In the field of HR software, Oracle is one of the most readily recognized names. As a market leader, it’s long been the company employers watch to see which way the wind is blowing with advancements in HR technology. However, for a number of years Oracle’s response to the development of SaaS as a delivery model has lagged behind smaller, more agile contenders.
Perhaps the software giant didn’t want to acknowledge any advantages of SaaS because it would make their own licensing model look less desirable. Here’s an example of an article lambasting Oracle president Charles Phillips for spreading what the author describes as misconceptions about SaaS. These include several erroneous beliefs about what customers supposedly “want”. As the past few years have demonstrated pretty conclusively, Phillips was wrong on several counts. Customers want flexibility, cost efficiency, and vendor accountability – three features that are often lacking with traditional licensing but that are a core part of SaaS.
Oracle Announces Fusion Solution
Now, Oracle is finally catching up with the competition. The company is preparing to roll out a whole suite of HCM applications that will be available via SaaS as well as on-premise licensing. The Fusion elements will include 15 HR modules ranging from existing products like payroll management to brand new talent management apps. Some of the Fusion features were gained through acquisition of smaller HR software companies; others have been custom built specifically for the Fusion line. One primary focus is on promoting a user-friendly, highly visual experience for HR administrators and managers.
A possible effect of having a SaaS version of Oracle HR software available may be a shift in the customer base. If the pricing is right, smaller businesses that could not previously afford Oracle’s license fees might be able to try these web-delivered services at a lower cost. It remains to be seen whether Oracle will be able to evolve its software at the pace seen with other HR vendors who have been using the SaaS model for many years. Typically, the philosophy and strategy behind agile application development is something that the largest HR software companies struggle to grasp.
While these companies often have a comprehensive product base, they don’t necessarily have the Best of Breed solution in many areas. That’s certainly true of onboarding. Right now, there’s still no solution that even comes close to Emerald Software’s Universal Onboarding for speeding new hires to productivity while ensuring full HR compliance.
Showing posts with label Emerald Software Group. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Emerald Software Group. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
What Are The Benefits Of HRMS?
Why is it that a company that is willing to spend big bucks on Enterprise Resource Planning software is sometimes reluctant to make a significant investment in a Human Resource Management System? There are usually several reasons:
• HR processes often receive serious attention only when things go wrong. Executives are used to taking a reactive approach rather than a proactive approach for handling needs and requirements in this department.
• Historically, HR has been given only limited access to the “strategy table” where long term business goals are discussed. Many HR professionals lack experience gathering objective data on HR processes, developing a strategy for improvement, and communicating this information to executives in a compelling way.
• Employers are well versed in outside market factors that can influence profitability but unaware of internal compliance issues that greatly increase financial risk.
A business that wouldn’t dream of using outdated technology to track customer orders or inventory may still be using a legacy system for HR. If an employer believes that HR needs only a database to store information on employees, this mindset makes a certain amount of sense. However, the functionality necessary to retain, distribute, analyze, audit, and leverage data to effectively manage a workforce is only available in an actual HRMS. A Human Resources department cannot reach its full potential without this tool.
HRMS Components & Benefits
Payroll, benefits administration, workforce management, and time/attendance are the four basic components Clay Scroggin lists in his excellent article on HRMS. Each one of these plays a role in allowing an employer to track and control costs. More sophisticated workforce management systems that incorporate applicant tracking, employee development, and succession planning features offer much more. They can be used to fully realize the potential of each worker and of the employee base as a whole. These programs may also include ESS and MSS portals that further reduce HR labor while increasing end user satisfaction.
The fact that more processes can be automated using an HRMS is one thing that makes it attractive to executive decision makers. This is an area that HR should focus on when making a business case to acquire an HRMS. Another important characteristic of a well designed system is that it increases compliance. For example, few employers know all the rules for retention of various types of workplace documents. At Emerald Software, compliance is our #1 focus. Our Universal Onboarding application is an example of a module that can be added to any existing HRMS system to decrease the risk of fines, penalties, and litigation.
• HR processes often receive serious attention only when things go wrong. Executives are used to taking a reactive approach rather than a proactive approach for handling needs and requirements in this department.
• Historically, HR has been given only limited access to the “strategy table” where long term business goals are discussed. Many HR professionals lack experience gathering objective data on HR processes, developing a strategy for improvement, and communicating this information to executives in a compelling way.
• Employers are well versed in outside market factors that can influence profitability but unaware of internal compliance issues that greatly increase financial risk.
A business that wouldn’t dream of using outdated technology to track customer orders or inventory may still be using a legacy system for HR. If an employer believes that HR needs only a database to store information on employees, this mindset makes a certain amount of sense. However, the functionality necessary to retain, distribute, analyze, audit, and leverage data to effectively manage a workforce is only available in an actual HRMS. A Human Resources department cannot reach its full potential without this tool.
HRMS Components & Benefits
Payroll, benefits administration, workforce management, and time/attendance are the four basic components Clay Scroggin lists in his excellent article on HRMS. Each one of these plays a role in allowing an employer to track and control costs. More sophisticated workforce management systems that incorporate applicant tracking, employee development, and succession planning features offer much more. They can be used to fully realize the potential of each worker and of the employee base as a whole. These programs may also include ESS and MSS portals that further reduce HR labor while increasing end user satisfaction.
The fact that more processes can be automated using an HRMS is one thing that makes it attractive to executive decision makers. This is an area that HR should focus on when making a business case to acquire an HRMS. Another important characteristic of a well designed system is that it increases compliance. For example, few employers know all the rules for retention of various types of workplace documents. At Emerald Software, compliance is our #1 focus. Our Universal Onboarding application is an example of a module that can be added to any existing HRMS system to decrease the risk of fines, penalties, and litigation.
Monday, February 21, 2011
More HR Tech Best Practices
Last week we looked at a couple of items from Workforce Management’s latest technology whitepaper (go here to get your free copy). This time, let’s explore a few more concepts from the paper’s contributors and how they relate to onboarding practices and HR software.
Virtual Learning for Leadership
John Ambrose from Skillsoft points to the benefits of using online training to develop new leaders within an organization. The lower cost and higher convenience level of web-based education make this a popular option for many employers. It’s a particularly helpful technology for newly hired managers who need to get up to speed quickly without spending too much time away from the workplace.
From the perspective of social support, virtual interaction can be helpful in mentoring employees at every level to encourage leadership growth. Online training and skills testing implemented during acculturation onboarding can also make it easier for employers to identify high-potential employees early on. Emerald Software’s products support integration with virtual training vendors and internal social networking platforms to help achieve these objectives.
HR and Employees Benefit from Tech Trends
Sumtotal Systems offers a roundup of 6 trends that can dramatically increase strategic performance for HR. The move toward software that captures information for analysis is one of the most interesting. HR needs solid business intelligence data to boost productivity and decrease operation costs. In onboarding, this type of data can be collected and used to measure the average time to productivity for new hires and areas for HR process improvement.
