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Running head: CRITIQUE FOR PAYROLL SOFTWARE

Critique for Payroll Software

CRITIQUE FOR PAYROLL SOFTWARE

Process Analysis
The essential payroll software project was developed and implemented with an intention
to create more flexibility for the organization. For instance, by making uniform work hours to all
the employees, connecting all the employees financial data under single database, providing the
auto payments facility to the employees along with the necessary tax deductions. To accomplish
these parameters, the company was in need of powerful payroll software that can oblige and
execute as required. The software lifecycle was developed based on waterfall methodology. Later
some of the necessary changes are made in the due course of the SDLC development. However,
the changes that made had created some benefits to the organization. The modifications that are
made in the development are illustrated in AIS paper.
The undertaking payroll project started with the thought of waterfall strategy, in which
final results are pre-defined, and also the necessary exploration in regards to the deliverables are
pre-confirmed in the waterfall model. Generally, one phase is completed before entering another
SDLC stage, along these lines, returning from one phase to another phase is impractical. The
project methodology had changed when a potential issue had recognized, the undertaking
development team has proactively modified the phases and chose to return from one stage to
another and then onto the next. However, they have executed in a well-mannered with creative
solutions.
Therefore, the methodology phases were effectively designed and developed by
addressing the identified risk. For instance, integrating the tax details, bank account information,
SSN details, insurance details and other personal details respectively (S. Buddhika, personal
communication, May 1, 2015).

CRITIQUE FOR PAYROLL SOFTWARE

Effective Initial Planning


The payroll software project at first began with water fall approach, however with the
type of issues happened amid the planning stage, proposed SDLC model was changed into a
wide range of models like RAD, Agile and Spiral. Lastly, an effective payroll software was
developed. The software developed was also accepted by the end users and employees with
compatible system pre-requisites within the company. The initial planning was totally pivoted,
and the project was executed with an integration of distinctive models, where the positive
advantage was employees. However, the payroll software development team were full time
workers of the company and can swiftly shift to different phases of the SDLC model with very
short notice if required, where every person of the team is creative and experienced (S.
Buddhika, personal communication, May 1, 2015.
The phases of software lifecycle were developed as individual activities and when the
development phase began, testing phase in the cycle was preferred in parallel to the advancement
of the RAD approach. Viability of the project ensued in determining the necessary modifications
in the project according to the end user requirements. The project was adaptable and
acknowledged the progressions for the improvement of powerful payroll software. In the
organization, security was given as the much preference from the earliest starting point of the
undertaking. Security has never traded off in any SDLC stages because the critical employee data
and the company financial data can be hacked if the vulnerabilities are left in the patches.
The third party organizations were given layered access to a particular data transmission
to shield from any unidentified virus and malware avoiding those sources. The accomplishment
of payroll project has overridden the disappointment of initial SDLC planning. The created
project had effectively implemented in the company and therefore this gave the opportunity to

CRITIQUE FOR PAYROLL SOFTWARE

the company to provide the payroll software as a third party support to small organizations too
(S. Buddhika, personal communication, May 1, 2015).
Risk Assessment
The risk can be clearly viewed and expected by identifying the potential problems and
vulnerabilities in the system. After identifying the risks in the system development process, then
only the effects can be minimized (Hopkin, 212).
There was a greater challenge identified during the process of risk assessment that is the
security of the data which is a significant parameter for the organization to secure the data.
Because the employee personal data such as SSN number, bank account information, and
insurance related data are stored in a single file; hacking into the organizations data may create
disaster to the company. To overcome such risks of security, it was addressed with secured
layered approaches such as providing the unique password feature to every user in multiple
layers to access the information. Therefore, triggers are incorporated in the software to have
secure verification which automatically suspend the account temporarily if wrong passwords are
used and then immediately sends the mail alerts to the specific pre-configured persons. (S.
Buddhika, personal communication, May 1, 2015).
Use of Holism and Reductionism
Entities in the payroll system are inter-related, and each one is affected to one another.
Therefore, payroll system was designed and developed with a holistic view. Generally, in the
organizations employees are worked in different work schedules, for instance some employees
work from morning to evening and some may do night shifts. Therefore, the payroll system is
developed and implemented to handle those discrepancies.
On the other hand, when it comes to the salaries, normally organizations maintain
different salary schemas for the employees based on their qualifications, duties and

