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Description  |
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TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to computer software applications used to secure,
integrate, and manipulate both employee payroll and human resource
(personnel) information. The invention facilitates the integration of
employee payroll information with human resource information so that users
can access or otherwise manipulate both types of information
simultaneously. The invention further facilitates the tracking of user(s)
changes to both employee payroll and human resource information.
BACKGROUND ART
In recent years companies have been computerizing many of their business
activities. In many cases, this computerization involves developing new
systems, including both computer hardware architectures and software
applications, that achieve specific business goals. Often times these
goals fall into either one or both of the following categories: increase
worker productivity and improve record keeping capability.
To increase worker productivity, companies have developed computer systems
that enable employees (users) to perform routine activities more quickly
and efficiently than they could by hand or with earlier generations of
computer systems. Concerning improving record keeping capability,
companies have developed computer systems that not only record different
types of business information, but also provide facilities to report that
information to employees in a variety of ways depending upon the
employee's function in the company.
Two functions in a company involve different, but related, activities. The
first function, commonly referred to financial services, provides the
financial record keeping activities, including keeping track of company
income and expenses. Among these expenses is employee salaries, i.e.,
payroll. The second function, now referred to as human resources, provides
the administrative personnel activities.
One of the more complex activities for financial services is creating a
payroll. Related to this activity is keeping track of payrolls throughout
the course of business cycles (e.g., payroll history by year). Creating
and tracking payrolls is complex because of federal tax laws, state tax
laws (which are different for each state), and in some cases local (e.g.,
county, city, or township) taxes. Another factor contributing to the
complexity of payrolls is unions, which have specific rules associated
with its members. For example, union members pay dues to the union by
payroll deduction, but the company pays the union these dues directly.
With regard to tracking payrolls it is important to note that some taxes
may vary throughout the year because of, for example, changes to the laws.
Because of these complexities, many companies in the past have relied on
the services of companies that specialize in providing payroll services.
For example, company A would engage company B to provide payroll services,
including creating the payroll for each pay period, printing salary
checks, and tracking all payrolls. The drawback with this type of
arrangement is that it can be expensive for a company to use specialty
companies to handle payroll functions, particularly for small to mid-sized
companies.
Alternatively, companies have either purchased (commercial) computer
systems or developed their own computer systems that create and track
payrolls. These company-developed payroll systems and commercial payroll
systems provide adequate capabilities, but also at a high cost to the
small to mid-sized companies. For example, to maintain commercial systems,
companies have to enter into expensive service contracts with the
manufacturer of these systems. Also, these manufacturers charge companies
a lot of money to alter their systems to conform to the practice needs of
customers. There are also high costs involved in developing and
maintaining their own payroll systems, for example, the cost of personnel,
i.e., computer engineers, programmers, etc.
The human resource ("H-R") activities include the hiring of new employees,
as well as keeping track of each employee's progress (advancement) while
with the company. H-R activities also include tracking employee benefits,
which in many instances involves deductions from each employee's salary
(e.g., employee contribution to health care coverage). Another H-R
activity is tracking employee salary information (payroll history) on at
least a yearly basis. This H-R activity overlaps with the corresponding
payroll activity, though in the past it was separated by companies from
the payroll activity.
Like with their payroll activities, companies have turned to computer
systems to assist with H-R activities. In this regard companies have
developed their own or purchased (commercial off-the-shelf) systems
tailored to H-R activities. These company-developed H-R systems and
commercial H-R systems suffer from substantially the same problems as the
problems with payroll systems described briefly above.
Moreover, the problem with all existing systems, both payroll and H-R, is
that they fail to recognize the overlapping information used by both
financial and H-R functions of a company. They fail to provide a single,
integrated system that provides all information to employees and provides
the accounting and H-R activities, while restricting access to, for
example, alter information related only to one or the other activity.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a network-based computer
software application used to secure, integrate, and manipulate both
employee payroll and human resource (personnel) information. The invention
facilitates the integration of employee payroll information with human
resource information so that one or more network users can access or
otherwise manipulate both types of information simultaneously. The
invention further facilitates the tracking of user(s) changes to both
employee payroll and human resource information.
