Project Goals
The goal of the Employee Feedback Application project was to create a simple, accessible tool for gathering feedback from employees of a large distributed enterprise regarding their satisfaction with internal support services. The system aimed to streamline the feedback collection process, improve the efficiency of support services, and enhance the overall operational effectiveness of the enterprise.
Functional Capabilities
- Desktop Application: The application was developed as a desktop application for Windows systems using C# and .NET. It appears as a small icon on the user's desktop, providing easy access for employees to leave feedback or submit requests to the support service.
- Centralized Feedback Collection: All employee feedback was collected and centralized in the application service system, eliminating the need to access multiple systems or applications. This provided a single source of truth for all feedback data.
- Active Directory Integration: The distribution of the application was managed through Microsoft Active Directory. This eliminated the need for individual installations on each employee's device, as the application was automatically installed and updated across all devices within the enterprise network.
- User-Friendly Feedback Submission: Employees could easily leave feedback by clicking on the application icon, simplifying the process and encouraging more frequent feedback.
Solution Concept
The Employee Feedback Application was designed to address the challenges faced by a large, distributed enterprise in collecting and managing employee feedback on internal support services. Given the scale of the organization, with thousands of employees across multiple locations, a streamlined and automated approach to feedback collection was essential.
The application was developed using C# and .NET to provide a robust and efficient desktop solution for Windows environments. The use of Microsoft Active Directory for deployment ensured that the application could be distributed seamlessly across the entire enterprise without requiring manual installations, significantly reducing the administrative burden.
Feedback data was centralized in an MSSQL database, where it could be analyzed by support service teams and management to identify areas for improvement and implement solutions quickly. The focus was on creating a user-friendly experience for employees, allowing them to leave feedback with just a few clicks.
Results
- Accelerated Processes: The collection of feedback from employees was significantly accelerated, allowing support teams to quickly identify and address issues. This led to faster decision-making and improvements in various enterprise processes.
- Improved Support Service Productivity: By identifying shortcomings in the support service's operations through timely feedback, productivity was significantly improved, leading to enhanced overall enterprise efficiency.
- Problem Resolution: The efficient operation of the application enabled the resolution of many problems that previously went unnoticed or unresolved due to the lack of a centralized feedback mechanism.
Technologies and Architecture
- Application Development:
- C# and .NET: Used for developing the desktop application, providing a robust and efficient solution for the Windows environment.
- Database Management:
- MSSQL: Utilized as the primary database for storing all feedback data, ensuring secure and centralized storage.
- PostgreSQL: Integrated for additional data analysis capabilities, enabling deeper insights into feedback trends.
- Deployment and Integration:
- Microsoft Active Directory: Used for deploying the desktop application across the entire enterprise network, ensuring seamless installation and updates without manual intervention.
- Operating Systems:
- Windows: The primary environment for the desktop application, ensuring compatibility with the existing infrastructure of the enterprise.
- Linux: Used for server-side components and data analysis tasks to provide flexibility and scalability.
User Cases
- Support Service Employees: Support staff used the centralized feedback data to quickly identify issues raised by employees, allowing them to prioritize and address problems efficiently.
- Management: Management used the feedback data to gain insights into the performance of the support services and identify areas for improvement, enabling them to make informed decisions to enhance service quality.
- Employees: Employees across multiple locations used the desktop application to easily leave feedback regarding their experience with support services, helping improve the overall support processes.
Integration and Development Process
- Requirements Gathering: The project began with gathering requirements from the enterprise's IT and support service teams to understand the specific challenges faced in collecting and managing feedback.
- System Design and Prototyping: The application architecture was designed to be simple yet effective, focusing on ease of use for employees and centralized feedback management for support teams.
- Team Formation and Development: A team of software developers, system architects, and IT administrators was formed to develop the application and manage its deployment. The application was developed using C# and .NET, while the database components were built using MSSQL and PostgreSQL.
- Implementation and Deployment: The application was deployed across the enterprise using Microsoft Active Directory, ensuring that all employees had access to the feedback tool without needing manual installations. The deployment process was automated to minimize administrative workload.
Client Benefits
- Streamlined Feedback Collection: The centralized feedback system allowed the enterprise to gather employee feedback more efficiently, providing a clear view of the support service's performance.
- Enhanced Decision-Making: The ability to quickly identify and address issues based on employee feedback enabled management to make informed decisions, enhancing the quality and efficiency of support services.
- Reduced Administrative Burden: The use of Microsoft Active Directory for application deployment significantly reduced the administrative burden associated with installing and maintaining the application across thousands of devices.