HomeMy WebLinkAboutDTS-07-094 - Automated Staffing SoftwareJ
T~ E
Development &
Technical Services
REPORT
FIRE DEPARTMENT
Report To: B. Vrbanovic, Chair & Members of Finance and Corporate
Services Committee.
Date of Meeting: August 13, 2007
Submitted By: Tim Beckett, Fire Chief
Prepared By: Gary Mann, Deputy Fire Chief
Ward(s~ Involved: All
Date of Report: August 13, 2007
Report No.: DTS - 2007-094
Subject: Automated Staffing Software
RECOMMENDATION:
That Council approve the proposed Automated Staffing Software Program Business Case
attached.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Kitchener Fire, Operations and Utilities require an automated staffing and reporting system in order to
run its operation more efficiently and achieve performance targets. Automated Staffing software will
effectively manage the issues associated with staffing and contacting employees. This technology
will more efficiently schedule, replace and compensate staff, as well as enhance management
reporting on associated issues. The software will also assist will automatic notification of Community
Emergency Control Groups in the event of a declared emergency.
BACK GROUND
To date, Kitchener Fire, Operations, and Utilities attendance is collected on hard copy and
forwarded to administration staff where the data is transferred to computer. Vacancies are
manually filled by telephoning replacement personnel. Managers/Supervisors spend
approximately several hours per day maintaining a paper roster and contacting replacement
staff. Staff also must manually conduct emergency call-out of staff for major incidents. Fire
Communications staff may also need to notify the Community Emergency Control Group.
During major storm events, Operations Supervisory staff could call between 40-160 staff for
each response. Full call-ins typically occur 4-5 times per winter and reduced staffing call-ins for
salting events up to 60 times per winter. An automated staffing program as outlined in the
attached business plan will efficiently schedule, replace and record associated attendance
issues.
REPORT:
The business case examined the current mechanisms and staff requirements for the tracking and
reporting of attendance and notification of replacement staff at Kitchener Fire, Operations and
Utilities.
Kitchener Fire, Operations and Utilities require an Automated Staffing Software solution that operates
continually "live" and is accessible from multiple locations in an existing network environment. For
ease of shift confirmation and employee contact, it must have a menu driven, touch-tone telephone
phone component. It must be compatible with existing corporate software applications and must
function on existing corporate standard equipment. It must be able to produce producing
comprehensive individual, daily, monthly, and year to date reports. Based upon local policies, it must
accept time reporting from supervisory staff, accurately track and report attendance management
concerns, compute and contact replacement lists automatically, record the results of those contacts
and produce special schedules. Employees must be able to independently contact the system, make
changes permitted by policy, die requesting time off, shift exchanges, availability for extra duty), and
have independent access to their schedules for verification by computer or telephone. Employee
records must be secure from unauthorized access, through apassword-protected interface.
BENEFITS
The software would:
- Ensure consistent replacement practices
-Automate notification to staff members of:
1. Request or requirements to work
2. Work schedule changes
3. Staffing alarms via telephone, e-mail, pager and answering machines
4. Provide integrated calendaring system for employees and staff
5. Support authorized scheduling requests via touch-tone telephones
-Significant reduction in the time spent on daily staffing
-Accurately and effectively track certification expirations and other personnel information
-Send information quickly to services for general or emergency purposes
- Modify rosters according to department labor rules and guidelines
-Show extra duty, certification/license expiration, and work status information
- Manage a dynamic daily roster of all activities
- React immediately to vacancies caused by work exceptions and automatically identifies
replacement personnel
-Generate direct staffing and usage reports
-Govern scheduling authority with a sophisticated security system
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
Council has approved the funding expenditure to purchase of Automated Staffing computer
hardware, software and implementation services as part of the 2008 Capital forecast.
On-going Annual Service and Support would increase if additional areas were implemented.
There has been interest from various City of Waterloo departments that may be interested in
partnering with this purchase. Further exploration of this will be required.
CONCLUSION:
It is requested that Council approve the expenditure to purchase an effective Automated Staffing
Software solution which meets the needs identified above and associated implementation and
maintenance service requirements.
