Print Email Facebook Twitter Supporting Workforce Planning Title Supporting Workforce Planning Author Van Dijk, K.J.W. Contributor Seck, M. (mentor) Cunningham, S. (mentor) Verbraeck, A. (mentor) Van Houten, S. (mentor) Faculty Technology, Policy and Management Department Systems Management Date 2010-05-08 Abstract The goal of this project is to develop a workforce planning tool. A workforce planning tool is a decision support system (Keen and Sol, 2008) that enables Accenture to make better informed and faster decisions about its future workforce. The workforce planning tool has been developed with a design science approach. This approach is an iterative process where advancing insights dictate the direction of the project (Hevner et al., 2004). This process is especially suited for projects where the end result cannot be clearly defined beforehand because the iterative nature of this approach allows working towards a good solution. Chapter 2 concludes that in order to be able to effectively optimize the organization’s performance, workforce planning can help gaining an understanding with the internal and external dynamics of the workforce of an organization. With these insights a workforce that is better equipped to achieve the business goals can be created. In section 1.5 it is argued that a decision support system should support its users with making better decision not replace them. Not everyone is an expert when it comes to using IT systems. Therefore, according to section 4.5, a decision support tool needs a good looking and clear interface to improve the tool’s usage. A simulation model forms the basis of the workforce planning tool. Discrete event simulation has been picked as the most appropriate method of inquiry for the workforce planning tool Chapter 3 concluded it was best suited to meet the demands that the problem situation put forward. The workforce planning tool is tailored to Accenture’s organization. In chapter 4 several analyses have been done to reveal the structure of Accenture’s organization and its goals. Successful adoption of the workforce planning tool by the organization requires an adoption strategy. In order to determine the best strategy insight is needed into the strategic behaviors of the people influenced by the workforce planning tool. In section 3.1 it is argued that Input data and output data that is used for communicating the tool’s results is very important for the tool’s success. Managing this data is thus an important aspect of the design. Supporting Strategic Workforce Planning 7/117 The Figure below shows what elements the workforce planning tool should have. This Chapter will further specify how these three elements are designed and implemented. THREE IMPORTANT ELEMENTS FOR THE ACCENTURE WORKFORCE PLANNING TOOL The figure below shows a part of the final results of this project. At this screen it is possible to select what experimental scenario the user wants to run. In order to change the scenario’s parameters navigation to other screens is required. MANAGING THE SCENARIO’S The model within the tool has been validated in several different ways. A face validation where the models basic functionality was checked has taken place. For this purpose a special testing mode has been developed. The input of the parameters has been checked. Accenture’s experts evaluated the model’s results for correctness. Added to that a historical data analysis has been done to see if the tool was able to recreate what happened in the past. These tests have all improved the reliability of the tool’s results in their own way. Finally this study has produces several recommendations: 1. Include skills of employees in the tool. 2. Do some research on how the employee demand is calculated. 3. Structure knowledge resources. What skills are present in the current day organization? 4. Improve portability of the workforce planning tool. Subject workforce planningsimulationdecision support To reference this document use: http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:34c6ec08-cb78-452e-8581-54be260588eb Embargo date 2010-05-09 Part of collection Student theses Document type master thesis Rights (c) 2010 Van Dijk, K.J.W. Files PDF Thesis_Koen_van_Dijk.pdf 2.68 MB Close viewer /islandora/object/uuid:34c6ec08-cb78-452e-8581-54be260588eb/datastream/OBJ/view