Factory Incentive Calculation System (FICS)

 

Few months ago, I visited Simra for study of FICS (Factory Incentive Calculation System).

It is an application implemented in that location for calculation of incentives ( additional pay besides salary) of workers in factory.

I prepared technical and functional documents of the system. The same has been shown below.

 

 a.      Technical Details

 

Applications Used :	FICS, FIS
Current Status :	Used
Front End Technology :	Lotus Notes (FICS) Visual Basic (FIS)
Database Technology :	SQL Server 2000, Lotus Notes database
Database Name :	SNPLFCT ( SQL Server), SNPLFIS (Lotus Notes)
Database Size :	160 MB
Front End Username/ Password :	As the application operates in Lotus Notes, it is directly accessible from lotus notes of limited users only.
Database Username/ Password :	sa/snpl administrator/godknows
Source code availability :	Yes
Common Users :	Shift Managers (Niraj Nepali, Bipin Sharma, Mihir Jha), Rahul Shrivastav (Filter), Sarbojit Rana
Application Server Details :
	Hostname :	LOTUS
	IP Address :	192.168.3.10
	RAM :	2 GB
	Hard Disk :	80 GB (30% free)
	OS :	Windows 2000 Server
Database Server Details :	Same as Application Server
Application Backup :	Daily Backup along with mail backup
Database Backup :	Daily Backup through job schedule
Logic By :	Baburam Karki, Rahul Shrivastav
System Implemented By :	Dinesh Rao, Soumya
Software Vendor :	Internally developed
System Developed By :	Dinesh Rao, Soumya
Support person from software vendor :
Support person from SNPL :	Binod Pandey, Soumya, Suraj Shrestha
AMC Details :	No AMC
Screen Shot :

 

b.      Functional Details

 

Basic Objective :	To calculate different types of incentives for employees according to machine outputs.
Business Logic & Process :
After the decision of management to give additional incentives to employees to workers according to their performance, FICS project was initiated. This system mainly intends to capture the outputs of machines entered by managers and calculate the incentives to workers allocated to machines.   There are basically following types of incentives. Machine Incentive: It is incentive given to workers allocated to a machine according to output of that machine. The output of the machine is compared with standard output and efficiency is calculated, accordingly incentive is calculated. The workers here are machine crew, technician, supervisor and manager. Modular Incentive: One or more machines comprise a module. It is incentive given according to output of a module. Shift Incentive: It is incentive given according to output of the particular shift either late, early or normal shift. The output is calculated in terms of output of packing machine i.e. final output. Monthly Incentive: It is incentive given according to output of the particular month. The output is also calculated in terms of output of packing machine. Others Incentive: It is incentive given to other employees besides workers. The others employees may be from HRM, Production.   The employee's names, modules, shifts, machine names, standard output of machines, logic for incentive calculation are fixed in system as per agreement. At first, a small utility called "FIS" is run to copy attendance details from ARS to FICS database by Time Office. Until and unless attendance details are copied to FICS database, managers cannot enter the output of machines in system. After copying, the manager log into his lotus notes mail and opens FICS system. He then creates a new record and enters date and shift. There are different combinations of machines provided for different modules (RSFT, KSFT, Filter and PLAINS). In particular module also a specific machine can be disabled if it is not operable. After the FICS user chooses combination and machine condition, he allocates available technicians, crews, leader and supervisor machine wise. The system shows the default technicians, crews, leader and supervisor according to there presence as obtained from ARS system. The FICS user can change the default data as per availability. Finally, the FICS user fills the output of machine as per document available.   The detailed and summary incentive calculation can be seen from excel sheet report by entering date range. After the end of each month, the summary data from excel is cross checked with physical document and given to HRM staff (Suman) for entering in Ramco ERP. HRM Staff opens Recurring or Non-Recurring pay element entry screen of Payroll module of Ramco ERP and copies data from excel to those screen and saves in specified process period and pay element. The incentives are added to salary of employees after salary processing from Ramco ERP.
Problems :	1. All the master entries need to be done from back end. There is no provision for creation of employees, machines, modules, shifts in front end. Also, logic for incentive calculation and standard output of machine has to be fixed from back end. Also, employee module, employee department mapping has to be done from back end.
	2. There is no data flow from FICS to ARS. If shift of an employee is changed in FICS, it is not reflected in ARS, thus he will not get paid.
	3. As the system is developed in Lotus Notes, it is difficult to give support due to lack of trained manpower.
	4. The system is quite inflexible. A little modification needs to be done in code level.
	5. A particular record cannot be deleted after insertion even in case of mistake. Only, its date and other details can be changed.
	6. A particular FICS user can alter details entered by another user of another department.
Solutions / Enhancements/ Suggestions  :
	Facility for creation of masters like creating employees; mapping them to particular department, module; creating modules; creating machines; entering standard output of machines; defining incentives and calculation logic can be added.   A new web based application can be developed internally with above mentioned facilities and user access rights maintenance and without needing separate utility to copy data from ARS and view incentive calculation sheet.