support and can be handled by the IT management at each of the facilities. Employees that have questions that aren’t answered by the help files accessed on the site will have access to pertinent people within the HR department to contact for
questions.
Maintenance of the system will be provided as needed. The system can be implemented and the management may have concerns that they need enhancements or changes. This is handled by the team that created the HRIS, and depending on the complexity may require a new software version release. These are pertinent reasons to always document everything.
Project Timeframe
Figure 4 shows the project timeframe that is expected of the HRIS project. The management team has required that the project must be completed in six months. The time to complete each phase of the project allows for issues that can arise during the project.
Figure 4: Project Timeframe
Conclusion
The purpose of this project is to create a state-of-the-art HRIS for Riordan Manufacturing. The information on the current HRIS is alienated and not organized in a central location which makes it subject to the possibility of errors in the data. Upgrading is not an option with the HRIS for Riordan Manufacturing. The HR department’s old way of paper filing will conclude once the new HRIS has been designed and implemented in to production. The project is expected to take six months and once it is implemented will require version upgrades in the future and will need to be reassessed within a reasonable time frame.
References
Apollo Group. (2007). Service Request SR-rm-004 [Web Site]. Retrieved from Riordan Manufacturing: https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/CIST/VOP/Business/Riordan/Finance/RioFandA001.htm
Apollo Group, Inc. (2004). HRIS System. Retrieved August 05, 2009, from https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/cist/vop/Business/Riordan/HR/RioHRHRIS001.htm
Dennis, Alan, Roth, R.M., & Wixom, B.H. (2012). Systems Analysis and Design (5th Ed.). Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.
Evaluating Application Architecture, Quantitively. (2013, January). Advances in Computer Science, vol 2, 40-47.
George, J.F., Hoffer, J.A., & Valacich, J.S. (2012). Essentials of System Analysis and Design (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson.
Rietsema, D. (2014). HRIS - Human Resources Information System. Retrieved from http://www.hrpayrollsystems.net/hris/
University of Phoenix (2012). Individual: Service Request SR-rm-022 [Web Site]. Retrieved from: https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/cist/vop/ServiceRequests/index.asp#Riordan Manufacturing
Riordan Manufacturing sells customized bottles and designs, computer and room fans, and medical devices such as heart valves and stents. The main headquarters is located in San Jose, California and the three manufacturing plants are located in Pontiac, Michigan, Albany, Georgia, and overseas in China. Riordan Manufacturing wants to replace the Human Resources Information System (HRIS) that was designed in 1992.
The purpose of this project is to create a state-of-the-art HRIS for Riordan Manufacturing. The information on the current HRIS is alienated and not organized in a central location which makes it subject to the possibility of errors in the data. The system is outdated and needs to be replaced. …show more content…
Upgrading is not an option for such an outdated system. The Human Resources (HR) department keeps and maintains records in a variety of different ways including hand-written paper files, microfiche, and a number of databases. Rietsema (2014), “A HRIS allows employees to exchange information with great ease and without the need for paper” (para. 6).
Project Plan Proposal
Designing a state-of-the-art HRIS can benefit the organization in many ways. Riordan Manufacturing will integrate a variety of HR tools into one application (Apollo Group, 2007). In order to get a complete view of the organization’s needs, information will be gathered about the objectives, structure, and processes. The project will take about 6 months before it is implemented into production. Proper time management on this project is necessary to make the deadline. Following an organized plan makes for a successful HRIS implementation.
The HRIS planning and analysis phase will include assessing the needs of Riordan Manufacturing. The process used will include:
Identify and assess the current HR system used including potential and limitations of the organization
Conduct interviews with stakeholders and users
Plan and manage activities during system development
Determine what is needed to improve the system processes
Create a detailed requirements list for the system
Diagram how the system will function
Key Stakeholders
The process of analyzing the needs of Riordan Manufacturing includes interviewing the key stakeholders within the organization. Key stakeholders include:
Michael Riordan – President and CEO
Hugh McCauley – COO
Yvonne McMillan – Director of Human Resources
Andrea Gamby – Employee Relations Manager
Karen Essenburg – Employee Relations Manager
Kenneth Collins – Senior Vice President of research and Development
Maria Trinh – Chief Information Officer
Project Plan Proposal Diagram
The system planning and analysis of the HRIS includes gathering the information and organizing it into proposal to provide for the management of Riordan Manufacturing. Figure 1 shows the system planning and analysis phases.
