1.1 Introduction
Human Resource Management System (HRMS) is an application that combines many human resource functions, including Employee Record, Payroll System, Recruitment and Training, Performance Appraisal and Retirement Administration System review into one package in order for the organization to perform at a maximum and highly fulfilling environment. Human Resource Management described as a strategic, integrated and coherent approach to the employment, development and well-being of the people working in organizations. It has a strong conceptual basis drawn from the behavioral sciences and from strategic management, human capital and industrial relations theories. This foundation has been built with the help of a multitude of research projects (Armstrong, 2010). A human resource practice is considered the most critical for organizational performance. However, Human Resource Management is described as a strategic, integrated and coherent approach to the employment, development and well-being of the people working in organizations.
As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.
1.2 Background of Study
The Nigerian Breweries Plc is the pioneer and the largest Brewing Company in Nigeria. The company was incorporated in 1946 with authorized share capital of £600.00 pounds and recorded a landmark when the first indigenous beer ‘Star' retted off bottle large beer in Lagos. The founders of this great company were the United African Company (UAC) International, Heineken International Holland and some other local trading companies such as, John Holt, Paterson Zochones (PZ) and United Trading Company (UTC).
After the company produced its first bottled beer branded ‘STAR' in June 2, 1949, and marked the beginning of the brewing industry in Nigeria, it was greatly accepted in the market. That eventually led to the expansion of the Lagos brewery and the opening of the Aba brewery in 1957. Some years later, the company was able to spread its tentacles and this made remarkable impact on the brewery industry at a time when others had not ventured into the business in Nigeria. Today Nigerian Breweries Plc, operate five major breweries located in Lagos, Aba, Kaduna, Ibadan, and Enugu. The following products are what it produces: Star Beer Gulder Beer Legend Extra Stout Maltina (Malt Drink) Crush (Orange Flavored Soft Drink).
As it can be seen, Nigerian Breweries PLC adopts individual brand name for all their products due to the fact that they do not want to put all their egg in one basket. Because of the success recorded so far, the company in October, 2003, commenced the biggest brewery in Africa ‘AMA Brewery' which is located along 9th Mile, Obollo Road in Enugu State.
Over the past decade people looked at the Personnel Department as mostly to manage the paperwork around, hiring and payment of staff s salaries. Human Resource Management (HRM) is an exciting and dynamic field. Even in this age of high information technology, people are still the most important asset to an organization. Human Resource supports the organization mission, goals and strategies. However, in recent years, a new wave of awareness has existed in the organization as it concerns the use of computers in administrative and planning areas of business activities. These areas require both quantitative and qualitative information. Organization have thus, adopted the use of Management Information System (MIS) and Decision Support System (DSS) in their decision processes which is an Information System for Human Resource Management System on the platform of internet.
Although, Human Resource professionals continue to perform many of the same activities that they did decades ago, e. g. Recruiting, Training, Managing, Paying the employees. The internet, however, has had a significant impact on the way HR professionals have accomplished these task today. Where in the past, HR activities were largely paper intensive and highly manual, the function today has been transformed into a sophisticated computer-based process. Technological improvements have allowed Human Resource professionals to spend less time on administrative tasks and more time with employees.
This research outlines the benefits inherent in Web Based Human Resource Management System, to streamline process, outsource administrative activities, improve efficiencies and reduce cost. Web based Human Resource Management System is user friendly and mechanically advanced solution. Human Resource Management (HRM) involves the use of both quantitative (structured) and qualitative information (unstructured). Decisions are largely based on intuition, principles and experience. In recent times, efforts are being made to build intelligence into computing system, whereby the computer can be used to process large volumes of quantitative and qualitative information for decision-making.
1.3 Statement of Problem
Investigation revealed that due to the manual approach adopted in Nigerian Breweries, numerous problems had been encountered in the process of handling recruitment of employees, salary payment and retirement administration. For this reason, there is need to devise a better and more effective means of solving the problems of Human Resource functions with the aid of developing a Web Based Human Resource Management System to solve problems associated with Manpower Planning and Procurement, Performance Appraisal, Staff Training and Development, Retirement, Layoff and Discharge, Organizational Communication and Staff Motivation.
It is therefore necessary to address this issue critically through a well conducted feasibility study and system analyses of the Human Resource Management department of Nigerian Breweries, Aba. This project research sets out to achieve a high and effective management of Human Resource with the view to increasing capability in highly fulfilling environment.
1.4 Aim and Objectives of the Study
The aim of the study is to design and implement an Information System for Human Resource Management System using Nigeria Breweries Plc, Aba as a case study. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows to develop an application software that will:
- Store information about the organization, the staffs and their data.
- Create a database system for potential applicants, with emphasis on their qualification and experience.
- Determine appropriate match of applicants with skills and jobs experience to appropriate organization for possible employment.
- Encourage the organizations to motivate their employees in order.
- Enable rapid processing staffs levy, retirement grants and training.
- Create proper communication channel between the management and the public.
- Establish employee recruitment and selection system for hiring the best possible employees consistent with the organizations need.
1.5 Significance of Study
This research will be of primary significance to Human Resource Management in Personnel Department, as it will expose them to factors that they will have to consider before embarking on Human Resource Management. For students in the Marketing, Banking and Finance, and Business Administration Discipline, it will expose them to the techniques of Human Resource Management.
To student of Computer Science Discipline, the research project will be of immense academic benefit to them as they discover the potentials of HTML and Java Script as a web design programming language. They will also gain knowledge on the steps involved in the complete development of a web based computer-based system. The website should also be useful to individuals and organizations as it will give them an insight into the requirements of developing a web based Human Resource Management System to boost their manpower capacity. It will serve as a source of reference for further studies on this area.
1.6 Scope of Study
The scope of the research is focused on the Design and Implementation of an Information System for Human Resource Management System using Nigeria Breweries Plc, Aba as a case study. This research however does not cover all the various aspects of Human Resources Management namely: Planning, Staffing, Training and Development, Wages and Salary, Employee's benefits and Services, Union Relations etc. But due to time constraint, the research centers on recruitment and staff training development.
1.7 Limitations of the Study
During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:
- Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
- Establishment Policies: Establishment policies posed a serious limitation as most staffs are not ready to release information needed for this project work. There were lots of information needed from the staffs of this institution to enhance the study which took them time to release or they did not release at all for security purposes, hence the scope was reduced.
- Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
- Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
- Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet).
1.8 Definition of Terms
Human: The term Human is concerned with people, since every organization is made up of people
Resource: This is seen as supplies of stock of something useful.
Management: Management is a process of utilizing materials and human resources to accomplish a set goals or objectives through proper planning, organizing, directing and controlling the materials and human resources.
Website: A website can be a collection of web pages that can be linked to other website on the internet.
Internet: A global Network of computers that can access each other and share information.
Network: This is a connection of computers and other hardware's and communication device through cable, phone line, satellites, optic fiber in order to share information's and resources.