Features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the
description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the
description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The
objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and
attained by the method and apparatus particularly pointed out in the
written description and claims thereof as well as the appended drawings.
To achieve the objects of this invention and attain its advantages, broadly
speaking, this invention is directed to a system for managing payroll data
and human resource data for a plurality of employees, wherein the payroll
data includes an employee-type and a plurality of payroll codes, and
wherein the human resource data includes an employee-identifier for each
of the employees, a salary for each employee, and a plurality of HR codes.
The system comprises four elements. The first element stores the payroll
data and the human resource data. The second element is a means for
receiving user input including a pay period. The third element integrates
the payroll data and the human resource data by matching the employee-type
for each employee with the employee-identifier, and generates a payroll
from the payroll data and the human resource data using the pay period and
the salary for each employee. The last element is a means for accessing
the human resource data while generating the payroll. The present
invention records when a user accesses the payroll data or the human
resource data, and details any change the user has made to the payroll
data or the human resource data. The present invention also provides means
for adding either a new payroll code or a new HR code, which adds
flexibility to the system.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the
following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are
intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings which are incorporated in and which constitute
part of this specification, illustrate a presently preferred
implementation of the invention and, together with the description, serve
to explain the principles of the invention.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a network including the preferred
implementation of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a part of the server included in the network
of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is an illustration showing various components of the preferred
implementation;
FIG. 4 illustrates a display screen image used for security purposes in the
preferred implementation;
FIG. 5 illustrates a display screen image of the main menu used by the
preferred implementation;
FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of the audit trail component of the preferred
implementation;
FIG. 7 illustrates a display screen image of the payroll menu used by the
preferred implementation;
FIG. 8 shows several types of information categorized as payroll data and
H-R data, as well as the type of information included in the product of
combining the payroll data and H-R data, which product is produced by the
preferred implementation;
FIG. 9 is a flow diagram of the process used to create a payroll by the
payroll component of the preferred implementation;
FIG. 10 is a flow diagram of the process used to create a payroll by the
payroll component of the preferred implementation (continued from FIG. 9);
FIG. 11 is a display screen image of the product payroll data entry screen
used by the payroll component of the preferred implementation;
FIG. 12 illustrates a display screen image of the human resources menu used
by the preferred implementation;
FIG. 13 is a display screen image of the personnel action form data entry
screen used by the preferred implementation;
FIG. 14 illustrates a display screen image of the time and attendance menu
used by the preferred implementation;
FIG. 15 illustrates a display screen image of the utilities menu used by
the preferred implementation;
FIG. 16 illustrates a display screen image of the system codes menu used by
the preferred implementation;
FIG. 17 shows that employee accrual master table structure before and after
the preferred implementation changes the accrual master table;
FIG. 18 is a flow diagram of the change system codes process of the
preferred implementation; and
FIG. 19 is a flow diagram of the change system codes process of the
preferred implementation (continued from FIG. 18).
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred implementation of the
present invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever
possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings
and the following description to refer to the same or like parts.
The present invention seamlessly integrates H-R data and associated
functions with payroll data and associated functions in a single system.
Conventional systems handle H-R data and associated functions and payroll
data and associated functions separately. The present invention, however,
permits users that perform H-R functions and users that perform payroll
functions in a company to perform their jobs simultaneously using a single
system.
When a user generates a payroll, both payroll data and H-R data are
required. The present invention takes a "snap-shot" of both the payroll
and H-R data it needs to produce the payroll, which is put in "in-progress
tables." The payroll is calculated based on the information contained
within the in-progress tables. After the payroll process is complete,
information in the in-progress tables is written to various history
tables. Using this strategy of in-progress tables, the present invention
gives users that perform H-R and payroll functions continued access to
both payroll and H-R data, even when a payroll is being created.
