With such take up, it's not surprising Alexander is no longer walking the halls at Autodesk. Some experts believe arduous annual events like merit raises and open benefits enrollment processes that seem to beg for automation will generate more-substantial savings. Managers at Analog Devices, a semiconductor manufacturer in Norwood, Massachusetts, recently ported the company's annual benefits open enrollment to the desktops of its 4,000 employees. The move has not only saved time, it has also improved the accuracy of the data, reports Frank Granato, manager of U.S. benefits and HR systems. Moreover, the behavioral change among employees prepares them for other self-service options down the line.
Consultants advise against making too much data available to workers, however.
Some companies, they note, make the mistake of stuffing their HR user interfaces full, cramming 20 self-service applications into one site. Another common mistake, say vendors, is when corporate managers think they can develop a virtual HR system in-house. Rather than try, some corporate managers have outsourced entire HR departments. While Exult will add 100 to 200 workers to handle the job, BP Amoco will likely cut its 500-person HR department by up to 40 percent. Exult's Hodges says that browser-based technology allows all kinds of administrative work to happen behind the scenes.