Reference no: EM133177110

Gourmet Foods is a local Food and Beverage (F&B) group that owns a range of premium restaurants across Singapore. The company currently employs around 300 culinary and service staff. Gourmet Foods is planning an expansion into China and Indonesia given the rising consumer demand for luxury dining in these regions.

While excited about the new venture, Michael, the CEO, is concerned if the firm is able to maintain the high-level of food and service quality given the overseas locations and significant increase in workforce. Staff absenteeism and turnover are common challenges across the F&B industry. However, these issues impact premium restaurants more significantly as service quality is key. As such, Gourmet Food invests heavily in employee training and employee performance is managed tightly by restaurant managers.

Michael discusses his concerns with Kyra, the CHRO. She believes that the current decentralised system of personnel management is no longer viable and is keen to implement a centralised HR dashboard for more oversight and control. She engages People Informatics, an HR information solutions firm, to develop and deploy the dashboard. You have been assigned as the Lead Consultant for the project. After preliminary investigations, you found out that HR manages a system that captures employees' biodata and attendance. Finance has a separate system to process payroll and benefits. Recruitment and performance appraisal are paper-based and processed by the individual restaurants. Employees are to keep training certifications as a record of their training.

1. Describe a HR information system. Appraise if Gourmet Food's current HR data management is conducive to support the dashboard. Discuss THREE (3) weaknesses and its possible effects on utility of the dashboard. (10 marks)

2. Propose TWO (2) information that will help Gourmet Food manage their staff so that their restaurants consistently deliver a high standard of food and service quality. Propose TWO (2) metrics to address the information need identified (note: one metric for each information need). Illustrate how each metric addresses the information need.

As the Lead consultant, you presented a project proposal and quotation at a management meeting. The Chief Finance Officer, James, was not supportive due to the high cost of the project and remarked that 'People performance, unlike financials, is highly subjective and cannot be measured. We should just hire more people at each restaurant to manage the staff.'

3. State if you agree or disagree with James' remarks. Explain your reasons with illustration.