Presenting all dept .MIS summary to Management-Is this HR's job?

Dear Seniors,

In our company, we have a system of Monthly MIS submission by all department heads (we have approximately 14 departments, and they have 4-5 subsections). To measure actual performance against set targets (KRA), management wants a neutral person like HR who can cross-check the MIS, present to the Management committee about each department's performance against set KRA, highlight the deviations from planned targets, and also present the summary report to the management committee on a monthly basis.

I request your opinion on whether HR is the right person for this task. How are other companies handling this? One point I would like to highlight is that we do not have an integrated software (ERP) for MIS generation. HODs find MIS a little tedious, hence it is not submitted on time. The general delay is 8-10 days. Management does not trust HODs because they feel there are chances of misrepresentation of information or exaggeration of achievements; hence, they want HR to participate in summarizing and checking the actual working. Also, management wants only relevant and decision-impacting information, expecting this from HR.

Please suggest what we should do. Should we take this responsibility, or is there a smarter way of handling it?

Thanks and Regards,
Aakansha (HRD)

Dear Aakansha,

Following are my views on your post:

a) Earlier, there used to be a Management Representative in ISO certified organizations. On similar lines, your management wanted to create a Performance Representative who can monitor the performance of all the departments and give feedback to them.

b) For the delayed submission of data, HR need not be held responsible. HODs are expected to be mature enough to understand the implications of the delayed submission of data for the review by HR. You may pass on the details of each department as and when you complete the review.

c) Your management's desire is laudable. However, here lies the catch. Is HR competent to understand the intricacies of each department? What if HODs are taking HR for a ride?

d) Monitoring monthly performance is too tedious. The frequency of measurement is too short. You could be spending a whole lot of time monitoring it. While one should measure the performance, what matters is that it should not be costly. Against this backdrop, let us remember what the former CEO of HCL Technologies, Mr. Vineet Nayar, has said. He has brought out the difference between adding value and counting the value. For this, he has given the example of a diamond cutter. To read the complete article, click the following link: https://www.hbrascend.in/topics/thre...agers-leaders/

e) As you have rightly said, to avoid manipulations, the organization should invest in ERP. These systems spew out real-time performance reports in no time.

f) In a company where a sound PMS is established, costs associated with the business are identified, and each HoD is assigned the respective cost relevant to his/her department. Have you done that? Are you measuring what is supposed to be measured? Is it that you are missing out on primary measures but spending time on the measures of secondary or tertiary importance? If this is happening, then the whole exercise could go futile.

Thanks,

Dinesh Divekar

Dear Akansha,

Your only question is whether HR should shoulder the responsibility of collating MIS data of individual departmental performance against the KRAs and present it to the Management. In my view, HR is not competent enough to undertake this. The person who is thoroughly grounded in capturing nuances of business intricacies may add a lot of value to this vital activity on which business-impacting decisions are dependent. With due regards to HR, HR is ill-equipped to handle this.

Regards,
Vinayak NagarKar
HR Consultant

Dear Aakansha,

The KRA is HR-related but involves a multi-departmental role. Since your management wants to get things done through HR, which means the function of HR. In most companies, the HR department prepares MIS for management.

You or your team members should either develop a "Logical Format" in line with KRA or get it done through any agency for the collection of data across departments on a daily basis. Your management will issue an order for all departments to forward their information for the day to you via mail the following morning using the format. You and your department will need to put in some effort for a period of time, but eventually, things will be set on track. This task will provide you with ample opportunity to get to know your people better and understand their productive behavior, which is a complete HR task.

The thumb rule suggests that HR should take this responsibility. However, you can seek help from the IT department or have an IT professional in your department for data analysis and compiling the required MIS.

This was implemented 25 years ago.

Dear Prabhat ji,

Thanks for your guidance. Even I am looking forward to it as an opportunity. In fact, my first challenge was to spread awareness among people about why MIS is important and how it will ease their work in the long run. To some extent, I am quite successful in doing this, but it was a very energy-draining exercise because my immediate senior has the same opinion as Nagarkar ji. He doesn't find any value in doing this thing, and for quite some time, in fact still, I would say it is a debatable topic in my company. I enjoy doing it personally because it brings me closer to people's problems and actual business performance. But where I am contributing, is it going to enrich my career as an HR is something that keeps me puzzled. My immediate senior is a very knowledgeable person; his suggestions and opinions are very valuable to me, hence I feel confused about taking this role or direction from Management.

However, after going through your and Divakar sir's posts, now I feel I am on the right track and should learn the technicalities of becoming a Performance Representative.

Thanks and Regards,
Aakansha-HRD

Dear Akansha,

If you are looking at this as a learning opportunity and a challenge to add value, then it is an altogether different matter. Equip yourself with the knowledge and skills involved in aiming for the final deliverables. You seem to be in two minds, and any half-hearted effort is likely to turn this activity into a mere information collection and dissemination center rather than a value-addition. Your senior is rightly apprehensive about this.

Regards,

Vinayak Nagar Kar HR Consultant

To AAKANSHA,

Regarding this current topic, I would like to say that you should have a software (ERP)/ SAP for MIS generation. It is the duty of the IT person, and not of HR. It is the duty of every HOD to give a report for MIS to the IT person on a day-to-day basis in a format. If the HOD has not given a report, then HR can remind him. But overall presentation and MIS generation should be done by the IT person.

JAYANT NISAL Corporate Manager-HR/IR 7875757963