HRchitect Tech Vendor News: Kronos Announces Another Strong Quarter as SaaS Bookings Grow 97 Percent

CHELMSFORD, Mass., July 23, 2014—Kronos Incorporated – which recently surpassed $1 billion in annual revenue¹ – today announced financial results, company advancements, and customer successes for the third quarter of Fiscal 2014. Product bookings continued to accelerate, with Kronos Cloud bookings as the fastest-growing part of the business. Kronos recognized revenue for the quarter increased to $265 million. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) increased to $88.5 million.²

“It’s thrilling to be part of the exclusive group of software companies that have grown beyond $1 billion in annual revenue, and the first vendor to do so in the workforce management market,” said Aron Ain, Kronos chief executive officer. “Equally thrilling is the pace of our growth compared to the global workforce management market, our increasing market share, and our rapidly expanding cloud footprint. Kronos is in a fantastic position moving into the final quarter of our Fiscal 2014. Our strong financial results and the investments we are making in our company – including continued product innovation, expansion of our sales force, and delivery of a superior customer experience – all reinforce that the best days are still ahead for Kronos.”

Third-Quarter News Facts

• Outpacing the workforce management market – Deployed in more than 100 countries, Kronos is the leader in the global workforce management market. According to a global study of workforce management solutions³ published by IHS Technology (NYSE: IHS), Kronos grew more than 11 percent. The IHS report determined that the overall worldwide workforce management market grew 7.9 percent during the same period, indicating that Kronos continues to increase its market share. Only Kronos was found to have positive market share growth in all global regions during this period, while the share of other leading suppliers of workforce management solutions declined. Also according to IHS, Kronos led all vendors with more than 25 percent share of the global workforce management market. In the Americas, Kronos broadened its number-one position by increasing its share to nearly 38 percent.
• Tremendous growth of the Kronos Cloud – The Kronos Cloud is experiencing significant growth across all market segments. 77 percent of new customer bookings were from an array of Kronos Cloud offerings, bringing the total number of organizations leveraging the Kronos Cloud to nearly 12,000. Kronos workforce management cloud revenue increased 57 percent and SaaS bookings increased 97 percent during the quarter.
• Vertical expertise – Kronos experienced strong momentum across targeted vertical segments – including retail and hospitality, healthcare, services and distribution, manufacturing, and the public sector. The services and distribution sector was particularly strong, having its best-ever product bookings quarterly performance.
• Extraordinary growth in SMB sector – Product bookings in the small and midsize business (SMB) sector increased 42 percent driven by strong performance of the Workforce Ready^® and Workforce Central^® suites and increased traction in the SaaShr partner channel. Workforce Ready is increasingly being adopted by new customers, as well as those upgrading from prior generations of Kronos solutions. During the quarter, Kronos delivered the latest release of Workforce Ready, providing even greater value to SMBs, making it easier than ever for them to effectively manage their workforces.
• Rapid pace of innovation – Continued innovations in Kronos workforce management solutions was a key driver in the strong double-digit increase in product bookings during the quarter. Recent product releases include:  the latest version of the Kronos Workforce Central suite including hundreds of enhancements; Workforce Collaboration™ social networking and collaboration; Workforce Analytics™ and Workforce Analytics on Tablet with visualization and exploration;Workforce Mobile™ and Workforce Tablet™ with geo-fencing capabilities; the latest version of the Kronos InTouch^® time clock with new biometric technology; availability of Workforce Task Management™ via tablet devices; the latest version of the Kronos Workforce Ready^® suite; many enhancements to meet specific vertical and global requirements; and additions and advancements to many other Kronos applications.  There has never before been a timeframe in which Kronos has released so many new product offerings in such a short period of time.
• Engaged and satisfied customers – During the quarter, Kronos hosted thousands of customers in a 30-city world tour of KronosLIVE, a series of events that offered the latest insights into how Kronos’ game-changing workforce management solutions combine ease of use and deep functionality to help organizations control labor costs, minimize compliance risk, and improve workforce productivity. KronosLIVE was offered in cities throughout the U.S. and in international locations such as London, Mexico City, Montreal, Mumbai, and Shanghai. In addition, during the quarter Kronos was recognized for consistently exceeding customer expectations by Omega Management Group Corp. Kronos is one of only two companies to receive this award 14 consecutive years.
• Customer successes around the globe – In the third quarter of Fiscal 2014, Kronos signed agreements with organizations around the world such as: Allity Pty Ltd., a for-profit organization with 31 aged care facilities in Australia; CenterLight Health System, a leading resource for long-term residential and community-based healthcare; Century 21 Department Stores, a retailer located in New York City offering designer merchandise; Charleston County School District, a K-12 school system comprised of 80 schools; City of Hampton, a city in Virginia; Country Fire Authority, a volunteer- and community-based fire and emergency services organization in Australia; Crittenton Hospital Medical Center, a full continuum provider of nationally ranked clinical programs representing a wide range of medical specialties providing primary, secondary, and tertiary-level care; Department of Justice Federal Prison Industries (FPI), a U.S. government corporation that employs and provides job opportunities to inmates in the Federal Bureau of Prisons; Dulsco, a leading provider ofhuman resource solutions and waste management services headquartered in Dubai with operations throughout the UAE and Qatar; Element Fresh, a fast-growing dining chain company with more than 20 locations in Beijing, Guangzhou, Nanjing, and Shanghai; Emory Healthcare, a comprehensive hospital system in Georgia; EnviroWaste, a company that delivers EnviroSolutions to address the waste and recycling needs of New Zealand’s communities and businesses; Hastings Entertainment, Inc., a leading multimedia entertainment retailer; Indiana University Health, a comprehensive healthcare system in Indiana; Nebraska Department of Roads, a state agency responsible for surface transportation programs; NYC Transit Authority, one of the largest transit systems in North America; Presence Health, the second-largest healthcare system in Illinois; Ridley Family Markets, a family-owned chain of grocery stores operating 24 supermarkets in Idaho, Utah, Nevada, and Wyoming; Sky Lakes Medical Center, an internationally accredited, community-owned acute-care hospital in Oregon; Silver Reef Casino, a casino resort serving the northwestern region of the U.S.; St Andrews Healthcare, one of the largest charities in the UK providing specialist mental healthcare services; Town Sports International, an operator of fitness centers in the U.S. and Switzerland; Trusthouse Services, provider of outsourced food management services, operating primarily in the education and healthcare sectors; and Wyoming Department of Health, an organization dedicated to supporting and enhancing the health of citizens in Wyoming.

