Sharp Labs: Time Off Manager
Web Application Design & Development
Challenge
Sharp Labs needed a new web-based paid time off system for scheduling, approval routing, calendaring support, and reporting capabilities. In addition to providing the application needs, it also needed to work with their existing network infrastructure.
Design & Implementation
Leveraging LDAP (Active Directory in this case), combined with a replication layer that I developed to synchronize employee information with a MySQL database, the application is maintenance free - automatically receiving changes to existing employees as well as adding and removing employees as well as managers and departments by using the standard network administrative tools provided for Active Directory.
The user interface was built using XHTML, CSS, the Prototype Javascript library, along with the Ext JS UI library. The end result is an attractive, responsive user experience with an easy workflow for requesting and approving time off requests.
Reports can be generated on-screen with sortable tables or exported to Excel. The calendaring capabilities utilize the standard iCal format, with support for individual calendars, departmental calendars, and holiday schedules.
Payoff
The end result is an end-to-end management system responsible for calculating accrued vacation, and handling time off requests for vacation, sick time, military duty, jury duty, bereavement, and business travel.
Technologies Used
- Active Directory/LDAP
- PHP
- MySQL
- XHTML
- CSS
- Ext JS
- Prototype JS
Screenshots
About Sharp Labs
Headquartered in Camas, Washington and a cornerstone of Sharp Corporation's global research and development network, Sharp Labs' fundamental and applied research feeds Sharp's vast appetite for technologies that not only are innovative, elegant and practical - but that by design improve the quality of life for people throughout the world.