Engineering Hours Accounting System Essay Example for Free

Engineering Hours Accounting System Essay Introduction Avitronics is a medium sized engineering company that produces components for the aerospace industry. Employees keep track of the hours they work on different projects and at the end of the week turn in a timecard with this information on it. The company can take up to roughly 12 contracts a year; each of these contracts is assigned a Job-Code. The Current System At present each employee keeps track of their hours using their own system. This could be as informal as a rough tally on a scrap of paper. At the end of the week, the employees fill their hours into a formal timecard, which is handed in and tallied by a clerk. Objectives of The New System Mr. Salomon (the chief accountant) would like a system with data entry forms so that each employee can input their own hours into the system at the end of each week. He would like to have pull-down menus for the job-codes, so that clumsy engineers entering complicated codes do not make mistakes. Hours should be rounded to the nearest quarter-hour. Data entry should be quick and simple. Each individual employee should not be able to see the hours worked by everyone else. The information should be sent to a database from Mr. Salomon can produce reports. He wants to be able to get a report that shows how many hours each employee works each week (these should be sorted by employee number). Mr. Salomon would also like to have a graphical report, which shows the total number of hours worked each week against each contract. He would like to start a fresh new system at the start of each year. Mr. Salomon would also like an easy to understand user guide, which should include complete instructions for a novice, using no jargon. Performance Indicators My solution will have to: * Prevent all employees seeing other employees hours. * Be simple to use, and not waste employees time. * Prevent errors wherever possible by using validation and combo-boxes. * Allow Mr. Salomon to create reports (with graphs) from entered data. * Include a template for Mr. Salomon to reset the system at the start of the year. * Provide Mr. Salomon with a User Guide designed to assist novice users when they are using the solution. * Accurately calculate the total hours for each employee per week, accurate to each quarter hour. Accurately calculate the number of hours worked on each contract per week, accurate to each quarter-hour. If all of these criteria are met then my solution will be successful. Design Choice of Software A Spreadsheet is the best solution to the problem because I can use the software well already and I know how to solve the problem using this software. I have chosen to use Microsoft Excel because it is the most common piece of spreadsheet software in general use. I could use an equivalent spreadsheet package from a different company, but this may not be compatible with Mr. Salomons computer. Features of Excel that make it ideal for solving the problem: * Ability to create a blank template * Pivot tables to create sophisticated reports with graphs * Formatting to help make it clear to the user where to enter data * Macros to automate various functions * Macros which will execute automatically on opening and closing workbooks * Validation and Protection of cells to prevent tampering and errors Systems Overview My system will be based on one workbook, with three sheets (excluding reports). The Hours Entry sheet will be the main input form, where employees will enter the hours they have worked, on what days and on which contract. The Admin Options Sheet is where the Administrator changes Contract numbers and groups, he/she also sets the week beginning date. The database sheet is where reports and charts will be produced form. Detailed Design Follows on the next 6 pages Workbook and Sheet Discussion Hours Entry Sheet This sheet is designed to let the employees enter their hours in a quick and simple way. It is important to keep it simple so that employees do not become disgruntled and frustrated with the system. This sheet has a simple colour scheme that distinguishes input cells from cells where input is not required. Combo boxes are used to keep certain aspects simple and to prevent mistakes. Buttons are used to execute macros that clear the sheet and transfer relevant data to the spreadsheet. As hours have to be recorded by the closest quarter-of-an-hour, I have used a ceiling formula in the total cells to prevent mistakes being made when data is transferred to the database. Admin Options Sheet This sheet contains any options the administrator may need to set concerning the system He/She can add/remove contracts and add/remove groups of workers. At the start of each working week He/She has to set the Week Beginning date that is needed throughout the system, it is essential they enter this date correctly. The colour scheme for this sheet is simple, every cell is white, input