Executive Summary
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KristenFranciscoWeek7.docx· HRIS TYPE COMPARISON
· Available HRIS Applications
There are three main types of HRIS applications. These are Core HR, Workforce Management, and Strategic HR or Talent Management (Westfall, 2015). The Core HR covers the day-to-day HR functions of any scale and type of business operation, i.e., administration of salaries and benefits, tax filing compliance and personnel tracking. Workforce management offers software solution to aid in scheduling and tracking workforce. This is suited for organizations with employees that work on shifts, which makes tracking of time and attendance critical to comply with labor laws. Strategic HR, on the other hand provides a more advance and strategic tool for recruitment, training and development, and performance management. It is aimed at maximizing human resources and retaining them (Appendix A).
The choice of appropriate HRIS solution may depend on the company’s current situation. Appendix B shows the differences among small, medium, and large scale enterprises that may serve as determinant on what HRIS solution would be appropriate for each one (Institute Empowering Medium Business, n.d.). For smaller (<100 employees) to medium size businesses (100-999 employees) struggling to manage growth, such as the case of Castle’s Family Restaurant, it is advisable to prioritize the immediate need of eliminating paper and manual driven process, and getting employee records and basic compensation and benefits right. This will help the business owners and management to concentrate on their strategic plan to grow the company, and at the same time ensure compliance with labor laws. Capital may also be limited at this stage that investment in IT technology such as HRIS would have to be rationed in proportion to other business priorities. Given this, if management have to prioritize their choice, the Core HR, specifically Payroll software application (Figure 2) could be the best solution for them in the meantime.
Figure 2
Source: http://www.softwareadvice.com/ca/hr/payroll-software-comparison/
It should be noted however that as the company continues to grow into the category of large scale companies with access to more capital, the concerns would be more for the long term sustainability of the business’ success. In people terms, this means ensuring that recruitment of/existing employees are fit for their positions, continually trained, kept happy, and are retained to achieve company goals. This is where Strategic HR application of HRIS is best suited to address these considerations. With this in mind, when beginning to choose any HRIS system, it is advisable to consider factors such as scalability and flexibility of the system to accommodate expansion of the organization and integration of current system to other HRIS softwares should the company pursue purchasing Strategic HR applications later on (Westfall, 2015).
· Acquiring HRIS vs. Outsourcing
When deciding to automate HR payroll processes to ensure more reliable system that delivers payments of salaries and benefits to employees quickly and on-time, any size company may opt to outsource or have their own payroll system. A separate cost-benefits analysis may have to be done to determine what fits the organization’s need. It should be noted however, that while outsourcing could be cheaper, it has a setback, as it entails a company losing control and flexibility on its payroll processes (Westfall, 2015).
In this case, it is assumed that the company has done its analysis and decided to acquire its own payroll system. The overriding consideration is the need to customize the system to suit the growing operation of the restaurant.
· Comparison of Viable HRIS Payroll Applications
There are numerous HR software companies in the market offering customized HRIS applications. At the same time, the industry is also undergoing consolidation which provides an opportunity for buyers to benefit from integrated solutions by bigger and stable companies (Westfall, 2015). Among the highly recommended vendors by users of HRIS Payroll applications are (Software Advice, 2015):
· Microsoft Dynamics CRM
Microsoft Dynamics CRM offers Vista HRMS to medium to large size companies. It rates 4.5 stars out of 5, perfect in pricing, recommended by 83% of the 3 reviewers. Software Advice (2015) notes that the system “Vista HRMS® is ideal for organizations with at least 250 employees that need a complete and integrated suite of human resources, recruiting, benefits and payroll and self-service software. The system is browser-based and can easily be configured to meet the unique needs of your organization.” The reports can be customized, user privileges can be specified, U.S. and Canadian employees can be handled in one database, and more importantly, the system is flexible to expand to full HRMS solution to be able to streamline and manage any organization’s employment cycle, from hiring to termination. The software runs on .NET framework and hosted by PDS. It is deployable under SaaS environment and applicable to broader industry segments (Software Advice, 2015).
On the negative side of the customer feedbacks, one found difficulty in having COBOL-based reports rather than on an SQL in terms of system compatibility. Another one cautioned on having insufficient know-how training since it was conducted by a third party, i.e., not PDS. Price was also raised as an issue as the cost could be more than “what an average business can afford” (Software Advice, 2015).
· APS Online
In the business for more than twenty years, Automatic Payroll Systems, Inc or APS offers APS Online, which seems to be a popular module for small to medium size businesses. Out of 39 reviews, it gathered an overall rating of 4.5 stars out of 5, 3 out of 5 in terms of price, and is highly recommended by 94% of the reviewers (Software Advice, 2015).
APS Online Software offers online as well as cloud-based solution for HR management that is scalable to any company size. It has flexible tools for managing payroll, time, attendance and absence management. Database is centralized and reports can likewise, be customized. Online APS can also be accessed by employees and managers through their smartphone or table. With additional features, the system is also flexible to integrate Strategic HR applications in the future, such as performance reviews and people solutions that track from “hire to retire”. APS runs on its EIP platform and the company offers integration support. It is known to be suitable for restaurants, healthcare, oil and gas, wholesale and supply companies, as well as non-profit organizations. They are also noted for their great customer support service (Software Advice, 2015).
On the negative side, only one reviewer noted that some of its features and reports were not suited to their needs. But most had excellent reviews for the company’s product and customer service (Software Advice, 2015).
Although the features of Vista HRMS and APS may be similar, the price and service may be critical in the deciding which one to go for. For a smaller service company like the case in focus, it may be advisable to go with APS. The company and its HR solution seem to be abreast with technological innovation. They are focused on service companies, and scalable to accommodate growth. The excellent reviews about their customer support are also a plus especially for first-time adopter of technology innovation in HR management, which could entail a lot of changes in the internal processes, hence—the assistance to make the change work.
Reference:
Westfall, B (2015). Compare Human Resources Software Systems. Software Advice. Retrieved
from. http://www.softwareadvice.com/ca/hr/
Institute Empowering Medium Business (n.d.). Understanding Medium Enterprise. Retrieved
from http://www.m-institute.org/m_institute/understanding-medium-enterprise.html
Software Advice, Inc. (2015). Compare Payroll Software Systems. Retrieved from
http://www.softwareadvice.com/ca/hr/payroll-software-comparison/
