Current System Architecture and Gap analysis

The overall landscape of roster-related systems within Disability Service SA can be shown in the diagram below.

Figure 1 Current System Architecture of DS accommodation service

By analyzing the current system, we identify that there are several existing problems.

1.  Manual roster generating process

As we can see from the system diagram, no system involves in roster generation process. Associate Clinical Services Coordinators (ACSC) currently are using Excel and their own preference and judgment to make new roster for next time period. This is time-consuming and sometime may lead to errors and mistakes.

2.  Generate roster or fill vacancies without matching staff skill set with client needs

It’s hard for ASCSs to consider staff request, skill set and client needs at the same time. The existing system cannot intelligently optimize rostering by giving the most appropriate staff for the clients. Currently, the replacement for most vacancies happens like that they just randomly picks up a staff who is available without considering whether he or she is good at serving this specific kind of client.

3.  Balancing and monitoring overtime hours worked by casual, part-time, full-time staff  

When generating or fill vacancies, current system cannot monitor or inform us whether we have assigned unequal workload to different staffs, or can it take overtime issue into consideration.  

4.  Data duplication, redundancy and inconsistency

 As we can see from the chart, there are data duplication and redundancy issues among systems. Each database of DS’s roster-related system includes staff profile and worksite information etc., while there may be some data inconsistency between them. This impose a negative impact on operation & data management and analysis.

5.  Manual input and adjustment between systems

 Though KRONOS and CHRIS have seamless connection, there is no interface between SALESFORCE and KRONOS. After a replacement staff has been booked, staffs need to duplicate this process to make changes in KRONOS. There is a chance that staff forgot to maintain this adjustment, which may lead to payment disorder. Though DS SA has other mechanism to check the actual working hour of each staff, it will be an improvement if connection established between KRONOS and SALESFORCE.

We gave two options to our clients. One is to purchase one more modular of existing KRONOS system,  KRONOS Scheduler. The other is to customize the existing SALESFORCE system.

The future system architecture of the two options are shown in the diagram below.

Figure 2 Future System Architecture of KRONOS option

 Figure 3 Future System Architecture of SALESFORCE Option

As we can see from the diagrams, from the perspective of system simplicity and integration, KRONOS option is more preferable, since it eliminates compatibility problem. While for the other option, SALESFORCE has no roster information in database now. If we are going to enhance its database to let it embrace roster generation function, it will put KRONOS at an embarrass stage as it contribute nothing the overall process, but only as a bridge between SALESFORCE and Chris. This creates system redundancy and inefficiency. 

Summary of current systems related to rostering process

Currently, there are three IT systems that participate in the rostering process of  the Disability Services of South Australia.

1.KRONOS

KRONOS records all the roster information of each staff in its database, all the payroll information is generated according to the working hours (or shifts) recorded this system.

KRONOS stores data of all the staff working in disability and accommodation service,   including Highgate Centre, all other team members and BCU’s backup staff.  It records the name, type (such as enroll nurse, register nurse, etc.), wage, skill, based team, cost center of each staff.

Roster can be recorded in KRONOS like the Outlook calendar in each staff’s page. Each shift has a shift code. The shift of staffs can be input directly by type in shift code or set a roster pattern, like every Thursday morning shift.

KRONOS has seamless connection with CHRIS, which maintain and generate payment to staffs based on KRONOS roster information.

2. SALSEFORCE

SALESFORCE is used by BCU managers to fill vacancies of each worksite. Lists of available staff and vacant shift are posted on this online platform. Officers need to select appropriate staff to fill the vacancy by booked the staff and change the vacancy status manually and separately.

SALESFORCE keeps history information of everyday booking and this booking can be sorted and analyzed by day, month, worksite, team (e.g. Highgate), internal backup staff or external agency etc.

There are two types of vacancy, emergency sick leave, and annual leave by days and inadequate staff support by month.  The first kind of vacancy is a daily job done by officers in BCU from early morning, receiving phone calls from different teams by arranging backup staff or booking from agencies. Then this roster changes will be manually adjusted in KRONOS on the accounts of both the leaving staff and the backup staff.  The other is a monthly job done at the beginning of each month by updating the available backup staff pool and setting roster pattern in KRONOS of this month of the booked staff.

There is no interface between SALEFORCE and KRONOS. All roster changes finished in SALESFORCE need to be done again in KRONOS.

SALEFORCE is a framework. Each webpage of the online system is a table or list. It can be easily customized and personalized by adding, deleting and edit columns and rows.

3.CHIRS

CHRIS displays the payment information of each staff in detail. It can be accessed by all staff working in DS, while KRONOS and SALESFORCE are limited to managers.