This project covers the various techniques that Riordan manufactures will employ to gather information from its customers in the various states and from its employees in the HR department. It also covers the various types of human resource information systems that are applicable to the HR department. That is HRIS, HR intranets and HRMS
Introduction
Riordan manufacturing Inc is a successful company that was established in 1991. It has expanded its operations from a research and development company to plastic manufacturing company. The company prides itself on having a large customer base and manufacturing plants in China, San Jose, Georgia and Michigan. This expansion and apparent success may be attributed to the organizations commitment to R&D, customer satisfaction, quality management, employee satisfaction and clear vision of the future. This is clear from the company’s mission statements. However, to further enhance and maintain this success Riordan Manufacturing Inc. intends to take advantage of more sophisticated, state of the art information systems technology into its HR department. This is successfully achieved if the right information is gathered to determine what is technology would best enhance the achievement of company’s mission.
Before Riordan manufacturing embarks on this major project, it has to ensure that enough information is gathered from all stakeholders and beneficiaries of the project in order to make a well thought out and informed decision. Techniques of gathering information include; questionnaire, internet research, surveys, interview and prototyping (experiments)
Questionnaire This information gathering technique would enable the HR department to get information on the areas that the employees feel dissatisfied with and probably get a system that would solve this discontent. Say in the area of reporting, paper work.
Interviews
This is a good technique especially when detailed complex information needs for example personal impressions, ideas and attitudes (Doyle, J. K.) The interviews may either be one on one or via telephone. In addition, use of structured, semi-structured and unstructured interviews will facilitate information gathering. Ricordan would use interview techniques to get feedback from its customers regarding their products or possible ideas that would enhance satisfaction from their products. The benefit of this technique it that record is stored for future reference in either on audio or visual form.
Surveys
This technique is especially good when dealing with large numbers of people from different locations. As is the case for most of Ricordan’s products, this technique could be helpful. This technique uses structured short questions which respondents choose answers from multiple choices given. This helps to determine how strongly they feel regarding particular issues. In the case of Ricordan manufacturer Inc, this technique would apply for both customers and employees opinions as regarding implementing IT systems in HR. Advantages include anonymity, low costs and allows for selection of respondents (Babbie, 1973).
Internet Research
It is a powerful technique of getting recent news on IT solutions available in the market. Ricordan would reap great benefits from using search engines to compare available software packages, view opinions of others and site similar organizations that have used the technology and benefited from it. The advantage of this technique is current information is accessed and it is cheaper. Moreover, it gives the research on array of choices.
Experiments or prototyping
Technique involves implementing a system that resembles the real. This technique aim to get an incline of what the effects of installing a new system would be, by installing a prototype of the real thing. This allows the organization to be in a possible where they can assess the impact / limitations of a project in small scale before they can go full throttle to implementing project overall department. Ricordan can use this technique on its R & D by manufacturing mass.
Feasibility
For this project to be feasible, I would propose HRIS. An online solution facilitates data entry, data tracking, and information needs of the Human Resource (Susan M. Health field). This is because, Recardan manufacturers Inc. Needs a way that employee needs will meet and HRIS features are designed to enable this. As noted in the company’s mission statement Ricordan aims to maintain an innovative and team oriented working environment.
This it seeks to achieve by ensuring that employees will be well informed and properly supported. So how does HRIS enable this? A good HRIS is capable of managing employee’s information such as benefits calculation and updating, payroll administration resume processing and management, analyzing employee information and so on. The advantage with this system is that it frees the employee’s time of petty destructions and enables them focus on more strategic functions in the company.
To the managers it provides them with relevant information regarding the employees which enable them give legal or ethical support to its employees. This is inline with Ricardan Inc mission thus a great asset.(Reh, 2001) HRMS are form of human resource information systems which facilitate the administration tasks and processes employees information right from employment to the time they exit the organization companies like spectrum HRS corporation offers particularly good packages for this systems. The benefit of this state of the Art solution is that it will reduce administrative cost, and increase profitability.
Ricordan manufacturing future goal is to achieve and maintain reasonable profitability and ensure financial and human capital is available for sustainable growth. I feel that installing a HRMS would greatly contribute to this end. Not only will a HRMS reduce costs it has an automated feature that instantly analyses and provides reports and reduces paper work. In addition a HRMs provides a centralized information source thorough which the organization intranet and extranets provide access to the centralized information server. The benefit of this is that the employees and managers morale boosted and adequate time left for HR managers to focus on more important issues that need hands-on approach.
The company also benefits from reaping optimum return on human capital investment in the sense that, employee productivity will be enhanced as they get real time information and communication is enhanced. The best thing about this technology is that it can be customized to fit organization needs
HR Intranets
This technology uses the same technology of the World Wide Web to access internal applications via corporate networks. The system diverges from the centralized HRMs to a client serves technologies (Walter, 1998)
HR intranets will improve service delivery to employees while at the same time enhancing employee’s efficiency and improves communication among HR staff with minimal effort form them. In addition, HR intranets will facilitate 24hrs 365 days a year access to the HR department and as such greater productivity from employees. According to John, intranet allows rapid dissemination of info to employees on the various company issues such as company mission and goals, product information, research summaries and so on (Walter, 1998)
This system is state of the art and it will eliminate costs associated with printing, paper work and opportunity cost of real time information by employees.
References
- Babbie, E. (1973) Survey Research Methods. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
- Doyle, J. K. “Chapter 11: Introduction to Interviewing Techniques,” in “Handbook for IQP Advisors and Students”. Retrieved August 27, 2007 from http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/Depts/IGSD/IQPHbook/ch11.html#11
- John, R.(2001).HRIS. Retrieved August, 27, 2007 from:http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:bVnz6EEasJMJ:management.about.com/cs/peoplemanagement/g/HRIS.htm+HRIS&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=ke
- Walter, J. (1998) Virtual HR: Human Resources Management in the Information Age
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