This summary analyzes the admissions process work system at Union Institute & University. The work system involves enrollment counselors guiding prospects through the admissions process from inquiry to admission. Issues arise when financial aid is not addressed until after admission. The summary recommends involving financial aid earlier and improving training for new enrollment counselors to address issues and better serve customers.

1. WHITNEY EDDEN
LDR 506: LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY: THE NETWORKED
LEADER
WORK SYSTEM ANALYSIS: PART I
PROFESSOR J. IAN NORRIS, PhD
SEPTEMBER 28, 2015
Defining the Work System
The Work System I will explore is the admissions process
at Union Institute & University. The admissions process
consists of Enrollment Counselors guiding prospects from the

2. inquiry stage to the admitted stage. The primary role of the
Enrollment Counselors in the admission process is to give the
applicant a brief description of the program and school, answer
any questions they may have and follow-up with them to assist
them with completing the admissions process. This process for
the applicant involves submitting an essay, application,
transcripts and completing a FAFSA. One of the issues that
arise after an applicant is admitted is in relation to Financial
Aid.
As Enrollment Counselors, we have no access to Financial
Aid information and must rely on the Financial Aid Department
to make sure the student is educated on Financial Aid. However,
my suggestion would require Financial Aid be involved in the
admissions process in the early stages. Later on, we explore
possible recommendations to support this. The portion of the
paper will discuss the many components of the work system
such as the participants, customers, information, technologies,
products/services produced for the customers, environment,
infrastructure and strategies.
Customers
Products & Services
· Prospects
· Newly Admitted Students
· Admitted or denied into Union
Work Practices

3. (Major Activities or Processes)
· Enrollment Counselors reaches out to prospect via phone and
email
· Discuss the program and school offerings to the prospect
· Collect documents (application, essay and transcripts)
· Provide draft degree plans if requested
· Submit documents for admissions
Participants
Information
Technologies
· Enrollment Counselors
· Financial Aid Advisors
· Student profile (contact information)
· Applications
· Essay
· Information from admissions interview
· FAFSA
· Admissions letter
· Email
· Phone
· Jenzabar EX
· Website
Participants Comment by Ian Norris: Nice table
The participants in the work system include Enrollment
Counselors (ECs) and advisors from the Financial Aid
Department. “The efficiency of the work and the quality of the
outcome depends on the participants” (Alter, 11). As ECs, the
more skilled and knowledgeable we are about program
offerings and transfer credits, the better we can decipher

4. amongst quality prospects who we can guide through the
admissions process as efficiently as possible. Also, the more
information we are able to provide for the prospect on the front
end will help to prevent issues that may occur on the back end
like once they are admitted and are then transferred to a
Program Advisor. The second participant in the process would
be financial aid advisors. The financial aid advisors are
responsible for packaging the students once they have submitted
their FAFSA. They also inform students of missing documents
in order to complete the financial aid aspect.
Customers
The customers of the work system would include the
prospects who inquire about a particular degree program at
Union. The prospects are guided through the admissions process
by the Enrollment Counselor, this guidance can be viewed as a
service to the prospects. Newly admitted can also be viewed as
customers in the work system, as financial aid advisors must
service them in regards to their financial aid information.
Information
Throughout the admissions process information about the
customers regarding their contact information and colleges
previously attended is gathered through the application. There is
also email correspondence between the customers and
participants in reference to questions regarding the program or
the school. Information can also be gathered through admissions
interviews. These interviews are usually conducted via phone or
in person. These interviews allows the participants to learn
more about the prospects needs and wants from a university.
Comment by Ian Norris: What about transfer of credit?
That’s got to be part of its own work system on its own
Technology
There are different types of technology used internally and
externally. Technology used internally amongst participants in
the work system include phone, email, Union intranet and
database systems such as Jenzabar EX. Phone and email is the
most efficient way of communicating with other individuals