CRITIQUE FOR PAYROLL SOFTWARE

responsibilities, and performances. Some organizations pay with different currencies based on
the organization structure and the geographical, legal obligations. For instance, in some
organizations, executive, and management level employees are onshore, so they are paid
accordingly.
System compatibility is one of the major aspects when it comes to this kind of a system.
Since, some users may use different kinds of operating systems, the payroll system should be
work with any of those operating systems. Generally, some of the 32-bit applications can work
with the 64-bit platforms but sometimes it is not possible. Therefore, system compatibility also
be holistically approached, and the system will be developed to eliminate those issues (S.
Buddhika, personal communication, May 1, 2015).
When it comes to the organizations, employees are entitled to have limited number of
leaves for a particular calendar year and they have categorized into sick leaves, annual leaves and
casual leaves etc. Reductionism is used in this kind of situation where management allows to
utilize the employees leaves according to employees preference, but it controlled through the
payroll. If an employee takes sick leaves continuously, the system will identify the particular
employee, and gives options for the management to make the decisions. This kind of approach
gives a better productivity to the organization, and makes easier for management to make the
decisions (S. Buddhika, personal communication, May 1, 2015).
Ethical Perspective
When it comes to the process automation, it converts the manual process to an automated
process. It results in numerous advantages and meanwhile it affects some of the jobs too. Due to
the automated system, it reduces the human work like data processing, calculations, report
generations etc. However by implementing the payroll system it gathers all the departments
under to one umbrella and facilitates the uses in many ways.

CRITIQUE FOR PAYROLL SOFTWARE

Due to the new system implementation, the organization has reduced their human head
count by 80 percent but provided transition programs for the employees who like to train and
join with other departments. However, those kinds of issues were identified and categorized into
three main categories and provided the solutions by the organization (S. Buddhika, personal
communication, May 1, 2015).
Organization Ethical Perspective
The major expectation by implementing the new payroll system was to get adopt to new
technologies, make things transparent and convenient and as well as to improve the quality of the
service. Reducing the head count was not a requirement and removing the employees conflicts
the organizations mission too. Therefore, the organization considered to develop change
management programs which consult the employees to change the job roles (S. Buddhika,
personal communication, May 1, 2015).
Leadership Ethical Perspective
During the transition period around 80 percent of the employees desired to join with the
other departments and continue their career with the organization while the rest of the 20 percent
left the organization with the packages. Organization defined new leaderships and management
have identified that they can market the new system for the third party organizations too.
Therefore, new teams were built to maintain the regular processes and to market and to do the
further developments of the product. The success of the project have created options to outsource
with support, and support team involves the selected employees. One major leadership approach
was to give training and increase the trust in employees to represent the organization is behind
them to support ethically (S. Buddhika, personal communication, May 1, 2015).
Training Strategies

CRITIQUE FOR PAYROLL SOFTWARE


Change management team have recognized distinctive training necessities like technical
support, human resource, and marketing people. The recognized employees were given training
with the expense to the company, and the employees were on their specific payrolls during the
training process.
On a closing note, the organization despite of knowing the risk of employees leaving the
company after training, also provided the training to fulfill the moral acknowledges of the
mission statement and to generate a clear view to other employees about the significant support
of the organization. (S. Buddhika, personal communication, May 1, 2015).

CRITIQUE FOR PAYROLL SOFTWARE

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References

Hopkin, P. (2012). Fundamentals of risk management: Understanding evaluating and


implementing effective risk management. London: Kogan Page.

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