The present invention also includes integrated security and audit trail
systems. When starting to use the present invention a user must enter an
identification (ID) and password, which are assigned by the system
administrator. The administrator also assigns access rights for the user.
The present invention maintains a complete record of functions performed
by each user, including ID, date, time, and function performed. Based on
user access rights, the present invention also determines if the user has
access rights to each of the menu options displayed in a menu and, if the
user does have access to an option, the user is permitted to use the
selected option. Otherwise, if the user does not have access to an option,
the user is not permitted to select the option.
Additionally, the present invention permits users, without the aid of
programmers, to alter the structure of the tables used to hold the payroll
and H-R data. This permits users to add new types of data to the payroll
and H-R data.
A. THE NETWORK
The present invention is preferably implemented in a network using a
relational database system. Though the invention may be used with any type
of network, the preferred implementation uses a local area network (LAN)
running the DOS operating system. Similarly, any relational database
system may be used to implement this invention, but the preferred
implementation was written using CA-Clipper by Computer Associates Corp.,
which uses dBASE compatible relational database structures (dBASE is a
product of Borland International, Inc.). Accordingly, all payroll data and
H-R data used in the preferred implementation is stored in a relational
database comprised of tables.
FIG. 1 shows an exemplary network 100 in which the present invention may be
implemented. At the heart of the network 100 is a fiber ring 110. The
fiber ring 110 may be any type of data communication link (e.g., Ethernet)
used to interconnect different computers and other devices in a LAN.
The fiber ring 110 is used to directly connect together a server 120,
personal computers 130a, 130b, and 130c, modem 140, and printer 150. The
modem 140 may be any type of conventional modem that permits a personal
computer 130d to connect to the network 100 via a communication line
(e.g., conventional telephone lines or cellular or satellite communication
links).
Each of the personal computers 130a-d includes a display, a microcomputer
with disk drives, and keyboard or other input device (not shown). The
server 120 may also be any type of conventional network server. In the
preferred implementation, the server 120 is an IBM-PC compatible computer
running the Netware network operating system by Novell, Inc. Finally, in
the preferred implementation the printer 150 is a high speed, wide
carriage dot matrix printer, though other conventional printers may also
be used with the present invention.
FIG. 2 shows a portion of the server 120 including a central processing
unit (CPU) 210 and a memory 220. CPU 210 can be any standard and commonly
known central processing unit, and memory 220 can include magnetic core,
semiconductor RAM, magnetic disks and magnetic tapes, or any other known
memory device. CPU 210 can also represent several independently running
central processing units which may be executing application programs
simultaneously. As shown in FIG. 2, an application program, CRUPAY 230, is
stored in memory 220 and may be executed by the CPU 210. This is
illustrated by CRUPAY 230' in CPU 210. Also included in the memory 220 are
payroll data 240 and H-R data 250. When operating in the CPU 210, CRUPAY
230' uses the payroll data 240 and H-R data 250 from the memory 220. Since
the preferred implementation uses a relational database to store the
payroll data 240 and H-R data 250, the data 240 and 250 are stored in
tables.
B. COMPONENTS OF CRUPAY
As shown in FIG. 3, CRUPAY 230 comprises six software components: Security
310, Audit Trail 320, Human Resources 330, Time & Attendance 340, Payroll
350, and Reports 360. Each of these components performs specific functions
when CRUPAY 230' is executing in the CPU 210. These functions will be
described in greater detail below.
In general, the Security component 310 provides application security
operations, and the Audit Trail component 320 records functions performed
by each user. The Human Resources component 330 provides H-R operations,
and the Time & Attendance component 340 enables users to enter time-card
information. The Payroll component 350 enables users to generate a payroll
(i.e., employee payroll checks). The Reports component 360 is used by both
the Human Resources and Payroll components 330 and 350 to provide general
reporting capabilities on all information (both payroll and H-R data)
maintained by CRUPAY 230. For example, Reports component 360 enables users
to generate different H-R reports required by various government agencies
(e.g., report on hiring minorities).
