BSA/375 SERVICE REQUEST SR-rm-022

PART 1 and PART 2

Week 2 & Week 3 Individual

Assignment – UOP

Riordan Manufacturing
2016
 Riordan Manufacturing
Service Request SR-rm-022

Overview

Riordan Manufacturing is a plastics manufacturer that operated globally. Riordan

employs approximately 550 people and enjoy annual earnings of $46 million. The

company’s headquarters is located in San Jose, California, and its products encompass

plastic beverage containers produced at its plant in Albany, Georgia, custom plastic

parts produced at its plant in Pontiac, Michigan, and plastic fan parts produced at its

facilities in Hangzhou, China (Riordan Intranet, 2016).

Currently, Riordan Manufacturing employs the following number of employees at

each location:

Figure 1. MS Visio Diagram - Riordan Number of Employees at each location (2016).

Riordan’s Current Information System

The current Human Resource Information System (HRIS) used by Riordan

Manufacturing is complex and inefficient, leaving employees to use other forms outside

the HRIS to submit change requests and other information. A new comprehensive

information system is needed to consolidate existing business systems and subsystems

that provide across-the-board compatibility between four locations of the Riordan

Manufacturing Company. Below is an overview of the Human Resource current

information gathering and employee tracking processes used by the Human Resource

Department.

According to the Riordan Manufacturing (2016) website, the company’s Human

Resource Information System (HRIS) which was installed in 1992 is part of the financial

systems package. The HRIS keeps track of the following information:

 Employee Private information

 Employee Salary
 IRS Documentation for Income Taxes
 Date of Hire
 Records for Vacation hours

The whole system lacks organization with multiple individuals keeping track of

different items in different locations. The unorganized filing and responsibility structure

causes mass confusion and wastes time. Information changes must be submitted in

writing on specific forms by the employee’s manager and then entered into the system

by the payroll clerk. Training and development records are kept by the training and

development specialist in an Excel worksheet.

 According to Riordan Manufacturing website (2016), recruiters maintain applicant

information for open positions by filing resumes in a central storage area and tracking

the status of applicants on an Excel spreadsheet. Worker’s compensation is managed

by a third-party provider on their own records. The compensation manager keeps the

results of job analyses, salary surveys, and individual compensation decisions on an

Excel spreadsheet. Employee files are kept by individual managers since there is no

central employee file area. Managers also have the responsibility of tracking FMLA

absences and all requests for accommodation under the ADA. All complaints,

grievances, harassment complaints, etc. are kept in locked files in the employee

relations specialists’ office (Riordan, 2016).

There are many issues that need to be rectified. In order to alleviate these

issues, we recommend Riordan Manufacturing consider the following:

 Standardize employee responsibilities (training, finance, tracking complaints,

etc.)
 Standardize data formats (forms, Excel, filling cabinets, etc.)
 Implement central employee file area

Integrating all existing tools into a single integrated application is the main

objective of this service request. Hugh McCauley, Chief Operating Officer of Riordan

has initiated a Service Request specifying the need to develop a high-level technologic

system for the Human Resource Department. Since Hugh initiated the service request,

he is now the Project Sponsor. This request will follow the Systems Development Life

Cycle (SDLC) model. The SDLC model answers questions such as cost, complexity,

duration, size, and primary focus of the new software system.

 Below is a diagram showing connections between the Human Resource

Department of Riordan Manufacturing and other areas of the company.

Figure 2. Riordan Human Resource Information Flows

Hugh McCauley, Chief Operating Officer of Riordan has initiated a Service

Request specifying the need to develop a high-level technologic system for the Human

Resource Department. Since Hugh initiated the service request, he is now the Project

Sponsor. This request will follow the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) model.

The SDLC model answers questions such as cost, complexity, duration, size, and

primary focus of the new software system.

Stakeholders
 Stakeholders are identified early in the process to ensure a successful systems

design and integration. Key players are identified below and were chosen by senior

management in conjunction with the systems analyst during recent meetings.

The following list of stakeholders for the HRIS program will be either surveyed

individually and in a group setting to determine input and approval throughout the entire

System Development Life Cycle (SDLC).

