Accurate Information Throughout The Mitie Group example essay topic

1. CONTENTS 1. Contents page 2 2. Introduction page 3 3. Methodology page 4 4. Managing information page 5-7 5.

Rebus Database page 8-10 6. Recommendations page 11 7. Bibliography page 12 8. Appendices 2. INTRODUCTION MITIE Group plc is a well-established company within the support services industry.

It has a firm commitment to its shareholders with a very high expectation for quality. The MITIE Group has grown over the last fifteen or so years and has diversified into all aspects of the support services industries ranging from industrial cleaning to building services, from access plant to business services. All of which are individual separate companies, all operating their own set of business goals and plans under the umbrella of the MITIE brand. The author is currently employed by MITIE Engineering Services Bristol Ltd., and is involved with the mechanical and electrical installations within the building services sector. The author currently holds the position of a Mechanical Project Manager within the Contracts Department (ref MITIE Engineering Organogram. MESH Business Plan 2002).

This report has been prepared to demonstrate the value of good information management. How it benefits the author's organisation and how improvements, if any? Can make the information systems we use a benefit to the operations of the business. The information system to be examined is called REBUS.

This is a computer software package purchased by MITIE Group for the storage and retrieval of all personnel issues. In this report the author will examine the following issues, What is the current thinking for information management? How the system can be interrogated usefully, Will it comply with the Data Protection Act? And what improvements could be made?

3. METHODOLOGY This report has been produced by way of: . A Workshop attended by the author at D earne Valley Business School on the subject of information management... Handouts issued at the workshop. Interviews with key personnel involved with the Rebus database within the author's own company... Questionnaires answered by other people within the MITIE Group.

The Internet. Text books on the subject of Information management... MITIE Group Company procedures and guidance notes. 4. MANAGING INFORMATION We often talk of things like books, documents or filing cabinets as containing information. This idea of information being inside something is misleading however.

At the beginning of the book Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Adams (1979), vital information about the forthcoming demolition of the planet earth has been available on display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet, stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying "Beware of the Leopard". If we consider information, which is going to be of any use at all, it is not a good idea to contain it in something or recorded somewhere. We have to know of its existence and be able to positively access it or have it transmitted so that we can receive it. "Information is not information until it has been communicated and understood". Professor MJS Harry 1994 The need for information Why does an organisation require information? Information is the basis of any control system.

In business and in administrative systems the control will be affected by. Collecting data about the output from the system, . Processing that data into meaningful information... Feeding back this information to the input side.

Consider the following model of an organisation: Figure 1 CAPITAL PRODUCTS PHYSICAL& HUMAN RESOURCES SERVICES This model relates to any type of business. They will all go through the process of imputing resources and transforming it into products and services. The one element, which is missing from this model, is information. See figure 2. This is also a vital resource input.

It is necessary to make the transformation process take place efficiently Figure 2 CAPITAL PRODUCTS PHYSICAL& HUMAN RESOURCES SERVICES INFORMATION DATA The need for information is of prime importance for the control of any system. To alter the input, such information must then be changed into affective action by management. (The above models extracted from DVBS handout November 02). This report is concentrating on the storage and retrieval of personnel information.

The flow diagram detailed in fig 3 typically identifies some headings of information, which should be stored about personnel issues. The information being stored, should be managed in a format that is easily accessible by an authorised person and also made available to the person whom the information is concerning. Figure 3: Information Flow diagram 5. REBUS DATA BASE Before the introduction of a computer based system for storage and retrieval of personnel information a manual method was used. At the authors own company all personnel information was contained in hard copy files. This system appeared to be a good system, easy to interrogate and very user friendly The purchase of the Rebus database was a decision taken by the MITIE Group due to the increasing size of the company and the difficulty with the ability to maintain up to date accurate records on all of its employees.

To make procedures more efficient, to improve communication and to provide accurate information, throughout the MITIE Group. Rebus will provide us with a one stop, cradle to grave database on all of our employees and will improve confidentiality and standardise procedures. MITIE Group Memo 2002 Like any new system people are introduced to, you will get opposition, negative attitudes and conflict. The Rebus system is very new to the MITIE Group and is still very much in the imputing stage.

The author asked a number of people some simple questions about their impressions of the Rebus system asking how they use it and do they think it will benefit the company's operating procedures. (See appendix numbers 1, 2 and 3.) The people asked were from, Health and Safety, Office Management, Human Resources and Company Directors. All the people the author questioned had optimism for the change to a computer based system, but they all had criticisms about the friendliness of its operation. Interrogating the system firstly needs the payroll number of the individual to be accessed. Once this has been entered you can then access a number of different modules. Currently the only modules being used are: .