 

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To learn more about HRchitect and how we can help your organization, please visit www.HRchitect.com. HRchitect is the leader in HCM systems strategic consulting.  As the premier Human Capital Management (HCM) Systems consulting firm, we offer end-to-end HR technology consulting services focused around strategic planning, evaluation/selection, project management and implementation of HR systems, Talent Management Systems, Talent Acquisition Systems, and Workforce Management software. After more than 17 years in business working on over 2100 successful engagements for more than 900 clients across the globe, HRchitect is a name you can trust for all of your organization’s HCM technology-related consulting needs.

Matt Lafata, HRchitect

HRchitect Tech Vendor News: Skillsoft Publishes e-book to Help Organizations Evaluate Cloud-based Learning Solutions

Guides readers in selecting solutions based on employee development objectives and business goals

NASHUA, N.H.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Skillsoft has introduced a new resource, Cloud-Based Learning Solutions: Making the Right Choice for Your Enterprise, to help learning and development decision-makers fully understand cloud-based learning and how best to leverage it to achieve specific business goals. Including contributions from industry thought leaders, checklists, and case studies, the complimentary e-book is an all-encompassing guide that educates organizations on everything from selecting a cloud learning solution to realizing improved business outcomes.

“Learning investment decision-making is quickly becoming about ‘future-proofing’ and choosing resources and technologies that will remain valuable even as the ways learners consume learning change over time,” said Pam Boiros, Vice President, Corporate Marketing, Skillsoft. “It’s important for organizations to understand the benefits of partnering with the right provider so their programs can evolve along with the business and learning environments.”

Cloud-Based Learning Solutions covers today’s complex learning and development ecosystem and the ways businesses can best leverage cloud-based learning content and platforms. The e-book is intended for readers across human resources, IT and learning & development functions and walks them through the main considerations of making a decision around cloud learning solutions, including:

• Why cloud-based learning? Explores the features, benefits and common myths surrounding cloud-based learning.
• What cloud-based learning success looks like: Looks at the four building blocks of success—engagement, alignment, adoption and value—and how putting the right learning resources in place supports them.
• Developing the business case for cloud-based learning: Addresses common barriers to adoption, and looks at best-practices for communicating the business case to stakeholders, for implementing a cloud-based learning solution.
• Selecting the right cloud-based learning partner: Comprehensively assesses the criteria for choosing a cloud-based learning partner, including content, enabling technologies, service and experience.

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To learn more about HRchitect and how we can help your organization, please visit www.HRchitect.com. HRchitect is the leader in HCM systems strategic consulting.  As the premier Human Capital Management (HCM) Systems consulting firm, we offer end-to-end HR technology consulting services focused around strategic planning, evaluation/selection, project management and implementation of HR systems, Talent Management Systems, Talent Acquisition Systems, and Workforce Management software. After more than 17 years in business working on over 2100 successful engagements for more than 900 clients across the globe, HRchitect is a name you can trust for all of your organization’s HCM technology-related consulting needs.

Matt Lafata, HRchitect

HRchitect Tech Vendor News:Skillsoft 2014 Impact Analysis Reveals Insights into the Value of Learning

Findings detail the efficiency and effectiveness of organizations’ learning programs

NASHUA, N.H.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Skillsoft today announced the findings of its bi-annual Impact Analysis survey that measures the value of organizations’ learning investments. The Impact Analysis is a low-burden, estimate-based, rapid analysis designed to collect data related to three key areas for learning programs: operational efficiency, content effectiveness and business outcomes. The process delivers both quantitative and qualitative insights into the effectiveness of learning programs and provides a baseline from which to evaluate their impact moving forward. A core service available to existing Skillsoft customers, the Impact Analysis fills a critical evaluation gap for many organizations worldwide.

The comprehensive findings from the meta-analysis reflect 58,800 individual end users from across the world. The latest round of research, conducted over a 24-month period spanning 2012 and 2013, offers fresh perspective on end users’ experiences with Skillsoft learning solutions:

• Learners cited better work quality and increased employee satisfaction as the leading outcomes of applying what they learned.
• Learners achieved an average improvement in skill of 17 percent, which aligned to an average 44 percent of employees’ current job roles.
• Learners indicated career development and continued professional development as the top motivations for engaging with the learning program.

“It’s important for learning programs to be properly monitored and measured to ensure they are aligned with employees’ needs, organizations’ business goals and their original objectives,” said Wendy Duffy, Senior Director, Consulting Services, North America. “Many learning and development teams are already stretched and likely do not have the resources to dedicate to the evaluation of their learning investments. The Impact Analysis gives them a great baseline for thinking about their programs in context of many others like them. It also helps teams package the insights for key stakeholders who are invested in the programs’ success.”

The Impact Analysis findings allow learning and development (L&D) teams to quickly and easily evaluate their current programs, to communicate outcomes internally to other stakeholders, and to create an action plan for achieving even more value in the future. Following the initial analysis, Skillsoft Learning Consultants work with L&D teams to identify the strengths and opportunities for improvement in terms of engagement, alignment, adoption and value, which Skillsoft has identified as the four building blocks of a healthy learning program.

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To learn more about HRchitect and how we can help your organization, please visit www.HRchitect.com. HRchitect is the leader in HCM systems strategic consulting.  As the premier Human Capital Management (HCM) Systems consulting firm, we offer end-to-end HR technology consulting services focused around strategic planning, evaluation/selection, project management and implementation of HR systems, Talent Management Systems, Talent Acquisition Systems, and Workforce Management software. After more than 17 years in business working on over 2100 successful engagements for more than 900 clients across the globe, HRchitect is a name you can trust for all of your organization’s HCM technology-related consulting needs.

Matt Lafata, HRchitect

HRchitect Tech Vendor News: Workday Named #1 Top Workplace in the Bay Area for the Fourth Consecutive Year by the Bay Area News Group

PLEASANTON, CALIF. — June 16, 2014 — Workday, Inc. (NYSE: WDAY), a leader in enterprise cloud applications for human resources and finance, today announced that it was ranked #1 for large companies on the annual list of the Bay Area News Group’s Top Workplaces. This year’s recognition marks the fourth consecutive year Workday has been ranked #1 on the list.

