Traditional HRIS systems are aging at a rapid rate and an increasing number of organizations are moving towards cloud-based business solutions. Why? Compared to on-premise systems, a SaaS (Software as a Service) solution simply makes your job easier.
Moving to a cloud-based deployment model allows you to improve your experience in multiple ways – from updating your software seamlessly to resolving support issues significantly faster through better insight into your system. A move to the cloud will provide you with enhanced security with best-in-class public cloud defense protocols, and most importantly, you’ll get new and exciting features and functionality at an accelerated pace.
When combined with the benefits of reduced manual tasks, and not having to have a full IT team to administer on-prem solutions – cloud-based software is heavy on silver linings.
What exactly is Software as a Service (SaaS)?
Software as a Service (SaaS) is cloud-based or hosted software that can be accessed 24/7 via the Internet. When working with a SaaS platform, companies don’t host their software, which means they don’t have to install hardware or worry about bug fixes or installing release and security updates. Organizations typically pay a monthly subscription fee or per employee per month fee (PEPM) and all system maintenance, upgrades, and updates are taken care of by the provider of the software.
The Benefits of SaaS for Payroll and HR Professionals
Many companies in the HCM space are quickly adopting cloud-based workforce software. Here’s why:
Payroll from any device
Remote and hybrid capabilities are more important now than ever. When your workforce management tools are cloud-based, you can access what you need anytime, anywhere, from any device.
Traditional on-premise payroll solutions store data locally on one computer, making it impossible to process payroll from another off-premise device. With SaaS, you don’t need to be at your desk to get your work completed. When your payroll data is in the cloud, you can run payroll from any Internet-enabled device at any time.
Automatic updates
SaaS payroll products introduce new features and product updates at no additional cost or disruption to your business, freeing you from having to download all the updates yourself. One missed install and you may not always be running on the most recent version of the software. With SaaS, you can be sure your system will always be up-to-date. With SaaS solutions upgrades typically come standard and are automatically implemented making your experience stress-free. No more upgrade fee fatigue or frustrating installs!
Efficient integration
If you’re familiar with the frustrations of integrating on-premise software, you know that synchronizing business systems can be an uphill battle. Thankfully, cloud-based software offers application programming interfaces (APIs), so your company can easily integrate systems and share valuable data in real-time. As a result, you’re spared the integration headaches while enjoying a much-improved experience.
Increased productivity
Platform accessibility means increased organizational productivity. By streamlining your processes and reducing redundant manual data-entry tasks, managers gain time to focus on the big picture. This efficiency carries out to your workforce too. By empowering your team to use the self-service portal and mobile, they can complete tasks without your assistance – saving time and costs.
Security and Resilience
Making a move to the cloud means you don’t need to safeguard external storage systems from malfunction. Your data is backed up and replicated in multiple locations and you can rely on industry-leading security tools to protect that data.
Better troubleshooting
Access to client databases allows your provider to easily troubleshoot issues and test solutions on real client data in production-like environments. If you’re having an issue, there’s a likelihood that others are too and being on the cloud makes it easier to solve problems for everyone. When you’re on the cloud, your provider can be proactive and fix issues as soon as they notice an error as constant reviewing is always happening. Fixes can be deployed instantly, so if you do experience an issue, you won’t be interrupted for too long.
Better data
Over time, with more insight into how customers are using their product, your provider can leverage insights to build features and functionality that you need and want to use – improving your overall product and service experience.
