HR Management 2021 in the Microsoft World

Published on April 09, 2021

Agenda

The market for HR software in 2021

What do customers expect from HR digitization in 2021?

How well does the Microsoft World fulfill the customers' needs in HR Management?

HR Management in the Microsoft World: The HR for Dynamics Toolbox

How does the HR for Dynamics Toolbox work?

Customer Testimonials about HR for Dynamics

Potential for Microsoft Partner

To the point

Microsoft Dynamics 365, Hubdrive and the HR for Dynamics Partners together are offering the most exciting HR Management Solution in the world today. In this combination, HR for Dynamics does not only exceed the competitors, but above all the customers' expectations - in all of the aspects of HR Management.
Companies can look forward to significant and noticeable improvements in their HR management, even in the short term. They will save a lot of time and money - due to the dissolution of IT islands, automation of administration and a quick implementation of the solution.
Due to the familiar Microsoft environment, employees want and can start immediately. Best Practices will guide you through, using HR for Dynamics successfully and with fun.

The market for HR Software in 2021

The competition between the stakeholders on the global HR software market is huge. Well-known vendors such as Workday and SAP SuccessFactors are joined by a number of smaller, local providers.
Due to the outbreak of the Corona Pandemic in 2020, the desire to digitize their HR department soon turned to the necessity to digitize quickly in many companies. For example, many companies were neither able to enable employees working from home, nor enable the HR department working from home.
Therefore, companies started to pay more attention to digitizing their HR department and almost incidentally realized, that there was even more potential for improvements than they had imagined. Since then, companies are prioritizing the digitization in HR much more.
It is very likely that the volume of the global HR software market will increase from 9.2 billion Dollar in 2018 to 14.2 billion Dollar (Quellmarktanalyse).

What do customers expect from HR digitization in 2021?

Did you know that the average HR department uses seven different software applications to organize their department? All data needs to be entered multiple times and automation is hardly possible. Additionally, the programs are completely different in their handling. Routine tasks are hardly automated and many processes are actually still handled analogously on paper. And then there are countless Excel lists, of which nobody knows which version is the current one.
However, most of the companies have recognized the chance and are ready to invest in the digitization of their HR department. Their primary motivation is to replace individual IT islands by a holistic solution and to automate administrative tasks.
So what do HR software vendors need to do to win HR customers and secure themselves a share of this exciting market? First of all we need to understand the customer, his requirements and expectations. When it comes to evaluating the ideal HR solution for the own company, customers have the following criteria:

(Inspired by: Roland Berger "What is going on in the world of HR software?")

Holistic

Companies want to use the whole potential of digitization in HR for themselves. Therefore, they need a holistic HR software, which enables a complete 360°-digitization of the HR department. That is why customers expect an enormous range of functions from the software vendors.
Beside an enormous range of functions, customers expect to find so called Best Practices in the solution, i.e. predefined workflows and automations which they can turn on respectively use at any time.
Many companies have sites in different countries. Every single country has its specific requirements. The future HR solution needs to be holistic when it comes to country specifics. This means that the perfect HR solution has a huge range of functions, includes many Best Practice processes and can display a country-specific rulebook.

Modular

In perspective, companies want to use the full potential of the digitization in HR, i.e. the complete 360°-digitization of the HR department. However, many companies want to start the digital transformation by solving a current pain point. This means that the future HR software does not only need to be holistic, but also needs to have a modular structure.

User-friendliness

Modern users expect that a software can be used intuitively and simply be used without having many trainings. Especially young people are used to "start" without reading manuals or watching training videos due to their experience with their smartphones.
Companies want that the HR self-services e.g. leave requests or master data changes are used willingly and easily by all of the employees. Due to a huge user-friendliness, the software should be accepted quickly.

Flexibility

A good software adapts to the requirements of the users. Forms, processes and automations of routine tasks can be changed without difficult programming. Ideally, these adjustments can be done directly by the HR department, the customers' IT department or a trusted external partner.
It must be possible to have access while working from home, in the office or on the go. The employees can thereby choose between different front-ends like an app for their smartphone or using their favorite web browser. Flexibility is also expected regarding the complexity of changing company sizes. Own growth, acquisition of companies as well as reversely cost adjustment with a reduced number of employees will be expected.

Automation

Customers expect that the future HR software will support them immensely with the process automation. The expectations mainly relate to the HR administration and self services. The software should offer an extensive and professional library of automations. Customers want to be able to turn on the automation of routine work flows individually and the automations should be easily adjustable. They expect an intelligent HR solution.