“Our employees are at the center of Workday’s success, and this honor is a direct reflection of the positive and rewarding culture that they have helped to cultivate,” said Ashley Goldsmith, chief human resources officer, Workday. “We strive every day to maintain an environment where employees feel motivated to do their best and are passionate about fueling our customers’ success.”

Founded in 2005, Workday has more than 675 customers and 2,900 employees around the world, and continues to expand its team.

The Bay Area News Group’s Top Workplaces list is determined based solely on employee feedback. The employee survey is conducted by WorkplaceDynamics, LLP, a leading research firm on organizational health and employee engagement. For more information about the Top Workplaces lists and WorkplaceDynamics, please visit www.topworkplaces.com and www.workplacedynamics.com.

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To learn more about HRchitect and how we can help your organization, please visit www.HRchitect.com. HRchitect is the leader in HCM systems strategic consulting.  As the premier Human Capital Management (HCM) Systems consulting firm, we offer end-to-end HR technology consulting services focused around strategic planning, evaluation/selection, project management and implementation of HR systems, Talent Management Systems, Talent Acquisition Systems, and Workforce Management software. After more than 17 years in business working on over 2100 successful engagements for more than 900 clients across the globe, HRchitect is a name you can trust for all of your organization’s HCM technology-related consulting needs.

Matt Lafata, HRchitect

HRchitect Tech Vendor News: Texas Association of Community Colleges selects WorkForce Software as Time & Attendance Provider

Member Colleges Gain Expedited Access to Proven Solution

LIVONIA, Mich. (June 11, 2014) – WorkForce Software, a leading provider of workforce management solutions, today announced that it has been selected as a qualified provider of time and attendance solutions of the Texas Association of Community Colleges (TACC). The agreement paves the way for member colleges to automate their full spectrum of time and labor requirements in the cloud by offering EmpCenter, a trusted solution for higher education, at a pre-negotiated rate through TACC’s Cooperative Purchasing Network.

TACC is a non-profit association that includes all 50 public community college districts in the state. The community colleges of Texas view student success as the central and defining part of their collective mission, and TACC was formed to further that mission. One essential component is TACC’s Cooperative Purchasing Network, a statewide purchasing organization designed to increase efficiency and economy when investing in new goods and services.

On behalf of member organizations, TACC identifies and vets established solution providers that have a demonstrated track record of supporting higher education requirements. In the search for a cloud-based workforce management solution, TACC determined that WorkForce Software’s EmpCenter was the best fit.

“We feel that WorkForce Software provides a robust ‘best of breed’ approach to workforce management that allows each of our member colleges to automate time and pay requirements for the entire workforce, and that can be tailored to fit the unique operational needs of each college,” commented Charlie Oberrender, Director of Cooperative Purchasing for TACC. “We are pleased to offer this product to our members.”

EmpCenter’s standard coverage for distinct higher education requirements, such as comprehensive support for employees with multiple jobs and the precise allocation of work hours to grants, make it uniquely able to provide the total automation that TACC expects. For more information about the agreement, visit http://www.tacc.org/pages/003-14-time-and-attendance-software.

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To learn more about HRchitect and how we can help your organization, please visit www.HRchitect.com. HRchitect is the leader in HCM systems strategic consulting.  As the premier Human Capital Management (HCM) Systems consulting firm, we offer end-to-end HR technology consulting services focused around strategic planning, evaluation/selection, project management and implementation of HR systems, Talent Management Systems, Talent Acquisition Systems, and Workforce Management software. After more than 17 years in business working on over 2100 successful engagements for more than 900 clients across the globe, HRchitect is a name you can trust for all of your organization’s HCM technology-related consulting needs.

Matt Lafata, HRchitect

Virgin Atlantic Customer Service Soars to New Heights of Excellence With Saba Cloud

Saba to Provide Global Intelligent Talent Management Solution for Virgin Atlantic

REDWOOD SHORES, CA — (Marketwired) — 06/18/14 — Saba (OTCPink: SABA), a global leader in next-generation cloud solutions for talent management, announced today that Virgin Atlantic, one of the world’s leading airlines, has chosen Saba Cloud to manage the learning and performance needs of employees and partners globally.

Saba Cloud is an intelligent talent management solution that focuses on the continuous learning, engagement and development of everyone in the people network. The company will use Saba Cloud to create a learner-centric culture for its over 15,000 employees and partners across six global divisions. The initiative will support the company strategy of driving customer service excellence and continued brand development.

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To learn more about HRchitect and how we can help your organization, please visit www.HRchitect.com. HRchitect is the leader in HCM systems strategic consulting.  As the premier Human Capital Management (HCM) Systems consulting firm, we offer end-to-end HR technology consulting services focused around strategic planning, evaluation/selection, project management and implementation of HR systems, Talent Management Systems, Talent Acquisition Systems, and Workforce Management software. After more than 17 years in business working on over 2100 successful engagements for more than 900 clients across the globe, HRchitect is a name you can trust for all of your organization’s HCM technology-related consulting needs.

Matt Lafata, HRchitect

HRchitect Tech Vendor News: ORACLE BECOMES THE SECOND LARGEST CLOUD SAAS COMPANY IN THE WORLD

Q4 SaaS and PaaS Subscriptions Up 25% to $322 million, Q4 IaaS Subscription Revenue Up 13% to $128 million

 

REDWOOD SHORES, Calif. – June 19, 2014

Oracle Corporation (NYSE: ORCL) today announced that fiscal 2014 Q4 total revenues were up 3% to $11.3 billion. Software and Cloud revenues were up 4% to $8.9 billion. GAAP Cloud software-as-a-service (SaaS) and platform-as-a-service (PaaS) revenues were up 25% to $322 million, while non-GAAP SaaS and PaaS revenues were up 23% to $327 million. In addition, Cloud infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) revenues were up 13% to $128 million. New software licenses revenues were unchanged at $3.8 billion. Software license updates and product support revenues were up 7% to $4.7 billion. Overall hardware systems revenues were up 2% to $1.5 billion with hardware systems products up 2% to $870 million, and hardware systems support up 2% to $596 million.