cells have borders to distinguish them form non-input cells. This sheet contains two buttons that execute macros: Protect Workbook This macro opens up the protect workbook dialog, where the administrator can protect the whole workbook, with the exception with cells that are not Locked (input cells). Start New Year This macro erases all the data in the workbook, and prepares the system for a new year. A warning box automatically pops up when this button is clicked to warn the user that they will be deleting all entered data from the previous year. This is to prevent all the data being removed accidentally. Database Sheet This sheet contains all the data that has been transferred from the Hours Entry Sheet. It contains Employee #, Hours Worked for each employee. Job Code, Hours Worked for each contract. From this data, an employee report can be created, this is a report listing all the employees, and the number they have worked in a given week. From this data, a contract report can be created; this is a report listing all the contracts and the number of hours worked on them for a given week. From this data a contract graph can be created, this is a graph showing the number of hours worked for a given contract over the past month (4 weeks). These outputs will need to look professional and be suitable for their purpose. Data entry and Validation These are the fields in which data will be entered into my system: Last Name The employee will type this in. I chose this method, as there is no reasonable alternative. Employee # This will be typed in by the employee. I chose this method because there is no reasonable alternative. Employee number is a four-digit number. This cell will be validated so that numbers bigger than 9999 are not accepted; also text is prevented from being entered. I use this validation so that problems do not occur further on the process, when reports sorted by employee number are being produced. Group The user will select this via a combo box this ensures no typographical errors are made when typing it in. I am choosing to use a drop down box as there are few options for the employee to choose from. Job-Code This will be selected from a drop down box to prevent typographical errors being made. If it were a plain cell, with no validation or input aids, if an error was made it could cause unwanted consequences throughout the system. Monday Employees enter their hours by typing the number in the correct cell. Any number they enter will later be rounded up to the nearest quarter hour, by the use of a ceiling formula. The validation on this cell will be that it has to be a number between 0 and 20. Tuesday Employees enter their hours by typing the number in the correct cell. Any number they enter will later be rounded up to the nearest quarter hour, by the use of a ceiling formula. The validation on this cell will be that it has to be a number between 0 and 20. Wednesday Employees enter their hours by typing the number in the correct cell. Any number they enter will later be rounded up to the nearest quarter hour, by the use of a ceiling formula. The validation on this cell will be that it has to be a number between 0 and 20. Thursday Employees enter their hours by typing the number in the correct cell. Any number they enter will later be rounded up to the nearest quarter hour, by the use of a ceiling formula. The validation on this cell will be that it has to be a number between 0 and 20. Friday Employees enter their hours by typing the number in the correct cell. Any number they enter will later be rounded up to the nearest quarter hour, by the use of a ceiling formula. The validation on this cell will be that it has to be a number between 0 and 20. Saturday Employees enter their hours by typing the number in the correct cell. Any number they enter will later be rounded up to the nearest quarter hour, by the use of a ceiling formula. The validation on this cell will be that it has to be a number between 0 and 20. Sunday Employees enter their hours by typing the number in the correct cell. Any number they enter will later be rounded up to the nearest quarter hour, by the use of a ceiling formula. The validation on this cell will be that it has to be a number between 0 and 20. User Aids to Operation User Aids to Operation that I have used are combo boxes, and buttons that execute useful macros. Combo boxes assist the user with entering data when there are only a few options to choose from. They also help prevent mistakes from being made when typing out something complicated. For example in my system, the user uses a combo-box to select a job code, if they had to type every job code in it is more than likely that every week several mistakes would be made. By using combo-boxes I have eliminated the probability of this occurring. By using buttons that execute macros I have enabled the employees to enter their hours in a simple entry form. If I did not use macros then each individual would have to type hours