Another trend is the implementation of employee self service portals. Putting an onboarding module in place is the logical first step for organizations that want to make workers more self-sufficient and ease the burden on HR. A well designed onboarding application can be set up to automatically distribute error and omission free new hire data to an ESS platform. From there, it can be updated by the worker as changes occur over time.
Virtual Learning for Leadership
John Ambrose from Skillsoft points to the benefits of using online training to develop new leaders within an organization. The lower cost and higher convenience level of web-based education make this a popular option for many employers. It’s a particularly helpful technology for newly hired managers who need to get up to speed quickly without spending too much time away from the workplace.
From the perspective of social support, virtual interaction can be helpful in mentoring employees at every level to encourage leadership growth. Online training and skills testing implemented during acculturation onboarding can also make it easier for employers to identify high-potential employees early on. Emerald Software’s products support integration with virtual training vendors and internal social networking platforms to help achieve these objectives.
HR and Employees Benefit from Tech Trends
Sumtotal Systems offers a roundup of 6 trends that can dramatically increase strategic performance for HR. The move toward software that captures information for analysis is one of the most interesting. HR needs solid business intelligence data to boost productivity and decrease operation costs. In onboarding, this type of data can be collected and used to measure the average time to productivity for new hires and areas for HR process improvement.
Another trend is the implementation of employee self service portals. Putting an onboarding module in place is the logical first step for organizations that want to make workers more self-sufficient and ease the burden on HR. A well designed onboarding application can be set up to automatically distribute error and omission free new hire data to an ESS platform. From there, it can be updated by the worker as changes occur over time.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Why Buying Specialized HR Software Makes Sense
A recent HR software debacle at Wichita Falls ISD demonstrates that applications that try to do too much can be less useful than a series of well designed niche solution. The school’s CFO (Tim Turner) faced some tough questions recently from school board members about their $1 million investment in software from Prologic Technologies. The suite they bought includes such features as grade tracking, core HR, and paycheck issuance. That’s a pretty diverse range of functions to include in one software package.
Three years into the implementation, the WFISD’s CFO is very displeased with how much time he has to spend every week administering the software. He’s especially tired of dealing with glitches that cause misprints on paychecks. Turner admits that these problems usually crop up when there are errors or omissions in the information entered on the HR side. Since how teachers (especially substitutes) are paid can vary depending on many factors, getting the data right is challenging. The system apparently doesn’t include built in rules to help ensure that information is entered correctly.
Software Doesn’t Offer Full Functionality
One issue that the software vendor definitely should have addressed by now is the fact that Turner can’t generate the reports he really needs. This limits visibility into budget management – a huge concern for pretty much every school district in the country. The WFISD suspended payments to Prologic months ago because of ongoing dissatisfaction with the software’s performance. They want to give the vendor one last chance to get the bugs fixed. If that doesn’t happen, they plan to cancel their contract and review the original bids they received from other vendors in 2006 to find an alternative solution.
Why Looking at Outdated Quotes Isn’t Likely to Help
Given how fast the software landscape evolves, that might not be the best approach. To really get what they need, the board should take a fresh look at their specifications and expectations and clarify their requirements. The valuable lesson WFISD can learn from this experience is that they need to work with a vendor who understands the special challenges of the education industry and can create a tailored solution.
They may not be best served by a single provider either. Instead, they may want to have each function serviced by a separate SaaS vendor (with appropriate interfaces between applications). This could entail a couple of benefits. First, they won’t get so enmeshed with one vendor that they are stuck spending years putting up with less than satisfactory customer service. Second, they can select Best of Breed applications that limit human mistakes. As we’ve demonstrated with our Universal Onboarding software, eliminating errors and omissions is just a matter of making this a priority in the design stage.
Three years into the implementation, the WFISD’s CFO is very displeased with how much time he has to spend every week administering the software. He’s especially tired of dealing with glitches that cause misprints on paychecks. Turner admits that these problems usually crop up when there are errors or omissions in the information entered on the HR side. Since how teachers (especially substitutes) are paid can vary depending on many factors, getting the data right is challenging. The system apparently doesn’t include built in rules to help ensure that information is entered correctly.
Software Doesn’t Offer Full Functionality
One issue that the software vendor definitely should have addressed by now is the fact that Turner can’t generate the reports he really needs. This limits visibility into budget management – a huge concern for pretty much every school district in the country. The WFISD suspended payments to Prologic months ago because of ongoing dissatisfaction with the software’s performance. They want to give the vendor one last chance to get the bugs fixed. If that doesn’t happen, they plan to cancel their contract and review the original bids they received from other vendors in 2006 to find an alternative solution.
Why Looking at Outdated Quotes Isn’t Likely to Help
Given how fast the software landscape evolves, that might not be the best approach. To really get what they need, the board should take a fresh look at their specifications and expectations and clarify their requirements. The valuable lesson WFISD can learn from this experience is that they need to work with a vendor who understands the special challenges of the education industry and can create a tailored solution.
They may not be best served by a single provider either. Instead, they may want to have each function serviced by a separate SaaS vendor (with appropriate interfaces between applications). This could entail a couple of benefits. First, they won’t get so enmeshed with one vendor that they are stuck spending years putting up with less than satisfactory customer service. Second, they can select Best of Breed applications that limit human mistakes. As we’ve demonstrated with our Universal Onboarding software, eliminating errors and omissions is just a matter of making this a priority in the design stage.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Interesting HR Software Acquisitions
If your organization does business with any of the major players in the HR software industry, you may see some new product offerings in 2011. Last year, a large number of firms made strategic acquisitions of products to add to their portfolio of applications. Here’s a quick look at a few that made the news:
Epicor Acquires Spectrum
This is a significant acquisition for a couple of reasons. It is a blending of separately developed Enterprise Resource Planning and Human Capital Management solutions to be distributed now through a single vendor. Epicor, in choosing to buy Spectrum is showing that web-based HR software is viewed as adding value to the business services software the company makes available to clients. Epicor is leveraging cloud computing and SaaS to make this end-to-end solution highly accessible for a global customer base.
Lawson Absorbs Enwisen
Another SaaS acquisition that hit the news in December is HR software provider Lawson buying Enwisen. Previously, Lawson was reselling Enwisen’s services to its clients. So, they knew the demand was healthy. The addition of this Employee Self Service application rounds out the company’s suite of HR and business solutions.
Administaff Buys OrgPlus
In an example of an HR services firm outside the software field buying up valuable tools, Administaff purchased the OrgPlus line of applications from HumanConcepts. This gives the PEO firm a useful tool to assist clients in planning and modifying their organizational structure. Mid-sized and small businesses may benefit from having access to this application to determine their staffing (or employee leasing) needs on an ongoing basis.
