A Review Of Employee Management Systems Information Technology Essay

Nowadays, Employee Management System is being adopted by many sectors in the real world whether it is small or large scale. But currently most of the fast food restaurant does not have this system implement to the website. Thus, the author decided to develop a web-based employee management system for fast food restaurant. The system will be built consists of human resource management function such as leave request, employee report and job application, this function will be integrated to this web-based system. The aim of this project is to design and develop a web based Employee Management System using PHP and MySQL.

In this project, a web-based Employee Management System will be developed for Carl’s Fast Food restaurant to manage employee job information, working schedule, leave request, employee report on achievement, training and evaluations. In addition the system will also manage job application information that apply job online by visitor.

In this web-based system basically it has 4 main users that are administrator, manager, employee and visitor. For employee, manager and administrator they can login to the system through online to perform their different task respectively that available for them, for visitor they can apply job. Where manager can do managerial work such as view/modify/create employee report, in addition it also can approve/deny/view leave request, accept/decline/view interview for job candidate, search for employee information and modify/view employee schedule. Manager can upload a doc file to the administrator, if there is any change about employee and manager information. In addition manager can search for specific employee information, view and print information.

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In employee, it can request leave and check for leave request whether their leave is approve or deny. Employee also can view working schedule that has been arrange by the manager and search for colleague to view their basic information.

Administrator has just a small task such as create new user if there is any new employee, manager and administrator. In addition, it also can modify user information and delete user, and download doc file that uploaded by the manager to update the require information. And lastly the visitor can apply job online through the job application

This web-based system is important where it can improve the way of managing and keep track of employee information such as leave request, employee performance report and others. Thus, this can determine the success level of the fast food restaurant.

1.1 Company Background

Carl’s Fast Food Restaurant is one of the fast food restaurants in Malaysia, located at Cheras, Kuala Lumpur which founded in the year of 2008. This fast food restaurant is relatively similar to another fast food restaurant, which primarily sells french fries, fried chicken, hamburger and soft drinks. The restaurant has a traditional way and manual system of managing their employee information, hence the restaurant itself has the intention to improve the management of their employee.

1.2 Problem Statement

One of the problems of the current Carl’s Fast Food restaurant is, they still using the manual way of managing the employee information and records, in term of keeping employee information such as employee leave request, employee report, and employee working schedule.

The existing management task on keeping employee records and information of the still has to be done manually by hand written and record it in paper document. Employee records is not always reliable because is it hand written and might cause human error for example manager might write a wrong title in a report. Data duplication problem might happen when manager can’t find require information. There is a possibility that data might get misplace when doing manual filling.

Due too many data and paperwork that needed to record it could consume a lot of space in the filling cabinet. The retrieval of data can time consuming because it has to be searched from the filling cabinet. This will cause waste of resource in term of time and money. In addition it would also cause inconvenience and ineffectiveness in daily work. Plus, the manger will face difficulties when need to update employee working schedule, report and leave request,

In the employee point of view, when they need to request for leave they need to fill in a leave request form manually and submit to manager personally and wait for confirmation, this is time consuming. Other than that, if there are any changes in working schedule, employee might have wrong information in the working schedule because the schedule might not update immediately, therefore the employee might not satisfy with the working schedule.

1.3 Objective

The main objective of this project is to develop a web-based employee management system for Carl’s Fast Food Restaurant. The project objective is important because it define the purpose of the project. William (2009) identifies one of the reasons of project objective: “They help frame the project. If you know the project objectives, you can determine the deliverables needed to achieve the objectives.”

The objectives of this project are as shown below:

To understand and defining the fast food restaurant requirement for an employee management system.

This objective is to ensure the greater understanding of fat food restaurant when developing an employee management system

To analyses and designing a database suitable for the fast food restaurant

This objective is crucial because it serve as a mainstay of the employee management system

Build up a database that will store information such as employee working schedule, leave request, report, and job application and employee details.

To perform a programming language analysis, compare and contrast the different programming language, which to use to develop the system

This objective is to analyses information that has been collected.

Select a suitable programming language to implement the system.

To design a user interface for the fast food employee management system

This objective is to design a user web interface that is user-friendly

To allow a better and more flexible employee management system for this fast food restaurant.

