ESR Assignment mapping
The ESR Ava import assignment module provides a very easy and powerful method of linking the McKesson ESR and Ava temp staffing suite together. The process incorporates a high degree of intelligence within the Ava system ensuring that all payroll returns conform fully to the assignment numbers allocated to individual employees and to the exact areas they work. This provides two benefits: timesheet entry errors of inappropriate grades are trapped and corrected before being sent to payroll. Due and diligent process is required to enable employees to receive payment at specified rates preventing both errors and potential fraud.
In this article we will cover the various mapping options taking you through from an employee with one assignment number who is paid that rate everywhere, to someone who has multiple assignment numbers and can receive two different rates even when working in the same department with the same responsibilities.
AvaPA stores assignment numbers against employees and their work areas. It validates these against shift date ensuring a correct assignment number is used in every case:
AvaPA looks up the narrowest definition of the employment criteria for the shift first. If no valid assignment number is found then, it steadily widens the criteria until a valid assignment number is found.
If an employee has a specific responsibility (determined when the shift is requested) then AvaPA first uses the responsibility level to determine the assignment number. When there is no specific responsibility then responsibility setting is disregarded. This is done in turn for a department, a site or location, then everywhere.
So after considering responsibility level, when looking up the assignment number AvaPA first considers the department worked and checks if this has its own assignment number and uses it if it is found. If none is found, it then looks up the assignment number for the site or location. If no assignment number is found for the site or location finally it looks up the assignment number for employment at all locations.
Employee with one assignment number:
When the standard ESR employee assignment report is imported into Ava, The assignment number should be mapped to “All” locations, “All” departments and “All” responsibility levels from the start date of this assignment number allocation. Any other historical entries in the AVA system should be removed / deleted.
Employee with two assignment numbers: one applies when working in a specialist area:
When the standard ESR employee assignment report is imported into Ava, The assignment number for the majority of work locations should be mapped to “All” locations, “All” departments and “All” responsibility levels from the start date of this assignment number allocation.
For each Department in the specialist area across all sites, the assignment number should be mapped to that department: “Site” location, “Dept1” department and “All” responsibility levels, “Site” location, “Dept2” department and “All” responsibility levels. Note the departments need not be all at the same site. The start date is the start of this assignment number allocation
Any other historical entries in the Ava system should be removed / deleted.
In this case Ava will look up the department and where there is a separate entry specific to that department, it will use the specific assignment number mapped. Otherwise it will use the more general assignment number.
Employee with two assignment numbers: one applies when working with designated responsibility:
When the standard ESR employee assignment report is imported into Ava, The assignment number for the no specific responsibility should be mapped to “All” locations, “All” departments and “All” responsibility levels from the start date of this assignment number allocation.
When the standard ESR employee assignment report is imported into Ava, The assignment number for the specific responsibility should be mapped to “All” locations, “All” departments and “Specific” responsibility level from the start date of this assignment number allocation.
Any other historical entries in the Ava system should be removed / deleted.
In this case Ava will look up the responsibility specified when the shift was requested and where there is a separate entry specific to that responsibility: it will use the specific assignment number mapped. Otherwise it will use the more general assignment number.
Employee with two assignment numbers: one applies when working one applies when working in a specialist area with designated responsibility:
This is a simple amalgamation of the earlier examples:
When the standard ESR employee assignment report is imported into Ava, The assignment number for the majority of work locations should be mapped to “All” locations, “All” departments and “All” responsibility levels from the start date of this assignment number allocation.
For each Department in the specialist area across all sites, the assignment number should be mapped to that department: “Site” location, “Dept1” department and “Specific” responsibility level, “Site” location, “Dept2” department and “Specific” responsibility level. Note the department need not be all at the same site. The start date is the start of this assignment number allocation
Any other historical entries in the Ava system should be removed / deleted.
In this case Ava will look up the department and where there is a separate entry specific to that department and responsibility specified in the shift requirement, it will use the specific assignment number mapped. Otherwise it will use the more general assignment number.
Employee with two assignment numbers: one due to promotion working all areas:
When the standard ESR employee assignment report is imported into Ava, The assignment number first allocated should (have been) be mapped to “All” locations, “All” departments and “All” responsibility levels from the start date of the first assignment number allocation.
When the new assignment number is imported: it should be mapped to “All” locations, “All” departments and “All” responsibility levels from the new start date of new assignment (number).
In this case Ava will look up most recent assignment number that is before the shift date (i.e. applies to that shift) and will use that assignment number. Otherwise it will use an earlier assignment number. This process may be repeated ad infinitum figuratively speaking. The criterion used by Ava is: the most recent mapping before or on the shift date.
Employee with two assignment numbers: same area same responsibility dependant on requested grade – duplicate assignment multiple grades:
In all the previous cases Ava will use the verified finance data and override any requested working grade entry errors to provide cleaned and accurate data back to ESR. In this case alone, the grade requested will determine the Assignment number. This provided it matches any of the assignment numbers mapped in the following way:
For the relevant sites departments and responsibility levels (all if appropriate), there should be TWO mappings both with the SAME start date. In this case Ava will choose between the two assignment numbers dependant on the Grade requested.
Note: if at a later date a new single assignment number is mapped to any of the duplicated mappings with a later start date, it will override both earlier assignment mappings from the later start date.
Note: if you have a single assignment number which then requires “duplication” for multiple grades, create an new mapping with the (new) start date for the multiple grades option, then create the other assignment grades options with the same new start date.
Employees with multiple assignment numbers:
The above examples can be extended to cover multiple assignment numbers. In each case pair one of the assignment numbers with the most generally applicable assignment and apply the methods above – obviously only deleting any entries that are inappropriate all the other assignment criteria
Do I need to delete assignment numbers where there is a mapping with a newer number?
No – the start date ensures that after that date only the new assignment number will be used after that date.
What if I have an employee with one “normal” assignment everywhere and then it is agreed they have another assignment when they are (for example) called in late in one other area only?
AvaPA is sufficiently flexible even if responsibility is not a criterion. As before, they have an assignment for all departments and locations. In addition they have another assignment number with the “late call” for the given department. As this starts at a different date to the more general mapping, and additional “normal” entry with the same start date as the late call assignment is needed for the given department to allow a choice between two assignment numbers and the grade look up to be used.
Hint: When you are setting they imports mappings up for the first time, in the reports module, there is a report on the general tab (Report Nr 1057) which gives the mappings for all staff. It is ideal to run this report and read through it carefully checking for “obvious” errors or omissions. Actually the sort of errors or omissions you are likely to find are where an employee works in an area with multiple departments and one of the mappings is missing: they will have fewer entries than their colleagues.
Once this is done, then apart from the weekly import of new employees from ESR, Ava will swiftly, painlessly and accurately grade every one and export the data to ESR.