Stakeholder Role Responsibility

Dr. Michael Project Vision,
Riordan President & CEO Executive Sponsor
Kenneth Collins Senior Vice President of Research and
Development Plan, Monitor,
Approvals
Hugh McCauley Plan, Monitor,
Chief Operating Officer Approvals
Jan McCall – Executive Assistant Coordinating Meetings
Donald Bryson Director of Accounting and Finance Approvals
Yvonne McMillan Project Vision,
– Director of Human Resources Approvals
Mari Carillo – Training and Development Specialist Training
Mark Neitzel – Vice President of Operations Plan, Monitor
Mary Napier – Purchasing Manager Plan, Monitor
Maria Trinh – Chief Information Officer Plan, Monitor
Patricia Miller IT Services Manager Plan, Monitor, Execute
Dirk Kort IT Services Manager Plan, Monitor, Execute
Stacey Jones IT Services Manager Plan, Monitor, Execute
Source: Information taken from the Riordan Company Intranet site.
Stakeholder Responsibility Matrix

Information Gathering Techniques and System Analysis Tools

A centralized information system is needed for Riordan Manufacturing to resolve

inefficiencies within the current systems used, therefore it is essential at this point to

identify current systems and processes to determine what systems can be utilized within

the new HRIS.

 Potential problems with the current system should be addresses and the goal is

to correct these problems by was of a new information system. By reviewing current

policy and procedure documents for the current system and current successes and

failures of this information system, the system analyst can use this information to correct

and improve upon these current processes and instill them into the new system.

By identifying key stakeholders and interviewing them during the initial

information-gathering process, the systems analyst will gain better insight into the needs

and requirements of the new information system. Due to many of the key stakeholders

being housed at various location; survey, conference calls, and web conferences must

take place to convey key information from these valuable stakeholder.

Because interviewing is one of the main ways to conduct information gathering

about an information system project, it is critical to spend a substantial amount of time in

this phase. Best practices include obtaining approval from department managers prior

to interviewing their respective employees, planning the interview, preparing the

interviewee by giving them proper information about the purpose of the interview and

scheduling the interview ahead of time to give them time to prepare, preparing a

checklist and agenda, and preparing questions in advance of the interview, as well as,

taking notes or taping the interview to have data to review and refer back to after the

interview is over. It is critical to transfer the notes into a Word document or Excel

spreadsheet, if numerical data, within forty-eight hours of the interview because after

forty-eight hours, the memory of the interview fades. During this review, it is important

to write down any additional questions that may not have been asked during the
interview or questions that need more clarification, and then to follow-up with the

interviewee (Valacich, George, and Hoffer, p. 130, 2016).

It is important not to be biased during an information- gathering interview and to

avoid asking leading questions that basically give the interviewee the answer, but

instead ask the question and then listen. Also, determining what type of questions to

ask, whether it be open-ended questions or closed questions is important, and truly

depends on the depth of information that is needed in response to an interview

question. Open ended questions are advantageous in the fact that it allows the

interviewee to feel more comfortable, however the risk with these types of questions is:

not having the question answered properly and/or having the answer take too much of

the interviewer’s time. Closed-ended questions allow for shorter answers, thereby

allowing for a greater amount of questions to be asked during a shorter amount of time.

Overall, preparation and consideration seem to be the key to an effective

interview. Listening attentively to the interviewee may certainly give you more

information than talking through the whole interview. Using attentive body language lets

the other person know that you are interested in what they have to say and also lets you

know if they are lying or being truthful (Wixom and Roth, p. 118, 2016).

Key Factors to ensure Successful Information Gathering Techniques

To ensure information required for the project is gathered successfully, Joint

Application Development (JAD) sessions will be the main factor in this initiative. This

allows for various viewpoints and the opportunity for employees to contribute to the

overall objective of the new information system.

 It is important to interview a wide range of employees at Riordan, from the

managers to the employees, and if appropriate, the customers. It is also vital to not

make predictions about the features of the new system to the interviewee because

doing so would indicate that these features will be included in the system, that this has

not been determined at this point in the SDLC process (Valacich, George, and Hoffer, p.