In Q4, both GAAP and non-GAAP earnings per share were lowered by $0.02 due to a non-operating loss caused by exchange rate changes in Venezuela. Furthermore, last year’s Q4 GAAP earnings per share increased $0.04 because of a $269 million acquisition price reduction. As a result of these two factors, Q4 GAAP earnings per share were unchanged at $0.80 compared with last year, while GAAP net income was down 4% to $3.6 billion, and GAAP operating income was down 2% to $4.9 billion. Q4 GAAP operating margin was 43% in the quarter. Non-GAAP earnings per share were up 6% to $0.92, but would have been $0.94 if not for the currency loss in Venezuela. Non-GAAP net income was up 2% to $4.2 billion while non-GAAP operating income was up 3% to $5.8 billion. The non-GAAP operating margin was 51%. GAAP operating cash flow on a trailing twelve-month basis was $14.9 billion.

For fiscal year 2014, total revenues were up 3% at $38.3 billion. GAAP Software and Cloud revenues were up 5%. GAAP Cloud SaaS and PaaS revenues were up 23% to $1.1 billion while Cloud IaaS revenues were $456 million. New software licenses revenues were unchanged at $9.4 billion while software license updates and product support revenues were up 6% to $18.2 billion. Total hardware system revenues were flat at $5.4 billion. GAAP operating income was up 1% to $14.8 billion, and GAAP operating margin was 39%. Non-GAAP operating income was up 3% to $18.1 billion, and non-GAAP operating margin was 47%. GAAP net income was unchanged at $11.0 billion, while non-GAAP net income was up 2% to $13.2 billion. GAAP earnings per share were $2.38, up 5% compared to last year while non-GAAP earnings per share were $2.87, up 7%.

“Our cloud subscription business is now approaching a run rate of $2 billion a year,” said Oracle President and CFO Safra Catz. “As our business has transitioned, more software revenues are being recognized over the life of a subscription rather than upfront. We’re making this transition to cloud subscriptions and ratable revenue recognition while continuously increasing our top-line revenue and our bottom-line profits year-after-year.”

“We have transformed Sun’s commodity hardware business into a profitable and growing Engineered Systems business,” said Oracle President Mark Hurd. “Our overall hardware business grew 2% in constant currency this past year. We saw record levels of Engineered Systems shipments and expect to deliver our 10,000th unit in Q1.”

“Oracle is now the second largest SaaS company in the world,” said Oracle CEO Larry Ellison. “In SaaS, we’re in front of everybody but salesforce.com. In IaaS we’re larger and more profitable than Rackspace. We have by far the most complete portfolio of modern SaaS and PaaS products in the industry: CRM: Sales, Service & Marketing; HCM: HR, Payroll & Talent; ERP: Accounting, Procurement, Supply Chain & more. All these SaaS products run on the world’s most powerful PaaS: the Oracle in-memory multitenant database and Java. We plan to increase our focus on the Cloud and become number one in both the SaaS and the PaaS businesses.”

The Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.12 per share of outstanding common stock. This dividend will be paid to stockholders of record as of the close of business on July 9, 2014, with a payment date of July 30, 2014.

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To learn more about HRchitect and how we can help your organization, please visit www.HRchitect.com. HRchitect is the leader in HCM systems strategic consulting.  As the premier Human Capital Management (HCM) Systems consulting firm, we offer end-to-end HR technology consulting services focused around strategic planning, evaluation/selection, project management and implementation of HR systems, Talent Management Systems, Talent Acquisition Systems, and Workforce Management software. After more than 17 years in business working on over 2100 successful engagements for more than 900 clients across the globe, HRchitect is a name you can trust for all of your organization’s HCM technology-related consulting needs.

Matt Lafata, HRchitect

HRchitect Tech Vendor News: Ceridian Launches Essentials Organizational Readiness Toolkit For Dayforce Human Capital Management

Minneapolis, MN, June 23, 2014 – Ceridian announces the launch of the Essentials Organization Readiness Toolkit that includes online courses, tools and templates to prepare an organization – and all involved users, at every level –  to successfully deploy Dayforce Human Capital Management and achieve maximum return on investment. Course modules discuss best practices for preparing for change and how to effectively leverage the content of the Essentials Org Readiness program.  Essentials Org Readiness is easy to use, providing a blueprint of recommended activities by project phase.

“In the midst of new software deployment, organizational readiness activities are often overlooked, which can result in ineffective training and poor user adoption,” says Gord MacDonald, vice president of education, Ceridian.  “Essentials Org Readiness Toolkit outlines the process and activities that businesses require to ensure that all users are ready to leverage Dayforce HCM.   The Essentials Org Readiness program offers customers a pragmatic and effective way to manage organization readiness for their HCM deployment.”

“Whether it is time to upgrade an existing technology or rip and replace with a new one, change management is critical for adoption,” says Lisa Rowan, IDC Research vice president, HR and talent management. “Without the proper transition, companies will not be able to realize the full potential return on investing in the new tools.”

Essentials Organization Readiness Toolkit features include:

• Online videos – Offer introductory “day in the life” training based on the employee’s role. The videos are short and can be easily accessed well in advance of the “go-live” date.
• Org Champion videos – Explain the importance of Org Readiness and demonstrate the Org Champion’s role through best practices.
• Org Readiness Tools and Templates – Resources that make it easy for the Org Readiness Champion to create and deploy an effective program. The toolkit contains project plan templates, checklists and sample communications, sorted by project phase.
• Training Plan Template – A detailed template that makes it easy for organizations to plan the development and delivery of user training.

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To learn more about HRchitect and how we can help your organization, please visit www.HRchitect.com. HRchitect is the leader in HCM systems strategic consulting.  As the premier Human Capital Management (HCM) Systems consulting firm, we offer end-to-end HR technology consulting services focused around strategic planning, evaluation/selection, project management and implementation of HR systems, Talent Management Systems, Talent Acquisition Systems, and Workforce Management software. After more than 17 years in business working on over 2100 successful engagements for more than 900 clients across the globe, HRchitect is a name you can trust for all of your organization’s HCM technology-related consulting needs.

Matt Lafata, HRchitect

HRchitect Tech Vendor News: SkillSurvey Now Processing Job References for Over 50,000 Candidates per Month, Marking Key Milestone

Expanding Business Reflects Strong and Growing Employer Need for Confidential Reference Assessments

Wayne, PA – June 23, 2014 – SkillSurvey, Inc., the leading provider of confidential, science-based reference assessments that help employers make better hiring decisions, today announced that it is consistently processing references on more than 50,000 candidates each month, reflecting its growing client base and the increasing importance of smart reference checking for human resources departments and hiring managers across the country.

