A factual summary by Gail August, HR Business Analyst at VPD
The Support Services Division of the Vancouver Police Department had long been aware of the shortcomings of manually maintaining organizational charts. The charts were recognized as essential to many significant aspects of its business practices. With its ever- changing but essential mandates, the Department has relied on organizational charts for past historical reference, its immediate benefit to the Department and the membership, and its objective data provision for future planning. Organizational charts have always had a basic role to play in the Department, similar to any major company and organization. The charts serve as the “map” of the company – the planning grid/layout for change(s) i.e. restructuring within the company – the identification of who resides where, within structures of simple to complex hierarchies – the location of financial costs i.e. cost centers – the notification cue and confirmation for “change management” initiatives.
The Department had long relied on labor-intensive manual charts. While those with access could retrieve SAP® organizational charts, the traditional more graphic design of “boxes” was the preferred mode of organizational conveyance. Further, most of our police members do not have that kind of access to SAP. Over the years, it was recognized that manually-maintained organizational charts fell seriously short on every front – accuracy, timeliness and reliability became apparent and obvious casualties of this less than ideal business practice. We knew we had to find an electronic solution that would work with SAP, and would work with and through the “fire walls” necessitated by Police Act-determined confidentiality.
