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Strategic Resource Solutions uses Internet Software to
Administaff's hosted application simplifies reviews.Strategic Resource Solutions (SRS), a Cary, North Carolina-based subsidiary of Carolina Power & Light Co., is a year-old company that specializes in facilities and energy management services. After growing from 80 to more than 500 employees through acquisitions during its first year, SRS faced the serious challenge of harnessing a wide range of geographic locations, equipment and management philosophies.Employee-performance training management is a serious concern for SRS. Its employees and managers meet at the beginning of the year to establish goals, and then they meet again each quarter to review employees' progress. Compensation and bonuses are determined by how well those established goals are met or exceeded. Internet can be used to manage performance.The company's executives felt it was important to find software to manage this process, but the challenge was getting the acquired companies - with their myriad of small offices - standardized and connected so everyone could share the same application. The Internet was the obvious standard computing environment that's accessible by everyone, so Performance Now Internet Edition, offered by Administaff's Enterprise Solutions Division, was the ideal management tool.In 1997, Petaluma, California-based KnowledgePoint, an HR software developer, introduced one of the first pay-per-use software applications delivered over the Internet. By forgoing Java and moving ahead with Microsoft's HTML-based Active Server Tools, Administaff was able to provide an interactive application with minimal client-side requirements, making it ideal for Internet delivery. "There's a buzz throughout the organization about using the Internet to do evaluations," says Gary Bossert, human resource specialist for SRS. "Managers do not need training. They just need to follow the instructions, write the review online, download and edit it and then share it with employees." When an organization decides to use Performance Now Internet Edition, a unique URL is created. KnowledgePoint is able to create a single Web page that acts as the entry point for an unlimited number of companies, each with its own corporate look, feel and functionality. Individual users create their own ID and password to ensure secure access to their customized version of the application. Upon entering the site, predefined performance review forms and other selected features are presented to provide a company-specific version of the application, delivered on a mass scale.
Internet simplicity improves technological efficiency.Bossert says another advantage of Performance Now is that MIS does not need to be involved with installing, maintaining and updating the application, which makes the company even more efficient. With Performance Now Internet Edition, there's no software to download, nothing to install, and access requires only a Web browser. Gone are the days of multiple-user setup and ongoing upgrades. The application's ease of use, customizable features and availability to anyone with a Web browser ensures the Performance Now saves SRS time and money. Each time a user logs on to the site, the latest version of the application is available with no burden placed on the user or the MIS department.An infrequent task - like writing a performance review - is the perfect application for Web delivery. Many companies require managers to write reviews annually on all employees. Because Performance Now Internet Edition gets organizations up and running quickly, and because annual subscriptions allow them to pay as they go, the hosted model becomes an ideal method of delivery to the organization.
As seen is Workforce Magazine
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