Tim Beckett
Fire Chief
Gary Mann
Deputy Fire Chief
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Dam August 13, 2007
Presented by. K~6d~ener Fre Departrnent
Business Case
Automated Staffing Software
Table of Contents
1.1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................... 3
2.1 BACKGROUND ........................................................................................ 4
2.2 PROBLEM /OPPORTUNITY ...........................................................................4
2.3 CURRENT SITUATION DESCRIPTION ............................................................. 5
3.1 PROJECT DESCRIPTION OVERVIEW ............................................................. ..6
3.2 OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................. 6
3.3 SCOPE ..................................................................................................... ..7
3.4 ANTICIPATED OUTCOMES .......................................................................... ..7
3.5 STAKEHOLDERS .........................................................................................8
4.1 STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT ...............................................................................8
5.1 ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS ....................................................................... ..9
6.1 ALTERNATIVES: STATUS QUO ....................................................................................... 10
7.1 BUSNESS OPERATIONAL IMPACTS ..............................................................10
7.2 DESCRIPTION ............................................................................................ 10
8.1 RISK ASSESSMENT .................................................................................... 11
9.1 COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS ........................................................................... 11
10.1 CONCLUSIONS ........................................................................................ 12
10.2 RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................................ 12
10.3 PROJECT RESPONSIBILITY ....................................................................... 12
10.4 PROJECT ACCOUNTABILITY ...................................................................... 13
11.1 IMPLIMENTATION STRATEGY .................................................................... 14
12.1 REVIEW AND APPROVAL PROCESS ........................................................... 15
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Automated Staff Notification System
1.1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Kitchener Fire, Operations and Utilities require an automated staffing and reporting
system in order to run its operation more efficiently and to achieve performance
targets.. We require an automated staffing software program to effectively notify off
duty emergency response staff and to call out our Community Emergency Operations
Centre personnel when significant emergencies occur. Automated Staffing software
will effectively manage the issues associated with staffing and contacting employees.
This technology will more efficiently schedule, replace and compensate staff, as well
as enhance management reporting on associated issues.
An appropriate software solution is expected to operate continually "live" and
accessible from multiple locations in an existing network environment. For ease
of shift confirmation and employee contact, it must have a menu driven, touch-
tonetelephone phone component. It must be compatible with existing corporate
software applications and must function on existing corporate standard
equipment. It must be able to produce producing comprehensive individual, daily,
monthly, and year to date reports.
Based upon local policies, it must accept time reporting from supervisory staff,
accurately track and report attendance management concerns, compute and
contact replacement lists automatically, record the results of those contacts and
produce special schedules.
Employees must be able to independently contact the system, make changes
permuted by policy, (ie requesting time off, shift exchanges, availability for extra duty},
and have independent access to their schedules for verification by computer or
telephone. Employee records must be secure from unauthorized access, through a
password-protected interface.
It is requested that Council approve the expenditure to purchase an effective
Attendance Staffing software solution and associated implementation and
maintenance services.
The capital costs of the full implementation are estimated to be $165,000.00 in the
2008 capital budget. In addition, an annual operating budget impact for service
and support of $7,700 is required (Max, 5% increase annually}.
2.1 BACKGROUND:
The Kitchener Fire Department has 210 personnel, with 168 suppression personnel
providing a full range of emergency response service 24 hours a day, seven days a
week. Platoon Chiefs and division heads are responsible for maintaining staff levels
daily. To date, attendance is collected on hard copy and forwarded to administration
staff where the data is transferred to computer system monthly, vacancies are
manually filled by telephoning replacement personnel.
Platoon Chiefs, divisional supervisors or their designates spend approximately 2.5
hours per day maintaining a paper roster and contacting replacements for sick,
vacation, training and other absences. Kitchener Fire is experiencing multiple
absenteeism's per day. During the summer vacation period (July and August) this
figure increases due to holiday scheduling. Administration staff requires
approximately 12hrs per month to transfer attendance data.
In the event of a major emergencies the communications division must conduct
emergency call out of replacement fire staff and the same KFD personnel must also
notify the Community Emergency Control Group at the same time that they are
dealing with emergency telephones and radio communications. This task is time
consuming and may be delayed due to priority support request from the emergency
scene.
The Operations Division of Community Services is responsible for responding to
winter storm events. During an event Supervisory staff are responsible for calling in
staff at all hours of the day and depending on the magnitude of the storm event, could
call between 40-160 staff for each response. We typically see call-ins for a full plow
event (all staff required) 4-5 times per winter and reduced staffing call-ins for full
salting events up to 60 times per winter. Supervisory staff can spend between 1-3
hours calling in staff for each event as not all staff are available when called.
The Gas and Water Utility is responsible for responding to a number of emergency
type calls related togas and water distribution. The dispatch centre staff is
responsible for calling staff 24-7. Multiple emergencies could result in up to 15
persons being called to respond to such events, dispatch staff typically could spend
up to 2 hours calling staff for each specific emergency.