131, 2016).

Project Scope

According to the Riordan (2016) website “The scope is to implement this central

system and implement it into a unified process while increasing efficiency and reducing

costs. It is the desire of Riordan to take advantage of a more sophisticated, state-of-the

art, information systems technology in our Human Resources department”.

The new information system is important because currently there are too many

various ways that employees are tracking information and it is not integrated.

Integrations will help to reduce errors and therefore will naturally reduce labor costs to

Riordan. With automatic reporting features of the new integrated information system,

Riordan will enjoy the benefits of accurate reporting, error reduction, labor cost

reduction, and happier employees.

Project Feasibility
Feasibility of such an endeavor has proven by the analysis that this project is

necessary and the return on investment is substantial enough to approve the project.

Once integrated, the new HRIS system will help decrease current overtime costs

associated with errors in reporting due to the many avenues currently utilized in

reporting various information at Riordan Manufacturing. Important to note is the fact

that this new system will also enhance security of information and stop the duplication of

work processes at Riordan.

Application Architecture and Process Design

Application architecture and process design involves defining the interface

between the business and the technical view of the information system. This process is

critical to recreate and preserve consistency when building the application during all

phases of the System Development Life Cycle.

Riordan’s application architecture and process design is depicted in the following table:

Thin
Client- Thick
Riordan Manufacturing
Server Client- Serve Client-
Requirements -Based Based r Server
Operational Requirements
System Integration × ×
Portability ×
Maintainability × ×
Performance Requirements
Speed ×
Capacity ×
Availability and Reliability × ×
Security Requirements
High System Value × ×
Access Control ×
Encryption / Authentication ×
Virus Control ×
Cultural and Political Requirements
Multilingual ×
Customization ×
Legal × ×
Figure 4. Riordan Systems Requirements
Riordan Operational Requirements

Riordan must integrate the new HR CRM system with current software. Since

the system requires integration with employee’s desktop computers, a client-server

architecture is required. Systems need to conduct transactions using the Internet by

way of the employee’s browser, when calculating Loyalty Rewards points; and also the

customer’s browser, when they are checking on Loyalty Rewards points. Due to

portability requirements, a thin client-server architecture is better because it is easier to

write HTML5 standards for this type of server (Wixom Roth, 2016).

Riordan Performance Requirements

Riordan is interested in a high-tech system to integrate the plethora of Human

Resource forms and documents and therefore expect high performance in their new

integrated system. This is the reason why we have chosen the client-server

architecture. Due to increased scalability, availability, reliability, and better response

times with this architecture, Riordan will benefit by easier integration of hardware and

speed requirements of the comprised systems. Since the aforementioned features

greatly depend upon the operating system utilized, Riordan will upgrade to the Microsoft

Windows 7 operating system (Wixom Roth, 2016).

Riordan Security Requirements

The client-server architecture will increase Riordan’s security due to the fact that

all software will be housed in one location thereby making mainframe operating systems
more secure. Using advanced authentication and encryption controls, Riordan will

benefit from this advanced architecture thereby alleviating potential issues with viruses

and malware that is running rampant on the Internet in today’s world. Protection is

securely guaranteed not to spread across employee desktop computers because

software is not housed on the client device, in this server-based architecture model

(Wixom Roth, 2016).

Riordan Cultural and Political Requirements

Riordan Manufacturing understands that cultural and political requirements are

critical in today’s society. The capability to divide the presentation from the application

is incredibly important when considering logic and data. By dividing this concept,

Riordan will ensure a simpler development process when inserting numerous languages

to support customer diversity and future growth expectations (Wixom Roth, 2016).

Security Controls for Riordan Manufacturing

Due to the nature of Riordan’s business and the critical aspect of employee data

files, assurance must be given to the privacy and confidentiality of data records.

Internet-based employers who deal with human resource information must take the

possibility of attacks seriously. Many of the security breaches, according to the Federal

Bureau of Investigation (FBI), have come from within the organization.

