Related to talent management are learning management systems, since for organizations of virtually any size, ongoing training is an essential component of developing a workforce. Learning management software essentially delivers training to the desktop (often via a web browser, and is thus sometimes also called e-learning). It allows organizations to track and monitor which employees receive training (in other words, verifies attendance), when they are trained, and how well they understand the training material (for instance, by centrally testing their comprehension). Such systems are particularly relevant in industries that are bound by regulation and compliance issues (such as finance and health care) or that require employee certification.
To that end, these systems have also caught on in manufacturing, retail, and even casinos—due in part to the impact a better educated workforce can have on the top line. Manufacturing companies specifically are in need of more effective ways to manage their employees amid shrinking workforces (driven by plant closings and outsourcing) and skyrocketing benefits and disability expenses, and they have been grappling with how to deliver learning modules to employees with specific information. For instance, a company could design an event-driven workflow that is triggered by mandatory learning assignments, whereby a touch screen kiosk situated near the factory floor work area administers a training program. The interactive kiosk would then track, for instance, which individuals completed the module as well as what direct association they have with lowering machine downtime as a result of completing the training session. That would then tie back to HR and other associated enterprise applications.
Learning systems are also deployed to train employees on new products—either those they are using internally, or those they are selling to customers. Such systems are based on foundational software that acts as a database or administrative hub, tracking employees, course content, and other components, whereas on top of that may sit content creation tools and other middleware that helps distribute content. And then, there is the training content itself, which can be developed in-house or obtained from a universe of third parties. Cost avoidance (due to paper and travel elimination) and efficiency (for example, an enterprise has to quickly train its sales force prior to the launch of a new product and service) can be a primary reason for deploying learning systems, although one often has to reckon with a price tag in millions of dollars. GeoLearning, Knowledge Anywhere, Plateau Systems, SumTotal Systems, Intellinex, Saba, and Convergys are among the pure-play providers in this space, while some traditional ERP providers like SAP and Oracle/PeopleSoft have learning management functions as part of their human capital management (HCM) suites, like SAP HCM, Oracle HRMS, and PeopleSoft HCM.
Managing Contingent Labor
Also, more companies are reliant upon contingent or temporary contract labor and services now than at any other time. For the majority of companies, contingent labor is a significant component of the workforce mix, and they expect their reliance upon contingent labor to increase during 2006 and beyond. According to a recent survey conducted by Fieldglass, a provider of contingent workforce management solutions (which manage the business process of finding, hiring, managing, and monitoring contingent or contract labor or services), companies that take the opportunity to streamline their contingent workforce management processes stand to gain competitive advantage. The most cited motive (from about 60 percent of respondents) for improving the management of contingent labor and services was "improving the efficiency of procuring and managing services resources."
If organizations view employees as assets, then it follows that those assets should be allocated effectively, and in the context of business goals and demands. To that end, workforce management software generally involves staffing, developing, tracking, and rewarding employees. In practical terms, such software schedules employees based on business volume, and also tracks labor activities, projects being worked on, work orders, hours, and how workers should be paid. Workforce management software grew out of time and attendance (T&A) monitoring systems, and can now address many facets of the workforce, from making sure that assembly lines are adequately staffed on any particular shift, to identifying the best salespeople to tackle a new account and making sure they are rewarded properly. Workforce management software vendors include Ultimate Software, Kronos (which also recently acquired SmartTime), Automatic Data Processing (ADP), Softscape, Workbrain, 360Commerce (now part of Oracle), Kaba Benzing, MBH Solutions (including the recently acquired Concur HR product), WorkForce Software, and CyberShift.
To that end, these systems have also caught on in manufacturing, retail, and even casinos—due in part to the impact a better educated workforce can have on the top line. Manufacturing companies specifically are in need of more effective ways to manage their employees amid shrinking workforces (driven by plant closings and outsourcing) and skyrocketing benefits and disability expenses, and they have been grappling with how to deliver learning modules to employees with specific information. For instance, a company could design an event-driven workflow that is triggered by mandatory learning assignments, whereby a touch screen kiosk situated near the factory floor work area administers a training program. The interactive kiosk would then track, for instance, which individuals completed the module as well as what direct association they have with lowering machine downtime as a result of completing the training session. That would then tie back to HR and other associated enterprise applications.
Learning systems are also deployed to train employees on new products—either those they are using internally, or those they are selling to customers. Such systems are based on foundational software that acts as a database or administrative hub, tracking employees, course content, and other components, whereas on top of that may sit content creation tools and other middleware that helps distribute content. And then, there is the training content itself, which can be developed in-house or obtained from a universe of third parties. Cost avoidance (due to paper and travel elimination) and efficiency (for example, an enterprise has to quickly train its sales force prior to the launch of a new product and service) can be a primary reason for deploying learning systems, although one often has to reckon with a price tag in millions of dollars. GeoLearning, Knowledge Anywhere, Plateau Systems, SumTotal Systems, Intellinex, Saba, and Convergys are among the pure-play providers in this space, while some traditional ERP providers like SAP and Oracle/PeopleSoft have learning management functions as part of their human capital management (HCM) suites, like SAP HCM, Oracle HRMS, and PeopleSoft HCM.
Managing Contingent Labor
Also, more companies are reliant upon contingent or temporary contract labor and services now than at any other time. For the majority of companies, contingent labor is a significant component of the workforce mix, and they expect their reliance upon contingent labor to increase during 2006 and beyond. According to a recent survey conducted by Fieldglass, a provider of contingent workforce management solutions (which manage the business process of finding, hiring, managing, and monitoring contingent or contract labor or services), companies that take the opportunity to streamline their contingent workforce management processes stand to gain competitive advantage. The most cited motive (from about 60 percent of respondents) for improving the management of contingent labor and services was "improving the efficiency of procuring and managing services resources."
If organizations view employees as assets, then it follows that those assets should be allocated effectively, and in the context of business goals and demands. To that end, workforce management software generally involves staffing, developing, tracking, and rewarding employees. In practical terms, such software schedules employees based on business volume, and also tracks labor activities, projects being worked on, work orders, hours, and how workers should be paid. Workforce management software grew out of time and attendance (T&A) monitoring systems, and can now address many facets of the workforce, from making sure that assembly lines are adequately staffed on any particular shift, to identifying the best salespeople to tackle a new account and making sure they are rewarded properly. Workforce management software vendors include Ultimate Software, Kronos (which also recently acquired SmartTime), Automatic Data Processing (ADP), Softscape, Workbrain, 360Commerce (now part of Oracle), Kaba Benzing, MBH Solutions (including the recently acquired Concur HR product), WorkForce Software, and CyberShift.
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