Buying Frenzy Still Ongoing
That’s just brushing the surface of all the deals that went down in 2010. Workforce Management has an overview of additional acquisitions in the talent management field. One aspect of all this buying and selling that may impact customers is the fear of service disruption. Fortunately, with web-based applications the transfer of responsibility from one vendor to another is often easier than it would be with on-premise licensing.
What is clear is that suite HR software vendors know there are still many niche product out there that are better than what they are currently offering their clients. That’s why they are rushing to buy them up. At Emerald Software Group, we take a slightly different approach. We focus on partnering with other firms that are offering their own Best of Breed products that interface with our AllegroHR applications. That way, our clients can choose exactly the services they need for their specific industry without paying for anything they don’t need.
Epicor Acquires Spectrum
This is a significant acquisition for a couple of reasons. It is a blending of separately developed Enterprise Resource Planning and Human Capital Management solutions to be distributed now through a single vendor. Epicor, in choosing to buy Spectrum is showing that web-based HR software is viewed as adding value to the business services software the company makes available to clients. Epicor is leveraging cloud computing and SaaS to make this end-to-end solution highly accessible for a global customer base.
Lawson Absorbs Enwisen
Another SaaS acquisition that hit the news in December is HR software provider Lawson buying Enwisen. Previously, Lawson was reselling Enwisen’s services to its clients. So, they knew the demand was healthy. The addition of this Employee Self Service application rounds out the company’s suite of HR and business solutions.
Administaff Buys OrgPlus
In an example of an HR services firm outside the software field buying up valuable tools, Administaff purchased the OrgPlus line of applications from HumanConcepts. This gives the PEO firm a useful tool to assist clients in planning and modifying their organizational structure. Mid-sized and small businesses may benefit from having access to this application to determine their staffing (or employee leasing) needs on an ongoing basis.
Buying Frenzy Still Ongoing
That’s just brushing the surface of all the deals that went down in 2010. Workforce Management has an overview of additional acquisitions in the talent management field. One aspect of all this buying and selling that may impact customers is the fear of service disruption. Fortunately, with web-based applications the transfer of responsibility from one vendor to another is often easier than it would be with on-premise licensing.
What is clear is that suite HR software vendors know there are still many niche product out there that are better than what they are currently offering their clients. That’s why they are rushing to buy them up. At Emerald Software Group, we take a slightly different approach. We focus on partnering with other firms that are offering their own Best of Breed products that interface with our AllegroHR applications. That way, our clients can choose exactly the services they need for their specific industry without paying for anything they don’t need.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Microsoft Talks SaaS
Microsoft is a leading force in the cloud computing revolution, so it’s not surprising that they have an interest in educating consumers about Software as a Service. Their knowledge library includes helpful information for IT departments exploring the benefits of SaaS. The material presented is straightforward enough for decision makers outside of IT to grasp easily as well. So, it’s a good resource for HR directors and VPs who want a crash course on the topic.
Risk Reduction
One of the first areas addressed in the MS article on SaaS is on reducing risk for IT in software selection and implementation. Acquisition and deployment is a risky process for IT. Rolling out an enterprise-wide system is complex, time consuming, and costly. With on-premise software acquisition, it is not unusual to get partway into the project and discover that it will be significantly more difficult and expensive than originally assumed. However, it is often too late to turn back at that point because a substantial investment has already been made.
Implementing SaaS isn’t always a walk in the park, but it is much easier to walk away from an SaaS deployment if it isn’t working out. This increases the chances that the final outcome will be satisfactory rather than a compromise that was reached just to put a cap on a project that is turning into a “money pit”.
IT and HR Both Stand to Gain from SaaS
Microsoft makes a good point that SaaS offers IT an opportunity to shift its focus from administrative tasks such as maintaining software to more strategic initiatives. Instead of spending all its resources on supporting the software applications, IT staff can turn its attention to ensuring that the applications in question are actually aligned with the business objectives of their organization.
In the case of Universal Onboarding software, SaaS delivery accomplishes the goal of creating greater efficiency for both IT and HR. With this application delivered via the web to handle new hire processing, IT and HR can spend less time trouble shooting and responding to crises and more time finding ways to increase performance, productivity, and workforce satisfaction.
Risk Reduction
One of the first areas addressed in the MS article on SaaS is on reducing risk for IT in software selection and implementation. Acquisition and deployment is a risky process for IT. Rolling out an enterprise-wide system is complex, time consuming, and costly. With on-premise software acquisition, it is not unusual to get partway into the project and discover that it will be significantly more difficult and expensive than originally assumed. However, it is often too late to turn back at that point because a substantial investment has already been made.
Implementing SaaS isn’t always a walk in the park, but it is much easier to walk away from an SaaS deployment if it isn’t working out. This increases the chances that the final outcome will be satisfactory rather than a compromise that was reached just to put a cap on a project that is turning into a “money pit”.
IT and HR Both Stand to Gain from SaaS
Microsoft makes a good point that SaaS offers IT an opportunity to shift its focus from administrative tasks such as maintaining software to more strategic initiatives. Instead of spending all its resources on supporting the software applications, IT staff can turn its attention to ensuring that the applications in question are actually aligned with the business objectives of their organization.
In the case of Universal Onboarding software, SaaS delivery accomplishes the goal of creating greater efficiency for both IT and HR. With this application delivered via the web to handle new hire processing, IT and HR can spend less time trouble shooting and responding to crises and more time finding ways to increase performance, productivity, and workforce satisfaction.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
What HR Executives Want From SaaS
SaaS vendor Plateau Systems and advisory firm Saugatuck Technology released the results of an interesting survey earlier this year. The 200+ HR executives who participated in the study made it clear that they have compelling reasons to choose SaaS. Plus, they know what they want in an SaaS vendor. Online software access has become common enough that the novelty of the delivery system is no longer a prime selling point. Businesses can source core HR software from among a broad field of competitors. So, executives can afford to make comparisons.
Up front implementation is one area where businesses are looking to save money. By now, human resource execs know that it’s easy for an SaaS product to look great in the slick sales brochure - but that everything will fall apart without appropriate interfaces. HR is are catching on to the fact that they can’t just contract with an SaaS vendor and expect IT to do the heavy lifting in making the application work. Employers expect vendors to provide implementation assistance and troubleshooting. Ongoing support is also a negotiating point at the HR table. In other words, they want the service part of the Software as a Service package to mean something.
Effectiveness Draws HR to SaaS
As the focus in HR turns more and more toward strategic planning, executives are realizing that their business performance is lagging compared to other departments. They have the right priorities but simply don’t have the right tools to improve operations. While core HRIS is a central feature of SaaS for HR, niche products are also being sought to address strategic needs quickly and efficiently. Talent acquisition, management, and retention are all key areas where HR is trying to close the gap.