Integration

Within the digitization, customers expect a dissolution of their IT islands - all HR tasks in one solution! The information should only be entered once and should be available for all of the authorized persons for viewing or further processing.
There should be approved standard interfaces for the few programs beyond the integrated HR world of the customer, which only need to be turned on. Customers want to avoid integration projects between individual software solutions in any case. They are expensive and risky.

Service

Companies expect a proactive support by the implementation of their HR software. The goal is to establish as many improvements as quickly as possible. Afterwards, the customers want to rely on a competent support. They want to have the choice between personal support or self-services like elearning, tutorials, video portals or the like.

Prices

Customers expect fair and attractive pricing for the improvements in their HR departments. The ROI should occur within 18 to 24 months. In addition, customers want to choose flexible whether they buy or rent the solution.

Implementation

The implementation of the improvements within the HR department should happen quickly, safe and cost-efficient. Standardized Best Practice approaches ensure a quick and low-risk implementation.
Small and medium-sized companies often want to carry out the implementation themselves. However, they expect that the vendor enables them to do so. Big companies want to rely on a competent partner network of the vendor with experience in the implementation of international projects.

How well does the Microsoft World fulfill the customers' needs in HR Management?

HR Management for Microsoft Dynamics 365 fulfills all of the customers' expectations of a modern HR solution. In many areas, the expectations are even exceeded. The customers' wish for more efficiency in the HR department by the dissolution of IT islands and automation as well as the expectation of a software which is innovative and easy to use in combination with a quick implementation, can be perfectly fulfilled by Microsoft, Hubdrive and the partners with HR for Dynamics.

Holistic

The Microsoft World is offering the largest scope of functions for the holistic 360°-digitization of the HR department and thereby exceeds even the high expectations of modern HR customers.
Thereby, Microsoft uses a different approach than the traditional vendors of HR software. Microsoft relies on its platforms Office 365 and Dynamics 365 as well as on the intensive cooperation with the business partner. Thereby, Microsoft focuses on the development of basic technologies like Windows 10, the Microsoft Cloud Services, Office 365 and the Dynamics 365 Business Platform.

Based on this basic technologies, the Microsoft Partner are developing and improving software, extensions, country specifics, adjustments for sectors/industries and add service offerings for implementation.

HR for Dynamics has been continuously developed for over 10 years and has a high level of maturity in all areas.

The whole lifecycle of an employee is supported - from recruiting to employee administration to employee development. Whether you need to do a video conference with applicants via Microsoft Teams, employee development via the Hubdrive Talent Module or CV parsing - HR for Dynamics offers the complete 360°-digitization of the HR department.

Especially in the areas of HR administration and self-services, the Toolbox contains extensive pre-defined workflows and automations which can be easily adjusted.

In addition, there are templates for country-specific rulebooks available. A customer in the USA can find important US-related evaluations about veterans as well as a German customer can find the integration to the German Federal Employment Agency (BfA). Labor laws are also adjusted to the country specifics, e.g. mandatory breaks, leave entitlements, health checks and vaccinations.

Due to the strategy of the Business Platform and the involvement of partners, Microsoft has the biggest offer for HR customers in the world. No competitor offers such a varied library of functions, Best Practices for immediate use and country-specific rulebook.
Additional Information

Modular

HR for Dynamics is modular and flexibly scalable. Thereby, HR for Dynamics enables different implementation strategies. It is comparable to a car configurator: customers can choose between the modules they need for the upcoming improvements in HR.
This enables companies to start with individual modules and to solve current pain points. Afterwards, they can achieve further improvements in HR continuously in phases. However, it is also possible to realize the complete 360°-digitization of the HR department within an appropriate implementation strategy.
The license model of HR for Dynamics is also modular, so that customers always only pay for what they are really using.

User-friendliness

User-friendliness is very important for companies. They are not willing to give trainings to their employees for the new software for months. HR for Dynamics is structured modern, intuitive and user-friendly. The interface corresponds with the well-known Windows 10 and Office 365 and is therefore familiar to most of the users. Many users already know Outlook, Teams or Word from their previous work environment.
Due to the intuitive organization of workflows, nothing stands in the way of the typical desire - to start immediately. There is a special focus on processes which affect every employee in the company e.g. leave requests, time tracking or sick leave. These can be processed without any trainings immediately via the smartphone.

Flexibility

HR for Dynamics 365 can be adjusted easily. It is working via drag & drop. You don't need any kind of programming skills. Within a few minutes, workflows are changed, a field added in a mask and the order in a list adjusted. The adjustments can be performed directly by the IT or HR department of the customer. Alternatively, a vast Microsoft partner network is available to help customizing the HR solution.
With HR for Dynamics, users have the choice. The access while working from home, in the office or on the go is already possible in the standard of the software. Employees can use HR management in their favorite web browser, the familiar Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Teams or alternatively mobile in a smartphone app.