Figure 1: System Planning and System Analysis
Scope
The Current HR department spends more time than needed manually keeping records of employees of Riordan Manufacturing. The main objective is to replace manual processes with automation by associating different sections of the HR records including: personal information, beneficiaries, benefit enrollment information, W-4s, performance appraisals, and retirement plan. A new HRIS can make processes easier and reduce the possibility of error. Integrating the individual systems at each facility will make it easier to keep track of HR activity.
Feasibility Study
It is not economical to upgrade the system because current technology used is extremely outdated and is in need of a major overhaul. It will need to be replaced with state-of-the-art technology that is within Riordan Manufacturing’s budget. There are six important factors that need to be addressed during the process of creating and deploying the new HRIS. They are: coding, testing, installation, documentation, training, and support. Security controls are a necessity for the HRIS because of sensitive data kept regarding the employees of Riordan Manufacturing.
The initial costs of developing a new HRIS can be expensive. Costs include: hardware, software, installation and testing, training, and maintenance. Once the system is implemented it will require maintenance after the system is installed. Several options are available for Riordan Manufacturing to use, but a list of requirements is necessary to use as a guideline.
List of the requirements:
Integrate with old HRIS system
Secure sensitive data
Friendly user interface for all employees to use
Allow secured access for management and employees
Set user access rights
Employee training
Design Process
The application architecture design is an important step to creating an information system. Different options available are client-server, client-based, and server-based architectures. Four functions are performed in each of the architectures, but are handled in a different way. In the client-based architecture, the client is responsible for the presentation logic, the application logic, and the data access logic. The server stores the data. In the server-based architecture, the server performs all the functions.
The most common of the architectures is the client-server. In the client-server architecture, the client is responsible for the presentation logic and the server is responsible for the data storage and data access logic (Dennis, Roth, Wixom, 2012). Client-server architectures allow the organization to balance the processing of the data between the client devices and the server.
Using a top-down modular approach to show the structure of the system keeps it organized. Describing the physical processes used in the system is a good starting point. Once the processes have been established, they can be elaborated upon with specific details. Designing a new HRIS requires the functional and nonfunctional components to be described in detail. “The team must carefully review the availability, reliability, and security nonfunctional requirements to identify issues that produce trade-offs in performance, cost, and storage space” (Dennis, Roth, & Wixom, 2012, pg. 406).
Design-Build Phase Diagram
Designing and building the HRIS requires organizing the information obtained during the planning and analysis phases of the project. Figure 2 shows the basic design interface of the HRIS. Figure 2: Design Interface
The application architecture and process design builds the HRIS system in to a functional system that is tested during the design process.
Figure 3: Application Process and Architecture Design
Riordan Manufacturing requires a large database to store information on for the HRIS. Four facilities need to access and process the data. Security controls need to be put in place when the data is accessed. Prevention of data loss requires security controls to be implemented. User roles with specific access rights will ensure the data is protected.
“More and more organizations are choosing complete software solutions, called enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, to support their operations and business processes” (George, Hoffer, & Valacich, 2012, Pg. 31). Riordan Manufacturing can benefit from using an ERP because these types of solutions cover every aspect of the system. Many vendors supply information systems for human resources, accounting, distribution, and several other options available for organizations.
The process of designing interfaces is tailored to the end-user. “In typical scenarios, the key quality-of-service attributes that will be in focus are Scalability, Security, High availability, Reliability, and Performance—also known as SHARP qualities” (Evaluating Application Architecture, Quantitively, 2013). The analyst has collected information and designs the interface to be user-friendly. Like many Human Resource applications, it is accessed by the HR department and all of the employees that work for the organization. The interface needs to include a basic help file that can be accessed. This makes for minimal training of employees that access their personal information.
Securing the network when accessing data can be obtained by encryption. Encryption uses algorithms to hide information from unauthorized users. In an asymmetric encryption algorithm it uses a public key and private key. The public key can be seen by anyone and the private key can only be seen by the intended recipient. In a symmetric encryption algorithm, the same key is used to encrypt it as to decrypt it. The networks worst enemies are viruses. Viruses infect many organizations every year. Ways to prevent viruses from infecting the database is to run a security scan before uploading files, not allow employees to bring their own device, and block specific access to the internet.