Onboarding is an obvious area of potential improvement for the mid to large size businesses involved in the Saugatuck survey. From the perspective of service, Emerald Software Group makes it a priority to help clients ensure a successful onboarding software implementation by collaborating with IT and HR. We also address another top HR executive concern (data security) through adhering to industry best practices. For more information, contact us at 770-569-5122.
Up front implementation is one area where businesses are looking to save money. By now, human resource execs know that it’s easy for an SaaS product to look great in the slick sales brochure - but that everything will fall apart without appropriate interfaces. HR is are catching on to the fact that they can’t just contract with an SaaS vendor and expect IT to do the heavy lifting in making the application work. Employers expect vendors to provide implementation assistance and troubleshooting. Ongoing support is also a negotiating point at the HR table. In other words, they want the service part of the Software as a Service package to mean something.
Effectiveness Draws HR to SaaS
As the focus in HR turns more and more toward strategic planning, executives are realizing that their business performance is lagging compared to other departments. They have the right priorities but simply don’t have the right tools to improve operations. While core HRIS is a central feature of SaaS for HR, niche products are also being sought to address strategic needs quickly and efficiently. Talent acquisition, management, and retention are all key areas where HR is trying to close the gap.
Onboarding is an obvious area of potential improvement for the mid to large size businesses involved in the Saugatuck survey. From the perspective of service, Emerald Software Group makes it a priority to help clients ensure a successful onboarding software implementation by collaborating with IT and HR. We also address another top HR executive concern (data security) through adhering to industry best practices. For more information, contact us at 770-569-5122.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Newest HR Software Terminology – PaaS
Software as a Service (SaaS) has become practically a household name in the HR industry. However, there is always a new development just around the corner and it’s hard to keep up with the technical lingo. The latest concept making its way into HR software vendor’s vocabularies is PaaS. Platform as a Service refers to more than the practice of offering a specific application over the web. With PaaS, Web 3.0 is in the mix. Software companies develop and run instances of their applications on the cloud computing platform. These resources are made available as a service by companies such as Amazon. Client data is hosted, stored, and transferred using virtual servers (this part of the picture is sometimes referred to as IaaS or Infrastructure as a Service).
What’s Different for HR?
The actual applications are still accessible via the internet just like traditional SaaS. The end user’s experience of the software doesn’t really change with a PaaS approach. However, there are other issues that can impact HR software choices from a strategic perspective. With virtualized servers and highly flexible platforms, it is possible to run an entire HRIS suite in the cloud environment. What was once the province of niche applications is becoming a standard offering from even the largest HR software vendors. IT and HR will need to collaborate closely to determine if and when moving the management of HR data and processes to the cloud is beneficial from a cost, maintenance, and security perspective.
The ability of smaller, niche HR software providers to serve clients is also enhanced with the advent of PaaS. Now, it is possible for them to run as many instances of an application as needed without increasing their costs for maintaining a permanent infrastructure. This server space and the computing capability being used can be scaled up and down practically instantaneously (which is why Amazon’s service offering is called the Elastic Compute Cloud). The ability to provide a separate instance of an application for each client also means SaaS vendors can offer greater customization without significantly adding to costs. Vendors can also serve a larger client base with rapidly changing capacity requirements.
Coming Soon?
There is speculation that Web 3.0 will make using multiple SaaS products together much simpler as interfacing between various programs becomes more commonplace. The popularity of Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) in software development has already moved web-based programs in this direction. SOA makes applications more likely to be interoperable as a basic design feature instead of an afterthought. This advance will create more flexibility for HR departments that want to use many Best of Breed niche products for the highest level of functionality in all areas of human capital management. HR might eventually have the option of ditching outdated suite software that contains applications that aren’t needed or used and simply cherry picking the best tool for each job. Of course, at Emerald Software Group, we’re already offering Universal Onboarding as a PaaS option for our clients. It’s a great place to start!
What’s Different for HR?
The actual applications are still accessible via the internet just like traditional SaaS. The end user’s experience of the software doesn’t really change with a PaaS approach. However, there are other issues that can impact HR software choices from a strategic perspective. With virtualized servers and highly flexible platforms, it is possible to run an entire HRIS suite in the cloud environment. What was once the province of niche applications is becoming a standard offering from even the largest HR software vendors. IT and HR will need to collaborate closely to determine if and when moving the management of HR data and processes to the cloud is beneficial from a cost, maintenance, and security perspective.
The ability of smaller, niche HR software providers to serve clients is also enhanced with the advent of PaaS. Now, it is possible for them to run as many instances of an application as needed without increasing their costs for maintaining a permanent infrastructure. This server space and the computing capability being used can be scaled up and down practically instantaneously (which is why Amazon’s service offering is called the Elastic Compute Cloud). The ability to provide a separate instance of an application for each client also means SaaS vendors can offer greater customization without significantly adding to costs. Vendors can also serve a larger client base with rapidly changing capacity requirements.
Coming Soon?
There is speculation that Web 3.0 will make using multiple SaaS products together much simpler as interfacing between various programs becomes more commonplace. The popularity of Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) in software development has already moved web-based programs in this direction. SOA makes applications more likely to be interoperable as a basic design feature instead of an afterthought. This advance will create more flexibility for HR departments that want to use many Best of Breed niche products for the highest level of functionality in all areas of human capital management. HR might eventually have the option of ditching outdated suite software that contains applications that aren’t needed or used and simply cherry picking the best tool for each job. Of course, at Emerald Software Group, we’re already offering Universal Onboarding as a PaaS option for our clients. It’s a great place to start!
Monday, December 6, 2010
Should HR Interface or Integrate Applications?
Spectrum HR has an excellent whitepaper available online discussing the benefits of interfacing vs. integrating various aspects of HRIS. What happens when an HR department is rigidly determined to have as few software vendor relationships as possible? The organization may actually be shooting itself in the foot by choosing a partner that offers an integrated HR system as part of its product offering.
Payroll is obviously a highly specialized field and requires software that makes it possible to effectively manage all aspects of employee compensation from overtime calculations to leave accrual to tax withholding. The state and federal rules for payroll management are constantly changing, so outsourcing this function or hiring a specialist to run an in-house program makes sense. However, payroll software vendors aren’t really the best choice for HRIS. Their products are too narrowly focused and HR simply doesn’t get all the tools needed to manage non-payroll aspects of workforce management. Inevitably, HR must add other third party applications to pick up the slack.
An ERP suite software provider may have a more complex HR offering and the pricing is likely to be attractive as part of a package deal. However, key areas of functionality are still likely to be missing. This leaves HR struggling to develop workarounds that are inefficient and not agile enough to remain compliant with labor laws.
What’s the Answer
The conclusion reached by the authors of the Spectrum paper is that Payroll and ERP vendors simply don’t provide the solutions HR needs for human capital management. The obvious answer is to implement a Best of Breed HRIS product rather than trying to integrate critical HR’s processes with the limited functionality of software that is not designed with HR’s needs in mind. The HRIS can then be interfaced with the Payroll partner and the ERP application as needed to share data.
