Chapter 11-Minicase 2 (Page 513)

Chapter 11-Minicase 2 (page 513)

How the UN automated its payroll system

1. Why do employment rules and regulations fit an expert systems approach?

Expert systems are built with two components: the logic engine and the rules and the conditions when the rules apply. ES are a good fit for many or even complex regulations. Once the system has the rules it will apply them at all times as well as correctly eliminating errors. Errors are prone if humans have to consider 1000 pages of rules.

1. Why did the manual process defy automation until the ES approach was used?

Computers are basically calculating machines. It is the software that make them useful to diverse applications. ES is the application that can deal with many as well as complex rules.

1. Why are there links from the ES to databases and IT applications?

ES uses its engine to apply the rules that the expert established as the process needed. But the calculations of the amounts are performed by IT applications. The applications need the data in the database. Example: employee has wage rate of $18 an hour. Payroll SW will calculate the check. That person is sent to Kosovo for two weeks and a whole set of new rules applies. They may be expressed in % of pay and fixed amounts for expenses: the ES will need the payroll output and apply all rules for Kosovo posting.

1. What are the benefits of consistent handling of equitable entitlements?

The human resources department and the supervisors will have fewer complaints that if an entitlement is ignored. ES are objective and comprehensive.

1. Today, the IMIS is praised by its users, those who are responsible for the payroll in all locations. Can you ascertain ways to make this system even better?

Integrate all systems into one: now IT and databases are needed to run to feed the ES.

Also, other ES for other systems could be developed. The UN is a bureaucracy of the bureaucracies of over 200 governments: the members. Other rulebooks exist that are not part of this system.

1. Management said the use of an ES forced them to make objective, rigorous definitions of the regulations. Why?

The ES is objective and comprehensive. But to be usable by the computer the rules need to be quantified and unambiguous. All rules apply given a certain set of conditions and do not apply if one or several conditions do not exist.

Managers were forced to make clear when what was applicable. By doing that the default result also was to show when it was not possible to build an E S.