Zomg! an update!
Being as this is my last day in Auckland, I figured I'd update the journal as to my shady dealings in the last little while.
I've been working with the Auckland District Health Board the last couple months right after my stint with the Auckland City Council. Things were the usual: helping computer neophytes learn that a mouse isn't only a type of rodent, or that the monitor powering on doesn't mean the computer itself is alive with electrical energy. Also, working with systems that are outdated, poorly thought through, and generally could be attributed to the very first programmer named Grug from the stone age.
Surprisingly, my manager at the health board gave me praise for coming up with an initial design to making the payroll system more up to date. Currently, 2/3 of the 9000 staff on the payroll of ADHB fill in timesheets which have to be entered, checked, verified, then transferred from the Excel spreadsheet into the payroll system that is known as Leader. This is done via another program called Actor. You can see how extensive the process is already. Each timesheet ends up with 4 stamps: Received, Entered, Checked, and Verified.
Now, they have a perfectly capable network throughout the various hospital sites in the Auckland area but aren't using its full potential. Imagine this: Employee A enters the hours they worked and selects any special shift codes they need. This makes it so everyone writes the same thing; for example say Sick Leave. Sick instead of as well SL, S/L, Sick Leave, whatever their brains can come up with, etc. Plus it locks them out of trying to claim things they shouldn't try to claim for.
Next, the Manager logs in Monday morning and reviews each entered time sheet and just clicks on "OK" or whatever to authorize the timesheet. Normally they have to sign each one after reviewing it before sending it by internal mail.
Now, since it has been authorized by the Manager, the payroll clerks don't have to enter each timesheet, have it checked for errors, etc. They can concentrate on maintenance and handling any problems that staff have. Plus it saves thousands of sheets of paper a week and alot of internal mailing.
I actually had a good idea once in my life. Who'da thunk? XD
But anyways, it really doesn't matter to me as I won't be around to see if they'll actually go through with it.
As for my travel plans now, I'm heading down to the south island for 2.5 weeks. I'll check out a glacier or two, travel down a fiord or three, and hike a few dozen miles over several days with only me, a few bottles of water, and the ever dangerous and predatory kiwi birds. They have pointy fangs that rend. (I hope none of you are believing that kiwi birds are dangerous...)
By Dec 13, I'll be back in Auckland for a couple more days to settle matters like taxes before I catch my flight back to Canuckia on Dec 15.
To close things off, remember this sage piece of advice since I don't give basil advice: the cheese is greener on the other side.
I've been working with the Auckland District Health Board the last couple months right after my stint with the Auckland City Council. Things were the usual: helping computer neophytes learn that a mouse isn't only a type of rodent, or that the monitor powering on doesn't mean the computer itself is alive with electrical energy. Also, working with systems that are outdated, poorly thought through, and generally could be attributed to the very first programmer named Grug from the stone age.
Surprisingly, my manager at the health board gave me praise for coming up with an initial design to making the payroll system more up to date. Currently, 2/3 of the 9000 staff on the payroll of ADHB fill in timesheets which have to be entered, checked, verified, then transferred from the Excel spreadsheet into the payroll system that is known as Leader. This is done via another program called Actor. You can see how extensive the process is already. Each timesheet ends up with 4 stamps: Received, Entered, Checked, and Verified.
Now, they have a perfectly capable network throughout the various hospital sites in the Auckland area but aren't using its full potential. Imagine this: Employee A enters the hours they worked and selects any special shift codes they need. This makes it so everyone writes the same thing; for example say Sick Leave. Sick instead of as well SL, S/L, Sick Leave, whatever their brains can come up with, etc. Plus it locks them out of trying to claim things they shouldn't try to claim for.
Next, the Manager logs in Monday morning and reviews each entered time sheet and just clicks on "OK" or whatever to authorize the timesheet. Normally they have to sign each one after reviewing it before sending it by internal mail.
Now, since it has been authorized by the Manager, the payroll clerks don't have to enter each timesheet, have it checked for errors, etc. They can concentrate on maintenance and handling any problems that staff have. Plus it saves thousands of sheets of paper a week and alot of internal mailing.
I actually had a good idea once in my life. Who'da thunk? XD
But anyways, it really doesn't matter to me as I won't be around to see if they'll actually go through with it.
As for my travel plans now, I'm heading down to the south island for 2.5 weeks. I'll check out a glacier or two, travel down a fiord or three, and hike a few dozen miles over several days with only me, a few bottles of water, and the ever dangerous and predatory kiwi birds. They have pointy fangs that rend. (I hope none of you are believing that kiwi birds are dangerous...)
By Dec 13, I'll be back in Auckland for a couple more days to settle matters like taxes before I catch my flight back to Canuckia on Dec 15.
To close things off, remember this sage piece of advice since I don't give basil advice: the cheese is greener on the other side.