5. throughout the organization. The Union Intranet provides useful
information primarily from the HR Department. Different
departments throughout the organization have access to these
forms of technology. On the other hand, there is technology
that is used externally between participants and customers.
Common forms of technology used externally include phones,
email and Union’s website. Phones and email are also the most
efficient way for an Enrollment Counselor to communicate with
prospects and newly admitted students. “Web site providing
information that anyone can access” (Alt, 46). The Website
serves as a great reference point for prospects to find helpful
information such the program curriculum as well as the catalog.
Products/Services produced for Customers
The admissions process can be considered a service
oriented system. As enrollment counselors we are guiding the
prospect through the admissions process. Many of our prospects
who working adults are returning to school after a long period
of time. ECs are also educators in the sense we discuss very
briefly on how credits are transferred into the program as well
as the fundamentals of returning to school and higher education.
We are taught to be very service minded and do what is in the
best interest of the student. How well the prospect has been
briefed on the programs and what to expect when coming to
Union is dependent on the skills and experience of the
enrollment counselor.
Similar to admissions, the Financial Aid Department primarily
goal is to assist students understanding their aid that has been
provided to them and any financial aid issues that may arise.
Students are expected to receive the most accurate information
as advisors in this department are considered to be experts in
Financial Aid. This piece is vital to whether or not prospects
and new admits will register for classes.

6. Identifying Issues and Possible Improvements
Customers
Products & Services
· Prospects
· Newly Admitted Students
· Admitted or denied into Union
Work Practices
(Major Activities or Processes)
· Enrollment Counselors reaches out to prospect via phone and
email
· Discuss the program and school offerings to the prospect
· Collect documents (application, essay and transcripts)
· Provide draft degree plans if requested
· Submit documents for admissions
Participants
Information
Technologies
· Enrollment Counselors
· Financial Aid Advisors
· Student profile (contact information)
· Applications
· Essay
· Information from admissions interview
· FAFSA
· Admissions letter
· Email

7. · Phone
· Jenzabar EX
· Website
Infrastructure
· Inadequate number of staff in Financial aid department
· Improve skills of new ECS through training
· Better communication of ECs processes
Environment
· Manages expectations of new enrollment goals with limited
resources
· Compete with other schools for students
· Maintain quality by adhering to accrediting organization rules
and regulations
Strategies
· Clear and concise strategy on increasing new inquiries for the
admissions department
Work System as a Whole
· Establish strong relationship between admissions and the
Financial Aid Department
Customers
Products & Services
· Provide the best experience for inquiring prospect
· Make the admissions process as smooth as possible
Work Practices
· Make the process as efficiently as possible, reduce amount of
follow-up
· Address financial aid issues in the beginning of the admissions
process
Participants
Information
Technologies
· Skills and knowledge of the participants fit the task
· Clearly defined roles with the admissions department

8. · Provide most accurate information to the customers
· Technology could be used to perform some of the tasks by ECs
Infrastructure
· Maximize resources to make the work system as effective as
possible
Environment
· Minimize conflict amongst other departments and external
environment
Strategies
· Support Union’s strategy through admissions
Work System as a Whole
· Collaborate and coordinate with other work systems
Justifying Recommendation
One of the recommendation I suggest is getting the
Financial Aid Department involved earlier in the admissions
process. This will allow for any issues that may arise in relation
to financial aid to be addressed earlier in the process. I suggest
hiring more advisors in the Financial Aid Department to
accommodate students across the five centers. I would also
suggest assigning one Financial Aid Advisor to a specific center
to assist new and current students with their financial aid.
Comment by Ian Norris: Operationally define. When,
exactly? How is this justified—what are the benefits of the
specific stage of the process that you recommend?

