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Nina Hart ABSTRACT Human Resource Information Systems are the central technology of Human Resource Management. Most HRIS’s are underutilized. The cost to organizations usually outweighs the advantages of ownership. When utilized properly an effective HRIS can improve the bottom line and provide return on investment. The need for a quality improvement initiative of a Human Resource Information System (HRIS) is crucial to the retention of talent, productivity, and improvement of the bottom line by increasing the value of time saved.
The objective of the quality improvement initiative with corporate strategy and human resource planning and development is to assist with many issues the organization faces in today’s business climate. There is a need to develop a plan for the quality improvement initiative. It integrates all the technical and quality aspects of the project in order to provide a “blueprint” for obtaining the type and quality of HRIS that is needed. The HRIS is a software solution for data entry, data tracking, and data information needs of the Human Resources, payroll, management, and accounting functions within the Highmark organization.
Further in our discussion the plan will be outlined to show a strategic outline of how essential it is that the system chosen will be capable of growing with Highmark to meet its future needs. LEADERSHIP Since the 1930’s Highmark was established to help Pennsylvania’s residents pay for healthcare. Highmark’s corporate strategy includes the following: “Highmark is committed to creating a positive customer and employee experience. As part of our diversity and inclusion strategies, we strive to provide comparable access to information technology. 2007 Highmark Inc. ” The hierarchy and reporting structure of the organization’s IT department is as follows: Dr. Ken Melani CEO, S. Tyrone Alexander VP of Human Resources (direct report to CEO), Tom Tabor CIO (direct reports to VP), Matthew Sever Manager Operational Performance (direct reports to CIO and VP), Shelley Railing EDI Manager (direct reports to CIO and VP), and Janet Thomas Director IT Project Management (direct reports to CIO) [pic] Janet Thomas is a direct report to Chief Information Officer Tom Tabor. Janet is the Director of HRIS.
Janet is highly responsible for planning and administrating work in coordinating, recording and monitoring the progress of all IT projects for Highmark. Janet has been with the organization for two years. Overall, Janet is responsible for the design, development, training and maintenance of the Human Resource automated information systems in support of the Human Resources strategic mission. She has been ineffective in supporting staff in exploring and developing automated solutions for the administration of Human Resource programs and for the reporting of information.
Janet’s strives to increase overall departmental productivity through use of automation has been unsuccessful due to an ineffective HRIS that is currently in place. Highmark’s growth strategy has been through acquisition. Highmark’s goal is to be a major player in secondary markets. Highmark’s objective is to recruit and maintain top talent. In order for this objective to be met retention of current in house talent, productivity, and improvement of the bottom line is crucial and can increase the value of time saved.
The objective must be met with a quality improvement initiative. In the past reporting practices have not been automated and thus this creates increased work load and increased work force. According to Rampton et al on page 173 “A number of responsibilities that fall to those employed to maintain an HRMS derive naturally from the requirements to keep the HRMS operating effectively”. The current HRIS does not support or anticipate identifying the organization’s current mission, values and business drivers.
There is no tracking device for documenting any anticipated changes including growth (through hiring or acquisition/merger) or reduction in force. The implementation of an integrated system is critical to addressing human capital challenges, such as hiring and retention of talent, workforce compensation and data entry to support benefits strategies, and data tracking to support performance management. The importance of data quality is an easy over-site. Making assumptions about its efficacy is a careless mistake “These errors can range from calling a woman Mr. to misspelling a name, to using an incorrect or outdated business title, to bungling a Social Security number or something equally as problematic (http://proquest. umi. com. authenticate. library. duq. edu). The data warehouse is only as good as its data ["GIGO garbage in garbage out”]. Data cannot be effective and improve productivity and produce accurate results if the quality of data is poor. The quality initiatives must be in place. The quality improvement initiative will generate more success and less work load/work force thus transforming past reporting practices into automated reporting practices.
The current HRIS can hone in on the day to day demands of data entry, and allows for manual benefits administration deadlines to be met with increased workforce management. During the open enrollment period the current system has proved to be effective. However, with an improved system the open enrollment period can become more automated and allow for decreased workforce management. The current system has not been successful due to lack of automation. Janet is highly regarded and respected in the organization but overall she is viewed as being inconsistent.
This inconsistency is due to the under- utilization of the current HRIS and barriers such cost control that outweigh the value of ownership. CHANGE AGENT As an HRIS consultant I have been chosen to focus on the following areas: • Recruiting and Candidate Self-Service • HRIS • Talent Management • Performance Management • Business Process Re-engineering My assignment is to oversee the implementation of a new HRIS. Change management involved during this implementation include: businesses change and technology change.
