DATABASE CONCEPTS

AND APPLICATIONS IN
HRIS
TAYYABA IQBAL
• HRIS have as their foundation electronic databases that work
in conjunction with business applications to transform data
into information that is essential for business operations and
for decision making.
• Data are produced, stored, updated, and shared by human
resources (HR) employees and managers on a daily basis.
DATA, INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE
• Data represent the “facts” of transactions that occur on a daily basis.
Transaction can be thought of as an event of consequence, such as hiring an
employee
• Information Is The Interpretation Of Data, interpretation of data always has
some goal and context
• Knowledge Is Information That Has Been Given Meaning, its More than
what and why, knowledge is about how.
• It consists of the procedures one follows to use data and information to
make decisions and conduct business
• HR Professionals Use The Data And Information About Employees And Jobs
To Make Strategic HR Recommendations And Decisions.
 Example

Employee date hired, the name of Making a Hiring decision for a Knowledge represents how HR
Data
the person hired, the title of particular Information
department managersKnowledge
can execute the
the position, the location where recruitment plan, decide which
the new hire will work training programs are best to
bridge skill gaps or determine
what to do if employee
discrimination exists
DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS (DBMS)
• Set Of Software Applications Combined With a Database
• Enables Effective Management of Data Electronically

• Identifying The Data Necessary To Make HR Decisions

• Defining The Characteristics of That Data (e.g., Number Data vs.
Character Data),
• Organizing Those Data
• Restricting Access To The Data
• Database is a set of organized data. Importantly, it is a
permanent, self descriptive store of interrelated data
items that can be processed by one or more business
applications.
• Self-descriptive means that the database knows about
the characteristics of the data (e.g., the length of an
employee’s last name can be no greater than 30
characters)
• Interrelated means that there are links between
different sets of data in the database
• Main Functions of a DBMS are to create the database;
insert, read, update, and delete data; maintain data
integrity & security and prevent data lost by providing
backup and recovery capabilities and allowing data to
be retrieved quickly by the many users in the
organization.

• while providing the functions or tasks that the user

wants to performed.
• Data from this transaction processing system can
also be used to generate reports on monthly personnel
expenses
Figure 2.1 Database, Database Management System, and Business Applications

Payroll
program

Recruitment
Payroll
data
program
Database
Recruitment management
data system Workplace
Workplace program
profiles
data

Performance Performance
data Program

Application Users
Database Interface
Programs
EARLY FILE STRUCTURES
Electronic data were stored in computers in much the same way that they were stored in paper
filing systems known as records.
• the main objective of this systems was to process transactions such as update payroll records
and produce checks as efficiently as possible
Traditional file-oriented data structures (shortfalls)
(a) data redundancy

(b) poor data control

(c) inadequate data manipulation capabilities

(d) excessive programming effort

• TO solve the above problem Hierarchical and Network database systems evolved in the mid-
1960s and early 1970s. (relationships)
EARLY DBMS

• Hierarchical Database Model

• A database model in which the data is organized in a top-down or inverted
tree-like structure.
• Network Database Model
• An extension of the hierarchical model or tree model. Instead of having only
levels of one-to-many relationships, the network model is an owner-member
relationship in which a member may have many owners.

Note: Advent of relational database management systems addressed the problems with
older DBMS and database structures.
HIERARCHICAL AND NETWORK DBMS

Figure 2.2
Hierarchical Structure Network Structure

Dept
Dept Dept
Dept
Dept. 1 11 22

Project Project Project

Project Project
Project Project
Project
1 2 11 22 33

Employee Employee
employee
employee 11 employee
employee 22
1 2
 Hierarchical Structure NETWORK STRUCTURE
Advantages Disadvantages Advantages Dis advantages

1- Parent –child 1- not flexible 1- Graph path/ network 1- data can be enter
relation/ tree 2- complete physical 2- one to many
2- Security of data data knowledge Many to one
3- one to many 3- structure change Many to many
relationship exist
relationship effect on all programs
4- data sharing
 RELATIONAL DBMS
• Developed In 1970, E. F. Codd. to store data in
tables form for a single entity (employee)
• Most popular data base model in the world
• The data stored in relations (Tables), where
column represent attributes and data stored in
rows/tuple
• Tables are connected through one unique key
• It remove the problem of data redundancy
• Retrieval of data from different tables was based
on logical relationships built into the table
structures
• Data can easily be shared around the globe
RELATIONAL DBMS: THREE TYPES OF DATA SHARING

• Data Sharing Between Different Functions

• Increased Use Of Integrated Business Applications (E.G., Enterprise Resource
Planning)

• Data Sharing Between Different Levels

• Three Levels: Operational Employees, Managers, Executives
• Three Types Of Software Systems: Transaction Processing, Management
Reporting, Decision Support (Hansen & Hansen, 1996)
• Data Sharing Between Different Locations
• Manage Time/Day Of Transaction
• Determine Where To Store Components
RELATIONAL DATABASE
STRUCTURE
Figure 2.3
 KEY RELATIONAL DATABASE TERMINOLOGY
• Entities are things such as employees, jobs, promotion
transactions, positions in a company, and so on.