2.2 PROBLEM /OPPORTUNITY:
Attendance scheduling and tracking is primarily conducted, collected and recorded
manually into People Soft by a dedicated individual. Efficiency can be found through
the use of an automated staffing software program.
Kitchener Fire and to some extent, Utilities and Operations require a number of
features in a scheduling software application. It must be continually "live" and
accessible from multiple locations in an existing network environment.
The solution to automate staffing and resource scheduling may be found by
automating the Staff Scheduling process, which would:
- Ensure consistent replacement practices
- Automate notification to staff members of:
1. Request or requirements to work
2. Work schedule changes
3. Staffing alarms via telephone, e-mail, pager and answering machines
4. Provide integrated calendaring system for employees and staff
5. Support authorized scheduling requests via touch-tone telephones
- Significantly reduce the time spent on daily staffing
- Permit immediate access management reports
- Accurately and effectively track certification expirations and other personnel
information
- Automated notification system will effectively notify Community Emergency
Control Group when significant emergencies occur.
- Send information quickly to personnel for general or emergency purposes.
(automated notification system)
- Modify rosters according to department labor rules and guidelines
- Show payroll, certification /license expiration, and work status information
- Manage a dynamic daily roster of all activities
- React immediately to vacancies caused by work exceptions and automatically
identifies replacement personnel
- Generates direct staffing and usage reports
- Governs scheduling authority with a sophisticated security system
- Gives each employee access to their personal information through
departmental PC
2.3 CURRENT SITUATION:
The current process of tracking and maintaining daily attendance is time consuming
and at times is unmanageable due to work loads. An emergency requires staff to
make individuals call to off duty personnel.
Notification of staff may be conducted through an automated system and make staff
available to complete other pressing tasks. In the event of a disaster, callout of the
community control group would be achieved using the same automated system.
Efficiency is found in time management and people resources.
Daily attendance management would require substantially less resources to gather
and enter the required information and reports that would normally need staff to
manipulate could be obtained regularly with little effort.
3.1 OVERVIEW
The purpose of this project is to obtain an automated staffing software system
that will more effectively manage the issues associated with staffing and
contacting employees. This technology will more efficiently schedule, replace
and compensate staff, as well as enhance management reporting in Kitchener
Fire, Operations and Utilities. The system should achieve the following
objectives:
3.2 OBJECTIVES
- Ensure consistent replacement practices
- Automate notification to staff members of:
1. Request or requirements to work
2. Work schedule changes
3. Staffing notification via telephone, e-mail, pager and answering machines
4. Provide integrated calendaring system for employees and staff
5. Support authorized scheduling requests via touch-tone telephones
- A significant reduction in time spent on daily staffing needs records, calling
staff, etc.}
- Immediately access to payroll and management reports (if required)
- More accurately and effectively track certification expirations and other
personnel information
- The ability to send information quickly to members of the Fire, Operations and
Utilities.
- Modify rosters according to department labor contracts, rules and guidelines
- Show payroll, certification /license expiration, and work status information
- Manage a dynamic daily roster of all activities
- React immediately to vacancies caused by work exceptions
- Automatically identify replacement personnel
- Automatically notify Emergency Control Group of an emergency and meeting
location®
- Generate direct staffing and usage reports
- Give each employee access to their personal information
3.3 SCOPE
Kitchener Fire, Operations and Utilities shall all benefit from the acquisition of a
automated staffing and reporting system in order to run its operation more efficiently.
The program will reduce the time required by management to conduct and oversee
staffing requirement in all divisions. It is anticipated that the system will pay for itself
from the cost savings realized through the reduction of the staff time commuted to
scheduling and gathering data for reporting purposes and, the tracking of personnel.
In addition, it will provide more extensive and reliable reporting to manage staff
availability and the related financial impact. This savings of time may free staff time to
complete other pressing requirements their work assignments.
A program of this type will provide flexibility for personnel in being able to remotely
access their personal calendars and staffing options. In addition, the system will
monitor the expiration dates of any number of employee certifications, which will
result in more effective tracking of employee training and re-certification. Further, it
will automatically notify all emergency response personnel and Emergency Control
Group simultaneously in the event of a major emergency or whenever deemed
necessary.