Implementing the HRIS could affect business in the way business is captured and used in terms of a move to decentralized data capture, users being responsible for quality and timeliness of data, elimination of procedures through the use of modern business techniques such as BPR, and the provision of management information to users including easy to use reporting tools. Technology changes requires a need for traditional users of the system having to familiarize themselves with new tools and new procedures; and additional users who may be given access to the new system because of its increased capabilities. Rampton et al pg. 140). A formalized plan to implement the change will be given to senior management. Strategically putting in place the right team of professionals will help to determine the success of the quality initiative. The involvement and commitment of all top management and stakeholders is required and necessary for a successful outcome. Leader communication is purpose-directed in that it directs everyone’s attention toward the vision, values, and desired outcomes of the group or organization and persuades people to act in away to help achieve the vision (Daft pg. 45). The implementation of a HRIS will impact the organizations strategy for creating a positive customer and employee experience… and to provide comparable access to information technology. Alignment means how well you are building expectations with leaders, what business results they are expected to accomplish, and how to accomplish, in addition to how well you’ve built a leadership environment that fully engages these leaders with the challenges you’ve established for them (Effron et al pg. 223).
Maintaining oversight of implementation in alignment with corporate strategies will require a network diagram that includes the following key focus areas: 1. Detailed project planning- to correlate tasks of the implementation so that management and the project team can see the plan from a high level view 2. Implementation Tracking- as tasks are completed reflection of impact is automated in order to adjust resources or other tasks 3. Contingency planning- creating “what if” scenarios and preparing for unexpected changes during implementation
The following succession planning model should begin the succession planning process by using the following model: Human Resources/Succession Planning Model Rampton et al pg. 189 | Demand Forecast |Sup Supply Forecast | Employee Information | | What are the requirements of all positions in the |What is the statistical overview? |Ho How well is current staff performing? | |unit? | | | What are the key jobs within the|What is the vacancy forecast? |What are the developing plans areas of interest, skills, and | |unit? | |strengths? | | What human resources will be |What resources will be available (using HRIS, job |What are the assessment results? | |needed when, where, and with what knowledge and skills? |profiles, and career ladders)? | As part of the new HRIS an important feature of the system includes the capability to do analysis of strategic succession planning “Thus, in operating specifically at the position or individual level, succession planning may be regarded as a subset or special application of human resource planning (Rampton et al pg. 187)”. Upon the project implementation completion it should be deemed necessary to promote Director Janet Thomas. It would be recommended that Janet be promoted.
If involvement and hands on approach, level of integrity, and practical advice has becomes instrumental in the success of this project. The functions of the HRIS Director are to be covered by the newly appointed internal/external Director to: • Serve as the organizations primary leader of HRIS • Support executive leadership • Ensure data integrity • Develop and provide support for the enhancement of application software needed to continue to streamline and automate processes • Enhance the organizations responsiveness to recruitment, retention, and Highmark’s commitment to creating a positive customer and employee experience.
The ongoing process for succession planning is utilizing tools to linking succession planning to talent management. Forecasting activities concentrated on predicting the eligibility for retirement and for accelerated attrition, and extrapolating past natural attrition patterns into the future (Rampton et al pg. 195). Assessment tools to ensure process of succession planning are inclusive of: identifying potential management candidates, developing top talent, retaining talent, and quarterly performance evaluations to assess individual goals. Strengths |Weaknesses | | |Faces sluggish economy during economic downturn | |Strives to capitalize on the individual strengths of its employees | | |One of the nation’s largest insurance companies | | |Opportunities |Threats | |Can become major influence in international healthcare sector |Major catastrophic medical event | |Can become influential in national healthcare initiated by government | | |reform | | |SWOT analysis of Highmark Inc,: | | |Ken Melani is the CEO of the organization. Ken wants to be the | | |region’s leading healthcare organization. | | |Highmark has an excellent reputation as providing quality and | | |affordable healthcare. | |Highmark has an opportunity to capitalize on | | |the individual strengths of its employees and is | | |one of the nation’s largest insurance companies. One of the major | | |weaknesses that Highmark faces is sluggish economy during economic | | |downturn which threatens the organizations surplus. Threats include a | | |major catastrophic medical event such as September 11. | | http://www. insurance. state. pa. us/bchearing/comments/bc_ind_0019. pdf FINANCIAL VALUE pic] Highmark is continuing to implement a HRIS that allows them to make