The preferred implementation is a menu-based software application that
displays on the display screen of the computer (e.g. personal computer
130a) a plurality of different menus and data entry forms. Users select
options from the displayed menus using the cursor control keys on standard
keyboards (e.g., the keyboard for personal computer 130a) to highlight a
selected option and then striking the enter key to select the option.
Users enter data in displayed data entry forms by using the tab key to
scroll through the fields of data entry forms and entering (typing)
information in appropriate fields. Additionally, some of the data entry
forms have simultaneously displayed menus. With these types of forms the
cursor control keys may be used to select the menu options in the same
manner that the cursor controls keys are used to select options from other
types of menus.
C. SECURITY COMPONENT
Each time a user begins using CRUPAY 230, the user must enter a User ID and
Password. FIG. 4 illustrates the security check display 400 that the
Security component 310 of CRUPAY 230 displays on the display screen of a
computer, e.g., the display screen of a personal computer 130. When this
display 400 is displayed, the user enters a User Id in field 410 and a
Password in field 420. The Security component 310 of CRUPAY 230 maintains
tables that identify all users by User ID and Password. This way CRUPAY
230 only permits certain users (those listed in the tables) access to the
CRUPAY 230 components 320-360.
The Security component 310 also maintains a table (called the access level
table) that includes information concerning the level of data access
permitted to each user. This table is used to permit only certain users
capability to access (read only, read and write) payroll data or to access
H-R data, while other users may access both types of data. A system
administrator maintains the User ID-Password tables as well as the access
level table. Thus, only the system administrator can permit new users
access to CRUPAY 230 or change a user's access level.
D. AUDIT TRAIL COMPONENT
The audit trail component 320 uses the access level table (maintained by
the Security component 310) to determine which menu options on each of the
Main Menu 500 (illustrated in FIG. 5)--Payroll Menu 700 (illustrated in
FIG. 7), Human Resources Menu 1200 (illustrated in FIG. 12), Time &
Attendance Menu 1400 (illustrated in FIG. 14), Utilities Menu 1500
(illustrated in FIG. 15), and System Codes Menu 1600 (illustrated in FIG.
16)--users may select. For example, when a user that only has access
(either read or read and write) to payroll data and associated functions,
the Audit Trail component 320 limits access from the Main Menu 500 (FIG.
5) to only selection items Time & Attendance 520, Payroll 530, Systems
Utilities 540, and Quit 550, excluding Human Resources 510. When the user
selects Quit 500, CRUPAY 230 completes executing. However, when a user
selects Human Resources 510, Time & Attendance 520, Payroll 530, or
Systems Utilities 540 from the Main Menu 500, a corresponding component of
CRUPAY 230 begins executing. When a user selects one of items 510-540 from
the Main Menu 500, the Audit Trail component 320 continues executing
simultaneously with the selected component.
The Audit Trail component 320 registers each user as an active user after
successfully passing the security component 310. From that moment until
the user exits CRUPAY 230 (Quit 550 on Main Menu 500), a complete record
of functions performed is stored by the Audit Trail component 320 in an
audit trail table, including the User ID, date, time, and function
performed. This enables CRUPAY 230 users to identify, for example, the
user(s) that previously altered the payroll and/or H-R data. For example,
a user may access CRUPAY 230 and select Payroll 530 from the Main Menu 500
to produce a payroll (including printing payroll reports and checks), but
finds that, after reviewing the payroll an error occurred. To locate the
source of the error, the user can review the audit trail table to identify
the User ID, date, time, and function performed that caused the error.
FIG. 6 shows a flow diagram of steps in the audit trail process 600 used by
the Audit Trail component 320 of CRUPAY 230. When a user selects an option
from the Main Menu 500, the Audit Trail component 320 first accesses the
access level table to find the security level for the user (step 610). If
the user does not have access to the selected option, then the Audit Trail
component 320 does not permit the user to access the selected option, but
returns to display the previously displayed menu, in this case the Main
Menu 500 (step 630). For example, a user with only access rights to
payroll data will not be permitted access to H-R data and related
functions of CRUPAY 230. Thus, the Audit Trail component 320 will not
permit the user to successfully select the Human Resources option 510 from
the Main Menu 500.