SkillSurvey has processed roughly 6 million references on over 1.2 million candidates to date.

“Our strong growth shows that companies are recognizing that smarter reference checking is the best way to ensure quality hires,” said Ray Bixler, CEO of SkillSurvey. “This is the latest in a series of key milestones for us this year, following the news that our Pre-Hire 360®solution received a U.S. patent this March.  By bringing reference assessments online and moving the reference-checking process to the pre-interview stage, companies are avoiding problem hires, bringing in better talent and saving time and money in the process.”

Other key SkillSurvey developments in 2014 include:

• The new Workplace Health & Safety Competency Cluster within surveys targeted at the oil and gas industry, where failing to accurately measure a job candidate’s commitment to safe workplace practices could have disastrous results.

• Launching new clients on Credential360^TM, a solution that helps SkillSurvey’s healthcare clients more effectively check the credentials of medical professionals and speed up the process of bringing new personnel on board.

• An expanding customer base that has now grown to over 1,400 organizations

• A continued commitment to industry-leading research. Members of SkillSurvey’s research team recently presented at the annual conference of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) this past May, including the industry’s first “Big Data” analysis of open-ended comments provided by an applicant’s references and research on how competency ratings by references can help reduce applicant “faking” in pre-hire assessments.

“SkillSurvey is clearly on a roll, and we look forward to helping more companies across industries make better-informed and more successful hiring decisions, based on our scientifically-validated, behavior-based reference assessments,” said Ray Bixler.

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To learn more about HRchitect and how we can help your organization, please visit www.HRchitect.com. HRchitect is the leader in HCM systems strategic consulting.  As the premier Human Capital Management (HCM) Systems consulting firm, we offer end-to-end HR technology consulting services focused around strategic planning, evaluation/selection, project management and implementation of HR systems, Talent Management Systems, Talent Acquisition Systems, and Workforce Management software. After more than 17 years in business working on over 2100 successful engagements for more than 900 clients across the globe, HRchitect is a name you can trust for all of your organization’s HCM technology-related consulting needs.

Matt Lafata, HRchitect

HRchitect Tech Vendor News: The Rush Fitness Complex Achieves 158% ROI Using Dayforce HCM To Increase HR Productivity & Better Manage The Full Workforce Lifecycle

Minneapolis, MN, June 5 2014 – Ceridian announces the results of its commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Ceridian: The Total Economic Impact™ of Ceridian Dayforce HCM – As Deployed And Used By The Rush Fitness Complex. To better understand the benefits, costs, and risks associated with Dayforce Human Capital Management, Forrester interviewed The Rush Fitness Complex – a leading fitness club chain with 23 locations, close to 1,500 employees and more than 120,000 members. The Rush Fitness Complex has been using Ceridian’s Dayforce HCM solution for over a year.

Interviews with the Rush Fitness and subsequent financial analysis found that the company was able to achieve the following as a result of deploying Dayforce HCM:

• 158% ROI
• A net present value (NPV) of 1.05 million or $700.00 per employee over the next three years
• A payback period of just 12 months

Other key findings of the study are:

• Over three years, The Rush Fitness Complex expects total benefits to be a present value of 1.7 million, or $1,143 per employee. Significant quantifiable benefits in terms of productivity gains, payroll outsourcing cost savings and increased payroll accuracy were reported.
• Over three years, The Rush Fitness Complex expects costs to total a net present value of a little more than $664,000 or $443 per employee. Costs associated with software fees, implementation, training, administration and governance were taken into account.

“We knew that we needed a solid technology solution to help us achieve a more robust solution for payroll, timekeeping, and management of personnel,” says Leslie Dailey, senior vice president of Human Resources, The Rush Fitness Complex.   “Ceridian provides us with the ability to effectively manage the full lifecycle of our workforce and accurately report to the business. We’re looking forward to Ceridian’s additional solutions that they’re bringing online such as their talent management solution and performance management appraisal process, which will be very beneficial to our workforce.”

“Organizations often face challenges in sustaining a portfolio of human capital management applications which are typically poorly integrated and have functional gaps as well as solution overlaps,” says Rob Rose, vice president of product management, Ceridian.  “We believe that Forrester Consulting has validated what we’ve been telling clients – consolidating all major HCM functions into one system can allow organizations to proactively manage their operations and realize significant productivity gains.”

Dayforce HCM is a human capital management solution delivered in a single, reliable end-to-end, SaaS application. This single application includes Payroll, Workforce Management, Benefits, Human Resources and Recruiting. Dayforce Payroll enables employees to view, edit, fix and preview payroll in real-time, enabling employees to be compensated accurately and on time, and eliminating batch processing and trial runs. Dayforce Workforce Management allows managers to plan and forecast labor requirements, aligns schedules with labor demand, and allows for accurate time tracking and compliance.  Dayforce Benefits manages employee enrollment, calculates eligibility and supports an unlimited number of plan types to administer accurate, compliant and accessible benefit plans across the organization. Dayforce HR Self-Service increases manager productivity and employee engagement by allowing mobile access to view and make changes to status through approved workflows, and to manage schedules through shift trading, availability management and time-off requests. Dayforce Recruiting enhances the recruiter, hiring manager and candidate experience, accelerates time-to-hire and enables seamless conversion from candidate to employee with a single employee record from the application through the full employee lifecycle.

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To learn more about HRchitect and how we can help your organization, please visit www.HRchitect.com. HRchitect is the leader in HR systems strategic consulting.  As the premier Human Capital Management (HCM) Systems consulting firm, we offer end-to-end HR technology consulting services focused around strategic planning, evaluation/selection, project management and implementation of HR systems, Talent Management Systems, Talent Acquisition Systems, and Workforce Management software. After more than 17 years in business working on over 2000 successful engagements for more than 900 clients across the globe, HRchitect is a name you can trust as your one-stop shop for all your HR technology consulting needs.

Matt Lafata, HRchitect

HRchitect Tech Vendor News: HRsmart Launches Latest Release of Award Winning Platform

RICHARDSON, TX – June 2, 2014 – HRsmart, a leading provider of global talent management solutions, announces the launch of version 12.1 of its Unified Talent Management Platform. This latest release is now available to all HRsmart Enterprise clients.

