The document discusses implementing a staff self-service system for an online retail company called Posh UK Online. It describes the company's current timesheet administration process, which involves collecting timesheets manually in a spreadsheet. This is time-consuming and error-prone. The CEO wants to implement an online timesheet system to streamline the process and free up an employee's time. The document includes a scenario about the company, an interview transcript identifying requirements for the new system, and documentation to help design the system's database structure and data model.

1. Staff Self-Service Systems
Staff Self-Service SystemsAssignment Brief1. Write a brief paper providing an overview and
discussion of Staff Self-Service Systems2. Design a relational database structure for such a
system, based on the Scenario provided3. Submit a report comprising 1. & 2. in hard and
soft-copy by Monday 2 June 2014, 10:00amContents1. Detailed Task Description2.
Scenario3. Interview transcript4. Sample DocumentationBuckingham University: Business
School: BIS 1, Assignment 1, Spring 20141Detailed Task DescriptionPlease aIDress the
following tasks:1. Describe the concept of Staff-Self-Service Systems, outlining and
discussing their advantages and disadvantages (30 marks) (1-2 pages)? Please focus on
these systems in general and not just to the specific system outlined in the accompanying
scenario? Use in-text citation to the sources you have used? Your description and discussion
should be insightful and succinct, not exceeding one page (excluding Bibliography)2.
Develop an Entity Definition Matrix of the Staff Self-Service System outlined in the
accompanying scenario (20 marks) (1 page)? Analyse all the accompanying information
about the scenario to identify entities that should form part of the database design? While
considerable background information is provided, concentrate on the Timesheet relevant
elements, i.e. project administration data is only relevant if required for timesheet
processing? Make assumptions where necessary and state them explicitly3. Identify the
Business Rules of the system outlined in the scenario (20 marks) (1 page)? Analyse all the
accompanying information about the scenario to identify Timesheet processing related
conventions or rules to reflect in the database design? Make assumptions where necessary
and state them explicitly4. Design a Data Model of the system outlined in the scenario,
including attributes, relationships, and indicating Primary Keys (PKs) and Foreign Keys
(FKs) (30 marks) (1-2 pages)? Analyse all the scenario information provided to identify the
relationships between timesheet relevant entities making up the database design? Make
assumptions where necessary and state them explicitly? Use MS PowerPoint software to
create the data model and import the slides into your Word document? Make sure that your
Data Model is consistent with the Entity Definition Matrix and Business Rules you create for
step 2 and 3 aboveFurther Information:Referencing It is important that you reference your
sources and CITE THE REFERENCES WITHIN THE TEXT where you use the related
information. As an example: if you state a particular benefit of Self-Service systems or
someone else’ s argument, we want to know where you found this in order to be able to
find the relevant source to obtain more detail. It is expected that you will use at least three
different, quality sources as the basis for your report. Please make a sound judgement as to

2. what is considered likely to be a quality source. Use the Harvard Referencing Style for your
citations.PlagiarismPlagiarism is a form of academic misconduct and will not be tolerated.
