Business Management Software and Human Resource Management

It is difficult to see impacts across projects or across the entire business when limited to basic tools that have specific functionalities. Businesses that have matrix organizations by their very nature, need business management software.

Personnel, particularly subject matter experts, are usually in demand within an organization. This can become problematic when the subject matter expert is double or triple booked. He or she may be wanted on multiple initiatives or projects which are progressing concurrently. The individual may be willing but the reality is that there just so many hours in a day and a limited number of hours in a week.

Business management software allows managers to prioritize different initiatives, projects and programs and, at the same time, view how staff time is allocated. Managers can use the application to make sure the allocations are aligned with the prioritization. The software can also be used to avoid resource scheduling conflicts.

Human Resources Costs and Business Management Software

There are also costs associated with human resources and the application can help track those costs in many ways. What costs have been charged by individual contributors? What costs have been accumulated at a departmental level? What costs are being accrued at a project or program level? What earned value data is being output? Have these expenditures synchronized with the prioritization of projects and initiatives? Managers, responsible for the resources, now have a wealth of information at their disposal when making allocation determinations.

Driving Business Decisions with Business Management Software

The software is a tool that can help drive business decisions using hard data to justify human resource calls. Information on which resources experience greater demand and with earned value which resources appear to be more efficient are examples of the kind of data the application can provide. Decisions are only as good as the information they are based on. With Business Management Software we can be assured that the information is good.

Traditionally human resource determinations have been based on management evaluations and experience. While these are valuable methods they contain subjective elements. Business management software supplements these methods with objective data improving the quality of the decisions.

Businesses that have matrix organizations or those that are projectized, by their very nature, have to address issues associated with resource allocations each time they approve a new project, initiative, service or program. In the absence of software this is done either manually or perhaps with spreadsheets. It is difficult to see impacts across projects or across the entire business when limited to basic tools that have specific functionalities. In contrast more comprehensive business software provides views across and between business units even allowing for what-if scenarios.

Business management software provides objective data, helps avoids resource conflicts and enables macro views to optimize human resource decisions.