Gartner published a list last year of human capital management (HCM) vendors which it believes we need to look out for.
These US companies, it says, are "applying emerging consumer technologies (such as wireless) to improve HR business processes, leveraging new analysis tools and techniques to drive the next evolution of workforce reporting and analytics, applying Web technology (and some new, creative business models) to find the best talent, and applying technology to better manage and control skyrocketing health benefits costs".
An abbreviated list of the vendors, taken directly from the report, follows:
* Airtime-Manager, based in Maryland
Airtime-Manager provides a new approach to automated time-and-expense capture solutions for mobile professionals. Airtime-A4P automatically captures the time spent on business calls and e-mail when working out of the office. It uses BlackBerry/Research In Motion, Palm and Goodlink technologies with on-the-go billing to automatically capture these billable events and recover the revenue. Airtime-A4P can integrate with time-and-expense reporting systems so that all time worked is consolidated into one repository. Airtime-A4Biz makes it easy for users to separate business/personal calls and e-mail so that they don't need multiple devices, and also so that an employer can monitor or bill back for personal usage. This is a compelling application of mobile/wireless technology in the time-and-attendance market.
* DoubleStar, based in Pennsylvania
DoubleStar has created a solution that includes software and consulting services, which help companies move beyond measuring HR efficiency and effectiveness. These services can provide the typical key performance indicators, but they also help customers understand which metrics really affect business results, and then provide the technology to gain visibility into those metrics. For example, many workforce analytics solutions can report on staffing metrics, such as time-to-hire and cost-per-hire. However, DoubleStar provides more business insight by measuring quality of hire, retention/attrition impact and opportunity cost of loss.
* H3.com, based in Massachusetts
H3.com is a cash-reward referral hiring tool designed to identify relevant candidates within personal and extended networks. H3.com extends the concept of referrals by introducing not only a cash reward to an employee who's made a referral, but also to others who may be in the extended network. In addition, H3.com has been granted a patent for facilitating and tracking personal referrals made via electronic networks, which could affect other vendors' capability to provide referral networking services via the Internet.
* I*Level, based in Colorado
I*Level helps companies evaluate, develop and retain employees by monitoring workforce issues, delivering real-time reporting, and providing corrective actions to managers and executives. I*Level has created a motivation model called I*Factors. Six of these models operate in the work environment as dominant motivators. They've built assessments for each phase of the employee life cycle (for example, pre-hiring, onboarding, ongoing and post resignation). Each I*Level assessment asks employees a series of questions about I*Factors models, and uses statistical analysis to identify issues and recommend actions at each stage of the employee life cycle. I*Level provides a strong combination of content, software and analytics to help managers and executives create a more engaged workforce.
* VitalSpring Technologies, based in Virginia
VitalSpring has developed an xApp that integrates with SAP's HCM solution (as well as SAP's Financial applications and other third-party systems). This xApp helps companies better manage their health benefits costs. VitalSpring is the first third-party xApp developer for SAP's mySAP HCM solution. Increasing health benefits costs are a major issue for US-based companies, but little technology has been available to help them understand and control their spending. Many solutions help to administer benefits, but none bring together benefits administration data, claims data and external data to help an organisation better understand its benefits usage and costs.
Source: Gartner, Cool Vendors in Human Capital Management Software, 2006, James Holincheck, March 2006
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