HRIS Still Doesn’t Have It All
The relationship between HRIS applications and onboarding software is identical (albeit on a smaller scale) to the difference between ERP and HRIS solutions. Onboarding is too often thrown in as an afterthought rather than being designed for compliance, efficiency, and practicality. That’s why Emerald Software continues to offer Best of Breed Universal Onboarding software for our clients to interface seamlessly with their existing HRIS program.
Payroll is obviously a highly specialized field and requires software that makes it possible to effectively manage all aspects of employee compensation from overtime calculations to leave accrual to tax withholding. The state and federal rules for payroll management are constantly changing, so outsourcing this function or hiring a specialist to run an in-house program makes sense. However, payroll software vendors aren’t really the best choice for HRIS. Their products are too narrowly focused and HR simply doesn’t get all the tools needed to manage non-payroll aspects of workforce management. Inevitably, HR must add other third party applications to pick up the slack.
An ERP suite software provider may have a more complex HR offering and the pricing is likely to be attractive as part of a package deal. However, key areas of functionality are still likely to be missing. This leaves HR struggling to develop workarounds that are inefficient and not agile enough to remain compliant with labor laws.
What’s the Answer
The conclusion reached by the authors of the Spectrum paper is that Payroll and ERP vendors simply don’t provide the solutions HR needs for human capital management. The obvious answer is to implement a Best of Breed HRIS product rather than trying to integrate critical HR’s processes with the limited functionality of software that is not designed with HR’s needs in mind. The HRIS can then be interfaced with the Payroll partner and the ERP application as needed to share data.
HRIS Still Doesn’t Have It All
The relationship between HRIS applications and onboarding software is identical (albeit on a smaller scale) to the difference between ERP and HRIS solutions. Onboarding is too often thrown in as an afterthought rather than being designed for compliance, efficiency, and practicality. That’s why Emerald Software continues to offer Best of Breed Universal Onboarding software for our clients to interface seamlessly with their existing HRIS program.
Monday, November 29, 2010
HR Versus IT: Rogue SaaS Applications
One of the benefits associated with greater mainstream acceptance of SaaS is that it reduces the conflict between HR and IT. Business leaders in many different departments are often tempted to implement SaaS solutions without input from IT. That’s because the process of vetting software can seem to take forever. When strategic decision makers get tired of waiting around, they may move forward on their own. According to survey results floating around the blogosphere, IT often has no idea that managers are going behind their backs to contract with SaaS vendors. As you can imagine, when a CIO finally catches on to the presence of these “rogue software applications” this doesn’t go over well.
Why HR Might Circumvent IT
In many HR departments, just getting through the day-to-day pile of work is hard enough. Lobbying for support from IT to get new software implemented can take a lot of time and effort. Often, it seems that any suggestion regarding software improvement that doesn’t originate in IT is summarily rejected. Plus, HR may have a very small budget to spend on upgrading their processes. This makes the use of SaaS applications that don’t require IT involvement very appealing. SaaS vendors know this and will often use it as a selling point for their products.
Pitfalls of this Approach
When an HR director decides to go rogue and sign an SaaS vendor contract behind IT’s back, there may be serious problems ahead. A back door approach to implementation does nothing to strengthen collaboration between HR and IT. That may be bad news later when events transpire that lead to the discovery of the maverick software. This can happen if:
• HR realizes after the fact that the SaaS application requires customization to make it work for their organization
• The application interferes with other company software systems
• The software needs to be integrated with other, existing HRIS applications to make it really useful
• The vendor did not provide adequate security or data backup services and critical employee data is compromised
It may be easier to ask forgiveness than permission. But no HR executive really wants to have to go, hat in hand, to IT for help solving a problem with an SaaS application that IT didn’t approve in the first place. At Emerald Software Group, we encourage HR and IT to work together. We’ve got the expertise to speak their language as well as yours – so you have someone in your corner at the negotiating table.
Why HR Might Circumvent IT
In many HR departments, just getting through the day-to-day pile of work is hard enough. Lobbying for support from IT to get new software implemented can take a lot of time and effort. Often, it seems that any suggestion regarding software improvement that doesn’t originate in IT is summarily rejected. Plus, HR may have a very small budget to spend on upgrading their processes. This makes the use of SaaS applications that don’t require IT involvement very appealing. SaaS vendors know this and will often use it as a selling point for their products.
Pitfalls of this Approach
When an HR director decides to go rogue and sign an SaaS vendor contract behind IT’s back, there may be serious problems ahead. A back door approach to implementation does nothing to strengthen collaboration between HR and IT. That may be bad news later when events transpire that lead to the discovery of the maverick software. This can happen if:
• HR realizes after the fact that the SaaS application requires customization to make it work for their organization
• The application interferes with other company software systems
• The software needs to be integrated with other, existing HRIS applications to make it really useful
• The vendor did not provide adequate security or data backup services and critical employee data is compromised
It may be easier to ask forgiveness than permission. But no HR executive really wants to have to go, hat in hand, to IT for help solving a problem with an SaaS application that IT didn’t approve in the first place. At Emerald Software Group, we encourage HR and IT to work together. We’ve got the expertise to speak their language as well as yours – so you have someone in your corner at the negotiating table.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Ease Of Training A Plus for HR SaaS
Blogger Andy Porter from Fistful of Talent offers a particularly candid view of what HR executives really think about most HR software sales reps. His many pet peeves include the habit some vendors have of sending an entire entourage to make a presentation when only one person is really required. Fancy graphics that don’t really convey useful information is another issue causing Porter to feel angst. All he really wants to know from HR software technology vendors is:
• How easy it is to for end users to operate the system
• How it will help managers do their jobs better
In Porter’s opinion, software should be so easy to use that it doesn’t actually require training. It should be designed to be intuitive and self explanatory. To his way of thinking, offering extensive training on a system isn’t a plus. It’s an indication that the developer has not put the customer’s needs first in designing the system. SaaS applications have an obvious advantage in this area since basically every end user is familiar with web based software.
According to Andy, the benefits to managers should be simple enough to sum up in a few clear cut sentences. The answer shouldn’t be a long-winded explanation of what the software can DO from a bells and whistles standpoint. It should be about what actual results it creates for the client’s organization. Many SaaS HR solutions do actually give managers powerful tools for working more effectively. However, Porter is quite correct in his assertion that not all vendors know how to communicate this fact.
How Does Universal Onboarding Measure Up?
From the viewpoint of a new hire, Universal Onboarding is completely intuitive. The only instructional prompts needed are provided on screen as the user navigates this wizard based application. Training for HR administrators is pretty straightforward as well. The process of creating new data panels is one HR personnel will already be familiar with if they know how to use Adobe Reader. In the event that any in-person training is desired, this can be provided on site or at Emerald Software’s facilities.