Riordan must decide who will have access to data and how much access each

employee is privy to seeing. According to the FBI.gov (2016) website, companies can

enhance security of data by doing the following:

 Educate and regularly train employees on security protocols
 Ensure that confidential data is protected
 Use screening processes to select new employees
 Provide non-threatening, convenient way to report suspicions
 Routinely monitor computers for suspicious activity
 Ensure security personnel have the tools they need

Physical Data Flow Diagram

Figure 5. Visio Diagram of Riordan Systems (Reynolds, 2016)

 System Planning and Selection Phase

Beginning with the system planning and selection phase, we pull our focus

towards the benefits of a new software system. During this phase, Management asks

specific questions to determine the core problematic areas encountered daily by staff

members. Discussion meetings are held by employees ranging from upper

management to Steering Committee meetings to Departmental Managers in an effort to

determine the new software systems business value to our company and how it affects

Riordan’s future in the marketplace. The steps in the Planning Phase include initiating

the project, ensuring feasibility, planning a schedule, and obtaining approval for the

project (Wixom & Roth, 2016).

Riordan’s Current Information System

The current Human Resource Information System (HRIS) used by Riordan

Manufacturing is complex and inefficient, leaving employees to use other forms outside

the HRIS to submit change requests and other information. Complicating this scenario

is the fact that Riordan has a location in China whereas Riordan owns 60% of the plant

and has a complex salary calculation for the China Plant Manager.

A new comprehensive information system is needed to support the complexities

of the salary calculations and to integrate current systems and subsystems that provide

across-the-board compatibility between four locations of the Riordan Manufacturing

Company. According to the Riordan Manufacturing (2016) website, the company’s

current Human Resource Information System (HRIS), which was installed in 1992,

keeps track of the following information vital employee information.

Riordan’s current software system for the Human Resource Department, is

severely lacking in organizational aspects while employees scramble to track critical

data using a variety of software tools. The current tracking processes regarding filing as

well as responsibility structure is causing mass confusion and wasting valuable

company time and resources. Many issues need to be rectified with Riordan’s current

dataflow and paperwork processes as depicted in the following Visio diagram

(Reynolds, 2016).

Current Process for Securing Data and Tracking Employees

Figure 5.
Current

paperwork Process & Procedures at Riordan Manufacturing (Reynolds, 2016).

Stakeholders
Stakeholders identified early in the process ensure a successful systems design

and integration. Key players are identified below and were chosen by senior

management in conjunction with the systems analyst during recent meetings.

The following list of stakeholders for the HRIS program will be either surveyed

individually and in a group setting to determine input and approval throughout the entire

System Development Life Cycle (SDLC).

 Stakeholder Role Responsibility
Dr. Michael Riordan Project Vision,
President & CEO Executive Sponsor
Kenneth Collins Sr. V.P. of Research and Development
Project Sponsor Plan, Monitor, Approvals
Hugh McCauley Chief Operating Officer
Project Sponsor Plan, Monitor, Approvals
Jan McCall –
Executive Assistant Coordinating Meetings
Donald Bryson
Director of Accounting and Finance Approvals
Yvonne McMillan –
Director of Human Resources Project Vision, Approvals
Mari Carillo –
Training and Development Specialist Training
Mark Neitzel – Plan, Monitor
Vice President of Operations
Mary Napier Plan, Monitor
– Purchasing Manager
Maria Trinh – Plan, Monitor
Chief Information Officer
Patricia Miller Plan, Monitor, Execute
IT Services Manager
Dirk Kort Plan, Monitor, Execute
IT Services Manager
Stacey Jones Plan, Monitor, Execute
IT Services Manager
Figure 2. Stakeholders (Riordan Intranet Site, 2016)

Analysis Phase

The Analysis Phase is the first step in an attempt to understand the specific

business need. Once that is determined, the project team investigates our current

software systems and identify ways to improve what we already use. By doing this, the

project team has a better understanding of how we will use the new system by

reviewing how we are using our current system and what features our current system

utilizes. The project team then brainstorms suggestions about how to improve upon
current software systems. By doing this the project team has a better idea on how to

develop the new software systems (Dennis & Roth, 2016).

