How to Get the Most Out of Your Back Office Human Resources Systems

Human resources teams need an efficient, fast and secure solution to connect their back office data to their corporate business tools.

Back office operations don’t always get their deserved attention because they function out of view of the customer. In this four-part blog series, we’ll discover how data connectivity and back office functions go hand in hand.

Read the entire series

Human Resources Data Management

Human resources systems store a wealth of data encompassing everything from recruiting statistics to total compensation packages across the workforce. Legacy data may be maintained in mainframe or ERP systems, while recent growth in cloud-based HR management tools has resulted in an entirely new set of interfaces and cloud data storage. This transition to cloud-based systems has also introduced new levels of concern around data security and privacy.

The wide array of HR data repositories as well as data security regulations can lead to a bottleneck in HR data access. Complex IT integrations and governance requirements for maintaining privacy and security can restrict data access from those who need it or put the responsibility for manual data entry and reporting onto human resources staff.

Securing Personal Data Access

Historically, companies kept human resources data secure in paper files stored in a locked room where few had access. Even with the move to mainframe computers, personal information could be kept secure in a restricted data silo. With the move to personal computers and now cloud storage, more and more concerns have arisen about how exactly personal data is secured and restricted.

From a corporate reporting perspective, however, data access is a necessity to get an accurate picture of the business. Human resources reporting needs are unique in that they must integrate with the corporate standard reporting business intelligence and analytics tools, while also integrating with HR-specific systems such as home-built position management or employee action interfaces. Across all these tools and dashboards, data security must be tracked and maintained due to personal privacy requirements such as HIPAA.

HRIS systems often have already built in these levels of permissions and controls to data repositories. How can existing data security be maintained while opening necessary repositories to corporate reporting, whether on-site or in the cloud? And how can these reporting tools reach real-time data for accuracy while avoiding the latency caused by IT or HRIS intervention for complex solutions?

Securely Connecting Cloud Data

Cloud-based human resources applications were created to give employees a simple interface for self-service tasks like requesting time off, while providing managers and HR professionals with a unified standard view of their entire workforce. In addition, newer cloud-based tools created revolutionary user-friendly and mobile-friendly dashboards, replacing old fashioned “green screens” or text-based forms.

However, the growth of niche cloud applications can create data silos that can’t be reached by existing corporate reporting tools. Let’s use Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Human Resources as an example. How can you integrate your Dynamics data with standard corporate reporting tools already in use within the business, such as Tableau or MicroStrategy?

Previous solutions involve replicating your Microsoft Dynamics 365 data periodically into a warehouse created specifically for reporting, but then you’re running your reports against outdated information. Other solutions might involve custom coding applications or filing IT requests to your IT support organization for assistance, both of which create time lags in accessing the necessary data.

Safely Access Real-Time Data

To free the bottleneck on HR data and end the reliance on manual transfers and IT intervention, connect your applications directly to your data at the source. Safely open data to standard BI and reporting applications like Tableau or Power BI and maintain your existing human resources data while creating 360-degree views with your dashboards.

Progress DataDirect JDBC, ODBC, and OData connectors and drivers provide fast, codeless accessibility to real-time data repositories, while maintaining existing security protocols. Empower your HR staff with self-service access to the data they need, while enforcing existing need-to-know privacy protocols.

Are you interested in connecting your back office human resources data with your corporate business tools? Download a free trial today or contact us for more information.

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