How a scanner and software helped to process many diverse human
resources forms in local government
Getting to grips with the Government's requirement for councils
to submit reports on the ethnic and disabled diversity of its staff
has forced many county halls into a paper-pushing quandary, writes
Marc Ambasna-Jones.
Should councils automate the process or throw manpower resources
at the problem?
For Devon County Council,with 26,000 staff, it had to automate
to ensure accuracy and an on-going, easily updateable means of
reporting. It could not keep collating data on paper and filing
them in large cabinets. As well as the manpower required, there was
information retrieval time and reporting accuracy.
The council's human resources team heard about a system at
Brighton and Hove Council where diversity data collection was
successfully implemented. After sending scouts to check out
Brighton's system, Devon's HR team finally contacted Southampton
supplier Kendata Peripherals.
"We needed the diversity data in electronic format so that it
could be entered into our personnel payroll system (PPS)," says
Maggie Anderson, Devon Council's HR department information
officer.
The Autodata system comprises a high-speed 65ppm scanner, forms
processing software, Microsoft Word templates and special Truetype
fonts. Forms can be designed "in the familiar Word environment,
greatly reducing the learning curve," Kendata says.
The software reads data in check-marked boxes, barcodes, printed
type and hand-written characters. Devon's HR department, after
training from Kendata, devised a questionnaire with these formats.
With forms returned, they were scanned in batches with data entered
directly into an Excel spreadsheet for transfer to Devon's PPS
system. After automated error checking, data could be used.
Tim Moore, senior consultant on the Brighton project, claims it
was essential for his council. "We can produce our own forms
without being reliant on third-party designers. Surveys can be
carried out quickly, accurately and cost-effectively."
While some councils are seeing HR departments burst from staff
monitoring and diversity reporting, Moore adds that Devon and
Brighton have maximised resources.
"Brighton bought the system to monitor job applicants with
regard to diversity questions and had utilised it for a census of
the 4,500 staff. We now use it repeatedly, without key-to-disc
staff for any survey or census," explains Moore.
project benefits
- Speed - On its best day, Devon's HR department processed 6,500
forms
- Accuracy of data due to automated error checking
- Flexibility - AutoData can be configured
- Cost-effective - Install once and use many times
smart project?