“The HRsmart team is very excited to provide this latest evolution of our Unified platform to our clients and the marketplace.” says Mark Hamdan, Chief CEO at HRsmart. “Our product and development teams have been working around the clock to provide, what we believe, is the most advanced architecture and solution suite in the industry.”

Gartner Group, McLean & Company, and Federys have all recognized the HRsmart Unified Architecture (HUA) as being a leading solution in the Talent Management industry. The platform has received the Cloud Showplace BoSS award for Best of SaaS, as well being named a finalist in the Network Products Guide for “Hot New Technology”. HUA is also the core platform for the Monster TMS and Empower Talent market offerings.

A few of the new features in the 12.1 Release are:

• New and improved Compensation module complete with hard and soft rule creation, audit trails, completion monitoring & tracking and embedded compensation letters.
• Expanded Conceptual Searching Capabilities using Monster SeeMore™ functionality, including the ability to run SeeMore searches directly from all phases of the recruiting workflow.
• Apply with Monster feature that allows job seekers to use their Monster profile to complete the résumé/CV profile form when applying to your jobs.
• Bulk Launch of appraisals of groups of employees by their hire or start date.
• Employees will now have the ability to enter and provide input on goal weights when they enter their goals.
• Both Employees and managers can enter final/overall performance appraisal comments, which are separate from any scoring/assessment or signature comments.
• 9 Box expanded configurability allows administrators to freely determine defaults (performance & potential) within the 9 Box scales.
• Read & Sign Course Type feature allows LMS administrators to upload course documents into the LMS that require tracking and verification of the employee actions.
• Ad hoc Locations feature enables users to enter ad hoc locations when creating an internal class.

 

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To learn more about HRchitect and how we can help your organization, please visit www.HRchitect.com. HRchitect is the leader in HR systems strategic consulting.  As the premier Human Capital Management (HCM) Systems consulting firm, we offer end-to-end HR technology consulting services focused around strategic planning, evaluation/selection, project management and implementation of HR systems, Talent Management Systems, Talent Acquisition Systems, and Workforce Management software. After more than 17 years in business working on over 2000 successful engagements for more than 900 clients across the globe, HRchitect is a name you can trust as your one-stop shop for all your HR technology consulting needs.

Matt Lafata, HRchitect

HRchitect Tech Vendor News: Saba Shifts Intelligent Talent Management into High Gear with Saba Cloud Spring 2014 Release

Latest Update Boasts Enhanced Predictive Analytics, an Irresistible User Experience, and New Drag and Drop Integration Capabilities to Increase Enterprise Engagement, Drive Productivity and Accelerate Decision Making

REDWOOD SHORES, Calif. – April 8, 2014 – Saba (OTCPink: SABA), a global leader in next-generation cloud solutions for talent management, today announced the launch of the Saba Cloud Spring 2014 release with a series of new innovations that are designed to help organizations enhance employee engagement, accelerate decision-making and improve productivity. Key innovations include enhanced predictive capabilities, an improved user experience and workflows, and a new way to easily and rapidly connect with other enterprise solutions and services. The announcement was made at @WORK 2014, being held in Orlando, Florida from April 7-10.

“With these important innovations to Saba Cloud, we have delivered a smarter suite of products that give people more ways to work while increasing better decision-making and productivity,” said Shawn Farshchi, president and CEO, Saba. “With the latest updates driven by customer feedback and our commitment to innovation, we plan to continue to evolve our platform to meet the current and future needs of our customers and the marketplace.”

“The talent management industry is moving away from applications that don’t get smarter and add more value over time to both users and the business,” said Jim Lundy, founder and CEO of Aragon Research. “Saba continues to enhance the machine learning and predictive capabilities in its Saba Cloud suite, extending their value proposition of smarter apps.”

“Companies are adopting next-generation technologies such as collaboration and mobile to improve their human capital processes,” said Stephan Millard, VP and Research Director at Ventana Research. “Saba’s Spring 2014 release of Saba Cloud delivers a significant step in helping companies adopt these next-generation technologies with enhancements like peer-to-peer HD conferencing and mobile goal management, both of which can help employees become more productive.”

The Saba Cloud Spring 2014 release includes over 60 enhancements, and showcases the best of talent management in three key areas:

• Predictive: Saba’s patent pending machine learning technology is infused throughout its talent management platform and guides managers and administrators to better decisions, while helping employees find the information and expertise they need to succeed. New capabilities include:
• • The Percent Fit score. New in Saba’s Recruiting@Work product, this feature gives hiring managers more ways of identifying and ranking the best candidates based on a set of quantitative criteria.
  • SmartHire Assistant™ (patent pending). Built into the Recruiting@Work product, this capability takes an average of the ranking each member of the hiring team gives a candidate and plots the candidate on an n-box grid. This capability then provides recommendations on which candidates may be good hires for the job.
  • Intelligent Salary Recommendations. This feature in the Recruiting@Work product recommends the best salary ranges for different candidates, based on their ranking in the n-box grid.
  • Internal Candidate Suggestions. This capability in the Recruiting@Work product will look at an existing employee pool and make intelligent suggestions for possible internal candidates based on a review of profile data, employee skills and competencies, learning plans, as well as performance data.

• Extensible: The platform upon which Saba Cloud is delivered has been designed to meet the needs of organizations from hundreds to thousands of users. Extensibility is a key strength of the platform. New capabilities include:
  • The Saba MarketPlace. In any organization there is a complex eco-system of human resource (HR) and talent applications and services. Connecting these various systems has to date been a very time consuming and complex proposition. Saba Marketplace radically simplifies the process of connecting third-party applications and services to Saba Cloud. Services available include:
    • Recruiting: Job Boards – LinkedIn, SimplyHired and Monster; Talent Search – TalentBin
    • Enterprise Vendors: HRMS/HRIS – Workday; Virtual Learning – Cisco WebEx
    • Content Providers: Kantola and OpenSesame
    • OpenSocial Standard Support: Twitter and Facebook
• Validated Environment Managed Services and Support for FDA 21 CFR Part 11. Saba has extended the reach of Saba Cloud to customers operating in highly regulated environments such as financial, healthcare, pharmaceutical and insurance.
• TinCan 1.0 Support. Saba Cloud now supports the TinCan 1.0 content standard.

