A Look at the Automation of Business Processes

BY HEATHER OAKLEY

PILLAR: Infrastructure

I have been assigned to a project team in Business Services that is responsible for setting the stage to support the eventual implementation of automated workflow. Electronic technology will reduce our current manual and paper approval processes. What does this mean to you? At some point in the future, this will translate into electronic timekeeping (timecards) and leave processing.

Our project group, made up of individuals across many units in Business Services, has been tasked with proposing an organizational structure within SAP that would support the automation of many business processes across the University, including Regional Campuses. This is no small task considering the number of business processes in place at the University!

The group has been gathering data about the capabilities of SAP, reviewing which functional tasks could be automated and which require approvals; how reporting and SAP interfaces will be affected by a change in organizational structure within SAP and much, much more.

Our next step will be to get a technical solution from the SAP team to present with our business case to our project sponsors.

As part of the project, we were able to view a demo of electronic leave processing. It was very slick — no paper Form 33Absence involved! Below is a simplified version of the electronic process.

Another exciting development for the future is the electronic capture of time where employees may enter their hours worked directly into SAP and then routed to the supervisor electronically for approval.

These are just a couple of ways that business processes will be changing in the future. We still have a lot of work to get there, but the progress that is being made is very exciting.

PILLAR: Robust Research and Scholarship Program

Celebrating Research and Scholarship is an annual event for librarians to present on and discuss recent, ongoing or future research projects and library science scholarship. This year there were 19 presentations (compared to last year’s 16) ranging from several information literacy projects, to collection and user analyses to collaborations with other disciplinary faculty.

 This year a new format was tried, giving presenters more time and more slides to allow for a more detailed presentation than previous “speed dating” approaches. Afterwards, presenters and audience members discussed research over lunch.

Abstracts and presentations are on the Libraries’ Intranet page under Research Council at: http://intranet.lib.purdue.edu/display/Councils/2010+Celebrating+Research+and+Scholarship

Guiding Principle #4: Providing excellent customer service

The end of the semester is almost here and once again Purdue Libraries will be extending hours in four of our libraries: ENGR and UGRL will be open 24-hours beginning Sunday, December 5, and HSSE and MEL will extend their hours during finals week. All other libraries will keep their regular hours.

Staff are needed to help cover some of the extended hours. No reference experience is required, and training in circulation, building and emergency procedures and food and drink policies will be provided. Typically, shifts are scheduled to allow for maximum coverage and, if possible, a regular staff member will be present for each shift. 

If you are interested in participating or have questions, please send -email by Friday, November 19 to the Operations Coordinators for the participating libraries.

ENGR is seeking staff from throughout Purdue Libraries — contact Amanda Gill

UGRL is seeking staff from throughout Purdue Libraries — contact RaeLynn Boes

HSSE (HSSE staff/faculty — work with Linda Rose to cover extended hours)

MEL (MEL staff/faculty — work with RaeLynn Boes to cover extended hours)

We hope to rearrange schedules as much as possible to allow wide participation by staff and faculty. A combination of overtime and flex scheduling is possible, consistent with the pay period and supervisor’s permission. Biweekly staff and monthly non-exempt staff members who work night hours as overtime will be paid time-and-a-half. The maximum amount of overtime allowed in any 24-hour period is 8 hours; the maximum in any work week (Monday through Sunday) is 20 hours. Monthly exempt staff and faculty could adjust their schedules as appropriate.

Thank you so much to everyone who has helped keep the Libraries open in the past and to new volunteers who are able to contribute a few hours of time at the end of this semester. This initiative would not be possible without your help!

For a list of all library hours visit: http://www.lib.purdue.edu/libraries/hours/201011/ExtendedHoursFall10.html

Staff Members Recognized for 480 Years of Service!

40 Years
Carolyn Laffoon
Connie Smith

35 Years
Becky Hunt
Sharon Shuman

30 Years
Susan Calvert
Candy Sheagley

25 Years
Lori Bryant
Nancy Hewison
Connie Richards

20 Years
Vikki McLaughlin
Judy Schumaker

15 Years
Claire Alexander
Elaine Bahler
Bert Chapman
Brenda Martin
Ellen Risk
Maureen Sharp
Marti Worden

10 Years
Donna Ferullo
Amy Van Epps
Jessie Morefield
Tonya Wichterman
Michael Witt

The honorees will be recognized by the Libraries Administration and staff on Tuesday, December 14 from 2:00 p.m.–3:30 p.m. in STEW 279. Please plan to attend and offer them your congratulations.

New staff that have joined the Libraries since November 2009 will also be welcomed and recognized. They include: Bryan Briones (ADM) and Julie Hillgrove (HR).

The Annual Arts & Crafts Show and Sale will also be held at this time. This event is in its 18th year and continues to highlight the many talents of some of our staff. Contact Dot Lanzalotto for more information.

PILLAR: Campuswide Information Literacy

Abu Zafar Shahriar, a graduate assistant in the MEL Library correctly answered all of round one questions. The person answering the most total questions from all three rounds will receive a gift basket featuring an assortment of related items.

Round two questions and answers:

1. What does Amir put under Hassan’s mattress to frame him? — Money and a wristwatch that Baba gave Amir as his birthday gift.
2. According to Baba, all sins are a variation of what one and only sin? —Theft
3. At what age does Amir flee Afghanistan with his father? — 18
4. Why do Baba and Amir leave Kabul? — Because of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan

Round three questions:

1. In which state do Baba and Amir end up in the United States?
2. What does Amir decide to study in college?
3. From what does Baba die?

Answer as many questions as you can and submit the question along with your answer to tmabrown@purdu.edu by 5:00 p.m. Friday, November 19.

For more information on the Common Reading initiative, check out: http://www.purdue.edu/sats/
commonreading/index.html.

GIS Day @ Purdue

PILLAR: Robust Research & Scholarship Program

On Tuesday, November 8, 2010, the Purdue University Libraries hosted events for the fourth annual Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Day at Purdue. A workshop was held in the morning with Mark Ehle of the Tippecanoe County GIS followed by a poster and demo session in the Union and concluded with a Q&A with Purdue Alumni at Oak Ridge National Labs.