Because the Audit Trail component 320 is simultaneously running with all
other components of CRUPAY 230 (except the security component 310), the
Audit Trail component 320 restricts user selections from all menus and
displayed data entry forms (discussed below).
If, on the other hand, the user does have access to a selected menu option,
then the Audit Trail component 320 begins to track the audit trail of the
user (step 640). First, the Audit Trail component 320 determines what
level of access rights the user has, i.e., read only or read and write
(step 640). If the user has read only access, then the Audit Trail
component 320 permits the user to view any data. For example, if the user
has read only access to payroll data, the user would be permitted to
select Payroll 530 from the Main Menu 500 and then to select any of the
options displayed in the Payroll Menu 700 (FIG. 7) and view payroll data
(step 650). After viewing selected data (step 650) the Audit Trail
component 320 completes tracking the audit trail of the user with read
only access rights (step 655) and returns to the previously displayed menu
(step 630).
If the user has both read and write access rights (step 645) then the Audit
Trail component 320 permits the user to make any changes to any data to
which the access rights apply (step 660). For example, a user with read
and write access rights to H-R data not only can view existing data that
may be displayed in the Personnel Action Form 1300 (FIG. 13), but also
change any H-R data, including data displayed in the form 1300.
If the user wishes to save any changes to payroll or H-R data (step 665)
then the Audit Trail component 320 saves the changes and creates a change
log record in the audit trail table to reflect the saved changes (step
675). If the user has completed making changes, then the flow continues to
step 655, otherwise flow returns to step 660. If the user does not wish to
save the changes (step 665), the Audit Trail component 320 determines
whether or not the user wishes to exit (step 670). If the user does not
wish to exit (step 670), the Audit Trail component 320 permits the user to
save changes (step 660). Otherwise the flow continues to step 655.
E. PAYROLL COMPONENT
Payroll component 350 includes the functions associated with producing
payrolls. To initiate execution of the payroll component 350, a user
highlights the Payroll option 530 on the Main Menu 500 and strikes the
enter key. (Alternatively, the user may select the Payroll option 530 by
striking the character "p" on the keyboard.) When selecting the Payroll
option 530, the user initiates execution of the Payroll component 350,
which begins by displaying a Payroll Menu 700 (FIG. 7).
The Payroll Menu 700 includes nine menu options, including the option to
Produce New Payroll 710. (The other eight are: In Progress Payroll, Define
A Payroll, Payroll Reports, Void Checks, Define Check Form, Adjustments,
Clear In Progress Tables, and eXit. The function of each of these options
can be generally understood by the name of the option. For example, the
Void Checks option permits the user to void checks printed by CRUPAY 230).
The user selects Produce New Payroll 710 to instruct the Payroll component
350 to begin to create a new payroll. Selecting this option causes the
Payroll component 350 to display the Produce Payroll entry form 1100 (FIG.
11). In this entry form, users enter the information needed to create a
payroll. In field 1110, the user identifies the Payroll Master. The
Payroll Master is the type of payroll the user wishes to create. For
example, companies have many types of union and nonunion personnel. The
payroll for each of these types of personnel is different. Therefore,
different payrolls must be created for each of these types of personnel.
The Payroll Master field 1110 permits the user to select the type of
payroll template used to produce a payroll. In the Description field 1120
the user enters a description of the payroll that is going to be produced
(e.g., a semi-monthly payroll for September 1 to September 5 paid on
September 16). The Ending Period Date field 1130 is where the user enters
the ending period of the payroll. The ending period date is used to
determine which time cards to use to produce the payroll. This is used
mainly for union and non-exempt payrolls. The Check Date field 1140 is
where the user enters the date to be printed on checks, and the Exempt
Time Card Dates fields 1150 and 1160 are used to enter dates to determine
which time cards to use to produce the payroll. These fields are used
mainly for exempt and key executive payrolls. The preferred implementation
include these two sets of dates because union and non-exempt employees are
always paid for a set period of time that always starts on Monday and ends
on Sunday, but exempt and key executives are paid based on a variable
schedule.