A program of this type shall be capable of generating detailed reports for operational
analysis and therefore documentation for evaluating operations would be greatly
improved, by accurately following established policies, labor issues regarding the
scheduling of shifts will be minimized. In summary, an Automated Staff Notification
Program of the type being described will minimize time spent on scheduling and
contacting employees while maximizing operations efficiency through the addition of
management reports.
3.4 ANTICIPATED OUTCOMES
Kitchener Fire, Operations and Utilities will work with the selected vendor to
develop an appropriate implementation plan.
However the following chart will provide a basic projected implementation
timeline. Implementation of Operations and Utilities user group may follow the plan
described below.
Phase Details Date
Procurement • Review and Receive Signed Contract August 2008
First Payment • Once First Payment is received for Software KFD shall
schedule Administrator Training September 2008
Administrator
Training • Train-the-trainer format
• Workbook guided course
• Will take up to two 8-hour days to complete and is limited to October 2008
two (2) staff members.
Data • KFD will gather data
• KFD enters this data (with the vendor's assistance) November 2008
• Data Analyst reviews the data
• Vendor and KFD complete a Data Quality check
• Vendor provides KFD with all necessary installation
documentation
Configuration • Configuration using the KFD business rules and guidelines January 2009
• Occurs at vendor's site
• Configuration Training is allocated for KFD representatives and
vendor to configure the database
Configuration • Vendor will come to KFD for two days to fine-tune the March 2009
database and staffing processes two weeks before the
department is ready to go "live" with the system
Kitchener Operations and Utilities shall all benefit from the Fireimplementation experience prior
to initiating there configuring process at the vender site.
3.5 STAKEHOLDERS
Kitchener Fire, Operations and Utilities shall all benefit from the acquisition of a automated
staffing and reporting system in order to run its operation more efficiently
4.1 STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT SECTION:
Business Plan Goal Level of Impact Explanation
Service First Medium Improved access by employees to attendance and
scheduling information; the effective management of
community resources; the ability call out emergency
responders and Community Control Group in timely fashion.
Community and Business Medium Program provides quality reports to better manage agency
Relations resources
Predictability and Results Medium Improved tracking accuracy; efficiency found in service
deliver ;cost effective; timel emer enc automated callout
Pride in the Workplace Medium Will lead to common methodology and co-operation between
participating partners, effective notification of required staff in
a time) manor. Pro ressive/ rofessional s stem.
Chan e and Im rovement Medium Im roved business rocess
5.1 ENVIRONMENT ANALYSIS SECTION:
The Kitchener Fire Department Platoon Chiefs and division heads are responsible for
maintaining staff levels daily. Attendance is collected on hard copy and forwarded to
administration staff where the data is transferred to computer system monthly,
vacancies are manually filled by telephoning replacement personnel.
Platoon Chiefs or their designates spend approximately 2.5 hours per day
maintaining a paper roster and contacting replacements for sick, vacation, training
and other absences.
Administration staff requires approximately 12hrs per month to transfer attendance
data. Administration staff also requires additional time to extract and manipulate
attendance information into reports.
In the event of a major emergencies the communications division must conduct
emergency call out of replacement fire staff and the same KFD personnel must also
notify the Community Emergency Control Group. This task is completed while still
ensuring all requests from the emergency scene command officer are being
achieved.
The Operations Division of Community Services is responsible for responding to
winter storm events. During an event Supervisory staff are responsible for calling in
staff at all hours of the day and depending on the magnitude of the storm event, could
call between 40-160 staff for each response. Typically, call-ins for a full plow event (all
staff required) occur 4-5 times per winter and reduced staffing call-ins for full salting
events occur up to 60 times per winter. Supervisory staff can spend between 1-3
hours calling in staff for each event as not all staff are available when called.
The Gas and Water Utility is responsible for responding to a number of emergency
type calls related togas and water distribution. The dispatch centre staff is
responsible for calling staff 24-7. Multiple emergencies could result in up to 15
persons being called to respond to such events, dispatch staff typically could spend
up to 2 hours calling staff for each specific emergency.
6.1 ALTERNATIVES: STATUS QUO
The City of Kitchener Fire Department, Operations and Utilities can continue to
perform attendance management duties using the current manual systems.