Implementation and Testing
Implementation and testing of the HRIS include the following requirements to ensure the system is built correctly: coding, testing, installation, documentation, training, and support. This way issues can be recognized during the process of coding the software and the developers have not wasted precious time coding a part of the system that will not be used in the final product. Installation will only begin after the management of Riordan Manufacturing has agreed to the final product.
The code used in the new HRIS will have the ability to be integrated with the current system used for Riordan Manufacturing.
Each part of the system works on its own and has the ability to flow seamlessly with the other parts of the system. The correct process of documenting changes made in code is to have a record kept in the header of the code with information about who changed it and when it was done. Documentation during the coding and testing process assists in solving issues that could possibly arise during the implementation process.
The system needs to be thoroughly tested before it can be implemented into production. Testing should start as soon as the first code is created and becomes functional. Use cases that were created during the design phase need to be tested. Every possible scenario needs to be tested. Once the testing has been completed, the project moves forward with preparing the HRIS to go live in …show more content…
production.
Installation of the system will need to be implemented in phases, allowing it to run side-by-side with the current HRIS. A system never has enough testing done to it before implementing it into production. Every use case scenario can be used but a system doesn’t always perform the same way in production as it did when it was being tested. During the implementation process the team needs to have use cases that can be tested in the old system and then in the new system to be assured that the HRIS is performing functions correctly and creating the correct data. Each issue needs to be fixed before moving on to the next phase of the installation.
Professional documentation for technical specifications need created for reference purposes.
The specifications can be used for a base line when management needs to make enhancements or upgrades. Files in the database need created showing when a module in the system was implemented, who implemented it the module, and results of issues and successes. The user interfaces will include a help file for basic and advanced operational procedures within the new HRIS.
Training of management in the HR department begins as soon as the new HRIS is operational and can be accessed during the testing phase. This is considered beta testing. Once the system is implemented into production, a select group of users will access the new system and begin setting up user access rights. Users should be created in an organized format that is used throughout the whole system. Training of employees is provided by team members selected by Riordan Manufacturing. Depending on the user’s involvement, will decide how much training is needed.
The new HRIS should need minimal technical support and can be handled by the IT management at each of the facilities. Employees that have questions that aren’t answered by the help files accessed on the site will have access to pertinent people within the HR department to contact for
questions.
Maintenance of the system will be provided as needed. The system can be implemented and the management may have concerns that they need enhancements or changes. This is handled by the team that created the HRIS, and depending on the complexity may require a new software version release. These are pertinent reasons to always document everything.
Project Timeframe
Figure 4 shows the project timeframe that is expected of the HRIS project. The management team has required that the project must be completed in six months. The time to complete each phase of the project allows for issues that can arise during the project.
Figure 4: Project Timeframe
Conclusion
The purpose of this project is to create a state-of-the-art HRIS for Riordan Manufacturing. The information on the current HRIS is alienated and not organized in a central location which makes it subject to the possibility of errors in the data. Upgrading is not an option with the HRIS for Riordan Manufacturing. The HR department’s old way of paper filing will conclude once the new HRIS has been designed and implemented in to production. The project is expected to take six months and once it is implemented will require version upgrades in the future and will need to be reassessed within a reasonable time frame.
References
Apollo Group. (2007). Service Request SR-rm-004 [Web Site]. Retrieved from Riordan Manufacturing: https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/CIST/VOP/Business/Riordan/Finance/RioFandA001.htm
Apollo Group, Inc. (2004). HRIS System. Retrieved August 05, 2009, from https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/cist/vop/Business/Riordan/HR/RioHRHRIS001.htm
Dennis, Alan, Roth, R.M., & Wixom, B.H. (2012). Systems Analysis and Design (5th Ed.). Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.
Evaluating Application Architecture, Quantitively. (2013, January). Advances in Computer Science, vol 2, 40-47.
George, J.F., Hoffer, J.A., & Valacich, J.S. (2012). Essentials of System Analysis and Design (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson.
Rietsema, D. (2014). HRIS - Human Resources Information System. Retrieved from http://www.hrpayrollsystems.net/hris/
University of Phoenix (2012). Individual: Service Request SR-rm-022 [Web Site]. Retrieved from: https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/cist/vop/ServiceRequests/index.asp#Riordan Manufacturing