HR for Dynamics is suitable for all company sizes and can adapt to changed company sizes. Modules can be activated or deactivated at any time. Due to the flexibility of the solution, customers are able to grow, acquire companies or reversely perform cost adjustments with a reduced number of employees. The license model ensures that you only have to pay for what you are using.

Due to the combination with the Microsoft Power Platform, HR for Dynamics can display even extensive individual workflows and automated mass data changes for large companies. The transfer of residual leave from over 100,000 employees is just as fast and secure as the mapping of extensive and multi-level overtime calculations. HR for Dynamics is up to the complexity of large companies.

Automation

With HR for Dynamics, companies can automate many routine tasks. Especially in the areas of HR administration and self-services, the solution includes an extensive library of easily adjustable workflows and automations. Customers can simply turn them on. Routine workflows can be completely taken over by the solution within a few days. However, customers can also adjust the workflows - even by themselves. It is very easy to do via drag & drop without having any kind of programming skills.

Integration

Within the process of digitization, customers expect the dissolution of their IT islands - all of the HR tasks in one integrated solution!
HR for Dynamics can fulfill this desire like almost no other vendor in the world. The high expectations of the customers are even exceeded. The solution is three-tiered.

Tier 1

HR for Dynamics is a complete solution for the complete 360°-digitization of the HR department. From recruiting to staff administration and talent management to self-services for the employees, time & attendance and reporting & analytics - the software includes everything that customers expect from a complete solution.
There is no need to continue using different solutions at the same time. The many Excel sheets for the employee administration are also obsolete. To summarize, all of the previous IT islands of the customer will be replaced by HR for Dynamics.

Tier 2

HR for Dynamics automatically integrates with the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Platform, which enables cross-departmental working.
Immediately after activating the solution in the platform, a world of fully integrated working with a fantastic user experience occurs for every department and employee - without having an intregration project in advance. All of the data is recorded only once, is available to all authorized persons in the company and HR will be freed from unpopular routine tasks.
For example, the sales commissions, recorded by Sales, are automatically available for HR, as well as the time booking of the employees from Service and Consulting. Approved leave requests or travel receipts from all departments are also automatically available to the HR department. Conversely, all of the employees can, for example, check their remaining days of leave via smartphone or PC.

Tier 3

However, the desire for integrated working does not end at company boundaries. Here again, the superiority of the Microsoft strategy of the close cooperation with its Dynamics Partners - and, of course, Microsoft's market position - can be seen.
For all common external systems, which HR customers like to use, there exist connections from partners which only need to be turned on and configured. Within a short period of time, data can be exchanged fully automated with these external systems - without previous risky integration projects!
Vacancies are fully automatically published on all common job portals like LinkedIn, the German Federal Employment Agency, Xing, StepStone, Google Job and the company's own website, and applications are transferred directly to the HR system.
But also ERP systems like ADP, SAP, sdworx, Datev, Quickbooks, NP3 and others will be integrated quickly and easily - as usual without complicated integration projects!

In total, no other vendor worldwide offers such extensive possibilities to communicate quickly and easily in a fully integrated way within and outside of the company. However, this means that no competitor can compete with the offerings of the Microsoft World in the area of human resources management, when it comes to saving time and money.

Service

Due to the concept of Customer Success Manager, HR for Dynamics supports customers proactively. An experienced consultant supports its customers during the implementation, the first improvements and afterwards continuously by achieving their additional goals. He ensures, that you exploit the complete potential of the software for your company.

The support of HR for Dynamics will be provided on site by the Dynamics Partner and online via the software vendors Hubdrive and Microsoft. Thereby, the best of both worlds is combined - the local partner on site, who knows his customers very good and professional software support via the globally positioned software vendors (ISVs).
Additionally, there are self services like eLearning, Best Practice libraries, online implementation strategy and videos available. Hardly no other vendor can rely on such a huge and active partner service network like Microsoft.

Price

The price-performance ratio of HR for Dynamics is more than exciting for many customers.
Due to the dissolution of IT islands and automations, companies can save much more time and money than they expected. At the same time, improvements can be realized faster than expected.
Many companies are already using modules of the solution in a different context, such as Office 365 and Microsoft Teams. The additional license costs are then often lower than expected.
Customers can buy HR for Dynamics or rent it as a subscription for a monthly fee. Regardless of which option you choose, you can use the solution in the Dynamics Cloud or locally in your company.
In sum, the usage of existing licenses and the quick realization of improvements makes HR for Dynamics the maybe most attractive HR offer on the Market. ROI of less than one year is possible.

