Techniques for Requirements, Feasibility, and System Analysis Information Gathering
The to-be-implemented system is an HR system that combines the business operations of an HR function by automating those activities and making the function more efficient, effective, and productive.
Before the HR system can be created, the requirements analysis must be performed by gathering the system's requirements from the project sponsor and end-users and determining the most effective manner to incorporate the requirements into the system. “ For the development or acquisition of the appropriate software, a robust requirements collecting procedure is crucial. Ultimately, software performance is measured by the degree to which it meets end-user requirements. Gathering requirements is the process through which development or purchasing teams determine what the business and end-users need from a new program.
Poorly obtained requirements frequently result in software that does not fulfill end-user needs and corporate objectives, which can lead to costly rework, cost overruns, and missed deadlines (Requirements Gathering: What Every IT Manager Needs to Know). Consequently, extensive information must be obtained during the requirements phase. To acquire information from the project sponsor, formal interviews and in-depth meetings can be scheduled to discuss what the project sponsor, who is typically the organization's top management, needs from the system. The project sponsor's precise goals and desires, as well as the functionality expected from the system, must be outlined.
Similarly, it is essential to collect knowledge on the system's end-users' requirements. This is crucial because the end-users are the ones who must use the system in the end, and their requirements can provide insight into what they believe is required and make the HR function more effective and efficient if automated by the HR system. To collect information from the end-users, brainstorming sessions, focus group-based interviews with the staff, and survey-based questionnaires can be used to establish which features of the system the staff regards as requirements and which it considers an additional service.
Important Considerations for Successful Requirements Collection
The critical aspect that can impact the success of the requirements gathering activity and initiatives is indicated in the table below.
The commitment of management to the project is the most important component for the success of requirements gathering for an information system like the HR system. The management must be fully invested in and supportive of the development of the information system, and they must contribute insight by directly participating in the requirements phase. Their devotion to the HR system project might motivate the organization's members to improve their performance and better comprehend/support the HR system.
The engagement and communication between Human Resource Management & Information System professionals and the system's end users is the second crucial success factor. This is significant because enhanced and effective communication between these parties can facilitate the realization of problems, challenges, and user requirements that would not be achievable without the support of two-way communication.
In their article, Douglas Havelka and Sooun Lee state that "goal congruence, defined as the agreement between management, user groups, and the IS department regarding the purpose of the project and the deliverables to be produced, was ranked as the third most important factor for successful IS requirements gathering. This aspect is directly impacted by the existence and quality of a feasibility analysis and business strategy (Havelka & Lee, 2007)
The fourth critical success aspect is the HRM system personnel's grasp of the desired application. IT and HRM system professionals must understand the tasks, outputs, and business processes that the HRM system is intended to support.
Planning is the sixth critical success aspect that is essential for efficient and effective requirements collecting. The phase of requirements gathering is the cornerstone of the HRM system development; as a result, proper and effective planning that incorporates exhaustive research is required.
Objectives and Feasibility HRM Operations
The following operations must be automated and incorporated into the HRM system for the ABC company's HRM function.
Recruitment: The process of screening, interviewing, and evaluating prospective recruits in order to pick the most qualified candidates for a position inside an organization.
The process by which individuals are matched with jobs within an organization based on their knowledge, expertise, skill set, and experience.
Performance Appraisal: The performance review of the organization's employees to track their performance development and identify areas requiring further improvement.
Compensation: Rewards and remuneration given to employees in exchange for their services rendered to the organization.
Development of Personnel: the improvement of an organization's workers via training, workshops, seminars, and career counseling.
Objectives and Objectives
The goals and objectives of the HRM system project are to design a system for the human resource manage function at the ABC company that will assist in automating the HRM business operations and making them more effective, efficient, and productive. The objective of the project is to design and construct a system that
enables efficient utilization of Human Resources Creates and develops organizational structure relationships that permit the growth of human resources and give the most appropriate rewards. Manages employee motivation while ensuring that the person's goals are compatible with those of the organization.
Scope and Information Systems
The HRM system, which is an IS application, would integrate all HRM procedures within the organization. The system would be module-based, with specialized modules covering the recruitment, placement, performance evaluation, remuneration, and people development procedures.
Risks
The project for the design, development, and implementation of the HRM system carries with it some hazards. These dangers are related to
The possible rejection presented by the end user once the system has been installed. The system's lack of integration with the company's HRM norms and procedures. Inadequate integration of the legacy system Numerous maintenance difficulties upon deployment The system is too sophisticated for the company's management and end users.