It is essential that the City of Kitchener has an accurate, efficient and reliable
attendance management and emergency notification system. Therefore status quo is
not recommended for the following reasons:
o Inefficient use of staff time to complete tasks that could be efficiently managed
through a automated system
o Accuracy of records is subject to frequent errors
o Management records, graphs and charted are currently developed manually; time
consuming manipulation of information.
o Time utilized tracking, entering, preparing reports, and checking for errors is time
that could be utilized in completing other important tasks
o Time consuming making manual phone calls to individual staff on a daily bases.
o The inability to quickly call out staff when we need staff the most. Emergency
call-out)
7.1 BUSINESS & OPERATIONAL IMPACTS SECTION:
An automated staff notification system is intended to substantially
reduce the amount of time spent by staff in planning, preparing, and
managing duty rosters and related exceptions.
7.2 DESCRIPTION:
This is estimated that it can save 70% of the time staff currently spends on
related activities using the software solution.
This projected savings will not occur immediately. It is reasonable to
anticipate 12 to 18 months for the acquisition; implementation, training, and
user comfort of staff to occur before a savings are realized.
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Initial implementation will require a committed coordinator to collect and enter the
required information into the system and to ensure personal are trained to use the
new system.
8.1 RISK ASSESSMENT
Stakeholder Acceptance Risk - Moderate to high temporary Impact
Solution could require significant organizational and procedural changes for users.
Some staff at various levels of the organization will require more detailed training in
order to effectively manage the system.
Mitigation Strategy:
o Involve key personnel in the selection and implementation process.
o Inform other users of progress on a timely basis.
o Ensure effective training is provided to all users.
o Prepare user reference manuals
Council has approved the funding expenditure to purchase of Automated Staffing
computer hardware, software and implementation services as part of the 2008
Capital forecast.
Total Initial acquisition $165,000.00 Can.
Annual Service and Support $7,700 Max, 5% increase annually)
2009 projected Service and Support $8085.
2010 project Service and Support $8489.
On-going Annual Service and Support would increase if additional areas were
implemented.
It is estimated that the technology can save 70% of the time staff currently
spends on related activities using the software solution.
~~
The current process of tracking and maintaining daily attendance is time consuming
and at times is unmanageable due to work loads. An emergency required staff to
make individuals calls to off duty personnel. Notification of staff may be conducted
through an automated system and make staff available to complete other pressing
tasks. In the event of a disaster, callout of the community control group would be
achieved using the same automated system. Daily attendance management would
require substantially less resources to gather and enter the required information and
reports that would normally need staff to manipulate could be obtained regularly with
little effort.
10.1 CONCLUSIONS
Kitchener Fire, Operations and Utilities need an automated staffing and reporting
system in order to run its operation more efficiently and effectively. An appropriate
software solution is available. The result of this proposal will enable Departments
to continue to meet and exceed the efficiency and performance targets and to
effectively call-out emergency response and Emergency Operations Centre
personnel.
10.2 RECOMMENDATIONS
The benefits of the project significantly exceed its cost. Therefore, the City should
begin the process that will lead to the purchase of an automated staffing software
system and its deployment. .
10.3 PROJECT RESPONSIBILITY
Mike Lahn is the BSA for this project. He is responsible for the information
technology and project management aspects of the project. Gary Mann is the user
champion for the system. Mike Lahn and Gary Mann are jointly responsible for
planning overall project direction. Tim Beckett is the project sponsor. He is
responsible for project funding and approving project direction.
10.4
10.5 PROJECT ACCOUNTABILITY
Fire Department - DTS is the sponsoring department. Tim Beckett and Gary Mann
are responsible for approving all project changes and project related documents.
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11.1 IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY SECTION:
The Kitchener Fire Department, Operations and Utilities will work with the
selected vendor to develop an appropriate implementation plan.
However the following chart will provide a basic projected implementation
timeline. Implementation of Operations and Utilities user group may follow the plan
described below.
Phase Details Date
Business Case • Review by Council August 2007
Budget Approval • Approval of Budget Apri12008
RFP Finalized • Send Request for quotes to Vender(s) May 2008
Vender Selection • Review and Receive Signed Contract July 2008
First Payment • schedule Administrator Training September 2008
An implementation strategy will be developed to include all identified staff in the
participating divisions.
The main criteria for measuring project performance will be:
• Project is completed on time.
• Project is completed on budget.
• Solution matches requirements.
• Solution is rolled out to and accepted by the participating divisions
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12.1 APPROVAL PROCESS
The Business Case will be presented to IT Project Administration for approval and
inclusion in the 2008 IT work plan.
12.2 BUSINESS CASE SIGNOFF
Gary Mann
Deputy Fire Chief
Project Champion
Tim Beckett
Fire Chief
Project Sponsor
Mike Lahn
Project BSA
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