Implementation

Roland Berger's chart about decision criteria showed, that customers do not want to invest time and money in expensive IT implementation projects. HR for Dynamics exceeds customer expectations here as well.
Due to intuitive user guidance, a large part of the solution can be used directly after activation. The experience of hundreds of customers has been added to the solution as a library of Best Practice workflows. Simply turned on, HR for Dynamics takes over routine tasks from day one.
Moreover, HR for Dynamics supports the typical implementation strategies of all company sizes. Through an extensive elearning and Best Practice guidelines, small and medium-sized companies can perform the implementation alone or with only a little support.

For bigger companies, worldwide implementation partners like KPMG, the Microsoft Consulting Services, Cosmo Consult or DXC are available.
The Microsoft Basic Technology is robust and many partners are very familiar with it. The project risk, also of extensive implementations, is manageable due to proven procedures.

Customer Testimonials about HR for Dynamics

Additional Information

HR Management in the Microsoft World: The HR for Dynamics Toolbox

Microsoft, Hubdrive and their Partners provide the world's largest and most innovative Toolbox for HR software. A wide range of functions, automations, integrations by the push of a button and country-specific adjustments are available for all of the 16 modules which are demanded by the customers.
HR for Dynamics is the Toolbox of possibilities for vast and quickly realizable improvements in the HR department and the whole company. Customers can choose the single components they need for realizing the improvements in their HR.

How does the HR for Dynamics Toolbox work?

How do customers know which apps, functions and Best Practices they need to receive exactly the HR management solution they need right now?
That's why Microsoft, Hubdrive and other software vendors created the HR for Dynamics Toolbox. All of the functions and improvements, that customers worldwide want regarding their digitization in HR, are listed in the Toolbox. For every function you can see the vendor, the related software and additional or alternative solutions.
Additional Information

It is comparable to using a car configurator of a car manufacturer: the customer or the implementation partner can compile all of the modules they need for the upcoming improvements in HR together. Afterwards, the customers can get more information about the particular areas or have a presentation or offer for these areas.
At the end of the day, every customer and every employee receives a tailored HR solution - a holistic solution with a great user experience. The seamless integration of the user interface and the data is secured by the Dynamics 365 platform. Users experience the compilation as one single HR solution - their HR solution.

Potential for Microsoft Partners

Due to the outbreak of the Corona Pandemic in 2020, the desire to digitize their HR department soon turned to the necessity to digitize quickly in many companies. For example, many companies were neither able to enable employees working from home, nor enable the HR department working from home. Almost incidentally the companies realized that there was even more potential for improvements than they had imagined. Since then, companies are prioritizing the digitization in HR much more.
For Microsoft Dynamics Partners, this means a massive increase in demand for licenses for Dynamics 365 and Office 365 as well as standardized implementation services and support. Beside recurring turnovers for Hubdrive and Microsoft licenses, partners can sell additional own IP.

In terms of implementation services, HR for Dynamics offers partners secure projects, which are low-risk, based on Best Practices. After the implementation, many customers ask for additional adjustments and customizations of the solution, as well as maintenance and support contracts.
Furthermore, the customer satisfaction increases and the customer churn regarding licenses and services is decreasing.
If you as a Microsoft Partner want to find out more about the Toolbox, then visit the HR for Dynamics Partner Hub. Beside a step-by-step guide, you will find extensive information material, Best Practices and project templates you can download for free.
Do you as a software vendor want to become part of the HR for Dynamics Toolbox? Just talk to us. We are looking forward to your message!
Additional Information

Potential for Microsoft Employees

"Our mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more." Satya Nadella (CEO Microsoft). Due to the strategy of the Business Platform and the cooperation with partners, Microsoft has the most exciting offer for HR customers in the world. Microsoft, Hubdrive and the Dynamics Partners are offering the most disruptive and innovative HR Management Solution in the world. No competitor offers such a varied library of functions, Best Practices for immediate use and country-specific rulebook. In this combination, HR for Dynamics does not only exceed the competitors, but above all the customers' expectations - in all of the areas of HR Management.

Companies can look forward to significant and noticeable improvements in their HR management, even in the short term. They will save a lot of time and money - due to automation and avoidance of double data entries in different programs.
New customers, who are not yet Microsoft Dynamics 365 users, will be convinced by the power of the platform and the holistic HR solution which makes it possible and want to join the Dynamics community.
For organizations which are already using Microsoft Dynamics 365, the utilization rate (Consumption) increases significantly.

With a holistic HR solution, Microsoft is able to shape the HR market for business software disruptively. As Jean-Philippe Courtois (Executive Vice President, Microsoft) said at our 100 million Dollar ISV meeting: "Hubdrive, let's win the HR market together!"

Download the e-book "HR Management 2021 in the Microsoft World"

Franziskus Lorey
CEO Hubdrive