Business
Process
Friends of the Family Child Care
Center requires many processes to execute daily activities, such as applying into
child care, hiring and managing staff and managing of vendors. When a parent is
interested in hiring FOTFCCC’s services, they go through a process of visiting
the facility and once the child is enrolled management uses ProCare to track
the status of the actual starting date. FOTFCCC uses ProCare to track the daily
activities and hours of the staff. Furthermore, ProCare helps the business manage
how much food and supplies to order according to the amount of children checked
in per classroom.
The main screen of the ProCare
system is the dashboard, in here staff and management can view a portion of
each of the department’s information. On the dashboard each classroom is broken
down to how many children are signed in, how many staff members are clocked in and
the fields turn red if they are out of the state guided ratio. The dashboard
also lets them know if they have too many staff scheduled for the amount of
children that should be there, allowing management to make decisions on whether
they need to send some of their staff home for the day. The dashboard supports
their business strategy by allowing FOTFCCC to keep their costs down through all
of the steps mentioned above and by helping them make daily decisions on how
much food to order from their vendors on a particular day according to the
amount of children checked in for that day.
Information
Silos
Information silos occurs when
information is not communicated within the departments of a company.
Communication throughout all the departments is key within any business because
it allows for a better customer service, the reduction of costs, and a more
effective strategy. For Friends of the Family Child Care Center, communication
between teachers, directors, accounting, vendors, and parents is a key function
of their daily activities. With their previous system, Friends of the Family
were experiencing major problems with information silos. It was difficult
for each department within their company, such as accounting, vendors,
management, and staff, to communicate with each other efficiently.
Structured
Process
One of the major issues with the
current information system ProCare is that it is not as user friendly as their previous
system. ProCare requires for its users to obtain basic training before being
able to use the system in an effective manner. However, one of the major
upsides of ProCare is that it resolved the problem that Friends of the Family Child
Care Center was experiencing with Office Center. ProCare was able to
create a structure departmental process by organizing all the information from
different departments into one system allowing the child care center to work
more efficiently. ProCare has allowed for different departments to create
and upload reports that can be shared among staff members. Their goal is
to have a computer in every room in order to allow for constant, easy, and
efficient access to their Information System.
Hardware
Friends of the Family Child Care Center uses
computers and laptops as their hardware. There are various computers located in
the main office of the child care center that allow for employees to access
ProCare. One of the main goals of FOTFCCC is to incorporate computers in all
the classrooms and departments of the child care. Allowing for easier access to
the hardware will help shrink information silos and allow for all departments
and employees to communicate easier through their information system ProCare.
Software
Friends of the Family Child Care
Center uses various softwares to support their daily operational activities and
managerial decisions. The operating
system that is installed in all of their in-site computers is Windows 7. This
operating system is used to host their main information system: ProCare and
create databases that host important reports.
Data
Friends
of the Family Child Care Center needs to have important data that is inputted
into their information systems pertaining their operations, customers,
employees, and accounting. Some of the data that the child care center deals
with is the information of the children enrolled; such as names, phone numbers,
address, parents’ information, health information; vendor’s information, and
staff information. FOTFCCC uses this data to create information on their
ProCare database which allows for management to obtain all the information
pertaining to a particular child, upload any new information, and create
reports based on this information.
FOTFCCC also inputs daily information on how many children attend the
child care center on a particular day; this allows management to make daily
decisions as to how much staff is needed for that day according to their
child-teacher ratio and how much food has to be ordered for lunch on that
specific day; which helps reduce operational costs.
Procedures
As a state regulated daycare,
Friends of the Family Child Care Center follows many important procedures that
staff and management have to follow. In order to protect client information,
management and staff have individual unique login codes.
The login codes create security in the system as it records who accesses the
information, changes it, and produces any reports. Having unique login codes
helps monitor timecards and creates accountability.
People
Employees:
One of the most
important parts of any business is its people. Specifically for FOTFCCC, people
are an essential part of their business strategy. Without its employees and
management the child care would not be able to run properly. The employees at
FOTFCCC, along with their extraordinary curriculum and reputation,
differentiate this particular child care from any other corporate or family
owned child care. The employees at FOTFCCC do not only receive training on how
to use ProCare to run and understand their daily duties, but also they are
selected very meticulously when it comes to the hiring process. Management
decides on who to hire based on their education, experience, background check,
love and passion for children. Their
hand-selected staff is what allows FOTFCCC to keep costs down because they do
not have to hire new staff very often since most of its employees have been
with their company for years. FOTFCCC
currently has 30 staff members that use ProCare to track hours and personal information;
this information exports to ADP to process payroll.Clients
Another important aspect of FOTFCCC business is its clients,
which include over 100 families. Families trust Friends of the Family Child
Care Center because it has slowly built up its reputation over the years by
providing excellent care. Through their information system ProCare, management
can check the time that children check in and out and compares it with the
schedule that they are supposed to be following; this allows management to
charge families accordingly. On the client perspective, through information
systems and the website that the child care center provides, parents can view
their balance and pay their bill right on the screen through their bank account
or credit card.
Social Media
Friends of the Family has done a
great job of incorporating social media and technology to their business
throughout their years of operation. With the development and exposure of
Facebook and Twitter in the recent years, FOTFCCC has kept themselves connected
throughout these sites. They have not only connected with their customers but
also made connections with unknown sources only by having the exposure.
FOTF also has developed an excellent website which does not
only provide insightful information about many aspects of their child care
center but also provide parents with a great information system. Their website
allows the parents of the children enrolled in the daycare to access, with a
specific user ID and password, information about their child. Once the parents
access the customized website, they can view and update personal information,
obtain information about what their child has done on a particular day at the
center, update health information, and even set up a list of authorized people
who are allowed to pick up their children from daycare. This personalized
service is an information system that differentiates them from other child care
centers around the area who do not offer this type of service for parents.
I really liked your Information. Keep up the good work. Klaviyo Specialist Sydney
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