FIG. 8 illustrates the payroll data 810 and the H-R data 820 that CRUPAY
230 uses to produce a payroll, which is represented in FIG. 8 by product
data 830. The payroll data includes the employee type (which may be union,
exempt, nonexempt, key executive) employee selection statements,
deductions to withhold, date of payroll, and date of paycheck. The
employee selection statement are used to determine which employees to
include in a payroll. For example, an employee selection statement might
be: Division="CSCD" (a particular division name) and Department="910" (a
particular department number). This statement is used to produce a payroll
according to the limitations in the statement. Another example might be:
Division="CSCD" and SSN (social security number) not equal to
"111-22-3333".
CRUPAY 230 maintains H-R data for each employee. The H-R data 820 used to
generate a payroll includes, for each employee, the employee's name,
social security number, employee ID number, division code, department
code, section code, job title, hourly salary rates, hours to pay, W-4
withholding codes, W-5 earned income credit codes, deduction withholding
amounts, year to date gross salary amounts, and year to date tax
withholding amounts. These will be described below.
The product data 830 includes, for each employee included in the payroll,
the employee's name, social security number (SSN), employee ID number,
division code, department code, section code, job title, hourly salary
rates, hours to pay, W-4 withholding codes, W-5 earned income credit year
to date gross, W-5 earned income credit year to date amount, date of
payroll, date of paycheck, actual deduction amounts, actual withholding
amounts, updated year to date gross salary amounts, and updated year to
date tax withholding amounts The employee's name includes the first and
last name for each employee in the payroll. The employee ID number is, for
example, an employee clock number, which is a unique identifier (other
than the SSN) for each employee.
The division code, department code, and section code, together identify
each employee's work location. The division code corresponds to the
division in which each employee in the payroll works, and the department
code identifies the department in which the employee works. Each employee
also works in a particular section. This is identified by the section
code.
The hourly salary rate is the amount the employee is paid per hour of work.
This rate is made up of three components: a regular rate, an overtime
rate, and a special hourly rate. Hours to pay comprises the total number
of hours specified in an employee's time card. This is broken down into 6
components: regular hours, overtime hours, vacation hours, holiday hours,
sick hours, and special hours.
The W-4 withholding codes specify the employee's claimed exemptions as well
as additional amounts to withhold for taxes. Codes exist for federal,
state, local, and city taxes.
The W-5 earned income credit year to date (YTD) gross specifies the
employee's earned income credit (EIC) for the year to date (within a gross
amount limit), and the W-5 earned income credit year to date amount is the
employee's total EIC for the year to date. There is a limit on the amount
of EIC that can be collected each year, and the preferred implementation
accounts for this when generating a payroll.
The date of payroll is the date the payroll was created, and the date of
paycheck is the date to be printed on the employee's pay check. The actual
deduction amount is computed based on the deduction master for this
payroll, the deductions an employee has claimed, and the deduction master
table. The actual withholding amount is calculated from the employee's W-4
codes and the federal, state, local, and city tax tables. The updated year
to date gross salary amount is the employee's salary to date before taxes
(calculated by the W-4 codes), and updated year to date tax withholding
amounts is the amount the employee has paid in taxes to date (calculated
by the W-4 codes).
To integrate the payroll data 810 with the H-R data 820 to produce the
product data 830, the Payroll component 350 performs the steps of the
produce payroll process 900 illustrated in FIG. 9. In step 905, the user
selects one of a plurality of predefined payroll templates (step 905). The
user then enters payroll specific information in step 910 (see the produce
payroll entry form 1100 illustrated in FIG. 11).