How does this software help HR managers do their job better? Reducing the cost of onboarding, eliminating errors and omissions on forms, and increasing legal compliance are the three biggest ways our solution achieves this objective. That’s just the tip of the iceberg as you can see if you browse our Universal Onboarding product details.
• How easy it is to for end users to operate the system
• How it will help managers do their jobs better
In Porter’s opinion, software should be so easy to use that it doesn’t actually require training. It should be designed to be intuitive and self explanatory. To his way of thinking, offering extensive training on a system isn’t a plus. It’s an indication that the developer has not put the customer’s needs first in designing the system. SaaS applications have an obvious advantage in this area since basically every end user is familiar with web based software.
According to Andy, the benefits to managers should be simple enough to sum up in a few clear cut sentences. The answer shouldn’t be a long-winded explanation of what the software can DO from a bells and whistles standpoint. It should be about what actual results it creates for the client’s organization. Many SaaS HR solutions do actually give managers powerful tools for working more effectively. However, Porter is quite correct in his assertion that not all vendors know how to communicate this fact.
How Does Universal Onboarding Measure Up?
From the viewpoint of a new hire, Universal Onboarding is completely intuitive. The only instructional prompts needed are provided on screen as the user navigates this wizard based application. Training for HR administrators is pretty straightforward as well. The process of creating new data panels is one HR personnel will already be familiar with if they know how to use Adobe Reader. In the event that any in-person training is desired, this can be provided on site or at Emerald Software’s facilities.
How does this software help HR managers do their job better? Reducing the cost of onboarding, eliminating errors and omissions on forms, and increasing legal compliance are the three biggest ways our solution achieves this objective. That’s just the tip of the iceberg as you can see if you browse our Universal Onboarding product details.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Commonly Integrated Systems for AllegroHR & Emerald Green Office
One of the most pertinent questions HR and IT can ask about our Emerald Software suite of products is “Will what you provide work with what we already have?” In most cases, the answer is yes. If we don’t currently have an integration solution on hand for a product, chances are there’s something in the works. We know that when customers have the ability to interface Emerald products with their existing enterprise software this is a big point in our favor. After all, our software is designed around the concept of automating as many processes as possible. This means the more interfaces we can successfully implement, the higher the value our product delivers. So, while we may be viewed as a “niche” software provider, this doesn’t mean that we don’t know how to “play well” with other vendors’ applications.
Below is an overview of some of the applications we have experience integrating our software with. We also have the capability to integrate with any third party that uses the HR-XML NewHire standard for interoperability. If you don’t see the software you currently use on the following list, don’t worry. Your personal Emerald Software Group business development consultant can fill you in on the complete list of 3rd party integrations we can currently perform.
• iRecruiter
• Kenexa
• SilkRoad
• OpenHire
• UltiPro
• ADP
• PeopleSoft
• Abra Suite
As you can see, these applications range from recruitment and applicant tracking to payroll and general HRIS. Since our own product offerings run the gamut from our always popular Universal Onboarding to document creation and business process management, we don’t just focus on integrating with other applications in the HR realm. We’ve also got a handle on interfacing with suite solutions such as EnterpriseOne. This means data can be delivered from our software to any area of an organization’s ECM system. The ability to transfer, compile, and analyze data from all applications across an organization leads to the development of more accurate metrics, improved performance, and controlled costs. So, don’t let your HR and enterprise data sit segregated in many different applications. Let us help you start connecting the data points today.
Below is an overview of some of the applications we have experience integrating our software with. We also have the capability to integrate with any third party that uses the HR-XML NewHire standard for interoperability. If you don’t see the software you currently use on the following list, don’t worry. Your personal Emerald Software Group business development consultant can fill you in on the complete list of 3rd party integrations we can currently perform.
• iRecruiter
• Kenexa
• SilkRoad
• OpenHire
• UltiPro
• ADP
• PeopleSoft
• Abra Suite
As you can see, these applications range from recruitment and applicant tracking to payroll and general HRIS. Since our own product offerings run the gamut from our always popular Universal Onboarding to document creation and business process management, we don’t just focus on integrating with other applications in the HR realm. We’ve also got a handle on interfacing with suite solutions such as EnterpriseOne. This means data can be delivered from our software to any area of an organization’s ECM system. The ability to transfer, compile, and analyze data from all applications across an organization leads to the development of more accurate metrics, improved performance, and controlled costs. So, don’t let your HR and enterprise data sit segregated in many different applications. Let us help you start connecting the data points today.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
SaaS Data Security for HR
Not all of the concerns HR may have about the security of SaaS are necessarily unfounded. Although top notch HR software vendors can afford to implement the latest security measures both online and in their data facilities, not all SaaS vendors are created equal. Employee data is always highly sensitive. Employers routinely collect information that could be used to perpetrate identity theft on a massive scale if it falls into the wrong hands. The damage to employee/employer relationships in the event of a data breach (even if no fraud results) is massive.
According to this whitepaper slideshow from Softscape, the average cost of a compromise in the security of HR data is over 6 million dollars. That’s not a risk organizations can afford to take – and not one they should have to worry about when it comes to the security of their data in the hands of an SaaS vendor.
Investigate Before You Sign Up With a New SaaS Company
In the slideshow mentioned above, the folks at Softscape outline several security concerns that HR clients should explore with their IT department and potential SaaS vendors. For example, if a multi-tenancy structure is used (which is typical for SaaS), a closer look at data segregation is warranted. If all employee data for multiple customers is hosted in a single database, this increases the risk of data being unintentionally exposed to the wrong client. With niche vendors who have a small client base and little capital to work with, this is the kind of corner cutting that can lead to real problems.
An SaaS vendor that takes security seriously will have multiple layers of physical and virtual security measures in place to prevent both accidental data breaches and intentional attempts at hacking/sabotage. They will also work with each client’s own IT department to implement further measures as needed to ensure the application is truly secure.
For some clients, this is accomplished most effectively by providing an on-premise version of the software rather than going with SaaS. However, this is only the better option if the client’s organization actually has a highly secure internal data center. For the average customer, the costs of maintaining a state-of-the-art data facility are prohibitively high. So, most HR departments may actually be keeping data safer by relying on a best of breed SaaS vendor to host it off site. To find out more about the safeguards we put in place to keep our clients’ new hire onboarding data secure, contact us at 770-569-5122.
According to this whitepaper slideshow from Softscape, the average cost of a compromise in the security of HR data is over 6 million dollars. That’s not a risk organizations can afford to take – and not one they should have to worry about when it comes to the security of their data in the hands of an SaaS vendor.
Investigate Before You Sign Up With a New SaaS Company
In the slideshow mentioned above, the folks at Softscape outline several security concerns that HR clients should explore with their IT department and potential SaaS vendors. For example, if a multi-tenancy structure is used (which is typical for SaaS), a closer look at data segregation is warranted. If all employee data for multiple customers is hosted in a single database, this increases the risk of data being unintentionally exposed to the wrong client. With niche vendors who have a small client base and little capital to work with, this is the kind of corner cutting that can lead to real problems.
