? about Proprietary vs. off-the-shelf programs

» donnafine - ? about Proprietary vs. off-the-shelf programs

I ask because I'm new to my HR dept and am responsible for finding some new solutions. In your job, do you use any proprietary software created by your company, or all off-the-shelf programs? If you use proprietary programs, how well do they integrate with other programs you use?

Thankyou

Donna

-- posted by donnafine

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» morfeld - Re: ? about Proprietary vs. off-the-shelf programs

In response to message posted by donnafine:

Hi Donna.

It's difficult to provide a straightforward response to your question because there are so many variables:

* What type of software are you referring to (applicant tracking HRIS, employee self-service, contingent workforce management, etc.)?

* What are the goals of the HR function? (What sort of "new solutions" are priority?)

* What challenges do you currently face with respect to the processes you are looking to automate? Will technology necessarily address these problems, or are there underlying issues that must first be resolved?

* Have you conducted a thorough analysis to determine what you want out of a system, and a market scan to get a sense of whether any existing products meet all of these requirements?

* What department- and enterprise-level applications are currently in use, and how important is it it that the new system be integrated? What level of integration do you desire?

* Do you have the inhouse IT resources to develop and support a proprietary program?

* What level of support and customization do you expect from a third-party software developer?

There are lots of great online articles to assist with HR technology decisions. Do a keyword search at www.workforce.com, www.shrm.org, www.HR.com, and -- for recruitment-related applications -- www.erexchange.com.

Also check out these two articles: www.smartpros.com/x35799.xml and www.refresher.com/!tceprocure.html. While they specifically address e-procurement applications, the concepts are applicable to the selection and implementation of any type of technology.

I also invite other readers to share their own experiences with "build vs. buy" technology decisions by responding to this discussion thread.

Good luck!

Christina Morfeld
Contributing Editor, Suite101.com HR Topic

-- posted by morfeld

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