Escapology has successfully leveraged its information systems to sustain a competitive edge in the escape room industry. However, there is always potential for further enhancement and optimization of these systems to stay ahead in the market.
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The Issues Identified
The primary problem identified in the payroll process is attributed to human error. As mentioned under the IS Analysis tab, the Excel spreadsheet that is sent to the accountant to complete the payroll process contains important information such as employee name, job title, pay rate, hours worked, tips (non-hourly additions), overtime, and total. If the accountant is unfamiliar with the format of the payroll spreadsheet and the Operations Manager in charge fails to communicate the differences, the non-hourly additions can be mistaken for different values causing a miscalculation. As mentioned under the Structured Process Analysis tab, when Escapology initially started working with the accounting firm, the accountant was unfamiliar with the format of the timesheets used being that there were other values added in (tips which are non-hourly additions). As a result, the accountant accidentally mislabeled the incentives column as overtime which led to payroll overpayment.
It's also problematic that the activation link for new employees expires after 24 hours. If an employee doesn’t activate their account within this timeframe, they are unable to access their pay stubs. This requires the manager to coordinate with the accountant to issue a new link, which can delay access and complicate the process.
Escapology’s Instagram looks very repetitive because all of the posts are similar in terms of format and captions. Majority of the posts are bland photos with a play on words or riddles for users to solve in the comments. Additionally, the likes per post are as low as two to ten likes.
In addition to using Instagram as a marketing tool, we noticed that Escapology has a TikTok account, but they are not active on it, despite a considerable number of customers utilizing one of their promotional discounts that is publicized there.
Recommendations
Since the accountant was unfamiliar with the format of the payroll spreadsheet, we recommend strengthening the communication between the accountant and operations manager to ensure greater clarity and consistency. The accountant could send a follow up email to confirm that the timesheet was reviewed and is ready to be processed. Escapology could also try implementing ADP which automates the calculation of wages, deductions, and taxes, reducing the chances of human error and saving time. This includes handling complex scenarios like overtime, commissions, and bonuses.
We think as of right now, the best solution would be to strengthen the communication between the accountant and operations manager since there won’t be a new accountant working with the business anytime soon. If these issues persist even after the accountant sends a confirmation email to verify the information, Escapology should consider implementing ADP to significantly reduce or eliminate human error.
For this issue, Escapology could request to increase the validity period of activation links for new employees to ensure they have enough time to activate their accounts. It would also be beneficial if they could implement automated text reminders to notify the employee about the activation link and send reminders a few days before the link expires. Additionally, Escapology could request 24/7 support channels, such as email or live chat, for employees who come across difficulties with account activation or have any questions. This could minimize delays in accessing important documents and the operations manager would not have to worry about having to reach out to the accountant through email each time.
We think the best solution would be increasing the validity period of activation links and implementing automated text reminders because employees have expressed that the current 24-hour timeframe for activating their accounts is insufficient, particularly due to their busy schedules with commitments such as school, sports, and extracurricular activities. A text reminder would be more effective considering that many teenagers don’t check their emails frequently.
To enhance Escapology’s Instagram presence and increase engagement, we recommend that they introduce a variety of content formats beyond just photos. This could include more videos showing the inside of the escape rooms, behind the scenes clips, and Instagram stories. They should give the employees an opportunity to come up with ideas for new content as they are the ones that are most familiar with how the business runs behind the scenes. This would enhance customer service by fostering a more personal connection between our customers and our staff. To increase engagement, they could analyze their Instagram analytics to find out when their audience is most active and schedule posts accordingly. They could also host contests, organize giveaways, host Q&A sessions, and post more polls on their story.
We believe that giving employees the opportunity to devise new ideas for Instagram posts is the best solution, as they possess a deeper understanding of the business operations compared to a marketing team. This approach not only taps into their firsthand insights but also helps forge a more personal connection between the employees and customers.
Establishing a consistent posting schedule for TikTok could be one of many solutions to this concern. Partnering with TikTok influencers and exploring TikTok’s advertising options to promote posts or create targeted campaigns could also help Escapology stay active on this platform. As previously suggested, involving employees in creating TikTok content could be a fun and exciting way to utilize TikTok.
Regarding the responses to the negative reviews, we recommend that the owner of Escapology makes each response sound more personal depending on the concern. This could be done by addressing the reviewer by name if possible, providing an explanation, and offer solutions or steps they'll take to resolve the issue.
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