An SaaS vendor that takes security seriously will have multiple layers of physical and virtual security measures in place to prevent both accidental data breaches and intentional attempts at hacking/sabotage. They will also work with each client’s own IT department to implement further measures as needed to ensure the application is truly secure.
For some clients, this is accomplished most effectively by providing an on-premise version of the software rather than going with SaaS. However, this is only the better option if the client’s organization actually has a highly secure internal data center. For the average customer, the costs of maintaining a state-of-the-art data facility are prohibitively high. So, most HR departments may actually be keeping data safer by relying on a best of breed SaaS vendor to host it off site. To find out more about the safeguards we put in place to keep our clients’ new hire onboarding data secure, contact us at 770-569-5122.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Why SaaS Is Working For HR – Part 3
One of the primary reasons HR departments turn to SaaS solutions for niche applications is to avoid involving IT in the day to day support of these programs. However, there is simply no avoiding the fact that a really useful piece of software doesn’t operate in a vacuum. It has to be integrated effectively with the rest of the HRIS portfolio to fulfill its true potential. As this 2008 article from informationweek.com points out, it’s not installing an SaaS app that is costly and challenging – it’s the integration that can be problematic. Too often, employers end up footing the bill in terms of IT labor for this stage in the implementation process.
However, as customers become more aware of the potential hidden costs of SaaS solutions, vendors are being forced to step up to the plate. With a ‘pay as you go’ model, it’s just too easy for businesses to switch to a different provider if they aren’t satisfied. When very little integration has been accomplished, it is relatively simple for customers to extricate themselves from a relationship with a specific SaaS vendor. It is in the best interests of vendors to step in and take some responsibility for ensuring that their products can be readily integrated without a huge time investment on the customer’s side. The more systems an SaaS solution is connected with in a client’s software environment, the less sense it makes for HR to start over with another vendor.
HR Is Still In Control
Fortunately, one of the great things about SaaS for HR is that some of the most common problems are those that you don’t have to be an IT specialist to understand and anticipate. That puts HR in the position of being able to sniff out and avoid some potential problems before the stage where IT has to become involved. The fewer SaaS solutions IT has to evaluate and reject as inadequate, the less frustrated they are likely to become with the whole process.
So, HR clients comparing SaaS options would do well to ask about integration capability up front. Taking the vendor’s word that their product is “really easy to connect to other applications” isn’t sufficient. Specifics are much more helpful. Here are some questions that may help HR narrow the field of competitors:
• Do you have templates and instructions put together for how to integrate your software with other commonly used HR programs?
• Can your API (Application Programming Interface) be used to connect your program with any other software that also features an open API?
• Will we need to use one or more third party integration tools or services to connect your application with our existing software solutions?
• If I give you a list of all the programs we need to connect to your software, can you tell me whether you have successfully completed an integration involving each one of them?
• What role will your technicians play in working with our IT department to ensure a successful integration?
• Can you describe the steps in a typical integration process for me and the average time to implementation?
• Have you ever had an integration attempt that just didn’t work out? If so, what alternative solution did you suggest to your customer?
The questions and answers will get a lot more technical from there, but at least the vendor’s responses will give you an idea of how much thought they put into integration when they designed their software -and how hands on they plan to be in helping your company with implementation. If they hem and haw and give you vague responses, that’s not a good sign. Do you want to see how a really responsive SaaS vendor acts when it comes to delivering top service and excellent integration capability? Give Emerald Software a call at 770-569-5122.
However, as customers become more aware of the potential hidden costs of SaaS solutions, vendors are being forced to step up to the plate. With a ‘pay as you go’ model, it’s just too easy for businesses to switch to a different provider if they aren’t satisfied. When very little integration has been accomplished, it is relatively simple for customers to extricate themselves from a relationship with a specific SaaS vendor. It is in the best interests of vendors to step in and take some responsibility for ensuring that their products can be readily integrated without a huge time investment on the customer’s side. The more systems an SaaS solution is connected with in a client’s software environment, the less sense it makes for HR to start over with another vendor.
HR Is Still In Control
Fortunately, one of the great things about SaaS for HR is that some of the most common problems are those that you don’t have to be an IT specialist to understand and anticipate. That puts HR in the position of being able to sniff out and avoid some potential problems before the stage where IT has to become involved. The fewer SaaS solutions IT has to evaluate and reject as inadequate, the less frustrated they are likely to become with the whole process.
So, HR clients comparing SaaS options would do well to ask about integration capability up front. Taking the vendor’s word that their product is “really easy to connect to other applications” isn’t sufficient. Specifics are much more helpful. Here are some questions that may help HR narrow the field of competitors:
• Do you have templates and instructions put together for how to integrate your software with other commonly used HR programs?
• Can your API (Application Programming Interface) be used to connect your program with any other software that also features an open API?
• Will we need to use one or more third party integration tools or services to connect your application with our existing software solutions?
• If I give you a list of all the programs we need to connect to your software, can you tell me whether you have successfully completed an integration involving each one of them?
• What role will your technicians play in working with our IT department to ensure a successful integration?
• Can you describe the steps in a typical integration process for me and the average time to implementation?
• Have you ever had an integration attempt that just didn’t work out? If so, what alternative solution did you suggest to your customer?
The questions and answers will get a lot more technical from there, but at least the vendor’s responses will give you an idea of how much thought they put into integration when they designed their software -and how hands on they plan to be in helping your company with implementation. If they hem and haw and give you vague responses, that’s not a good sign. Do you want to see how a really responsive SaaS vendor acts when it comes to delivering top service and excellent integration capability? Give Emerald Software a call at 770-569-5122.
Why SaaS Is Working For HR – Part 2
In this second blog post about how HR is utilizing SaaS solutions, let’s take a look at another article that talks about our current topic. This is a piece from 2008 which may seem like eons ago in the fast paced world of technological evolution. However, it still makes some points that are relevant in 2010. Author Cindy Waxer at HR World contrasts the previous dearth of niche solutions with today’s array of choices for every application. There is really something for everyone, from performance management to new hire onboarding – any process HR wants to focus on improving can be addressed by a specialty program.
ERP vendors are struggling to keep up since rolling out upgrades for fast implementation by end users is not exactly their forte. However, some major players are offering more “off the shelf” functionality than before that permits HR to add on features as needed when their current suite falls short. Unfortunately, for clients using older versions, implementing these newer solutions can still be a very lengthy process.
That’s one reason newer businesses sometimes choose to build their HRIS from the ground up using SaaS solutions rather than investing in a system that will be outdated almost as soon as it is up and running. Companies with existing ERP systems are also choosing to add new features using products provided by SaaS vendors rather than launching extensive projects to revise their legacy software.
Will On-Site Licensing Persist?