During this phase, efforts take place to develop an analysis strategy to guide the

project teams when conducting investigations on our company’s current software

system and the problems associated with its use. With this information, the project

team conducts interviews, workshops, and sends out company surveys to determine

end user satisfaction or dissatisfaction, while learning valuable new information about

individual perceptions of the current system. Once information from these meetings and

surveys are gathered, the project team defines a system concept and sets out to

compile a Business Analysis Model (BAM). The BAM describes the protocol for the new

system and specifies how the business will operate once the new system is in place.

The next step in the process is to submit the System Proposal to the Steering or

Approval Committee who will either approval and move the project forward, or reject

and drop the project indefinitely. Many factors come into consideration and if the project

is not a good business decision then the committee will deny the proposal. (Dennis &

Roth, 2016).

Information Gathering Techniques

A centralized information system is needed for Riordan Manufacturing to resolve

inefficiencies within the current systems used, therefore it is essential at this point to

identify current systems and processes to determine what systems can be utilized within

the new HRIS. Potential problems addressed at this time concern the integration of the

current system with the new software system.

 Gathering information for the new software system can be done in a variety of

ways, including:

 Reviewing current system policy and procedure documents

 Reviewing current system successes and failures

 Holding one-on-one interviews

 Convening weekly JAD sessions with key stakeholders

 Sending out surveys to stakeholders, employees, and customers

 Distributing questionnaires to stakeholders, employees, and customers

 Critical – Interviewing employees and customers and stakeholders

 Design a program that allows employees to anonymously (if desired)

submit suggestions to improve upon current processes

By reviewing current policy and procedure documents for the current system and

current successes and failures of this information system, the system analyst can use

this information to correct and improve upon these current processes and instill them

into the new system.

By interviewing Stakeholders during the initial information-gathering process, the

systems analyst will gain better insight into the needs and requirements of the new

information system. Due to many of the key stakeholders being housed at various

location; survey, conference calls, and web conferences must take place to convey key

information from these valuable stakeholder.

Because interviewing is one of the main ways to conduct information gathering

about an information system project, it is critical to spend a substantial amount of time in

this phase. Best practices include obtaining approval from department managers prior

to interviewing their respective employees, planning the interview, preparing the

interviewee by giving them proper information about the purpose of the interview and

scheduling the interview ahead of time to give them time to prepare, preparing a

checklist and agenda, and preparing questions in advance of the interview, as well as,

taking notes or taping the interview to have data to review and refer back to after the

interview is over. It is critical to transfer the notes into a Word document or Excel

spreadsheet, if numerical data, within forty-eight hours of the interview because after

forty-eight hours, the memory of the interview fades. During this review, it is important

to write down any additional questions that may not have been asked during the

interview or questions that need more clarification, and then to follow-up with the

interviewee (Valacich, George, and Hoffer, p. 130, 2016).

It is important not to be biased during an information- gathering interview and to

avoid asking leading questions that basically give the interviewee the answer, but

instead ask the question and then listen. Also, determining what type of questions to

ask, whether it be open-ended questions or closed questions is important, and truly

depends on the depth of information that is needed in response to an interview

question. Open ended questions are advantageous in the fact that it allows the

interviewee to feel more comfortable, however the risk with these types of questions is:

not having the question answered properly and/or having the answer take too much of

the interviewer’s time. Closed-ended questions allow for shorter answers, thereby

allowing for a greater amount of questions to be asked during a shorter amount of time.

Overall, preparation and consideration are a key factor in conducting an effective

interview.
 To ensure information required for the project is gathered successfully, Joint

Application Development (JAD) sessions are a considerable factor in this initiative. JAD

sessions allow for various viewpoints and the opportunity for employees to contribute to

the overall objective of the new information system. JAD sessions also elaborate on

the current and on-going status of a project as to whether it is on-schedule or behind

schedule.

It is important to interview a wide range of employees at Riordan, from the

managers to the employees, and if appropriate, the customers. It is also vital to not

make predictions about the features of the new system to the interviewee because

doing so would indicate that these features will be included in the system, that this has

not been determined at this point in the SDLC process (Valacich, George, and Hoffer, p.