Improve the employee management of the fast food restaurant, analyses a better way to review data and ensure the system can adapt the specification needs.

Improve efficiency of information management and improve data integrity

To provide better capabilities for manager.

Improve the capabilities and managerial work for manager to record employee report, employee leave request, employee working schedule and job application information for job candidate on interview.

Improve better viewing of employee and job candidate information such as employee report and job application.

To provide capabilities for administrator

Where administrator can manage employee, manager and administrator information such as create new user and user information maintenance.

To provide capabilities for employee

To allow employee have better information and viewing of working schedule. Allow employee to search for their colleague information.

1.4 Scope

This system will be focusing on developing of a web-based employee management system that would suit the fast food restaurant. The project scope is important because it define the need of the project.

The main module is leave request, approve/deny leave. check approve/deny and employee report. Employee information management module will keep track of employee report. Another module is employee working schedule, with this working schedule in the system employee work time can be manage more effectively. The last module is accept/decline interview of job candidate that has been applied by visitor through job application.

There are 4 main users in this system. One of the users is visitors, who like to apply job for the fast food restaurant. Employee is also one of user that able to apply leave online, check leave approve/deny and view working schedule. Manager of the restaurant able to view, print, modify, remove and create employee report, leaver request, working schedule. For administrator, it can create, modify, and remove new user.

In this project, the web-based employee management system has several modules and feature, as listed below:

Job application for website visitor

Login page for administrator, manager and employee

Account setting for 3 user (User profile and change password)

Online leave request

Check Approve/Deny leave

View working schedule

Search for colleague information

Create new user for administrator, manager and employee

User information maintenance

Download doc file to update manager and employee information

Approve/Deny leave request

View approve/deny leave request

View/Modify/Remove/Create employee report (Achievements, Training and Evaluations)

View and modify employee working schedule

Accept/Decline/View interview for job candidate

View and print information

Upload doc file to administrator.

Chapter 2 – Literature Review

2.1 Introduction

Martyn Shuttleworth (2009) defines that “A literature review is a critical and in depth evaluation of previous research. It is a summary and synopsis of a particular area of research, allowing anybody reading the paper to establish why you are pursuing this particular research program.” A literature review is a summary research on existing of journal, articles, and other appropriate sources.

2.2 Fact Finding and Technique

The author will conduct research to understand more about the of web-based employee management system by come up with question and answer. The author will also conduct a research of existing employee management system, to gather more information about employee management system. In addition, the author will discuss the advantages of web-based system over manual system. The chosen technique such as research, interview and surveillance will be use to gather information. Most of the research is based on Internet searches.

2.3 Definition of Web-Based Employee Management System.

In order to have better understanding of the term web-based employee management system, the author will break it down into few terms and perform research about it that are web-based, employee, management system and employee management system.

2.3.1 What is Web-based?

Bestbrief.com, (n.d.) provides a meaning of web-based: Web-based is “Information or an application made available via the World Wide Web. It is accessible anywhere in the world as long as there is an Internet connection.” Basically web-based also known web application, where is it convenient to the users, can log on to web-based system through the Internet using a web browser.

2.3.2 What is an Employee?

It is defines that “An employee is an individual who was hired by an employer to do a specific job. The employee is hired by the employer after an application and interview process results in his or her selection as an employee.”(Susan n.d.). Employees play the most important roles in business where it can determine the success stage of a company.

2.3.3 What is Management System?

Bluerockassociates.co.uk, (n.d.) defines that: “Management systems are those systems that are used to help operate a business successfully. They work by helping to make it function correctly, by creating a management framework within which decisions are made and in which processes operate.” Management system is crucial because it can assist the organisation by setting objective and outline the plan to improve and manage the organisation.

2.3.4 What is Employee Management System?

Alan (2009) argues that “Employee Management System is all about workforce, thus businesses that are serious about proper workforce should use employee management system. Employee management system is used to does the work of assembling, managing and organizing the valid information about the employees of a company.” From another point of view, employee management system can assist an organisation to maintain employee performance report and keep track all of employee information, this can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the organisation.

2.4 The term of human resources in market

The term such Human Resources Information System (HRIS), Human Resources Management system (HRMS), Enterprise Resources Planning (ERP), Employee Management System (EMS), from the author point of view those terms is relatively has the same connotation and there is not much difference in meaning. The terms that the author stated just now are few of the term in human resources market, there are still other term arising in the human resources market.