While it is important that you identify relevant information from your sources, you should
use it to shape or support your specific argument, with appropriate rewording. Any form of
‘ cutting and pasting’ will be considered plagiarism. As indicated in the University
Handbook, cases of plagiarism will be reported to the Chairman of the Board of Examiners
and sanctions will apply. Please familiarise yourself with the section on plagiarism in the
University Handbook.Team-workThe assignment is an individual project and copying from
others will be considered plagiarismSubmissionYou are asked to submit one hard-copy
version and one soft-copy version of your work. Please submit the soft-copy version via
Moodle. The firm deadline for submission is Monday, 2 June 2014, 10:00am. Extensions will
NOT be given and late submission will incur penalties.Criteria for AssessmentThe
assessment of the assignment will be based on the following criteria:? The Concept of Self-
Service Systems: Quality of content, knowledge and understanding of the concept,
presentation, grammar & spelling? The Entity Definition, Business Rules and Data Model:
Accuracy, completeness, consistency and quality of the presentation. Please explicitly state
all assumptionsBuckingham University: Business School: BIS 1, Assignment 1, Spring
20142ScenarioPosh UK OnlineA few years ago now, while still at business school, a few
friends thought they spotted a gap in the fast-growing consumer market in China for
premium regional products, quintessentially English, that might appeal to customers who
perceived Western products as more sophisticated and superior in quality to local
equivalents.The business is run through website they developed with a local Web developer
(previously a fellow business school BIS/Computer Science student) and has proved
remarkably successful, with sales having doubled in the last year alone, and they are set to
exceed £5m in Sales in the current year.Such rapid growth has been challenging, and while
they started off running the business from one of the friends’ homes, using the garage as
store and workspace, now it operates out of a small office in Milton Keynes. While the
friends initially did all the work themselves, juggling this with their studies, they rapidly
realised they needed help.Their first priority was getting an accountant, Right-on-the-
Money, who set up a company and keeps their books and records for them. They also
needed staff to help, allowing them to get back to their studies. While they recruited a small
staff of 3 people, much of the demand is seasonal and they also retained a number of
students, mums and retirees (who wanted part time or short term work), to help with
packing and shipping orders as and when required, online help support, ongoing website
maintenance, etc. This also means that many staff can work from home or offsite. All of
which helps keep their overheads tightly under control.The aIDitional staffing involves a
fair bit of administration and while Posh UK Online has approached Right-on-the-Money to
look after the legal HR, payroll and tax aspects, it still requires one of their permanent team
to coordinate and collect the relevant employee data, keep a record of it and pass it on to
their accountants, once one of the owners has approved and signed a contract.Given the
nature of their team, various things that need doing and limited resources, the owners have
adopted a project approach to managing activities tightly and pragmatically. This means
that tracking time spent by staff, particularly part time or temporary contract staff, is

3. important both for tracking progress and costs, as well as to enable payroll payment to staff.
To date this has been handled via a straightforward spreadsheet-based timesheet process,
administered by the same permanent staff member who coordinates the rest of the
HR/contract data with Right-on-the-Money. A summary is prepared and is reviewed and
signed off by the CEO once a month before the data is passed to the accountants, who also
cross-check this against their contract records.This is proving a time-consuming
administrative task, re-capturing the data into a consolidated timesheet and project
tracking spreadsheet. The oID problem and delay has also occurred with some timesheets
being submitted late or being lost, and some spreadsheet errors being picked up either
during the CEO review or by the accountants.The CEO would like to free up his staff
member to concentrate on more strategic projects and can see increasing workload and
risks likely as they continue to grow and need more staff. There must be a more efficient
and effective solution, which will scale better as they grow. At a recent board meeting, one
of the team recalled a BIS lecture from Business School days on self-service solutions and
they wondered if this might offer a future-proof solution to their challenges and after all,
they are an online company!With this in mind, at the CEO’ s recent monthly website review
meeting with his Website developer, the CEO has asked that the website developer (acting
as business analyst) speak to Sam, the permanent team member responsible for timesheet
administration, and revert at the next meeting with a proposed design for an improved,
online system that will streamline the related administration.A transcript of the website
developer’ s subsequent meeting with Sam, discussing issues and requirements for such a
system, is provided on the next page. Some supporting documentation has also been
collected during the interview and is included after the transcript.Buckingham University:
Business School: BIS 1, Assignment 1, Spring 20143Interview TranscriptGood morning Sam.
Trust you are keeping well and you’ re happy with our latest web page update?Hi Chris.