• Irresistible: Greater engagement drives better retention and productivity. Saba Cloud is the talent management solution designed to drive employee engagement. New capabilities include:
  • Built for Touch. Saba Cloud’s mobile applications (available for iOS and Android) reflect the new consumer grade experiences that end users expect. In addition to an enhanced user experience, this update also delivers mobile recruiting and goal management.
  • Gamification. The platform has support for a wide and growing set of game dynamics. This update includes custom badges which are given out with the Impressions feature as a form of peer recognition. These badges can now be created and customized to better align with a company’s culture, as well as the needs of specific programs.
  • Learning Calendar. Learners will have an easier time finding classes that fit their schedule with the new learning calendar. Monthly, weekly and daily views of events and the course catalog enable users to quickly customize their schedule.
  • HD Peer-to-Peer Video Conferencing. This new browser-based peer-to-peer HD video conferencing adds personalized collaboration to the entire talent management suite. A WebRTC-based and client-based solution, it is compatible with all major browsers and supports use cases such as remote proctoring and video interviewing and recruiting.

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To learn more about HRchitect and how we can help your organization, please visit www.HRchitect.com. HRchitect is the leader in HR systems strategic consulting.  As the premier Human Capital Management (HCM) Systems consulting firm, we offer end-to-end HR technology consulting services focused around strategic planning, evaluation/selection, project management and implementation of HR systems, Talent Management Systems, Talent Acquisition Systems, and Workforce Management software. After more than 16 years in business working on over 2000 successful engagements for more than 900 clients across the globe, HRchitect is a name you can trust as your one-stop shop for all your HR technology consulting needs.

Matt Lafata, HRchitect

HRchitect Tech Vendor News: Benefitfocus Achieves Web-Based Entity Certification to Offer Employers a Whole Workforce Solution

Leading provider of benefits software obtains WBE status to help employers facilitate individual enrollment

Charleston, S.C. – February 18, 2014 – Benefitfocus, Inc. (NASDAQ: BNFT), a leading provider of cloud-based benefits software solutions, today announced the company’s wholly owned subsidiary, BenefitStore, Inc. has signed an agreement with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to confirm its status as a Web-Based Entity (WBE). With this agreement, Benefitfocus creates a channel for employers to facilitate enrollment in Qualified Health Plans (QHPs) for employees who may be eligible for an advanced premium tax credit (APTC) through the Federally Facilitated Marketplace (FFM). Benefitfocus HR INTOUCH^® provides employers a comprehensive benefits solution that accounts for all segments of their employee population as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) introduces new healthcare coverage options for individuals.

As a WBE, Benefitfocus can exchange eligibility information directly with the FFM in real-time, providing a convenient enrollment channel for individuals who qualify for federal subsidies as well as variable hour employees who may not be eligible for company-sponsored healthcare coverage. This integration creates a whole workforce solution, allowing employers to offer additional direction and guidance in complying with the individual mandate for coverage stipulated by the ACA while further addressing their own needs related to the employer mandate.

Benefitfocus has previously worked to offer Issuer-Direct Enrollment solutions for health insurance carriers. This solution mirrors the new WBE solution and establishes Benefitfocus as a leader in technology solutions and integrations related to the ACA’s evolving sales and subsidy channels.

By offering the option to enroll in subsidized health plans via HR InTouch, the same portal they use to administer enrollment in company-sponsored benefits, employers can provide access to decision support features that encourage their workforce to evaluate the best coverage option based on their individual status. In addition, the portal’s suite of reporting tools allows employers to monitor enrollment status, manage ongoing benefits needs and facilitate compliance with ACA requirements.

“Our recognition as a WBE reflects our commitment to providing solutions for the whole workforce in the rapidly evolving benefits landscape,” remarked Shawn Jenkins, President and CEO of Benefitfocus. “By extending enrollment options on our Platform, we can offer a whole workforce solution for employers as well as the best consumer experience. This gives our clients an elegant way to address the needs of their entire workforce all in one place.”

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To learn more about HRchitect and how we can help your organization, please visit www.HRchitect.com. HRchitect is the leader in HR systems strategic consulting.  As the premier Human Capital Management (HCM) Systems consulting firm, we offer end-to-end HR technology consulting services focused around strategic planning, evaluation/selection, project management and implementation of HR systems, Talent Management Systems, Talent Acquisition Systems, and Workforce Management software. After more than 16 years in business working on over 2000 successful engagements for more than 900 clients across the globe, HRchitect is a name you can trust as your one-stop shop for all your HR technology consulting needs.

Matt Lafata, HRchitect

HRchitect Tech Vendor News: Peoplefluent Compliance Reporting Center Delivers Instantaneous Audit Readiness

Compliance Reporting Center Enriches Good Faith Efforts for Compliance with New Disability and Veteran Regulations through Centralized Distribution and Visualization Capabilities

WALTHAM, Mass. – February 11, 2014 –Peoplefluent®, a leading social human capital management technology company, announced powerful new enhancements to Peoplefluent’s Compliance Reporting Center (CRC), an automated affirmative action tracking and reporting system. CRC enables federal contractors to accumulate, monitor and produce documentation of federally-mandated Good Faith Effort activity in a secure repository that can be readily accessed in the event of an Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) audit.

Manual processes to track Good Faith Efforts to comply with recent Disability and Veteran regulations can result in incomplete and highly inefficient recordkeeping. This can cause organizations to bear costly fines, lose valuable contracts, and incur the operational cost of valuable employee time spent sifting through paperwork.

“Federal contractors operate in an increasingly complex compliance environment. The ability to quickly and efficiently deliver compliance requirements with Affirmative Action Good Faith Efforts is critical to their success,” said Randy Jesberg, general manager, Workforce Compliance, Diversity, Planning & Analytics Divisions, Peoplefluent. “These vital new capabilities provide federal contractors the ability to track, manage and produce Good Faith Effort-related documentation to prove compliance. We’ve designed this system to address the evolving needs of the contractor community and act as a strategic asset to foster high-performance, inclusive work environments.”

Automation and intuitive workflows enable managers to direct time away from cumbersome paperwork and toward advancing their organizations’ strategic diversity goals. Unique to the solution, Peoplefluent’s Universal Report Loader provides the flexibility to upload reports to the CRC from any Affirmative Action Plan system through an automated workflow, ensuring one comprehensive, searchable repository for all reports.