If the user does not wish to create a payroll (step 950), the Payroll
component 350 determines whether the user wishes to exit the Produce New
Payroll option 710 from the Payroll Menu 700 (step 920). If the user
wishes to exit, then the Payroll component 350 returns and displays the
Payroll Menu 700. If, however, the user does not wish to exit (step 920),
then the payroll component 350 returns the flow to step 905.
If the user wishes to create a payroll (step 915), then the Payroll
component 350 stores the payroll header data (information from the produce
payroll entry sheet 1100) in "in-progress tables" (step 930). As described
above, the in-progress tables are used to store a "snap shot" of the H-R
data so that users may access the H-R data while the Payroll component 350
is producing a payroll.
The Payroll component 350 then begins a loop checking the H-R data
corresponding to each employee to determine whether the employee should be
included in the payroll that the user wishes to create (steps 935-960). In
step 935, the Payroll component 350 determines whether employee meets the
criteria set forth in the header data of the in-progress tables. If the
employee does not meet the criteria (step 935), then the Payroll component
350 skips the H-R data for that employee (step 940) and returns to step
935 to check whether the H-R data for the next employee meets the criteria
(step 935). If yes, then the Payroll component 350 determines whether the
H-R data that is necessary for creating the payroll is available (step
945). If the H-R data is not available (step 945), then the Payroll
component 350 waits one second (step 950) and then returns to step 945.
The H-R data for an employee may not be available if another user is
updating that H-R data. In this case it is important that the Payroll
component 350 use the most current H-R data, so it waits the one second
for the H-R data.
When the H-R data is available (step 945), the payroll component writes the
H-R data for the employee into the in-progress tables (step 955). The
Payroll component 350 then determines whether the H-R data for all
employees has been checked (960). If not, then the loop returns to step
935. Otherwise, the Payroll component 350 has checked all employees (step
960) and the processing continues to step 965 of FIG. 10.
In step 965, the Payroll component 350 calculates the payroll based on the
in-progress tables. The Payroll component 350 then produces payroll
checkout reports (970) that a user can use to determine whether the
payroll is correct. The Payroll component 350 may then print payroll
checks (step 975), after which it will write the payroll data for each
employee to history tables maintained by CRUPAY 230 (step 980). The
Payroll component 350 then determines whether the H-R data is available
(step 985). (The H-R data may not be available if another user is using,
i.e., updating the H-R data.) If the H-R data is not available (step 985),
then the Payroll component 350 will wait one second (step 990) and then
return to step 985. Otherwise, the Payroll component 350 will write the
payroll to the H-R data to update the H-R data to reflect the year to date
totals from the payroll. After completing step 995, the Payroll component
350 returns to step 925 and then to display the Payroll Menu 700.
Using this process 900 to produce a payroll, other users may simultaneously
access payroll and H-R data while CRUPAY 230 creates the payroll. In this
manner CRUPAY 230 seamlessly integrates payroll data (and related
functions) with H-R data (and related functions).
F. HUMAN RESOURCES COMPONENT
To initiate processing of the Human Resources component 330, the user
selects the Human Resource option 510 from the Main Menu 500 (FIG. 5).
This selection causes the Human Resources component 330 to display the
Human Resources Menu 1200 (FIG. 12). The menu 1200 includes five options:
Work With PAF (Personnel Action Form) 1210, PAF Reports Menu 1220, Change
Employee SSN (social security number) 1230, Activate/Deactivate PAF 1240,
and eXit 1250. When the user selects any of these options, the Human
Resources component 330 of CRUPAY 230 begins executing the corresponding
function. For example, selecting the Work With PAF option 1210 from the
Human Resources menu 1200 causes the Human Resources component 330 to
display a portion of the Personnel Action Form data entry display 1300
(FIG. 13) along with a related menu 1480.
Using the displayed entry form 1300, the user views or changes the H-R data
for an employee or adds H-R data for a new employee. In field 1305, the
user enters the name of an employee (last name, first name, middle name).
In field 1310, the user | | |