Well thanks and yes, the feedback from staff and customers on the new streamlined layout
has been great. Far fewer queries on the new online ordering form and much easier to get to
it too. The CEO mentioned earlier this week you might pop in and see me, so how can I help
you?Yeah, the CEO has asked me to speak to you about timesheet administration, which I
believe you look after. Keen we implement an online system, after all we are an internet
company! Wants to streamline the process and free you up to help him with some other
urgent and more strategic stuff.Oh, that would be great! Timesheet admin swallows so much
time, especially at month-end, chasing down timesheets from everyone, getting them
approved, aggregated, the summary approved and sent across to the guys at Right-On-The-
Money in time…They are really strict about their month-end deadlines you know, as they
have so much to do then, I guess. It would be good to be able to spend more time on some of
the other projects, especially given the new growth targets for next quarter, which will also
mean having to contract some aIDitional resources. In fact, it would be great to get a new
system up and running pronto! How can I help?Well, we can certainly try! So, if we could
start with you giving me a step by step overview of how timesheets work and what you do
each month. I can then ask any clarification questions as we go. Also, can you flag any issues
or problems you experience as you run through the processOk, that sounds sensible….
hmmm…now, where to start?Perhaps if we started with a new contractor coming on board

4. and getting them up and running on timesheets?Good idea! Well, it normally starts when we
kick of a new project.As you know, everything here runs as a project, otherwise we’ d never
keep track of anything or make sure things get done! It helps that I also keep track of all
projects. So once a project request is approved, I will record the project name & number,
together with the project manager responsible and any available contract-permanent staff
allocated to it, total staff budget cost, start date and end date. Basically as per the project
request form. Thought you might want a copy, so I’ ve printed one for you.[See Sample
Documentation Section]And where do you capture this information?Oh, I keep it in a
separate project sheet within my overall Time & People Cost Tracking Excel workbook,
where I also summarise all the timesheet data at the end of the month. I find it works to
keep it all together in one place. Hate to think where I’ d be without Excel to help keep track
of everything…Ok, so once a project has been approved and you’ ve captured the project
and available staff details. What then?Well, where we need to get a contractor involved, I’ ll
normally contact them to confirm availability (in case the project manager hasn’ t spoken to
them yet) and then send them a new contract, and I capture the relevant details onto a
separate staff contract sheet in the same Excel workbook.Buckingham University: Business
School: BIS 1, Assignment 1, Spring 20144Interview Transcript (continued)Can you just
clarify for me what contract data you capture? And what you do with the contracts?If they
are an existing contractor, I just insert a new row under their existing spreadsheet entry for
the new contract, and copy across their existing staff number (everyone has a unique staff
number, which is allocated by Right-On-The-Money, without which you cannot get paid!).
Then I capture the contract start and end date (normally the same as the project dates) as
well as the contract rate. This is typically the same as their old rate unless the CEO gives
them an increase (usually we review these annually in one go rather than contract by
contract). If there is a change in rate though, I’ ll alert Right-On-The-Money and send them a
copy of the contract, otherwise I’ ll just retain the signed contracts here in my physical
contracts file (filed by employee, alphabetically). They rely on us to make sure valid
contracts are in place and people are only charging time in accordance with those contracts.
They just need to know the rate to use and time charged and they will do the rest, as they
already have all their tax and payment details.And is it the same for new contractors?Well,
more or less. For new contractors, I’ ll first send through the new contract to Right-On-The-
Money, who will get in touch with the contractor directly to get the necessary tax and NI
details from them. I won’ t be able to create a row in my staff contract sheet for them
without an employee number, which they will only send me once they have all the tax
details they need to pay them.[Laughs] So I guess providing the necessary tax details is
really important for new contractors, otherwise they cannot get paid.[Laughs too] Exactly!
So contractors tend to be on the ball about this aspect…So, if that’ s the project initiation
and contract side covered, can you describe the monthly timesheet process then?Yes, that’ s
the upfront stuff covered, except for the oID subsequent change to extend project or
contract timeframes, etc. although these involve similar approvals and spreadsheet
updates.Now as for timesheets, from a contractor point of view this is fairly straightforward.