into the database, this could cause a huge number of problems for the company. Protection Sheet 1, Hours Entry Sheet The following cells on this sheet will NOT be protected: C6, Last Name C5, Employee # C10:C16, Mondays Hour Entry Cells D10:D16, Tuesdays Hour Entry Cells E10:E16, Wednesdays Hour Entry Cells F10:F16, Thursdays Hour Entry Cells G10:G16, Fridays Hour Entry Cells H10:H16, Saturdays Hour Entry Cells I10:I16, Sundays Hour Entry Cells These cells will not be protected because when I protect the sheet, I want them to be editable. Eg the employees need to enter data into them. Macros Transfer_Macro This macro will be executed from a button on the Hours Entry Sheet. The macro transfers required data from this sheet into the database. After it has transferred the data it will return the user to the Hours Entry Sheet, where they can exit the spreadsheet when they are ready. If the transfer is completed successfully then a message box will popup saying Transfer Successful. Create_Employees_Report This macro will create a report on the employees. It will copy selected data from the database, paste it into a new sheet and format it appropriately. The report will show the employee number, last name, hours worked for each week for each employee stored in the database. Create_Contracts_Graph This macro will use selected data from the database to create a graph showing how many hours are spent on each job code over a period of weeks. The graph will show all of the job-codes and all of the data about each job code that is stored in the database. Auto_Open This will execute automatically when the spreadsheet is opened, it shows the Hours Entry Sheet and clear all of the white input cells. It will select the Employee # input box ready for the user to begin. Clear This macro clears all of the white input cells in the Hours Entry Sheet. If the employee enters a few mistakes or realises he has entered totally wrong data, instead of having to delete every piece of data separately he/she can simply click the button that executes this macro. Protect_Workbook This macro will be executed via a button on the Admin Options page, this will hide all menus and the taskbar and take the user to the Hours Entry Sheet. It will also run the Clear macro so that the Hours Entry Sheet is always blank when it shows up. Start_New_Year This macro erases all data from the database ready for the system to begin a new year. The employees and job codes will stay on the admin options page as it would be unreasonable to assume that all the jobs were finished at the end of the last year. Data Flow Diagram Testing Test Strategy This is what my solution is required to do, as outlined in the Performance Indicators section of the Analysis: * Prevent all employees seeing other employees hours. * Be simple to use, and not waste employees time. * Prevent errors wherever possible by using validation and combo-boxes. * Allow Mr. Salomon to create reports (with graphs) from entered data. * Include a template for Mr. Salomon to reset the system at the start of the year. * Provide Mr. Salomon with a User Guide designed to assist novice users when they are using the solution. * Accurately calculate the total hours for each employee per week, accurate to each quarter hour. Accurately calculate the number of hours worked on each contract per week, accurate to each quarter-hour. Here is an outline of the tests I will have to carry out on my spreadsheet: * Does my system open correctly? * Ensure that the Database and Admin sections are hidden from the employees. * Ease of Use, as little complications as possible. * Tests of Validation (effects of incorrect/extreme data entry) * Tests of Protection * Accurate calculation of hours * Does my spreadsheet cause problems after closing? Test Plan The following tests will be performed: Basic Function Tests: 1. Open my spreadsheet. 2. Add data as outlined in test data set 1. 3. Test the Submit Hours button. 4. Add data as outlined in test data set 2. 5. Test the Clear Form Button. 6. Add data as outlined in test data set 3. 7. Test the Submit Hours button. 8. Test the Exit System button. 9. Reopen the spreadsheet. 10. Try entering data from test data set 4. 11. Try entering data in a locked cell (eg. The cell containing the word Group and the cell containing the word Totals). Admin Function Tests: 12. Open my spreadsheet. 13. Test Admin Options button, enter password from test data set 5. 14. Test Admin Options button, enter password from test data set 6. 15. Test the Enter New Employee button. Enter the data as outlined in test data set 7. 16. Select cell F19, Test the Delete Job Code button. 17. Select cell B11, click the Delete Job Code button. 18. Test the Enter New Job-Code button, enter the data as outlined in test data set 8. 19. Test the Enter New Job-Code button. 20. Test the Create Contract-Chart button. 21. Test the Employee Report button. 22. Test the Change System Password button. Enter the password as outlined in test data set 9. 23. Test the Protect System button. 24. Test the Admin Options button. Enter the password as outlined in test data set 6. Error massage should appear. 25. Test the Admin Options button. Enter the password as outlined in test data set 9. 26. Test the Change System Password button; enter the original password again as outlined in test data set 6. 27. Test the Start New Year button. 28. Click File then Exit please do not save any changes to the spreadsheet. Jonathan Stamp ICT Excel Coursework Page 1 of 17 Jonathan Stamp ICT Excel Coursework Page 1 of 17