AMS: Which includes absent monitoring, holidays, and sickness... Employee details: Which includes personal details, bank details, salaries, benefits. Training: For staff, direct employed operatives. (Sub contractors not used). Health and safety: Including accident reporting. The plan for imputing data has been implemented across the different MITIE Companies, one stage at a time.

Once these modules have been imputed and understood other modules will be included. Each one of these modules has beneficial uses to the company's operating systems. As an example, using one of the authors' own particular requirements for accessing the database he demonstrates the type of typical interrogation which may be required. EXAMPLE 1.

The author's own position as a project manager involves organising the labour levels of contracts. Selecting the correct people for the tasks ensuring that these people have the qualifications to carry out the required work. As an example, lets assume a particular contract, on which there is an element of natural gas pipe work to install. To undertake this type of work the law dictates a fully trained competent person must be employed.

They must be fully trained and hold the current qualifications in the installation, testing and commissioning of gas pipe work. To enable the author to select the right person for the job, information on who holds the required qualifications must be held it would therefore be helpful to ask the database, who in the company has the correct qualifications to install gas pipe work, also for the database to flag up, when renewal of these qualifications is due. The database should also include people who are not directly employed, such as other companies and subcontractors. For further details on the operation of the rebus database please refer to the appendices section of this report, the MITIE intranet, and the MITIE Group web site. web It could be fair to say that the transition to a computer system has not been as easy as first thought.

Imputing so much information has highlighted problems with many other systems used to store information. The MITIE Group intranet for example is used to hold all up to date procedural forms and certificates, used in the operating and procedures of the company's quality assurance system. This highlights the fact that any system is only as good as the information being contained within it. Constant updating and maintenance is required to ensure the information is Current, Accurate, and Confidential. How dose the Rebus database meet the requirements of the Data protection act? 5.

THE DATA PROTECTION ACT Personal information for business use needs to comply with the rules of the Data Protection Act 1998, regardless of the 'system' of document management. The Act enshrines 8 principles: 1. Personal data shall be processed fairly and lawfully 2. Personal data shall be obtained only for one or more specified and lawful purposes, and shall not be further processed in any manner incompatible with that purpose or those purposes. 3. Personal data shall be adequate, relevant and not excessive in relation to the purpose or purposes for which they are processed.

4. Personal data shall be accurate and, where necessary, kept up to date. 5. Personal data processed for any purpose or purposes shall not be kept for longer than is necessary for that purpose or those purposes. 6. Personal data shall be processed in accordance with the rights of data subjects under this Act.

7. Appropriate technical and organisational measures shall be taken against unauthorised or unlawful processing of personal data and against accidental loss or destruction of, or damage to, personal data. 8. Personal data shall not be transferred to a country or territory outside the European Economic Area unless that country or territory ensures an adequate level of protection for the rights and freedoms of data subjects in relation to the processing of personal data. Rebus is used by MITIE Group in a manner, which abides by these rules. The imputing of personal data into the system needs to be undertaken confidential by a nominated authorised person.

The information to be imputed must be imputed with the consent of the individual and access to that information freely given if so requested. The MITIE Group issued a memorandum dated 7th January 2002 enclosing letters of guidance on how this should be undertaken. (See appendices) 6. RECOMMENDATIONS With all information systems, the system is only as good as the information contained within it.

Is it relevant? Is it up to date? Is it accessible? Is it understood? The Rebus system is currently in its infancy and the full potential is not yet fully understood by many of the operators or the individual companies. The recommendations, which have so far become apparent, are: .

The need to be able to input data regarding all of the people employed including Sub-contractors and other companies... The need to be able to assess the system by surname not payroll number would make it more user friendly and speed up the process of finding information... The ability to view all people with a common theme. For example Staff holiday planner detailing who is on holiday at any one time. A training matrix detailing the qualifications of individuals plus individuals who have the same qualification. Increasing the profile of the benefits of rebus to company managers / directors will raise expectations and ensure that the resources are spent on maintaining the database.

This is probably the most important issue in ensuring the success of REBUS and capitalizing on the financial investment made in providing a group wide system. 7.

Bibliography

Harry (1994) Information Systems In Business Second Edition Pitman publishing Harry (1990) Information and Management systems concepts and applications web data protection act 1998 Keith bloomfield 2002 DVBS Handout Management information systems Keith bloomfield 2002 DVBS Handout Guidance on External assignment.