How do I create communication structures?

There are additional mechanisms available within the Organisation Chart to enable you to set up alternative reports to structures (known as Communication Structures), which makes the system highly flexible, allowing you to, for example, set up various exceptions to the general rule that an employee's line manager is the correct person to authorise a leave request.

 

How do I create communication structures?

1. Navigate to the Organisation Chart window. 
2. Click the Communication Structures button at the bottom of the window.  The Communication Structure definition window appears.
   

     Note:

   The default structure is called Line Managers. This represents the structure of the Organisation Chart, in terms of the managing Posts. This is identical to what you will see in the Post records, where a field called Post Reports To indicates which is the managing post. Line Managers is a fixed definition and cannot be edited, as it represents the structure of the Organisation Chart itself. If you need to make changes to the default reporting structure, you can either edit the Organisation Units directly in the Organisation Chart via the Unit Mgmt History button or within the Post records.

3. Click the New button.  The New Communication Structure form appears.
4. Enter the Structure Name. 
5. Select the Include Additional Roles option, if necessary. 
   

     Note:

   This option relates to the Additional Role? option in the employee's Post History record. Normally, additional roles are ignored by the Self-Service system, but if you select Include Additional Roles in the Communication Structure definition, then managers of any additional roles will also be sent emails regarding authorisation of holiday requests.

6. Click the Next button. The Communication Structure Rules window appears.
   
7. Apply one of the following rules: 

 

Rules

Name	Description
To an Organisational Unit Type e.g. Directorates, Departments, etc.	Note: Rules that apply to an Organisation Unit Type having the lowest priority. Right-click: New in the Rules to be applied to an Organisational Unit Type pane. The Maintain Org. Unit Type Rules form appears. Enter the From date. Enter the To date, if necessary. Select from the For Unit drop-down list. Select from either of the following drop-down lists: Use Manager  or Person Occupying this Post  Click the OK button. The record is appied to the Rules to be applied to an Organisation Unit Type pane.
To an individual Organisational Unit e.g. Finance Department.	Note: Rules that apply to specific Organisation Units have the next priority.  Right-click: New in the Rules to be applied to an Organisational Unit pane. The Maintain Org. Unit Rules form appears. Enter the From date. Enter the To date, if necessary. Select from the For Unit drop-down list. Select from either of the following drop-down lists: Use Manager  or Person Occupying this Post  Click the OK button. The record is applied to the Rules to be applied to an Organisation Unit pane.
To a Post	Note: Rules that apply to specific Posts have the highest priority, therefore a Post rule will override all other rules. Right-click: New in the Rules to be applied to a Post pane. The Maintain Post Rules form appears. Enter the From date. Enter the To date, if necessary. Select from the For Post drop-down list. Select from the Use Person Occupying this Post drop-down list. Click the OK button. The record appears in the Rules to be applied to a Post pane.

 

Communication Structure Examples:

Name	Description
Rules Applied to Organisation Post	The following example shows a Communication Structure definition that makes the 6th Form College Bursar the authoriser for all posts in the Cintra PS Education Division Directorate, except for the 6th Form College School Keeper Post, which has Academy Bursar as the authoriser.
Rules applied to organisation unit	The following example shows a rule that all Posts in the Cintra PS Housing Division have the Post Head of Local Authority as the Authorising Post.
Rule applied to organisation unit type	The following example shows a rule that all posts in all Sub Department units have the managing Post of Divisions as the authoriser.