131, 2016).

Overall, the most critical aspect of information gathering belongs to interviewing

current staff, stakeholders, and customers. A substantial amount of time is needed for

this endeavor and the more quality interviews that are conducted the less the overall

risk is to the project.

Project Scope

According to the Riordan (2016) website “The scope is to implement this central

system and implement it into a unified process while increasing efficiency and reducing

costs. It is the desire of Riordan to take advantage of a more sophisticated, state-of-the

art, information systems technology in our Human Resources department”.

The new information system is important because currently there are too many

various ways that employees are tracking information and it is not integrated.
Integrations will help to reduce errors and therefore will naturally reduce labor costs to

Riordan. With automatic reporting features of the new integrated information system,

Riordan will enjoy the benefits of accurate reporting, error reduction, labor cost

reduction, and happier employees.

Project Feasibility

A feasibility study is important and must be performed in order to determine

critical factors involved in the project and if the new software is advantageous to

company goals for future progress, sustainability in the marketplace, and increased

revenue (Valacich, George, and Hoffer, Feasibility Study, p. 14).

A feasibility study is conducted prior to implementing and building a new software

system. Whether the system is purchased as a commercial off the shelf (COTS) and

modified to fit company needs or built in-house, the feasibility study answers questions

from an economic and operational standpoint.

The feasibility study is conducted by the project manager who begins their quest

to collect deliverables, such as architecture, interface, database and file specifications,

and program design specifications (Valacich, George, and Hoffer, Feasibility Study, p.

47).

Specifications determined by the project manager enable the programmers to

use this valuable information when designing and implementing the new software

system. After designing, building, and testing the new software, the feasibility study is

re-examined and modified according to the feasibility results or the entire project is

brought to a halt and goes no further. That reason is the core purpose of a feasibility
study, and is also attributed to the importance of using the Systems Development Life

Cycle (SDLC) model because it allows an additional way to confirm earlier estimations.

If earlier estimations do not result in predicted outcomes during the development phase,

then the company has the ability to save money, time, and man-power if the project

show signs of being too high-risk.

The feasibility analysis steers the organizations decision on whether to proceed

with the project or to cease the project. If the results of the secondary feasibility study

allude to great risk to the organization, then good business sense dictates cancelling the

project. However, by the same token, if the secondary feasibility study alludes to great

company operational, technical, and economic benefits, this study supports approval

decisions by the approval committee. IT determines the feasibility of a system by

determining the technical risk analysis answering the questions of familiarity with the

technology, project size, and compatibility with current software systems.

Familiarity with technology is important because lack of it creates a greater risk of

failure for the project. This risk is centered on the necessity of IT having to learn the

new technology, which naturally leads to delays. Another concern associated with lack

of familiarity of the new software, is the fact that risk substantially increases during the

integration process and problems and are directly tied to issues with the expected

number of new features for the software, and size of the project (Valacich, George, and

Hoffer, Feasibility Study, p. 47)..

Feasibility of such an endeavor has proven by the analysis that this project is

necessary and the return on investment is substantial enough to approve the project.

Once integrated, the new HRIS system will help decrease current overtime costs
associated with errors in reporting due to the many avenues currently utilized in

reporting various information at Riordan Manufacturing. Important to note is the fact

that this new system will also enhance security of information and stop the duplication of

work processes at Riordan.

Figure 6. Visio Diagram – Software Systems Development Plan (Reynolds S., 2016)
 Systems Design Phase

Once the project team enters the design phase, decisions regarding hardware

needs, software needs, and overall network framework infrastructures are reviewed.

Further, decisions on user interface identifying how users will navigate the new system,

reports and/or forms used to determine efficiency, and specific databases, software

programs, and files are identified to support the new software system. Overall, the

design phase has the following four steps: design strategy to determine how the

system will operate and whether development will come from internal or external

programmers and/or software, development of a system architecture for the design of

the system describing hardware, software, network infrastructure (Dennis & Roth,

2016).

