Implementing Employee Profile System at SQU - Case Study Example

Author’s Name Instructors’ Name Course Date Implementing Employee Profile System at SQU Executive Summary At the Deanship of Research in SQU, the research department plays a critical role of underpinning the efforts of the University in managing its research activity in a more streamlined, strategic, and effective manner. The main objective of this project is to show the significant part that can be played by Employee Profile System in Deanship of Research at SQU and how it can be applied in sharing and disseminating information. The project starts by presenting a business case to support the proposed intervention followed by the project scope and objectives, methodology, project schedule and analysis and discussion have been included in the paper. Business Case The Deanship of Research in SQU plays an instrumental role of organizing, supervising, supporting as well as promoting research as a way of advancing vast technology and development. Besides these roles, the DOR also issues set of journals that have already been published in different fields. According to the top management, the DOR is looking forward into further developing its services with the intention of meeting all future challenges with confidence as well as security in the employees’’ data that it is able to continue building on the considerable successes that have been made in previous endeavors. Notably, the Deanship of Research in SQU consists of three key departments where each has three to six sections. The three departments include the department of research, publication and outreach, innovation and entrepreneurship (Lambert, 2008). Each employee in the Deanship is entitled to specific work which cannot be done by any other colleague. Therefore, no one can be in charge of another one in case of absence, thus making it hard for projects’ completion. In fact there has been issue of cancellation and delay of projects thus affecting the reputation of the Deanship of Research. Notably, the timeline for each grant is restricted for between one to four years, whereby after a specific grant has been accorded; the timelines need to be followed by stakeholders to ensure that the completion of the project is done within the stipulated financial period. In this way, some of the problems affecting the Deanship of Research due to insufficient staffing include delay in processing the needs of research such as procurement, finance and limited interaction, communication and cooperation between researchers and research administration. Another problem is the low quality and quantity of research productivity from the Deanship of Research in SQU. The aim of the DOR is to enhance the objective of the University, which is to help members of faculty to push their research efforts to the international levels, thus being recognized in the promotion of Employee Profile Systems. The DOR has in this way helped many researchers by providing them with the required and latest equipment, including programs that assist them in accomplishing their research proposals in the most effective way. The following is the organizational structure showing the different departments and sections at the DOR. The SQU’s DOR Organizational Structure   Based on the above organizational structure, it is clear that DOR entails varied activities which require sufficient personnel. Currently, the number of staff at the DOR stands at less than fifty individuals, which has led to overworking of some personnel thus affecting the quality and quantity of productivity. In fact this has made administrators to force some employees to undertake mandatory overtime policy which seeks to compel personnel to work overtime hours when requested by the management. At the DOR, the research department plays a critical role of underpinning the efforts of the University in managing its research activity in a more streamlined, strategic, and effective manner. The department is headed by the Director who is answerable to the Dean of Research. Further, the department process close to two hundred funding applications on annual basis with a sum of three million Rails. The main function of this department is helping in the implementation as well as development of the research strategy and policy including overseeing the Institution’s submission to The Research Council Grants. The department’s office consists of post-award and pre-award teams. Pre award teams are responsible for disseminating information on funding opportunities, the identification of the Institution’s research expertise, facilitating the interdisciplinary bids for research funding, promoting the growth and development of the research portfolio for the University and providing assistance in the completion of grant applications. The team also offers support service in order to ensure safeguarding of the right of academics in publishing their work without any undue restrictions as well as minimizing financial risk to the University. On the other hand, the post ward team helps in undertaking the financial administration of all contracts and grants, ensuring efficient and effective recovery of expenditure, including compliance to the regulations of external funders as well as to the University’s internal financial regulations. In maximizing strategic interactions the department ensures that it works closely with the Business Partnerships, The Research Council, and the External Relations Office. The Innovation and Entrepreneurship Department (IED) controls and manages all intellectual property that is generated by students and staff of the University. Therefore, all innovations and works are disclosed to the IED. Finally, The Department of Scientific Publication and Outreach at the University is responsible for the implementation of decisions made by the Academic Publication Board on the academic journals and books’ publication. However, the department also plays an instrumental role of handling the academic contributions of scholars in the University at external conferences as well as highlighting their research efforts using the media. The objective is to enhance establishment of a close