Clay (2008) argues that “It seems like the more simple terms which may have been created by IT people or programmers slowly become replaced by more sophisticated terms created in the marketing world.”

The difference that might have is the module or functionality of the system. For example a company requires a system that can manage their employee training information, the term for it most likely will be Employee Training Management (ETM). It usually depends on the requirement of the company or organisation.

Madison et.al (2010) describes that “When a difference between personnel management and human resources is recognized, human resources is described as much broader in scope than personnel management.”

2.5 Existing System

The employee management system available in the market currently is similar to human resources management, employee leave management, and employee performance management. On the other hand, the scopes are smaller for restaurant and do not provides much management system for restaurant like Carl’s Fast Food.

Below show the links of HRMS software that purchase by companies to manage employee:

http://ubshelp.com/software-lists/ubs-human-resource-management-system.html

http://www.hr2000.com.my/product.htm

The HRMS software as stated is a software that need to install to a computer in order to run the software. The features that UBS has mainly is to manage employee information such personal details, education, employment history, salaries listing, and many more features for managing employee. It also has report in employee training, skills and leave. For hr2000, it has 2 main products that are QUICK PAY and QUICK STAFF. In QUICK PAY it has features such as management reports, data import & export feature, and many more features that mostly about payment, salary, tax computation and shift rates. In QUICK STAFF it has features to manage employee historical information and human resources that consists of accident, appraisal, benefit, career development, education history and many more modules for managing employee information. Both HRMS software is powerful to cater company that managing employee in a centralized way. However, there is some problem, that it needs to install the software to a computer to run the system, where it can cause time consuming and for some cases user have to log on to a specific computer to use the system. The problem the author just stated just now doesn’t mean that the software is not good or inappropriate, the suitable word to describe it should be lacking.

Therefore, a web-based system would be much more advantages over the HRMS software that the author point out above, below shown the links of web-based system.

http://www.orangehrm.com/

http://whentowork.com

Although web-based system has many advantages, it also has their own weaknesses or disadvantages. The user might have problem of login to the system due to the internet connection speed is slow and not stable, this can disrupt the daily task of the user. There will be a security issue such as virus threat, viruses might be able to corrupt or delete data. Another security issue is unauthorised access to the hosting server that stored the data, hacker can break into the network to steal, view, delete and change information such as password and confidential information.

The advantages web-based will be discuss more detail in the next section of this chapter that is advantages of web-based system over manual system, comparison of comprised system & manual system and benefits of web-based system.

2.6 Advantages of web-based system over manual system

In this section advantages of web-based system over manual system research will be conducted because it can identify the concurrent problem of Carl’s Fast Food restaurant facing due to the restaurant itself mainly record their employee information in a manual system. Furthermore, it can assist the author when developing this project because the term of web-based system is related and relevant to the web-based employee management system that the author is going to develop.

Although manual system is relatively low cost but “it is time-consuming to access data held in a manual filing system.”(Deskdemon.com n.d.). Since, the paper and document is store in the filling cabinet, as task or work amount increase on paperwork this will consume a lot of space in filling cabinet. Furthermore, if the task of a manager increase, it can lead to cause data miss-filling because too much of task to be perform. In web-based system, it can eliminate paper costs or reduce paperwork as daily task can be done by using computer and internet technology. This therefore, can increase the effectiveness of daily task and information can be manageable. In addition information maintaining and updating can be more systematic.

From other point of view, the manual system has to records data by hand written manually into paper, it could cause the information to be incorrect or inaccurate because that might be possibilities that the manager accidentally written the incorrect information in the document. Other than that, it can cause data duplication because some task has to be repeatedly over and over again. While in web-based system, “Everything is computerised managers just have to enter the specific information into the system.”(John n.d.). Since everything is computerised possibilities of error can be reduced greatly. Moreover, it can avoid data duplication because most of the computerised system there will be a data deduplication. Data deduplication is essentially refers to the elimination of redundant data, if there is any data duplication, the duplicate data will be deleted and leaving only one copy of data to be stored. (Webopedia n.d.).

