For media information please contact Jenny Green @ Smart Arts on 07545 696713 / 01484 685544 or

email jenny@smartarts.co.uk

The Benefits of Cloud-Based HR Systems for Small Businesses

By Julie Sykes, JCS HR

Like many aspects of both our business and personal lives, HR

administration systems are moving ‘to the cloud’, but what does this

actually mean and what are the advantages?

“Previously the only options were paper-based systems or systems

located on servers or specific PCs. Whilst both of these types of system

had their benefits, these are far outstripped by cloud-based systems.

The advantages are varied and range from cost efficiencies and instant

access, to accessibility and disaster recovery,” says Julie.

One company who has been introduced to the benefits of this type of system by JCS HR is W Academy &

Education in Sheffield. Their Managing Director, Marc Wildes said of the system: “Our system has only

been in place for a few months and we aren’t yet using the system to its full potential, but we are already

seeing big benefits. Having instant access to accurate and up-to-date information has made a real

difference to our ability to manage and communicate with our staff. Actions that used to take days can

now be completed in a matter of minutes”.

Some of the key advantages – particularly for small businesses – are:

• Cost-savings – there are a number of cost benefits, including:

o The operating costs of these systems tend to be based on the number of employees; the

greater the number of employees, the lower the cost per head. For organisations with less

than 20 employees, the cost can start from as little as £20 per month. This is significantly

lower than the typical cost of operating manual administration.

o There are no costs associated with storing the data – e.g. servers. The hosting company

covers all equipment and system update costs; all the client needs is access to the

internet.

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For media information please contact Jenny Green @ Smart Arts on 07545 696713 / 01484 685544 or

email jenny@smartarts.co.uk

o Most systems offer some element of employee ‘self-service’. At a minimum these include

the facility for staff to apply for holidays and update personal details. This eliminates the

need for paper-based systems, speeds things up and saves on management time.

o Company documents can be stored on the system, which means that they can easily be

updated and re-issued to staff without the need for costly printing of paper copies.

• Managers can have instant access to the information they need to manage their staff and

departments.

• Important messages can be quickly and easily communicated to staff via ‘noticeboards’.

• The systems normally provide an ‘electronic signature’ system which verifies when documents

have been seen and read by staff.

• Reminders can be set up to ensure that you never miss important deadlines, such as probationary

reviews, expiry dates on key documents such as passports or visas, or disciplinary reviews.

• Important processes such as annual appraisals can be managed on-line, eliminating the need for

lots of paperwork and ensuring deadlines are met.

• The data is accessible from anywhere. Managers are no longer limited to being able to access

information when they are in the office, or able to access company systems.

• Disaster recovery – use of a cloud based system means that your HR information is unaffected

should your premises suffer some type of problem e.g. flood, theft or fire.

• Reports can be generated quickly and easily that will provide useful information to assist in day-

to-day management of the organisation, and to guide longer term planning and policy.

This is just a sample of the benefits that can be gained from using these systems. However, each system is

slightly different and will offer different facilities, and it is therefore essential that any organisation

considering one of these systems undertakes a thorough analysis of what it needs in order to ensure that

it chooses the right one.

The other key factor to consider is that – as with any system – it will only be as good as the information

that is put into it. So, companies also need to be clear on the responsibilities of anyone who makes use of

the system – employees, managers and HR support (whether that is in-house or outsourced).

For more information on JCS HR visit http://www.jcs-hr.co.uk or call 01484 602708. You can also follow

Julie at http://www.twitter.com/@HRJulie.

-ends-

For media information please contact Jenny Green @ Smart Arts on 07545 696713 / 01484 685544 or

email jenny@smartarts.co.uk

Notes to editors:

• Julie Sykes has worked in the human resources industry for 25 years and celebrated 10 years

running her own consultancy in 2012.

• JCS HR Consulting is based in Huddersfield and services Yorkshire and Manchester areas.

• JCS HR provides consultancy across all sectors including manufacturing, government, media,

financial services, medical and engineering.

• JCS HR has provided consultancy for groups of up to 1000 people.