relationship between all sectors of the community at a local level as well as research community of the University in relation to the scientific achievements that would help in overcoming different obstacles including seeking solutions to the problems that exist in the institution. Project Scope, Objectives The main objective of this project is to show the significant part that can be played by Employee Profile System in Deanship of Research at SQU and how it can be applied in sharing and disseminating information about the employees at the institution. In this regard the following are the project’s objectives: Defining Employee Profile System Determining the significance of Employee Profile System at providing employees’ data. Illustrating how Implementation of Employee Profile System can be applied in the department with the aim of enhancing and sharing data about employees. Risk Identification and Categorization Notably, risk or uncertainty needs to be considered as well as monitored in all areas of work and business (Coyle et al. 2012). Risk management involves a continuous process that has several steps which needs to be repeated periodically (Hugos 2011). Some of the key steps include determination of the level of protection, definition of the risk criteria, the identification analyses as well as risk assessment, treatment of risk or recommendation of measures intending to reduce risk and assessment of the residual risk, acceptance of the required level of risk and the maintenance of risks (Jacoby 2010). However, in the interest of Employee Profile System and its application in SQU, the identification and categorization or risks will be based on five keys areas (Lambert 2008), which include defining risks by source, categorizing risks with consistent granularity, prospectively identifying risks, appropriately gathering the required data and defining the frequency and severity of risks. Evidently, in most organizations, risks are defined by their outcomes instead of their sources (Leeman 2010). For example, “reputation risk” refers to the risk that mostly associated with the results of other risks (Monczka 2011). In the definition of risk based on their sources before and during the implementation of Employee Profile System at SQU, the process will flow well (Plunkett 2009). unlike when categorizing based on outcome, the information integrity in the qualitative survey during data collection is guaranteed since all risks are defined clearly by their sources thus the participants will have a constituent understanding of each risk leading to a coherent assessment process (Plunkett 2008). At the same time, quantification of risk involved will become easier which will necessitate proper mitigation measures (Simchi-Levi et al. 2007). Further, by clearly defining the risks in Employee Profile System (Taylor & Brunt 2008), with each risk having its own source, experts in the department will be able to develop risk scenario by following impacts of logical downstream from each originating source. At the same time, management of the department will clearly be identifying and evaluating both post event and pre event mitigation alternatives (Barton et al. 2012). As both the downstream events and source of risks are apparent. On the other hand, risk will as well be categorized with consistent granularity (Duckert 2011). In most cases, risks are categorized with inconsistent levels of granularity mostly either too high or too low a level (Hampton 2009). Consistent definition of risks at individual level ensures that the assessment process is more meaningful (Lam 2013), since the participants in the department may individually asses each risk. Unlike in many instances and organizations where risks are identified retrospectively (Marchetti 2012), risks at the SQU need to be identified prospectively. Notably, identifying risks retrospectively negatively impacts environmental scanning thus being a distraction from the identification of the next event of risk (Moeller 2011). However, by identifying risks prospectively at the department and in the implementation of Employee Profile System, stakeholders will be able to avoid such difficulties (Monahan 2008). In fact, identifying in this method will be helpful in reducing bias (Olson & Wu 2010) in assessment of risks since it will make experts avoid confusing the recent experiences with impact and likelihood of the future. At the same time, by prospectively identifying risks, the management will be able to focus away from the past and concentrate their attention on what might impact the ability of the institution in delivering on its strategic objectives going forward (Coakes 2013). In this way, the stakeholders in the department will be able to untainted and robust examination of where the department is, where it is headed and the challenges that be encountered. Further, it is critically important to note that data gathering process must be carried out in an appropriate manner (Hampson & Walker 2008). In the risk identification process, participants are required to collect data including their risk frequencies and severity (Jennex 2008). However, in most cases, participants are tempted to gather a large amount of additional information at this stage which include key risk indicators, historical frequency, exposure severity and metrics, current miti­gation measures, anecdotal experience at competitors, and planned mitigation among other factors. However, it would be counter-productive when the stakeholders gather all this information or data in the risk identification phase (Thierauf 2013). Notably, most of the data aforementioned is mostly needed for main risks instated of having long list of risks. Finally, the collected data will be required to be categorized based on frequency-severity mode. In fact, the main objective of the risk identification phase is the prioritization of the risks based on their possibility of happening as well as their frequencies and severity. In this way, the management will be able to act appropriately by preparing a comprehensive mitigation plan. Risk Management in Employee Profile System Notably, the identification, categorization and analysis of