Managing Humans

Ask any CEO and they’ll likely tell you the toughest part of their job is managing people. Get a few drinks in them and you can probably get them to recount stories of amazingly difficult employees (I know I have a few). The challenge for managers is that employees are a unique resource with multiple legal and taxing ramifications and they need to be handled with care. That’s the reason Human Capital Management solutions are one of the hot technology areas right now. Documenting the steps and reducing the cost of onboarding, training, motivating, compensating, and ultimately terminating the human asset reduces bottom line cost, increases productivity, and dramatically reduces risk. We expect to see consolidation in the HCM market with key players such as ADP, Ceridian, Ultimate, Infor, and others looking to offer a full suite of solutions that address everything from initial interviewing through payroll, benefits, and management review. Infor’s acquisition of CERTPOINT Systems adds learning management to an offering that already included the Lawson HCM acquisition in 2011. In our HCM Technology Value Matrix we noted Infor as a leader in this space but there’s aggressive competition from other vendors. Ultimately that’s great news for customers who will benefit from accelerated integration and innovation in this space.