This is how i start a new project. Write down what i want to do and how it should look like.
There are some questions in it and maybe there is someone who could answer them.
Skill coverage, and On the Job Training (short OJT)
Objective:
Build a InfoPath form where you can see skill coverage and where you can see and fill-in OJT progress. (start- 25%- 50%- 75%- finish. With goal date.)
Skill coverage:
Sample:
John and Peter are bench workers. John has a course of 3 days and Peter just called in for sick leave. The situation is we have no bench workers available for at least 3 days in worst case scenario. But we have some other workers with a second skill, bench worker. The problem is, they keep their mouth shut when the problem bench work is discussed with roll call.
The need:
A InfoPath form to see what everyone can do with multiple skills. Filtered from skilled to apprentice. Skills need to be filtered from 1(master) to 5(apprentice) with all the people with 1 on top and 2 on the second row, and so on to 5. As 1 is the most preferable and 5 the least for the upcoming 3 days. This has to be done from a dropdown list and select bench work.
Result:
A backup system for skill coverage.
Traps to keep in mind:
do not take people from other skills with a low coverage so you create another problem. Show in InfoPath a good scenario or a bad scenario. Even better, the best scenario, keeping in mind bench work and other skills. To be short, distribute skills evenly as possible.
Difficulty:
Employees have multiple skills, no one in the same order. Some have 4 skills and some have 2 skills. How to filter this properly in InfoPath.
OJT (On the Job Training):
Sample:
The wife wants this picture on the wall from aunty Leona, given on Christmas eve from aunty Leona. You do not like this picture at all, she looks at you, it doesn’t matter where you are in the room. Those stern eyes are locked on you, period. And to make things worse, the upper lip is curled down. So after 2 years the picture is still not on the wall. The wife is not happy at all about it, aunty Leona is here favorite Aunty. But absolutely not yours. This is also happening at my department. People where send to a course 3 years ago and they need still to finish there on the job training. They do not like the work involved with their newly acquired skill. Or even hate there newly acquired skill.
The need:
No more, when you see fit or when you like to do some on the job training. We need a form to give a date when OJT has to be finished, like it or not. The picture will hang on the wall. You like it or not, in a reasonable time. The wife is the boss.
Result:
A form where the OJT trainer can fill-in a date when he is at 25%- 50% 75%- 100% with a commend that he can work independently and put him in the list skill coverage with a level from 1 to 5.
Traps to keep in mind:
Trainer needs to fill in form to keep it actual. It stands or falls with this.
Difficulty:
Needs to be implemented in the form skill coverage. We need someone to monitor this, do we keep all this actual.
Figure out:
The need for a form to keep track of this. Ask permission to build this, Need permission from a manager or better a PUM (product unit manager). What kind of database, is xml better than a access database. The problem with access is problems with opening from different computers. Is InfoPath a good solution for this? I do like the clean and simple straight forward form layout of InfoPath. Is Excel a good second option? If Excel is better, then we need to contact Bart de Bakker for his VBA programming, if we do this in Excel, we do need VBA programming. The standard filter ability is not enough from Excel. Can I build this in office 2007 (home) and export this to 2003 (work)