System Design
Design of Application Architecture
The HRM application design is based on modules that address the Human Resource Management functions of the ABC Corporation. Managers and HRM department employees are included among the system's users. The system architecture allows the user to access the system via the private VLAN network of the enterprise. The user interface is designed as a graphical user interface because it provides an environment that is user-friendly and simple to use. The GUI user interface is accessible over the VLAN network and connects directly to the HRM system's components. These modules include recruitment, placement, performance management, payroll, and human resource development. Each of these modules is additionally connected to the database's structure and server. The database/data warehouse contains both current and historical records.
The graphic below illustrates the system architecture at a high level.
Design of Application Process
The detailed description and DFD for two of the modules/ processes are shown below. The performance management module demonstrates how employee records are acquired from the database and how both the employee and the employee's supervisor input appraisal-based data into the system. The performance management system then generates an evaluation for the current period and compares it to evaluation findings from prior periods, which are also obtained from the database. The preparation of reports that describe the evaluation's analysis and results. These reports are accessible to the employee's supervisor.
DFD Performance Management
The payroll module specifies how employee records are retrieved from the database, while the accounts department's time sheet is also input into the payroll system. The payroll system then prepared the pay cheques, a copy of which together with the time sheet is stored in the database's payroll file. The payroll information is retrieved for report creation, which results in the generation of tax reports that are submitted to government agencies. The employee receives the pay check, while the bank receives the bank statement.
Payroll DFD
System Installation
Coding-Related System Implementation Activities
The coding task entails composing the code in an object-oriented.net programming language for the process flow and the module designs. The code will need to be written according to the specific needs of the users, based on the capabilities they demand from each module. In addition, code will be built to facilitate querying and report production from the modules and the HR system as a whole.
Testing
The testing activity would comprise testing the functionality of the modules with sample data to determine their effective and efficient operation. Errors and variations would be uncovered through testing. In addition, an overall prototype would be created to evaluate the GUI user interface's compliance with the HRM system and to determine the user's compatibility as well as the overall cohesion of the system based on its design.
Installation
Installation would entail launching the system for usage within the organization, with HRM personnel and management given access to the system for use in their regular and routine business operations. Using the staggered installation/implementation strategy, employees would use the new HRM system for two months and the legacy system for the following two months. This will aid in identifying potential bottlenecks, challenges, and problems with the new system.
Documentation
Documentation is a crucial component of implementation because it is one of the primary resources available to system users and administrators in the future. The documentation would require creating and compiling extensive documentation for the information system's procedures and flow, as well as compiling separate documentation for the system's users and administrator. The user documentation will be in the form of a user handbook and will assist current employees and any new employees who join the organization in the future in learning how to operate the HRM system.
Training
As a new system is built, it is also crucial to ensure that employees and HRM system end users can utilize the system to its maximum efficiency and effectiveness. For this, both staff and management will require instruction and training on how to use the system. Pilot-based training would be implemented so that users may have hands-on experience with the system. Aside from this, classes can be planned before to the introduction of the HRM to instruct the ABC Company's personnel on how to utilize the system.
Support/ Maintenance
Even after the system has been implemented, ongoing support and maintenance is necessary, as the subsequent months can disclose difficulties and problems that were not anticipated or avoided during the system's construction. "Experience indicates that the majority of system management challenges are functional rather than technological. This implies that functional staff – HR and Payroll – should be system guardians – HR system staff. I/T specialists can and should be a part of the team, but they should not report to HR full-time. (2005's 'After Implementation: Maintenance of Your New HR System') As a result, a team consisting of IT technicians and HRM managers such as the recruiting & placement manager, payroll manager, and other leaders of the HRM function would be granted access to maintain the system. Technicians can provide IT support, whereas functional management can offer concept-based assistance.
Implementation Advantages of Replicated Processes
By defining the activities and procedures of the implantation phase and allowing them to be repeated, the system can become more successful and adaptable. This is because, during the implementation phase, the system project manager and team may need to switch between coding and other activities to make the necessary changes and adjustments for the system to operate effectively and efficiently. By keeping procedures and activities repetitive, this objective may be easily attained, and the implemented system's integrity can be considerably improved.
References
After Implementation: Maintenance of Your New Human Resources System Canadian Human Resources Reporter (2005). Web.
Havelka, D., & Lee, S. (2007). Critical success criteria for acquiring information requirements. Auerbach Analysis.
Requirements Gathering: What Every IT Manager Needs to Know, Research and Markets. Web.
System development Life Cycle and prototyping. Web.
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