Do People Have the Right to Die? Essay -- Euthanasia, Physician Assist

Living life at age twenty-eight is an amazing adventure. People are at their prime – being active and living life to the fullest. However, for Nancy Cruzan, a terrible car accident took that all away. One night, driving on a quiet road in Missouri, Nancy’s car rolled off the road and into a ditch. For twenty minutes she lay there alone and lifeless. Then, a paramedic car drove by and saw the car in distress. They pulled Nancy out, and miraculously revived her back to life. However, she had damaged her cerebral cortex, the vital end of the brain that gives humans all motor functions, senses, and communication. Nancy was left in what is called a persistent vegetative state (PVS), which â€Å"is a legal term defined in 765.101 (12) Florida statutes as: ‘a permanent and irreversible condition of unconsciousness in which there is – a) the absence of voluntary action or cognitive behavior of any kind; and b) an inability to communicate or interact purpos efully with the environment.† (Snow 3). Many people refer to this state as being a â€Å"vegetable.† After contemplating the situation for a long while, Nancy’s family decided that it would be best to remove the feeding tube that was forcibly keeping her alive. However, Nancy had no living will or health care power of attorney which was needed by law to remove the tube. Does her family have the right to make the decision to end her life, when she cannot make that decision herself? Who does have that right? Do people have the right to die? This incident started many people thinking about what they believe about the issue of the right to die and physician assisted suicide. The story of Nancy Cruzan is only single scenario out of many that people have to decide where they... ...ec. 24 November 1998. Video. Right to Die. Public Broadcasting System, Oregon. Newman, Ed. â€Å"Part Five: Making The Final Choice: Should Physician-Assisted Suicide Be Legalized.† The Truth Seeker 121.5 (1992). 15 October 2005 http://www.cp.duluth.mn.us/~ennyman/DAS-5.html> Newman, Ed. â€Å"Part Three: Local Perspectives on the Right to Die Debate.† Detroit Free Press FREEP 15 October 2002 http://www.cp.duluth.mn.us/~ennyman/DAS-3.html> Paris, John. â€Å"Hugh Finn’s Right to Die.† America (1998). 15 October 2005 http://www.americapress.org/articles/ParisFinn.htm> Snow, Constance. â€Å"The Right to Die?† Tampa Bay New Times May/June (2000). 23 October 2005 http://www.altnewtimes.com/e03csn.html> â€Å"The Perspectives in Brief.† Public Agenda Online (2002). 13 October 2002 http://www.publicagenda.org/issues/debate_brief.CFM?issue_type=right2die>

Human Resources Information System (Hris) Essay

There are many different purposes, functions and components to HRIS software systems. Technology has been constantly expanding, and with all the new possibilities, companies are able to use these software systems to help their HR departments perform their jobs faster and easier. Large businesses want to make the most amount of money, by spending the least amount possible; with HRIS they are able to realistically achieve this goal. Businesses need to grow and expand or they will not succeed. The main purpose of an HRIS is so companies can use it internally to keep track of the store’s budget, payroll and employee information more accurately and efficiently. Many large human resource organizations develop or buy these software systems to improve their HR operations while trying to keep the total operating costs low. The more a business can save on wages, the more it can spend on the company internally, to invest in improving the other departments as well. Some companies use HRIS systems to help them communicate worldwide; companies can have one business with several stores around the world that speak different languages. HRIS software systems main function is to help HR personnel handle and process large quantities of information that is tracked and updated automatically; this allows HR staff to focus on personal interaction with employees, instead of dedicating the majority of their time to paperwork. The key functions of an HRIS software system are to create and maintain employee record, adhere to legal compliance, forecasting for future planning, strategic alignment and enhanced decision making (Dessler, 2011, pg 61). The other functions that an HRIS system can perform include items