Australia-based fire detection and security systems provider Xtralis has turned to cloud computing to host its HR system.
Australia-based fire detection and security systems provider Xtralis has turned to cloud computing to host its HR system.
The firm, which is experiencing significant growth with employees in over 20 countries around the world, joins a growing list of businesses turning to externally hosted HR applications.
Brian Penkethman, HR director at Xtralis, told HR Leader: “To support the needs of a growing business and manage this workforce effectively we needed an HRIS (HR Information System) that could provide reliable and accurate data.
“This system allows us to work on a common platform for the first time and have the key stakeholders function within a global organisation. It has greatly reduced errors due to the move to a single database and a suitable process flow system. It has also considerably reduced the workload, especially for the HR team, which is located in key strategic locations across the globe.”
Xtralis has made sizeable savings in what could have been a very costly infrastructure investment, as the application is externally hosted and accessed online. Information can be easily accessed and shared in real-time.
And despite concerns from employers about the security risk attached to cloud computing, Penkethman said that the due diligence procedure had put any fears to rest.
“The HR team is not overly concerned about the delivery mechanism of the technology. It’s concerned with data availability, confidentiality and integrity. This solution has met all three key requirements,” he said.
Penkethman said the key was having a system that allowed for analysis and reporting at a global level but data input and maintenance at a regional level.
Despite a limited budget and the need to get a system up and running within a short space of time, the Microsoft BPOS system went live in June 2010 within two months of initial talks with the provider.
“We were looking for a full fledged HRIS system to cater to our needs, but nothing was suitable. The Microsoft BPOS service was identified by our IT team and provided us with the ideal solution to meet our requirements,” said Penkethman.