The retrieval data is time consuming and slow as it has to search the records or information manually, from different filling cabinet area. Since the data is store in filling cabinet, the data might fall into wrong and use it against the organisaiton. Moreover, if the data in the manual record document lost, the will be lost completely. While in web-based system it can reduce the time consuming, because data processing and retrieval is much faster than manual system. Information is store in database, where only different user only can access to specific information only. A computerised database in web-based system is reliable, fast and well systematize in term of information.

2.6.1 Comparison of Computerised System and Manual System

Below shown the comparison of computerised system and manual system, in a table form.

Computerised System

Manual System

Fast when search for information.

Time consuming when search for information.

Greatly eliminate paperwork

Too much paperwork and documenting.

Systematic information maintenance

Bad information maintenance.

Information more accurate

Less accurate information

Better data security

Lack of data security

2.7 Benefits of Web-based

According to db net solutions, “web based applications have evolved significantly over recent years and with improvements in security and technology there are plenty of scenarios where traditional software based applications and systems could be improved by migrating them to a web based application.” In these recent years, many companies that are using manual system or conventional system has transform their system into web-based system due to, there many advantages in using a web-based system.

Here are some of the advantages:

Data centralized

The data is centralized so that is it accessible from the Internet anytime with computer. And data is stored in a secure server, so anything goes to the computer it won’t affect the data.

No Software to Install or Update

User need to login to the web-based system from any web browser, web-based system doesn’t take up any spaces in the computer hard drive. It is located on separate secure host server. (Taublee.M,).

More manageable

The db net solution defines “Web based systems need only be installed on the server placing minimal requirements on the end user workstation. This makes maintaining and updating the system much simpler as usually it can all be done on the server.”

User-friendly

Most of the web-based is user friendly, it is convenient where user can get use to the system easily.

2.8 Interview session

Date : 22th June 2010

Time : 11.00am – 11.30am

Interviewer : Mr.Kumar

1. Can you briefly describe about Carl’s Fast Food Restaurant?

Carl’s Fast Food Restaurant is one of the fast food restaurants in Malaysia, located at Cheras, Kuala Lumpur which founded in the year of 2008. This fast food restaurant is relatively similar to another fast food restaurant, which primarily sells french fries, fried chicken, hamburger and soft drinks.

1. How do manage employee data? Manual or computerised system?

Manual, we record employee information such as leave request, working schedule and employee report manually and stored the data in the filling cabinet.

2. If manual, question this: Do you satisfy with the current manual system of handling data?

No,

3. If No, mention the reason.

Due to too much of paperwork, hard to keep track of employee information because filling cabinet is messy. Time consuming when searching for employee information.

4. How many employees do you have in the restaurant?

Currently we have 16 employee working in this restaurant with different shift that is morning shift and night shift

Chapter 3 – Methodology

3.1 Introduction

Choosing a suitable methodology is important because it serve as a guideline when developing the system step by step. There are a lot of different methodologies that have been created to serve certain system development. Without proper guidance from any these methodologies, the system development always fail due to poor planning and management during development.

3.2 Project Methodology

Thus, the author chooses System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) to serve as guideline when developing this web-based system. SDLC is framework for describing information in developing system successfully (Pasupuleti 2008). Pasupuleti (2008) specified that “The overall process of developing information system through a multi-step process from investigation of initial requirements through analysis, design, implementation and maintenance.”

Waterfall Model of software development process is not suitable for developing this web-based system. Therefore, to overcome this problem, iterative and incremental software development process is selected to use as software software development process for this project. Although Iterative and Incremental process is quite similar to the waterfall model but it can overcome the problem that Waterfall Model have and cover the disadvantages.

The Waterfall Model is linear and sequential design process that normally use in software development process (wikipedia.org, WF n.d.). The Waterfall Model consists of 5 phases that are requirement specification, design, implementation, testing and maintenance. In Waterfall Model, once one phase of software development is completed, the development of next phase will start and there is no turning back. Hence iterative development is use to solve the problem, this development could exit at any phase and return back to the previous phase to ensure positive at the end of this project.

According to PCMAG (n.d.) iterative development is “A discipline for developing systems based on producing deliverables often. Each iteration, consisting of requirements, analysis & design, implementation and testing, results in the release of an executable subset of the final product.”