such as control, effectiveness, flexibility, efficiency, responsiveness, accuracy, ease of use, automation, timeliness and process improvement (HR Systems Strategies Inc, n.d., pg. 1). The companies that are worldwide can use this to communicate the same thing to other countries with the HRIS system. HRIS software systems can have many components to it; however, not all companies require the same components. The general components that most large HR organizations have include a database to store employee information, time and labour management to track employee attendance, payroll to ensure employees are paid correctly and legally, benefits to ensure employees have appropriate benefits and retirement investments, recruitment to help build the company’s workforce, training for new or promoted employees, organization charting and scheduling for employees shifts and breaks and an employee interface for employees to review personal information (Jennifer, n.d., pg. 1)(Dessler, 2011, pg 58). Some companies can develop their software systems to be capable of performing things such as a salary analysis, budget planning, job design and performance reviews (Cezanne, n.d., pg. 1). The cost of an HRIS software system can depend on many factors, such as how complex or simple it is and if it was specialized for your company or if it is a general system. Large companies such as fortune 500 can run systems around the tens of millions of dollars, but smaller companies can run systems for less than a thousand dollars (HRIS, HRMS and HR, n.d., pg. 1). The reality is that there are many different HRIS software systems for any price range, but however much you invest into it, is how much you will get out. The HRIS system that a company chooses should not be based on how complex the system is, but how beneficial the system will be to help improve the businesses HR department. The impact of technology has changed the role of HR in many different aspects. The most obvious positive effect of using technology in an HR department is the increase of accuracy and efficiency, which in turn reduces costs and improves results within the company. The use of technology makes it able for HR to dedicate less time to paperwork and more time to employee interaction (Hall, 2012, pg. 1). Works Cited â€Å"Cezanne.† Cezanne. Cezanne Software Limited, n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2012. . Dessler, Gary , and Nina D. Cole. â€Å"Human Resources Management and Technology.† Human Resources Management in Canada. 11th Canadian Edition ed. Toronto: Pearsons Canada, 2011. 58,59,61,62, 63. Print. â€Å"HR Systems Strategies Inc | HRIS Software Canada / US.† HR Systems Strategies Inc | HRIS Software Canada / US. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2012. . â€Å"HRIS, HRMS and HR software FAQà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s.† Free HRIS HRMS and HR Software Buyers Guide. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2012. . Hall, James. â€Å"Impact of technology on human resource management | Importance of Technology.† Importance of Technology. N.p., 1 Mar. 2012. Web. 20 Sept. 2012. . Jennifer, Kristin. â€Å"The Components of an HRIS System | eHow.com.† eHow | How to Videos, Articles & More – Discover the expert in you. | eHow.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2012. .

The Koster Site 9,000 Years on the Illinois River

The Koster site is an ancient, deeply buried archaeological site located on Koster Creek, a narrow tributary stream incised into the alluvial deposits of the lower Illinois River Valley. The Illinois River is itself a major tributary of the Mississippi River in central Illinois and the site lies only about 48 kilometers (30 miles) north of where Illinois meets the Mississippi today at the town of Grafton. The site is stunningly important in North American prehistory, for its well-preserved human occupations dating back nearly 9,000 years, and the impact of its discovery so deep within the alluvial fan. Chronology The following chronology is derived from Struever and Holton; the horizons were what was visible in the field, although later analysis proved there were 25 distinct occupations in Kosters stratigraphy. Horizon 1, Mississippian, AD 1000-1200Horizon 1b, Middle-Late Woodland (Black Sand phase), AD 400-1000Horizon 2, Early Woodland (Riverton), 200-100 BCHorizon 3, Late Archaic, 1500-1200 BCHorizon 4, Late Archaic, 2000 BCHorizon 5, Middle-Late ArchaicHorizon 6, Middle Archaic (Helton phase), 3900-2800 BC, 25 human burialsHorizon 7, Middle ArchaicHorizon 8, Middle Archaic, 5000 BCHorizon 9, Middle Archaic, 5800 BCHorizon 10 Early-Middle Archaic, 6000-5800 BCHorizon 11, Early Archaic, 6400 BC, 9 human burials, 5 dog burialsHorizon 12, Early ArchaicHorizon 13, Early Archaic (Kirk notched point), 7500-6700 BCHorizon 14, sterile At the surface, Koster covers an area of approximately 12,000 square meters (about 3 acres), and its deposits extend more than 9 meters (30 feet) into