The future of Human Resources: Technology assists in streamlining your HR department.

• Author: Hoover, Will
• Position: Practical Biz - Will Hoover Co. and Advantius Inc. - Brief Article

For nearly thirty years, The Will over Company assisted its clients in developing best practices in an ongoing effort to deliver their products and services more efficiently. The Internet has transformed the world of business over the past few years, and no area has been impacted more than a company's human resources department. It used to be that even relatively small firms had to have HR professionals to handle a variety of administrative functions on behalf of the employee base. Accurate and timely creation of payroll data, questions regarding insurance plans, benefits enrollment and changes, tracking company owned equipment and maintaining accurate personnel information are all examples of time consuming administrative tasks that can limit a quality HR professional's ability to add strategic value to the enterprise.

The Internet has enabled Human Resource professionals to gain real advantages from new, extraordinarily powerful Human Resources Management Systems (HRMS) that leading software vendors arc creating. This new technology allows the service provider to put user-friendly systems on the desktops of the people entering and utilizing HR data. Without having to invest in powerful hardware and software systems, the client company can utilize a web-based system to deliver confidential HR and payroll information directly to the employees. Advantages of an out-sourced service provider's web-based system can include:

Applications delivered via the internet requiring little client company administration

Employee access to information 24 hours a day, from any internet connection with oo intervention from HR staff required

Information is located in one place, backed up off-site by a highly secure data center, is maintained by HR and payroll, and is delivered in real time (is always current)

The service provider often supplies several web-enabled components in their program, including Employee Self-Service (ESS) and Manager Self-Service (MSS). They can also include a robust FIRMS system with their services. Functions now being carried out by employees and managers via these self-service modules include:

* Updating personal information, such as home address, emergency...