In the future, a non-SaaS performance management solution outside those sold by the really big name vendors in HR software may be hard to come by at all. According to Waxer (quoting an IDC study) over 80% of vendors in that niche are already using the SaaS model to deliver software services to their HR clients. This doesn’t mean SaaS is always the best way to go. But as it becomes more prevalent, the momentum of the movement is likely to convince more and more employers that this type of solution has merit.
SaaS for HR Is Expanding in Scope
While SaaS has long been viewed as the province of niche software suppliers (including Best of Breed providers like Emerald Software), some vendors are beginning to expand their offerings to become more like traditional suite providers. It will be interesting to see to what extent these companies maintain their agility as their portfolio of product offerings grow. These vendors will need to remember that ease of integration with other solutions is still critical.
The more collaboration and cross compatibility we SaaS solution architects can generate, the better our chances of survival in a world where HR clients have an ever growing array of options. The days of crowding out everyone else are over – even for the giants in the HR software industry. This is why we focus strongly on building strategic partnerships. In the end, it is likely that those who cooperate the most effectively will be the most successful.
ERP vendors are struggling to keep up since rolling out upgrades for fast implementation by end users is not exactly their forte. However, some major players are offering more “off the shelf” functionality than before that permits HR to add on features as needed when their current suite falls short. Unfortunately, for clients using older versions, implementing these newer solutions can still be a very lengthy process.
That’s one reason newer businesses sometimes choose to build their HRIS from the ground up using SaaS solutions rather than investing in a system that will be outdated almost as soon as it is up and running. Companies with existing ERP systems are also choosing to add new features using products provided by SaaS vendors rather than launching extensive projects to revise their legacy software.
Will On-Site Licensing Persist?
In the future, a non-SaaS performance management solution outside those sold by the really big name vendors in HR software may be hard to come by at all. According to Waxer (quoting an IDC study) over 80% of vendors in that niche are already using the SaaS model to deliver software services to their HR clients. This doesn’t mean SaaS is always the best way to go. But as it becomes more prevalent, the momentum of the movement is likely to convince more and more employers that this type of solution has merit.
SaaS for HR Is Expanding in Scope
While SaaS has long been viewed as the province of niche software suppliers (including Best of Breed providers like Emerald Software), some vendors are beginning to expand their offerings to become more like traditional suite providers. It will be interesting to see to what extent these companies maintain their agility as their portfolio of product offerings grow. These vendors will need to remember that ease of integration with other solutions is still critical.
The more collaboration and cross compatibility we SaaS solution architects can generate, the better our chances of survival in a world where HR clients have an ever growing array of options. The days of crowding out everyone else are over – even for the giants in the HR software industry. This is why we focus strongly on building strategic partnerships. In the end, it is likely that those who cooperate the most effectively will be the most successful.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Onboarding Software And SaaS
Last week, we took a look at Emerald Software Group’s traditional licensing option and why this is one of the choices we make available to our clients. Now, I’d like to talk a little more about our Software as a Service (SaaS) solution and why it is popular with so many of our customers.
Minimal Up Front Investment
With the SaaS hosted agreement, there is no license to pay for. Clients simply pay a set price per new hire per month for access to the software application and accompanying data storage. Maintenance and upgrades are included, so there are no unexpected expenses. Treating this software as an operating cost rather than a capital expenditure makes budgeting much simpler for some employers. ROI is easy to calculate and cost savings are often realized as soon as the client begins using the system.
Infrastructure Costs are low
When we host the software on our own servers, an employer’s setup costs are minimized in several ways. No hardware needs to be purchased or upgraded to implement the onboarding solution. The client only needs to provide internet access and a computer terminal – something every modern HR department already has in place. With our recent addition of a cloud computing option, each client’s access can be immediately scaled to handle a higher volume of new hires as needed. There’s no cause for IT to worry about purchasing additional server space or equipment.
Limited IT Involvement
With our SaaS option, IT does not have to invest significant resources in implementing and maintaining the software. It’s still necessary for IT to be involved in initial discussions to make sure everyone is on the same page regarding topics like data security and integration with backend systems. Fortunately, our products are designed to interface readily with most top brands of HR industry software.
HR clients appreciate the fact that they can finally automate their onboarding processes without waiting for IT to allocate a huge chunk of time to the project. We take care of the setup and maintain the software so your IT department doesn’t have to. This works well for:
• Small businesses that might have only one or two IT employees who can ill afford to spend time meeting HR’s needs
• Mid to large sized businesses that tend to adopt new technology slowly because the process for approving and implementing new software on-site is unwieldy
Fast Results
For HR departments that want to move quickly to reduce risk and increase compliance with labor laws, the SaaS option is often ideal. Speed to implementation and full adoption is very fast for most of our clients because they can leave so much of the process to us. At the same time, HR can be as hands on as they like in developing the electronic forms and workflow to ensure onboarding is carried out according to their company’s business rules every time. To learn more about Universal Onboarding and SaaS, go here.
Minimal Up Front Investment
With the SaaS hosted agreement, there is no license to pay for. Clients simply pay a set price per new hire per month for access to the software application and accompanying data storage. Maintenance and upgrades are included, so there are no unexpected expenses. Treating this software as an operating cost rather than a capital expenditure makes budgeting much simpler for some employers. ROI is easy to calculate and cost savings are often realized as soon as the client begins using the system.
Infrastructure Costs are low
When we host the software on our own servers, an employer’s setup costs are minimized in several ways. No hardware needs to be purchased or upgraded to implement the onboarding solution. The client only needs to provide internet access and a computer terminal – something every modern HR department already has in place. With our recent addition of a cloud computing option, each client’s access can be immediately scaled to handle a higher volume of new hires as needed. There’s no cause for IT to worry about purchasing additional server space or equipment.
Limited IT Involvement
With our SaaS option, IT does not have to invest significant resources in implementing and maintaining the software. It’s still necessary for IT to be involved in initial discussions to make sure everyone is on the same page regarding topics like data security and integration with backend systems. Fortunately, our products are designed to interface readily with most top brands of HR industry software.
HR clients appreciate the fact that they can finally automate their onboarding processes without waiting for IT to allocate a huge chunk of time to the project. We take care of the setup and maintain the software so your IT department doesn’t have to. This works well for:
• Small businesses that might have only one or two IT employees who can ill afford to spend time meeting HR’s needs
• Mid to large sized businesses that tend to adopt new technology slowly because the process for approving and implementing new software on-site is unwieldy
Fast Results
For HR departments that want to move quickly to reduce risk and increase compliance with labor laws, the SaaS option is often ideal. Speed to implementation and full adoption is very fast for most of our clients because they can leave so much of the process to us. At the same time, HR can be as hands on as they like in developing the electronic forms and workflow to ensure onboarding is carried out according to their company’s business rules every time. To learn more about Universal Onboarding and SaaS, go here.
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