Functions of HR & IT Depts.

Guest · Posted: Mon May 31, 2004 2:22 am Post subject: Functions of HR & IT Depts.

Just one question and hope you may help me clear this.

The function of HR Dept?

The function of IT Dept?

Is IT required to go into each area of every department to find out how best IT tech can be used to speed things or automate things or is it the HR Dept to tell IT what is required to automate?

Likewise, is the Accounts Dept to tell IT what they require to automate or IT should look into the Accounts Dept and propose ways to improve work efficiency in the area concerned?

I have contrasting opinions on this as I was informed otherwise that it should be the IT Dept to work with every Dept Head on areas where IT tech should be used to automate things. However, we at HR were told to tell IT what we want automated.

Regards.
Robert.

Ian Congreave

Dear Guest,

Thanks for posting your question on the PayPerShop Forum.

I have a view, I think, between the two extremes that you present in your question. It is the IT department's responsibility to ensure that technology is used in the most effective way throughout the business. It is equally the HR department's responsibility to ensure that the business's HR strategies, policies and practices are applied in the most effective way across the business. How IT can help HR is therefore a joint process, where the HR department seeks the support of IT to help it fulfil its role to best effect, and the IT department can explore with HR staff the ways in which technology can enable those strategies, policies and practices to be put into effect.

I can't imagine a scenario where the IT department insists that HR go in a particular direction, or where HR makes its own decisions on the use of technology. This clearly would not be in the interests of the business.

The need for close cooperation between IT and HR is the implementation of HR support systems is highlighted in the composition of the project team that would be appointed to manage the implementation. You may find two articles in PayPerShop of interest, at http://www.paypershop.com/articles/art0013.html and http://www.paypershop.com/articles/art0060.html.
_________________
Ian Congreave, PayPerShop owner

PayPerShop provides a free weekly UK payroll news service - http://www.paypershop.com/latestnews.html

TeamSpirit (cg)

Hi there,

I completely agree with Ian on this subject. We supply integrated HR/payroll/time & attendance software and by far the best and most successful implementations are where there is full co-operation and support between HR and IT.

Initially we expect HR to specify the software requirement in terms of software functionality required for their company and to be mainstream in selecting the right product, taking advice from IT that the selected product will run on the nominated operating systems/networks. But that's only the beginning.

When it comes to installation and implementation, there is so much technology involved in HR systems today: networks and security, underlying databases like MS-SQL, email links, e-HR and web-enabled facilities, bar-code devices etc, etc.

Here we expect to work with IT for a swift installation, then internally HR and IT need to co-operate to ensure data security and provide the necessary functions to each user. For instance, the level of access given to the HR Director, Payroll manager and Shopfloor Foreman will be significantly different.

Beyond that, co-operation needs to continue with regard to regular software updates from us, alongside operating system upgrades which the company may wish to make.

Our package contains user system tools which allow configuration of the HR database, screens, reports etc. In some companies, a member of the IT department is nominated to assist HR with this kind of work so that they can tailor the software exactly to their needs. Sometimes, HR do it themselves. Sometimes it's a joint effort.

Even things like newsletters need to be considered. I applaud the use of software in IT departments to filter emails that contain certain words and to stop unwanted and sometimes offensive spam reaching users. However, it can be quite difficult to produce a serious newsletter on equal opportinity issues, without mentioning sex.

Some IT departments simply bounce emails like this, then our users complain they have missed a newsletter. Other IT departments, filter those emails then forward the genuine ones on to the user. So it seems that co-operation is even needed here to explain that some emails containing normally 'banned words' may need to be allowed.

I could go on, but I think I've probably said enough for now.....
_________________
Regards
Christine Crowther
Selven Group - authors of TeamSpirit HR, Payroll & Time and Attendance software
www.teamspirit.co.uk