the risk factors in the implementation of Employee Profile System lead to the management of the risks with the intention of ensuring that the possibility of their occurrence is reduced as much as possible. Under Employee Profile System, some of the common risk factors include possibility of experiencing unauthorized learning, sharing of sensitive information, inefficient use of skills as an asset, manipulation of factual information among others. As is the case in another risk management methodology (Maier 2014), managing risk in Employee Profile System process will include identification of inter organizational processes and how interconnected the specific risk is. Secondly, the team will be required to take into consideration the value of information assets including the documentation, people, as well as technology artifacts. At the same time, it would be prudent for the stakeholders including managers of different sections to identify collaboration technologies by creating Process-Technology-Asset matrix that will be pointing out the vulnerabilities of assets such as the weaknesses of personnel or lack of enough personnel in the department. The next step is mapping the risks to the system’s assets (Rubenstein & Geisler 2013), which involves concentrating each risk to the possible organizational assets such as technology use. The stakeholders will also be refigured to provide evidence by evaluating the current measures being undertaken as well as the likelihood of the threats identified. The level of risk also needs to be calculated based on if specific data is shared by certain stakeholders (Warier 2013). Finally, the management and other stakeholders will be required to develop policy that will guide the mitigation plans and measurers. In following these steps, the department will be able to manage the possible threats. Risk Mitigation Plan Notably, developing mitigation plan is one of disciplines of risk management (Kendrick 2009). In the SQU context, the objective of mitigation plan will be the elimination of the exposure of the Department Of Research to risk by lessening the impacts of certain threats or reducing the frequency as well as the severity of risks. The mitigation plans will be two-pronged approach, which include training of the staff members in the DOR on the Employee Profile System processes as well as the recruitment program to fill the gaps and enhance data retrieval and storage. Resource Plan Briefly, the implementation process of the Implementation Employee Profile System in the DOR at SQU will into two main categories of resources which include IT based and non IT based. One of the IT based tools is the groupware systems, which refers to the technology that is designed to assist people collaborate (Jennex 2008). Notably, these systems consist of a wide array of applications which comes in three categories including the communication, conferencing, and collaborative management tools. If developed and implemented properly by the stakeholders at DOR, groupware systems will be useful in supporting Employee Profile System (Thierauf & Hoctor 2006). For example, they will play an instrumental role in facilitating sharing of explicit knowledge by communication and publishing tools. At the same time, groupware systems will support the creation of Employee Profile System process together with collaborative management tools, despite the fact that this process mostly entails the people’s interaction and experimentation. Finally, groupware systems are beneficial, to some extent, in the transfer of tacit knowledge though support of socialization by using tools such as informal communication and conferencing. Other IT based tools include The intranet and extranet ,data warehousing, data mining, & OLAP, Content management systems , Decision Support Systems , and document management systems . Further, the personnel or labor is one of the human based resources that will be needed in making the Employee Profile System process successful at the DOR. Since the Employee Profile System is one of the new integrated systems that will be employed in the Deanship, new employees with IT skills will have to be recruited and placed in different sections. The team will be led by project manager who must have project management skills and experience on what other specialists know and how to apply them. The project manager will be required to have problem solving skills since in a diverse environment conflicts and disagreements are likely to occur. The entire team will comprise of about twenty five individuals including the manager, whereby eight employees will be placed in each department. The objective of the team will be to help in creation of new system, sharing data across the institution and outside stakeholders as well as supporting the creation of database about employees. The personnel and human factor that is needed also consists of outsourced services. Project Resources Resource Examples Equipment Computers, phones, cables, etc. Labor/Personnel Project managers, supervisors, trainers, storytellers, mentors etc. Materials Stationery, photocopy papers, ink cartridges etc. IT based resources Software applications, communication, conferencing, and collaborative management tools. Others Training facilities, licenses etc. Other resources needed in the system also included equipment such as more computers, photocopiers, mobile phones, telecommunication equipment and other machinery (Kendrick 2009). The main function of this equipment is to ensure that the necessary hardware is put in place to facilitate free flow of data. At the same time, the project will be requiring additional material in form of consumables such as stationery, photocopy papers, ink cartridges, which will play an instrumental role of ensuring the success and sustainability of the project. Estimation Plan Item Estimated Cost(U.S $, 000) Equipment e.g. computers, phones, cables, etc. 50000 Labor/Personnel e.g. Project managers, supervisors, trainers, storytellers, mentors etc. 40000 Materials e.g. stationery, photocopy papers, ink cartridges etc. 20000 IT based resources e.g. Software applications, communication, conferencing, and collaborative management tools. 