improved financial decisions. A business model, cost, and user level analysis would be utilized in determining what the HRIS should do. According to Rampton et al on pg. 59, “It is easy to see how the cost of an HRMS may be justified by its use in identifying and implementing salary and benefits cost control measures”. Understanding the user-level analysis is crucial to those who utilize the HRIS. COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS Cost benefit analysis includes: A bottom-up analysis was performed to determine the project estimate thus offering greater assurance of actual project funding needs. According to Phillips on pg. 15 “Bottom-up cost estimating is the process of creating a detailed estimate for each work component(labor and materials) and accounting for each varying cost burden”. Ability to deliver new and improved automated features at a more efficient and faster rate, enhance existing components, and reduce workforce management risk by appealing to a larger talent pool and improve the financial bottom line for Highmark. Figure 4. 1Phillips provides a cost benefits analysis of three phases of project implementation which would be recommended for Highmark. Phase I: Development $33,600. Phase II: Testing $45,000. 00. Phase: III Training $18,200. 00. CLOSING
The need for a quality improvement initiative is crucial to the retention of talent, productivity, and improvement of the bottom line by increasing the value of time saved. The objective of the quality improvement initiative with corporate strategy and human resource planning and development is to assist with many issues the organization faces in today’s business climate. The quality improvement initiative integrates all the technical and quality aspects of the project. During this discussion the plan has been outlined to show a strategic outline of how essential it is that the system chosen will be capable of growing with Highmark to meet its future needs. Annotated Bibliography: Glenn M. Rampton, Ian J. Turnbull, J.
Allen Doran, Human Resources Management Systems: A Practical Approach 2nd Edition ©1999 Thompson Canada ISBN: 0-459-56370-X The text includes many case studies and “live” examples drawn from the authors’ experience as consultants and practitioners in the field. In addition, this edition reflects the importance and capabilities of today’s IS and IT applications in human resources. The text also focuses on developing and implementing systems that gather, store, and report human resources data in a timely fashion, in forms that are useful to human resources personnel, line management, and other users. In writing this book, we have attempted to go further than this, by focusing as well on the uses of an HRMS as a critical management tool. ©2007 Carswell annotation.
Phillips Joseph, IT Project Management On Track Start to Finish 2nd Edition ©2004 McGraw Hill California ISBN: 0-07-223202-1 This text includes expert advice on planning and steering of successful IT project using PMBOK driven principals. The author creates the best path to initiate a project uncover techniques for project planning, pick the most qualified team members , establish communication channels and realistic timetables and learn how to track financial obligations. Define a project goal and create the project charter. Create a feasibility plan and establish a priority list. Determine strategy and obtain budget dollars. Work with management and define their role . Determine project expenses—including estimated required hours. Organize a project team—assess internal skills as well as utilize external resources. Delegate responsibilities and manage project schedules.
Resolve disagreements—as well as address delays and budget increases. Track progress and implement quality testing. Maintain leadership and keep your team focused. Human resources in the 21st century / edited by Marc Effron, Robert Gandossy, Marshall Goldsmith. p cm ISBN 0-471-43421-3 © 2003 John Wiley & Sons Hoboken, New Jersey New and faster technology, redefined values, and shifting customer demands are changing the way businesses operate in the twenty-first century. Human resources and business leaders are faced with the challenge of redefining their strategies on leadership, talent, and diversity, while evaluating their operational effectiveness.
This book presents the compelling contributions of thought leaders-such as David Ulrich, Rosabeth Moss Kanter, and Jeffrey Pfeffer-who offer a road map for what these leaders can expect. Renowned HR executives also provide their expert advice and prescriptions for the future. The nature of human resources will continue to evolve as the new century progresses-with this book, HR professionals can change with it. Daft, Richard L. The Leadership Experience Third EditionCopyright © 2005 by South-Western, part of the Thomson Corporation. South-Western, Thomson, and the Thomson logo are trademarks used herein under license Printed in Canada 4 5 07 06 05 ISBN: 0-32426124-66 .
Emphasizing the theory behind leadership, this textbook uses current research and real-world examples to discuss topics like character, courage, “followership”, motivation and empowerment, communication, teamwork, diversity, power and influence, vision and strategy, culture and values, and change. Daft teaches management at Vanderbilt University. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc. , Portland, OR http://www. insurance. state. pa. us/bchearing/comments/bc_ind_0019. pdf This website discusses Highmark’s financial strength in the insurance market. http://proquest. umi. com. authenticate. library. duq. edu Journal of Healthcare Information Management. The article is by authors Mobin Uddin Akhtar, Kim Dunn, and Jack W. Smith: Commercial Clinical Data Warehouses: from Wave of the Past to the State of the Art.