While still in the design phase, the project team must clarify and develop the

software system database and file specifications. These specifications are in place to

define data storage requirements. An analyst team creates the program design defining

which software programs need to be written / coded and specifically the intended work

that each program will accomplish. According to Dennis & Roth, 2016, “The

architecture design, interface design, database and file specifications, and program

design is a collection of information pertaining to the overall system design that will be

used by our programming team to implement the software system. At the conclusion of

the design phase, the feasibility analysis and project plan are reexamined and revised,

and another decision is made by the project sponsor and approval committee about

whether to terminate the project or continue (Dennis & Roth, 2016).

Application Architecture and Process Design

Application architecture and process design involves defining the interface

between the business and the technical view of the information system and is a critical

step in the SDLC process. The application architecture and process design is critical to

recreate and preserve consistency when building the application during all phases of

the System Development Life Cycle.

According to Wixom & Roth (2016), documentation created during this phase of

the SDLC is the blueprint for the entire project. The system design phase takes an

iterative approach to development as changes are made throughout the project (The

Systems Development Lifecycle, p. 10).

Riordan Operational Requirements

As the Systems Analyst on this project, I recommend the PDS Vista Human

Resource Management Software (HRIS) to fulfill the service request.

The PDS Vista HRIS® is specifically designed for companies with employee

numbers greater than two-hundred fifty. PDS Vista HRIS ® is a browser-based

application that encompasses a complete and integrated suite of human resources,

recruiting, benefits and payroll and self-service software (Software Advice, 2016).

PDS Vista HRIS uniquely provides a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) learning

management program thereby allowing the already approved $80,000 for employee

training to be used towards implementation of this software system for the Human

Resource Department.

This all-inclusive software package allows end-users the ability to develop and

customize reports in addition to using current templates that are sent with the software.
 When researching for the perfect solution to this service request, strategies

involved finding an all-inclusive software solution that uniquely included international

business models and templates, as well as that of online learning management

solutions for employees. To combine all of these benefits into one COTS product is

almost unheard of in today’s market. However, Visa HRIS provides all of this and more.

Access to the new software system is based on job responsibility is easily

adaptable to ensure control and confidentiality of employee private information.

International employees are housed in the same database as local employees, thereby

streamlining and successfully integrating the CRM software that Riordan currently

utilizes (Software Advice, 2016).

User training is a critical aspect of project development. Untrained users simply

contribute to the failure of a SDLC project due to their inability to understand how to use

the software correctly. Unfortunately, this leads to a reduction in staff efficiency and

productivity and a substantial increase is user error. Because of the nature in which HR

Staff will utilize this software, training is a mandatory part of the process. Users will not

be given full rights to the new system until they have successfully completed all training

sessions.

Additionally, Riordan is having problems containing costs of the Training &

Development section of the Human Resource Department. Hugh McCauley, the project

sponsor, has suggested implementing a video teleconferencing solution to save on

travel expenses when participating in distance learning. Therefore, the proposed new
software integration solution satisfies all aspects of the service request, as well as,

streamlines the COO’s ideas to cut costs.

Riordan Performance Requirements (Functional)

Riordan is interested in a high-tech system to integrate the plethora of Human

Resource forms and documents, as well as teleconferencing to save money; and

therefore expects high performance capabilities in their new integrated system. This is

the reason why we have chosen the PDS Vista HRIS software system. Below is a

screenshot of the Human Resource section of the PDS Vista HRIS software system. As

you can see, this is an all-inclusive software program. Although, even with specific

requirements covered, this software also allows future modification of the system

according to on-going upgrades to the Riordan Manufacturing enterprise system.

Figure 7. VistaHRMS End-User Information Screenshot (VistaHRMS, 2016).

Riordan Security Requirements (Functional)

The client-server architecture will increase Riordan’s security due to the fact that

all software will be housed in one location thereby making mainframe operating systems

more secure. Using advanced authentication and encryption controls, Riordan will

benefit from new advanced architecture thereby alleviating potential issues with viruses

and malware that is running rampant on the Internet in today’s world. Protection is

securely guaranteed not to spread across employee desktop computers because

software is not housed on the client device (Wixom Roth, 2016).