30000 Others e.g. Training facilities, Licenses etc. 10000 Total 150000 Project Timelines Activity Timelines Identifying the Staff Issue January 2017 Crafting a Team January 2017 Convincing the Management-Proposing January 2017 Stakeholders Participation February 2017 Creating a Team of Experts February 2017 Drafting the Program March 2017 Presenting to the Board March 2017 Creation of the Committee For Identifying of Issues to be Handled March 2017 Funding April 2017 Enrolling New and Existing Employees to The Training Program April 2017 Training employees End of April 2017 Procurement of Equipment, materials, and IT based resources May 2017 Installation of equipment, IT resources, Placement of personnel June 2017 Implementation of the system June 2017 Monitoring The Program for sustainability. July 2017 Monitoring and Controlling Strategy Monitoring is the process of ensuring that the project’s planned processes and standards are being followed in order to meet specific objectives (Kendrick 2009). Evidently, monitoring the effectiveness of Employee Profile System is one of the challenging experiences for any organization. Therefore, the monitoring and controlling will be an ongoing process which will be done at all levels of project implementation. The experts will be selected from the team to be responsible for monitoring and controlling the project’s progress. The critical path, as shown below, will be used in determining the steps to be followed in the implementation of the proposal. Critical Path Critical Path Duration: Six Months. Contracting and Procurement Strategy In order to make cost effective decisions from different vendors DOR, through SQU will have to implement several purchasing strategies with the intention of providing quality services on time as well as at mutually agreeable terms. The contractual strategy to be used at the DOR will be based on the how much the Deanship will be able to save in order to reduce the cost. Therefore, procurement savings through centralized purchasing will be used. However, some outsourcing services will as well be used based on a given activities or specialization. Although some vendors that will be used will include the existing ones, the stakeholders will be required to carry out several measures in order to ensure that the aims of procurement savings are met, which is to improve supplier terms, drive down the cost of procurement process and decreasing the price of the services. In this regard, the team at the DOR will have to review the terms and discounts of suppliers by ensuring that Master Agreement exists for each supplier (Kendrick 2009). At the same time, the team will have to consolidate deliveries and suppliers. In this way, the Deanship will be able to reduce the cost or charges of payment processing and purchasing documentation. On the same note, it would be prudent to review the purchasing requirement in order to ensure that only necessary purchases are made thus cutting down on storage costs and excess cost. Further, review of stock levels, Purchasing from agreed catalogues, and replacement strategies are some of the other measures that will have to be taken by the management and other players in order to cut the procurement costs. On the other hand, centralized purchasing will as well be used in procurement processes. Notably, centralized purchasing refers to the control of all purchasing processes from one department. Through centralized purchasing, the DOR will be able to allow for volume purchases and central management which will lead to better prices as well as terms including the ability of working with larger suppliers. Change Management Details Based on the critical path, it is clear that it is possible to deduct some milestones in order to make the path shorter than six months thus avoiding project delay. The first change will be the removal of the “crafting a team” and the “Convincing the Management-Proposing” steps. Notably, the assessment of the staff issues at the DOR in the SQU will inform the basis through which change in the DOR will be needed by applying Employee Profile System. In this case, after the collection and analysis of the data the change agents can approach the management and create a rapport-a step that should not necessarily be included in the path. After stakeholders have met, the team of experts will be created. Further, the “creation of committee” and “funding” sections in the path will be deducted (Kendrick 2009). On this end, the team of experts will be able to identify issues that will need to be handled. At the same time, looking for funding will be expected to be an ongoing process from the time the proposed intervention has been approved by the stakeholders including the board of directors. However, if the board may need to add few members in the team of experts to spearhead the project, it can do to ensure the committee is all inclusive. On the other hand, the “Enrolling New and Existing Employees” and the “Training employees” will be merged. The enrollment of employees can be done as the training goes on. The effect of the above changes on the duration of the project’s timeline is that by the end of the fourth month, the system will be in full operation. The cost of labor, as indicated in the estimates will as well be dramatically reduced. Critical Evaluation and Concluding Remarks As noted above, one of the main problems at the DOR is that each employee in a section has a specific work which is different from any other colleague. In his way, no one can be in-charge for any other absence and this leads to the work delay. To solve this problem, Employee Profile System needs to be employed in the DOR. Some of the main resources needed in the implementation of the Employee Profile System at DOR include applications and software that will facilitate free flow of information, labor or personnel with relevant skills and experiences, equipment such as more computers and materials such as stationery among other resources. The project will take approximately four months, thus giving the Deanship time to assess its success in the rest of the year. 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