Centralization of Time and Attendance Records Through Electronic Transfer

CENTRALIZATION OF TIME AND ATTENDANCE RECORDS THROUGH ELECTRONIC TRANSFER

Prepared for: Frank Smith, Controller

Acme Partners, L.L.P.

Prepared by: John Doe, Analyst

Information Technology Department

Acme Partners, L.L.P.

December 9, 2004

In order for the General Managers and Theme Managers to perform labor analysis, the Office Administrators must run reports from Time Helper (TMH) and then spend many hours a week formulating summary reports in Microsoft Excel and then fax them between the restaurants within their Theme, only to have that same information re-keyed in order to produce Theme level reports. By the time this information reaches its final destination, it is often stale by a week. This report describes a project to automate and expedite the delivery of time and attendance records and the production of timely analysis reports.

Keywords: Time Helper, TMH, Labor, Windows Management Interface, WMI, Microsoft Report Services, Crystal Reports

INFORMATIVE ABSTRACT

In order for the General Managers and Theme Managers to perform labor analysis, the Office Administrators must run reports from Time Helper (TMH) and then spend many hours a week formulating summary reports in Microsoft Excel and then fax them between the restaurants within their Theme, only to have that same information re-keyed in order to produce Theme level reports. By the time this information reaches its final destination, it is often stale by as much as a week.

A next day polling routine, initiated at the corporate office level, and automated report generation would reduce the production hours and speed the flow of data. The restaurants would populate a centralized Microsoft SQL Server database and standardized reports would then be delivered via the company's intranet. This report describes a project to automate and expedite the delivery of time and attendance records and the production of timely analysis reports.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INFORMATIVE ABSTRACT iii

LIST OF TABLES v

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1

DETAILED DISCUSSION 3

CURRENT OFFICE PROCEDURES 3

Time Record Preparation - Function 20 4

Running End of Day 4

Daily Sales Verification and Polling 5

Preparation of Labor Reports 6

Distribution of Labor Reports 7

UNNECCESSARY COST 7

ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION 9

Automation of Data Retrieval 10

Automation of Labor Reports 11

Procedural Changes 11

The Users 13

Team Qualifications 13

Budget 14

CONCLUSION 15

BIBLIOGRAPHY 17

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1. Labor Analysis Reports 6

Table 2. Average Office Task Time Breakdown 8

Table 3. Updated Task Time Breakdown 12

Table 4. Program Development Breakdown 14

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The overall purpose of this project is to allow management to quickly identify problem labor areas and remedy these situations before they incur additional labor costs, including additional regular and overtime expenses. Currently, labor information is gathered on a weekly basis for analysis. This project discusses a method that would allow a next day review of detailed labor data, allowing the management tiers to make modifications during the workweek, instead of only reflecting on the issue after the week has been completed and the cost incurred. The General Manager and Theme Leader would then have access to multiple web-based analysis reports for multiple locations.

An opportunity exists in our company to automate and speed the delivery of detailed labor analysis information to General Managers and Theme Managers for analysis. This would allow the mangers to adjust labor inefficiencies thus saving the company money. Currently the Office Administrator produces reports at the store level. If information is to be shared it is necessary to fax hardcopy reports to the other stores and/or managers.

The program would utilize our existing intranet platform and Microsoft's Windows Management Interface (WMI), a standard in desktop remote management. With this technology we will be able to build an information infrastructure where the detailed electronic labor records and forecasted schedules, captured in each restaurant's time clock, are polled at the end of the business day and delivered to a centralized database and reporting system that resides at the corporate office.

The importance of this project is based in its cost savings ability. On any given day we employ 2800 employees at an effective rate of $8.23/hr. If we could reduce labor by an average of five minute per back of the house employee our company could save $627,000 per year. This savings is not unrealistic if our company moves from a reactionary to proactive approach to labor management. This is achievable if we provide our General Managers and Theme Leaders the ability to proactively analyze and make adjustment to labor situations.

Every minute of labor saved relates directly to bottom line dollar savings. The proposed project will ensure that the management staff has the tools needed to manage labor as efficiently as possible. It is with this in mind and many hours of process analysis, that I recommend the implementation of the remote polling project outlined in this study.

DETAILED DISCUSSION

In