Organisations and their decision makers are continually looking for affordable choices that will optimise their total HR and Payroll Management processes. On-site, licensed software requires a large upfront financial investment and dedicated technical resources. An alternative is a Software as a Service (SaaS) distribution model, in which applications are hosted by a service provider and made available to the customer, typically over the internet. One cannot suggest that one model is clearly superior to the other, but rather which is the best fit for each organisation.

The difference between an installed in-house HR system (one that you own) and a hosted Software as a Service (SaaS) HR system (one that you use) could be compared to the property market where some people prefer to rent while others purchase their own home. Neither one is right and neither one is wrong. As long as the renter understands that in return for no significant upfront money, they take the property as laid out, the carpets as they are, and the paint color as it is, they are free to move at the end of the rental agreement to another property in a different location, with a different layout, walls and carpets and with a new rental agreement, starting all over again - a cycle that will remain unbroken for as long as they continue to rent.

The first objective is to ensure that the SaaS delivery model can deliver the same basic HR and Payroll functionality as its in-house installed counterpart. When this is the case, we can then focus on the true benefits of SaaS such as:

• saving you money
• freeing up your time
• providing you with ongoing secure access
• allowing for organisational growth
• meeting specific needs

Software as a Service Saves you Money

When you combine the hardware and staffing costs associated with purchasing and maintaining servers, housing them, installing and maintaining the software programs and providing the necessary back-up systems, then the cost of an installed system becomes an ongoing, expensive and quite often unpredictable variable. These solutions often have steep upfront licensing fees and ongoing licence and maintenance costs that are often difficult for corporate budgets to absorb.

With SaaS, it's as simple as an affordable and manageable monthly fee, with a once-off cost to configure the system to your needs. Capital expenditure can be eliminated from your financials, by opting for hosted solutions which are generally billed on a monthly basis according to the number of users and functionalities required.

SaaS Systems Free up your Time

Rapid deployment of a SaaS application is feasible, because the software architecture with the required security protocols is already established. The service provider is geared up to load, manage and maintain data every day, which means the solution can be up and running in a fraction of the time required for installed systems. 

SaaS Systems Provide you with Secure and Continuous Access

From an access standpoint, on-demand software is available continuously, with access to only authorised users from remote locations on a 24/7/365 basis via the Internet. Access to information is controlled based on customer and user security. Off site data storage is an added benefit, providing the organisation with the confidence it needs to ensure confidential data is not available to non-system users.

Managing the servers and ensuring their ongoing performance is part and parcel of the SaaS offering. This means that any hardware or system issue is usually apparent to the provider long before the client, resulting in quick rectification of situations before they actually happen.

SaaS Allows for Organisational Growth

SaaS applications make add-ons to the basic HRIS functionality easy. Often a company will start off with the basics, and then later add additional processes and functionality as the company grows and its needs evolve. This gives companies the flexibility to address needs as and when they occur, ensuring their system caters for their growth.

SaaS Meets Your Needs

Most SaaS systems are designed to allow customers to configure their system to fit the organisation without the need to customise the software itself. These types of configurations are noticeably faster and less costly than those of total customised in-house installed systems which often require excessive customisation which is costly.

Whether your company is a growing midsized venture, or a global enterprise with tens of thousands of employees, SaaS HR systems are the right choice for everything from costs to security, configurability to growth potential, efficiency to access…and everything in between. The HR industry does not stand still. Neither does Educos. With more than 25 years of experience we continually advance our solutions to meet your needs today and in the future.

We offer an innovative mix of web-based solutions and outsourcing options which will enable you to do more than solve your administrative challenges. Using the tools that are available you will find time to focus on more strategic roles which impact the bottom line as well as reducing frustration levels of Managers by empowering them to monitor and direct their teams towards the strategic goals of the organisation, ensuring healthier employee relationships, improving accuracy, reducing printing costs and decreasing administrative hassles.

Our fully integrated, flexible and totally customisable solution for managing all aspects of HR and Payroll management on an in-house, SaaS or outsourcing model is best suited to your requirements. Our solutions are quickly deployed, and can be tailored to provide the flexibility and process automation that is required to run your bu siness more efficiently. Our solutions are able to integrate with any other third party software, and part of our implementation strategy is to define what system integration would be required and include this as part of your total solution.

Our service team matches the same level of excellence as our technology platform. Our implementation team will work to understand your workflows, business processes and priorities in order to provide you with a superior level of responsiveness, focus and innovation. Our highly talented developers, business analysts, specialists and consultants assist organisations with evaluating the complexities associated with managing Human Resources and Payroll efficiently and effectively, demonstrating how vital it has become to have a comprehensive service addressing both the management of processes and information.

With our experience in providing service excellence for over 25 years we have absolute confidence that our solutions will add value to your organisation.