They need to complete a timesheet form (an Excel sheet) and email it to me by the 25th of
each month. I then copy their timesheet line items (normally one row for each project) from

5. their spreadsheet to my monthly aggregate sheet in the Excel workbook. Once these are
consolidated, I email the sheet around to the various project managers for them to approve
their project line items, or to flag line items as queried and being followed up (normally
with a very short explanation aIDed). Payment is held up on queried line items until project
managers revert but the pressure is on to resolve them and revert with any approved
changes so I can finalise the overall list and get CEO approval and submit to Right-On-The-
Money by the 28th so that they can do the payroll and related bank processing. It’ s a really
tight few days and can be a nightmare if any project managers are travelling…but we
normally manage somehow [laughs]…Wow, it certainly sounds like it! You probably have to
lock yourself away at month-end to get it all done. I can see why the CEO wants to improve
this. So can you explain a bit more about the timesheets themselves and the detail you
capture in them?Certainly! I thought you might want to see a timesheet, so I’ ve printed a
blanck one for you to take. [see the Sample Documentation section]. I can step you through
this briefly too if you’ d like.Buckingham University: Business School: BIS 1, Assignment 1,
Spring 20145Interview Transcript (continued)Yes, that would be really useful, thanks.As
you can see from the timesheet, it is really quite simple and straightforward.First they need
to fill in their Employee ID reference they’ ll have received from, their name and the month
the timesheet relates to. Then for each project they need to complete a line, capturing the
hours worked each day. As you can see there are columns for 31 days and they just use the
cells that apply, leaving the others blanck. Contractors may often have loads of blancks.Even
the permanent staff sometimes have blancks due to non-project work, admin. etc., although
they do record annual and sick leave as a separate line items, which I track on a separate
sheet against their leave entitlement and send to Right-On-The-Money separately. They get
approval from their project managers or the CEO for actually taking annual leave in terms of
work impact but I review the totals with the CEO every quarter too.Ok that sounds
reasonably straightforward. I just wanted to confirm…it sounds like staff can work on
multiple projects at the same time then?Yes that’ s right, in any one month they can work
on several, although rarely on more than two at the same time. Even project managers
rarely have more than three or four projects on the go at once. As you know our CEO is
generally keen on finishing one thing first before committing to another. The project
managers get together once a week to coordinate shared resources but that doesn’ t really
impact on me unless there is a change to project completion dates, budget or contract end
dates that comes out of the meeting.So, that’ s all of them then?Hmmm…let me
think…Actually, I almost forgot, the project managers periodically ask me to pull together
their staff costs for their projects, which are the main element of project costs. I really wish
they would do this themselves! After all they get the monthly summary sheets, it’ s just a
question of collating their information from these. I suppose I’ m just too helpful…although
I leave these for when I have more time during the month, certainly not at month end!Great,
that sounds like everything I need right now. If you don’ t mind I may come back to you to
confirm some details and run the proposed outline design past you, before I present it to
next website review meeting. If you think of any other burning issues or something else that
may streamline the process and make your life easier in the mean time just drop me an
email.Certainly will do. I look forward to catching up to review your proposal! If we can get

6. something in place in time for getting new people on board later this year that will be
great!As you’ ve described the process you’ ve mentioned a few reports or outputs that you
generate. Can you summarise them again for me, so that I’ m sure I’ ve got them
all.Certainly. The main one is obviously the payroll summary for contract staff each month,
which comes in two versions: first, the provisional one I send around for project manager
approval, and then the final one for CEO approval , which I then forward to Right-On-The-
Money.Then there are some ad hoc reports like the annual and sick leave summary by staff
member (for permanent staff) and the overall staff contract listing for the annual rate
review…Buckingham University: Business School: BIS 1, Assignment 1, Spring 20146Sample
DocumentationHere is a copy of the Project Request Form and the manual monthly
Timesheet Form obtained duringChris’ interview with Sam, which Posh UK Online use as
described in the interview (see transcript).ORDER TODAY YOUR PAPER WITH SIMILAR
INSTRUCTIONS AND WE WILL WRITE YOUR PAPER FROM SCRATCH