• Attribute is a characteristic of an entity. Attributes also

have characteristics such as the type of data (e.g., date,
number, or character) and size of data.

• Tables are used to store information about entities. One

table is created for each entity. Attributes are stored as
the columns (also called fields) in the table. Each table in
a database contains rows.

• A row in a table is referred to as a record and represents

an ‘instance’ of the entity.
EXAMPLE
KEY RELATIONAL DATABASE TERMINOLOGY

• Relationships are created by having

same attribute in each table with the
value of the attribute being the same in
each table.

• A primary key uniquely identifies the

record.

• A foreign key is a primary key from

one table stored as an attribute of
another table.
• Query - A query is a structured way of posing your question to the DBMS in a
language it understands.
• Select Query allows you to ask a question based on one or more tables in
a database.
• Action Query performs an action on the table on which it is based. Like
updating data , del, insert data in table and create new table.
• Cross-Tab Query performs calculations or contrast different tables and
displays the results in table form.
• Select query and cross-tab queries provide the information used at
executive and managers level (helpful for MRS,DSS)
• ACTION query improve the operational efficiency of Database related to
TPS
 TYPICAL CAPABILITIES OF QUERIES

 Display selected fields and records from a table

 Sort records on one or multiple fields
 Perform calculations
 Generate data for forms, reports, and other queries
 Update data in the tables of a database
 Find and display data from two or more tables
 Create new Tables
 Delete records in a table based on one or more
criteria
DATABASE TERMINOLOGY- FORMS
• A form is an object in a database that you can use to maintain, view, and print records in a database
in a more structured manner.

• Represent the main mechanism for creating end user interface

• Can display one or multiple records at a time

• Can present data in very customized and useful way

• Well design forms can improve data input efficiency and accuracy

• Forms provide navigation buttons that facilitate moving from one field to other, record - to –record

• Data altered in forms automatically saved in data base

 DATABASE TERMINOLOGY- REPORTS

• A report is a formatted presentations of data from a

table, multiple tables or queries that is created as a
printout or to be viewed on screen.
• Reports are dynamic, displaying the latest existed data
• Can not make changes in the report
• Reports provide you flexibility for formatting printed
output
• You can customized design your own report
 MS ACCESS
MS Access is designed for relatively small databases and assumes limited
knowledge of database programming.
• MS Access provides the following functions
 It allows you to create databases containing tables and table relationships
 It lets you easily add new records, change table values in existing records, and delete
records.
 It contains a built-in query language, which lets you obtain immediate answers to
questions you ask about your data.
 It contains a built-in report generator and report wizard, which lets you produce
professional-looking, formatted reports from your data.
 It provides protection of databases through security, control, and recovery facilities.
 Data can be exported to other database applications as excel
 DESIGNING AN MS ACCESS DATABASE
Data base design process include these sequential steps.

6. Create Relationships
1. Determine User Needs 7. Create Forms
2. Identify Data Fields 8. Create Queries
3. Group Related Fields Into Tables 9. Create Reports
4. Determine Each Table’s Primary Key 10. Enter Test Data
5. Normalize The Data 11. Test The System
6. Determine Relationships 12. Enter Or Populate The Database
 HR DATABASES

• Data base applications based on MS EXCESS for

fewer then 1000 employees
• Enables to store data, retrieve and generate
customized forms and reports
• More commercial based applications
• Oracle Enterprise HCM,MY SAP ERP HCM,
ORACLE, MS SQL Server
• These software can be licensed and installed on
computers or buy themselves
• Or through SAAS- new way of acquiring an HRIS
is called Software As A Service.
 DATA WAREHOUSES, BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE AND DATA MINING

• An Organization’s Ability To Generate Meaningful

Information To Make Good Decisions Is Only As Good
As Its Underlying Database.
• Metrics are measure of organizational performance
outcomes
• Primary objective of HR metrics is to improve individual
and organizational effectiveness.
• HR Metrics Are Derived From The Organization’s Data
Warehouse
• Data warehouse is a special type of database that is
optimized for reporting and analysis and is the raw
material for management’s decision support system.
• Business Intelligence Aids In The Creation easily analyze Of
Data Warehouses
• BI include activities- DSS, query and reporting, forecasting,
statistical analysis
• BI systems retrieve specified data from multiple databases
• Patterns in large data sets are identified through DATA
MINING, which involves statistically analyzing large datasets
to identify recurring relationships.
• BI systems also provide reporting tools and interfaces (e.g.,
forms)
• results can also be distributed to key executives in specialized
formats known as executive dashboards