9. Another recommendation is incorporating a training
component and an Enrollment Counselor handbook for newly
Enrollment Counselors. This handbook can be divided into two
components, one discussing the process of admissions and a
technical manual describing how to use the software, Jenzabar
EX, (Guastellos,19). This will allow for new Enrollment
Counselor to learn the steps in the admissions process and help
to develop the skills and knowledge they will need to perform
their job tasks. This training will also expose them to the
aspect of multitasking involved in an EC’s role. Not only are
ECs expected to recruit and admit students, we are also
expected to do some marketing for the degree programs.
The more knowledgeable the Enrollment Counselor is the
better they are able to provide the prospect with the most
accurate information possible. Another part of the process is
inputting the same information in different databases. I would
suggest reducing this by creating a database where all of this
information is housed. “…a wise systems engineer should
consider whether some of the redundancies are really necessary”
(Guastellos, 18). In the case of admissions, redundancy
prohibits counselors from performing other task such as
recruiting. Comment by Ian Norris: Is this specifically a
problem? What information>
My recommendation in regards to technology is investing
in technology can perform some of the job tasks Enrollment
Counselors perform such as emailing older leads through mass
email blasts. I would also like to see how the email system,
Outlook and the information database be more connected. It
would be nice to set up admissions appointment in Outlook and
have them automatically saved in Jenzabar. Comment by Ian
Norris: So getting away from this? A good recommendation
these days—email is overused and often ignored.
Good overall. I would like to see you choose one of these,
perhaps, and provide a bit more detail as to how the
recommendation will affect the overall system.

10. References
Guastello, Stephen J. (2014). Human Factors Engineering and
Ergonomics. (2nd Edition).
Florida: CRC Press Taylor & Francis Group
Alter, Steven. (2006). The Work System Method: Connecting
People, Processes, and IT
For Business Results. California: Work System Press.
Homework 6 (50 Points)
Assignment:

11. Complete the following numbered problems from our textbook,
“Strategies for Creative Problem Solving”: 8.10 (use the K.T.
Decision Analysis format) on pages 222, 223, and 224 and 8.17
(use the K.T. Potential Problem Analysis format) on page 226-
227 using MS Word or Excel. Write your answers to the
following question in the proper Table Format. Follow the
example formats given in Chapter 8 (summary on page 214).
For 8.18 Part B, make sure you have at least 5 potential
problems and multiple causes and preventative actions for each.
Each student is responsible for submitting their own response to
the problems.
Formatting:- Use black text only.
- Text size needs to be 12 point size.
- Text needs to be singled spaced.
- Margins on the document should be 1’’ on all sides.
- The following name block should appear in the upper
right of your document:
Your Name
TECH 331 –Technology Problem Analysis II
- Title of your document is “Homework 6.”
- Paragraphs should have correct indentation.
- Please spell check and proofread your work.
- Please add page numbers to your document.
LDR 506
WORK SYSTEMS CASE STUDY
Required Texts
· Guastello, S. (2013). Human Factors Engineering and
Ergonomics: A Systems Approach, Second Edition. ISBN 978-
1466560093,
· The Work System Method: Connecting People, processes, and

12. IT for Business Results, Steven Alter, [ISBN 0-9778497-0-8]
Syllabus description
Work Systems Human Factors Case Study
· Part I: 20 points
· Part II: 50 points
· Presentation: 30 points
For this assignment, you will simply follow the work system
method outlined in the text to 1) identify an existing work
system issue, preferably a real issue that is relevant to your own
organization; and 2) make recommendations to improve the
system or build a new one.
COMPONENTS OF THE PROJECT
The complete document (PARTS I and II) will probably be 10
pages or so of text, double-spaced, not counting the several
figures and diagrams as explained below. You should include a
cover page with some kind of name for the system that you have
chosen to examine, along with the name of the company or
organization.
The first several components represent PART I of the project:
· Defining the Work System. Begin the paper by defining the
work system as it is, following Figure 4.3. Construct a similar
figure and identify each component (as relevant) in the
appropriate box. Also include a 1-page summary of the system
to accompany the table. Reference the table in the text. Refer to
the examples at the end of chapter 4 for guidance.
· Identifying Issues and Possible Improvements. Now construct
a new Table following Figure 5.1. This will be the same except