3.3 Iterative Developed Model

Figure 1: Iterative Development Model

3.3.1 Requirement Analysis Phase

In this first phase, the author will focus on the requirement of the web-based system. Analyses the end-user needs that is Carl’ fast food restaurant and develop the user requirement. The problem statement will be done to identify the current problem of this fast food restaurant is facing by analyses the problem. The project objective purpose will be define to know the deliverables that needed to be achieved, refines the objectives into defined function. The research is will be done such as research of existing system in the human resources market. Research on manual and computerised system will be done about advantages of computerised system over manual system. Interview is done to gather more information about the fast food restaurant current management.

3.3.2 System Design Phase

In this phase, the requirement specification is transform into system design to focus on how to deliver the required functionality. This system design phase is will focus on the architecture of the web based system, the database design and interface are defined in this phase. This phase must be done carefully, any malfunction can cost time and money to resolve. The next phase will be implementation phase.

3.3.3 Implementation Phase

In this implementation phase, the transformation stage of the system design to executable system. The design from the previous phase will be translated into programming language that selected by the author according to the need of this web-based system. If the design from previous stage is carry out properly, the codes can be generated easily without much problem. The author selected PHP programming language to develop this web-based system and for the database the author selected MySQL as database because it can perform well with PHP language. After the implementation, the next phase will be testing.

3.3.4 Testing Phase

In this testing phase it is a very important phase in system development of this project. A test is perform to obtain clearer understanding of the system. It is also important cater the author on how well the system had met its requirement and specification. To efficiently test the system, a few testing has been done that is test plan & test case, performance testing and user acceptance testing.

Test Case

In this testing, it basically use to test the functionality of the system to check whether it working correctly or not. Hower (2010) describes that a test case is “an input, action, or event and an expected response, to determine if a feature of a software application is working correctly.” A test case might consist of test case name, test objective, actual result, expected result and conclusion (Hower, 2010).

Performance testing

Performance testing can be important measure that the system should be emphasis on. Basically the accomplishment of the project should be measured by the performance of the system to determine speed and effectiveness of the system. Hence, testing to know how well the system is behaving is crucial.

User Acceptance testing

User acceptance testing is a very important testing because it can determine whether the system developed is success or not. User such as manager or the owner of the fast food restaurant is important people to test the system because they are the end user. Therefore, their feedback and comments for the developed system are the most important factor in deciding the success of the system. Users will be asked to use the system to perform the task and they will validate the web-system based on their first time experience using the system. Users will ask to grade the web-based system.

3.3.4.1 Performance and User Acceptance Testing

Evaluation on Performance Testing:

Module

:

Leave Request

Objective

:

This will allow user to request leave.

Success Criteria

:

1. Users able to request for leave after submitted their leave request form online.

Expected results

:

1. Users can check approve/deny leave after submitted the form.

Actual result

:

1. Users can check approve/deny leave after submitted the form.

Evaluation

:

Majority of the users were satisfied with the web-based system. They were comfortable and did not hesitate to use the features. Hence, the web-based system is evaluated as satisfactory.

Evaluation of User Acceptance Testing:

Objective

:

The testing will involve the web-based system. This will test how well the users understand the use the features/module offered.

Test Steps

:

The users will have a firsthand on using the web-based system.

Users will be given the freedom to do whatever they want to the web-based system.

Users will be observed to check if they are uncomfortable or irritated when using this web-based system.

Users will be requested to grade this web-based system.

Expected results

:

Users should be able to understand the functionality of the web-based system and know how to use the buttons and navigation buttons provided.

Users should not feel irritated or uncomfortable when using the web-based system.

Users should not feel lost or unsure of what to do with the web-based system.

Actual result

:

Most users were able to understand the functionality of the web-based system and know how to use the buttons and navigation buttons provided.

Users did not feel irritated or uncomfortable when using this web-based system.

Users did not feel lost or unsure of what to do with the web-based system.

Evaluation

:

Majority of the users were satisfied with the web-based system. They were comfortable and did not hesitate to use the features. Hence, the web-based system is evaluated as satisfactory.

Test Plan

Name:

Please (√) where applicable.

Performance Testing:

Test

Result

Good

Average

Bad

Determine if the leave request able to submit to other party

User able to track leave request and approve/deny leave.

All buttons will be tested for errors.