Riordan Cultural and Political Requirements (Non-Functional)

Riordan Manufacturing understands that cultural and political requirements are

critical in today’s society. The capability to divide the presentation from the application

is incredibly important when considering logic and data. By dividing this concept,

Riordan will ensure a simpler development process when inserting numerous languages

to support customer diversity and future growth expectations (Wixom Roth, 2016).

Security Controls for Riordan Manufacturing (Non-Functional)

Due to the nature of Riordan’s business and the critical aspect of employee data

files, assurance must be given to the privacy and confidentiality of data records,

especially since this sensitive information is transmitted over the Internet and contains

secure documents including salaries, health benefits, and identifying personal

information of each employee. Internet-based employers who deal with human

resource information must take the possibility of attacks by hackers and thieves

seriously to prevent identity theft and to protect their employees. Many of the security

breaches, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), have come from

within the organization by those with less than admirable intentions.

Riordan must decide who will have access to data and how much access each

employee is privy to seeing. According to the FBI.gov (2016) website, companies can

enhance security of data by doing the following:

 Educate and regularly train employees on security protocols

 Ensure that confidential data is protected
 Use screening processes to select new employees
 Provide non-threatening, convenient way to report suspicions
 Routinely monitor computers for suspicious activity
 Ensure security personnel have the tools they need

Functional Requirements:

1. Managers Hands-On

1.1 The system will provide Manager self-service (e.g. Reports, Job openings, Time
Entry approval)
1.2 The system will record and track employee vacation and sick leave hours.
1.3 The system will record and track employee work start and work end times.
1.4 The system will automatically track claims initiated by employees for FLMA,
Workers Compensation, Unemployment benefits, and ADA claims/requests and
provide full compliance.
1.5 The system will provide templates and automatic fill-in of employee information to
ensure U.S. Compliance Reporting (EEOC, OSHA, FLMA, ADA, etc.)
1.6 The system allow track and record employee wage information and benefits
1.7 The system will track employee performance and performance-based salary
increases
1.8 The system will provide organizational reporting hierarchies
1.9 The system will provide complete electronic document management
1.10 The system will provide a variety of workflow reports to assist in analyzing Returns
on Income
2. Employee Hands-On

2.1 The system will provide Employee self-service with content that is useful and
relevant to your population (e.g. Personal data, Leave Requests, Pay advices, W-2s
or T-4s).
2.2 The system will collect and verify employee start and end work times.
2.3 The system will allow employees to update personal identifying information, such
as name change.
2.4 The system will enable employees to attend Online Learning Management training
from any computer with Internet access by using specific allocated employee
identification numbers.
2.5 The system will enable Worker’s Compensation Claims to be filed by employees
through the Intranet.
2.6 The system will provide a Corporate-wide portal to promote company information.
2.7 The system will provide a Benefits Enrollment wizard that steps employees through
their election process, providing guidance each step of the way.
2.8 The system will notify participants of actions and optionally include attachments.

Physical Data Flow Diagram

Figure 5. Visio Diagram of Riordan Systems (Reynolds, 2016).

 Reference Page

Reference Page

Dennis, A., Wixom, B. H., & Roth, R. M. (2016). Systems analysis & design (5th ed.).

Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

Federal Bureau of Investigation (2016). The Insider Threat: An introduction to detecting

and deterring an insider spy. Retrieved from: http://www.fbi.gov/about-

us/investigate/counterintelligence/the-insider-threat

PDS.com (2016). Robust, agile software. Retrieved from:

http://www.pdssoftware.com/solutions/index.asp

Riordan Manufacturing Intranet Website (2016). Retrieved from

https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/cist/vop/Business/Riordan/HR/HRIS.a

sp

Software Solutions (2016). PDS Vista HRIS. Retrieved from:

http://www.softwareadvice.com/hr/PDS Vista-HRIS-profile/

Valacich, J. S., George, J. F., & Hoffer, J. A. (2016). Essentials of systems analysis and

design (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education