13. it includes additional “macro” factors that affect the whole
system—Infrastructure, Environment, Strategies, and Work
Systems as a whole. Figure 5.4 should help you identify areas
that you may wish to target.
· You should target at least one area for improvement in each of
the four domains: Work Practices, Participants, Information,
and Technology, and one additional area regarding the work
system as a whole. Ideally, this will be an overarching strategic
goal that will encompass all of the changes that you recommend
to each component of the system.
· Map each of these targeted areas to one of the 24 Work
Systems Principles outlined in the text and reviewed in Chapter
5, using Table 5.5 as a guide.
· Justifying a Recommendation. This section should be a 1-
page summary that supports the areas you have identified in
Table 5.4.
Chapter 8 should help you develop a way of systematically and
integratively thinking about these possibilities. You must
include references to the human factors text where appropriate,
up through the required reading to this point (chapters 1, 2, and
6), to support your arguments for 1) the necessity of the
targeted improvement and 2) any human factors methods or
procedures that are relevant to the redesign.
PART II should continue the document with the following
components and address any feedback or suggestions from Part
I. Each section should reference critical human factors
principles relevant to the practices, participants, information
and technology in question and cite supporting and
corresponding material from the human factors text.
Work Practices. Construct a flowchart similar to that of Figure

14. 10.1 or 10.3 to document the Work Practices you have identified
in your Work Systems method. In your supporting
documentation, examine what points in the process relate to the
area you have targeted for improvement. What parts of the
process could you improve or change to address these
problems? Why? How? Discuss these changes with respect to
Chapter 10 concepts.
Participants. Chapter 11 ends with a summary of possible
changes to the system with respect to participants. Can any of
these changes address the areas you have targeted for
improvement? In about 1 page, explain how you would
implement these changes with reference to Chapter 11 concepts.
Information. Construct a Table similar to that of 12.1. Identify
at least two dimensions for each of the following 5 categories of
metrics for Information quality: Intrinsic quality of information,
accessibility of information, contextual quality, representational
quality, security and control.
Select dimensions that you feel are most appropriate to examine
for the area you have targeted for improvement. How can you
implement changes to the system that will improve performance
on these metrics? These changes might be to some aspect of
database management, but they do not necessarily have to be
technology-based: Information is stored, transmitted, and shared
in a variety of different ways for different Work Systems.
Technology & Infrastructure. Construct a Table similar to that
of 13.2, laying out the functions that each in category that
technology performs (or could) in the Work System. Identify at
least one principle for each function that could be targeted to
address the area of improvement you have identified in the
Work System. It could very well be that either technology is not
currently part of your work system, or that you are not
leveraging technology in way that maximizes the productivity of

15. the work system. That’s fine. You can simply recommend new
technology to accomplish this goal. In fact, it may even be the
case that technology should not be used the way it is currently
being used. That’s a fine conclusion to reach as well, if it
supports the improvements that you are recommending.
Summarize and support your discussion of the role technology
plays in the Work System and how it can be improved with
respect to Chapter 13 concepts.
Conclusions. Here will address the intersection of human
factors principles and the work system as a whole. How has
your understanding of human factors concepts and methods
informed your understanding of work systems analysis and
redesign?
Throughout Part II, you must include at least 5 references to HF
principles in the Guastello text where appropriate, from at least
3 different chapters.
You should turn in one complete document (Parts I AND II)
including any changes you have made based on my feedback for
Part I.
The PRESENTATION should follow the exact same format. I
recommend one slide per each of the sections above. Use the
tables from your paper when you can rather than large amounts
of text. The presentation should be no more than 10 minutes
long.
The presentation should be prerecorded using screen capture
software. I recommend Screencast-O-Matic, which provides 15
minutes of free video. Learning how to use software like this is
an important part of your education in the course and in the
program more generally. Screencast will capture your screen as
you deliver your presentation as well as record audio. Basically,

16. it is like doing an actual presentation, except that the slides on
your screen and the audio from your voice are being recorded
and turned into a video file. The file is stored online (in the
cloud) but you can make the url “public” so that anyone can
view the video content online. You can download the video,
save it to your computer, and then upload it to cloud storage
such as Microsoft OneDrive, Google Drive, and Dropbox. All of
these make it possible for you to then share a public video link
that allow your presentation to be viewed online.