In addition, global subsetting capabilities enable compliance executives to assign individual Good Faith Effort activities to certain departments and locations, ensuring that individual plan owners can focus on particular assignments without being flooded by unrelated assignments from elsewhere within the organization. This also enables management to track the success of Good Faith Effort activities at multiple locations.

Other new enhancements to the CRC include:

• Enriched recordkeeping capabilities enable managers to associate documents and web links to particular Good Faith Effort activities.
• Document management capabilities enable managers to determine which folders individuals have access to and set email alerts any time the contents of a folder have changed.
• Improved user experience capabilities enable users to more quickly and easily view and navigate through different functions, further increasing operating efficiency.

The latest version of Peoplefluent’s Compliance Reporting Center is now available. For information on Peoplefluent’s Workforce Compliance and Diversity Solutions, please visit: http://www.peoplefluent.com/hr-compliance.

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To learn more about HRchitect and how we can help your organization, please visit www.HRchitect.com. HRchitect is the leader in HR systems strategic consulting.  As the premier Human Capital Management (HCM) Systems consulting firm, we offer end-to-end HR technology consulting services focused around strategic planning, evaluation/selection, project management and implementation of HR systems, Talent Management Systems, Talent Acquisition Systems, and Workforce Management software. After more than 16 years in business working on over 2000 successful engagements for more than 900 clients across the globe, HRchitect is a name you can trust as your one-stop shop for all your HR technology consulting needs.

Matt Lafata, HRchitect

HRchitect Tech Vendor News: Oracle Extends the Power of Modern HR in the Cloud with Updates to Oracle HCM Cloud

New Functionality Helps Global Enterprises Deliver a Talent-Centric, Collaborative, Insightful, Engaging and Mobile Employee Experience

News Summary

Finding, growing and retaining leading talent is a key challenge for organizations in today’s competitive business world. To address this challenge and help organizations align talent with current and future business needs, Oracle has unveiled significant updates to its cloud-based solutions for managing and optimizing the end-to-end employee lifecycle. With the latest version of Oracle Human Capital Management (HCM) Cloud, including Oracle Global HR Cloud and Oracle Talent Management Cloud, organizations can achieve new levels of engagement, productivity and business results through unparalleled insights into human capital.

News Facts

• To help organizations maximize the potential of their global talent, Oracle has updated Oracle HCM Cloud, available to customers in the Oracle Cloud as part of Release 8.
• With more than 200 new innovations, including an integrated time and attendance solution, workforce modeling, additional global support for payroll and new languages, Oracle continues to deliver solutions that address the most important HR priorities for businesses.
• By enhancing this complete cloud-enabled HR system with user experience innovations, new mobile functionality, additional global support and deeper analytics, Oracle is giving organizations the capabilities they need to meet the changing needs of modern business.
• Oracle announced the cloud updates at Oracle HCM World, a new event for HR executives to learn and discuss how to extend the strategic business opportunity at the intersection of HR, talent management and technology. Oracle HCM World is taking place in Las Vegas, February 4 – 6, 2014. Follow the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #HCMWorld.

Modern HR in the Cloud

• Oracle HCM Cloud supports a collaborative, insightful, talent-centric, engaging and mobile employee experience across the global workforce.
• A complete, global HR system, Oracle HCM Cloud enables businesses and organizations to:
• Maximize Productivity: A complete time management application designed to automate time and attendance record keeping helps organizations align employee hours with business priorities.
• Optimize Resources: Comprehensive modeling functionality enables organizations to test large-scale changes while understanding the impact on costs, headcount and engagement.
• Manage a Global workforce: The latest version of Oracle HCM Cloud includes the addition of payroll for Canada. Oracle HCM Cloud now supports 14 compliant localizations in 34 languages and is used in 180 countries.
• Tapping the power of social networks with new social sourcing features enables organizations to:
• Better Identify Internal Talent: Increased integration between Oracle Social Sourcing Cloud and the internal career section of Oracle Recruiting Cloud allows for greater internal mobility across organizations.
• Convert More Leads from Social Media: Using highly engaging mobile-friendly job listings and category landing pages in Oracle Social Sourcing Cloud, organizations can attract and convert traffic from referrals and social media faster.
• Highly intuitive enhancements to the user interface for HR, business and end users deliver a more mobile and engaging experience to:
• Unify the Employee Experience: A consistent look and feel across Web and mobile throughout the complete hire-to-retire flow can increase user adoption and value.
• Manage HR On-The-Go: Oracle HCM Cloud Mobile incorporates new workflows for common HR actions and additional mobile functionality for advanced analytics that enables HR to review key business metrics and drill into reports, regardless of location.
• With a talent-centric approach, across Oracle Talent Management Cloud, organizations can:
• Better Align Recruiting and Core HR: Virtually seamless interoperability and standardized data mapping between Oracle Global HR Cloud and Oracle Talent Management Cloud creates new efficiencies across the HR lifecycle.
• Speed the Recruiting Process: Organizations can improve process from sourcing to hire with usability and mobility innovations for HR, managers, employees and candidates across candidate information, interview feedback and job search.
• Streamline Performance Management: Revamped performance management tools, including dashboards, email digests and succession planning lists, help employees and managers prioritize talent development and career growth.
• Extend Global Learning: With the addition of two new languages – Korean and Turkish – Oracle Learn Cloud will be available in 22 different languages.
• New integrations with leading business analytics enable a more insightful approach to talent, allowing organizations to:
• Uncover Strategic Insights from Talent: The combination of Oracle Business Intelligence and Oracle Talent Management Cloud helps organizations assess hiring and performance management needs and trends from both strategic and tactical levels through rich content and vibrant data visualizations.

 

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To learn more about HRchitect and how we can help your organization, please visit www.HRchitect.com. HRchitect is the leader in HR systems strategic consulting.  As the premier Human Capital Management (HCM) Systems consulting firm, we offer end-to-end HR technology consulting services focused around strategic planning, evaluation/selection, project management and implementation of HR systems, Talent Management Systems, Talent Acquisition Systems, and Workforce Management software. After more than 16 years in business working on over 2000 successful engagements for more than 900 clients across the globe, HRchitect is a name you can trust as your one-stop shop for all your HR technology consulting needs.

Matt Lafata, HRchitect