the rivers alluvial terraces. The site is at the contact between the limestone bluffs and upland loess plains to the east and the Illinois River floodplain to the west. Occupations present within the date of the deposit from Early Archaic through the Mississippian period, radiocarbon-dated to between about 9000 to 500 years ago. During most of the prehistoric occupation of the site, the Illinois River was located 5 km (3 mi) to the west with a seasonally fluctuating backwater Lake within one km (half-mile). Chert sources for making stone tools are in the nearby limestone bluffs lining the valley and included Burlington and Keokuk, sources which vary in quality from fine-grained to coarse-grained. Site Discovery In 1968, Stuart Struever was a faculty member in the anthropology department at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. He was a down-stater, however, having grown up far from Chicago in the small town of Peru, Illinois, and he never lost the ability to speak the language of the down-stater. And so it was that he made true friendships among the landowners of the Lowilva, the local name for the Lower Illinois Valley, where the Mississippi River meets Illinois. Among the life-long friends he made were Theodore Teed Koster and his wife Mary, retired farmers who just happened to have an archaeological site on their property, who just happened to be interested in the past. Struevers investigations (1969-1978) at Koster farm revealed not only the middle and early late Woodland materials reported by the Kosters but a stratified multi-component archaic period site of astonishing depth and integrity. Archaic Occupations at Koster Beneath the Koster farm lies evidence of 25 different human occupations, beginning with the early Archaic period, around 7500 BC, and ending with the Koster farm. Village after village, some with cemeteries, some with houses, beginning some 34 feet below the modern Koster farmstead. Each occupation was buried by the deposits of the river, each occupation leaving its mark on the landscape nonetheless. Probably the best-studied occupation to date (Koster is still the focus of many graduate theses) is the set of Early Archaic occupations known as Horizon 11, dated 8700 years ago. Archaeological excavations of Horizon 11 have revealed a thick midden of human occupation residues, basin-shaped storage pits and hearths, human graves, diverse stone, and bone tool assemblages, and floral and faunal remains resulting from human subsistence activities. Dates on Horizon 11 range from 8132-8480 uncalibrated radiocarbon years before the present (RCYBP). Also in Horizon 11 were the bones of five domesticated dogs, representing some of the earliest evidence for the domestic dog in the Americas. The dogs were purposefully buried in shallow pits and they are the earliest known dog burials in North America. The burials are essentially complete: all of them are adults, none exhibit evidence of burning or butchery marks. Impacts In addition to the vast amount of information garnered about the American Archaic period, the Koster site is also important for its long-term interdisciplinary research efforts. The site is located near the town of Kampsville, and Struever set up his lab there, now the Center for American Archaeology and a major center of archaeological research in the American Midwest. And, perhaps most importantly, the Northwestern University excavations at Koster proved that ancient sites could be preserved hidden deep beneath the valley floors of major rivers. Sources Boon AL. 2013. A Faunal Analysis of the Eleventh Horizon of the Koster Site (11GE4). California: Indiana University of Pennsylvania.Brown JA, and Vierra RK. 1983. What happened in the Middle Archaic? Introduction to an ecological approach to Koster Site archaeology. In: Phillips JL, and Brown JA, editors. Archaic Hunters and Gatherers in the American Midwest. New York: Academic Press. p 165-195.Butzer KW. 1978. Changing Holocene Environments at the Koster Site: A Geo-Archaeological Perspective. American Antiquity 43(3):408-413.Houart GL, editor. 1971. Koster: a stratified archaic site in the Illinois Valley. Springfield: Illinois State Museum.Jeske RJ, and Lurie R. 1993. The archaeological visibility of bipolar technology: An example from the Koster site. Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology 18:131-160.Morey DF, and Wiant MD. 1992. Early holocene domestic dog burials from the North American Midwest. Current Anthropology 33(2):225-229.Struever S, and Antonelli HF. 2000. Koster: Ameri cans in Search of their Prehistoric Past. Long Grove, Illinois: Waveland Press.Wiant MD, Hajic ER, and Styles TR. 1983. Napoleon Hollow and Koster site stratigraphy: Implications for Holocene landscape evolution and studies of Archaic period settlement patterns in the Lower Illinois Valley. In: Phillips JL, and Brown JA, editors. Archaic Hunters and Gatherers in the American Midwest. New York: Academic Press. p 147-164.