Moving HR Forward With Microsoft

8/14/2019 Moving HR Forward With Microsoft

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Emerald Software Group Whitepaper - Mainframe Migration

Moving HR Forward with Microsoft.NET Servers

Abstract:

In an increasingly competitive business environment that stresses flexibility and

lean operation, legacy mainframe applications may finally become obsolete. Whilethese systems do provide a reliable, high-value service in hosting and processing

large volumes of data, they do so in a costly manner. The opacity and complexity of

this type of infrastructure is being replaced with more agile solutions such as

Microsoft.NET servers. This whitepaper explores what this means for employers, HR

executives, and Human Resources technology as well as how to leverage the

migration process to improve the performance of HR strategic functions.

Whats the Difference? Mainframes versus .NET Servers

Traditional mainframes from industry

leaders like IBM provide a vast, well

established infrastructure that

supports many different software

applications that are vital to core

business functions. They run

continuously year after year without

downtime. These centralized systems

have an excellent reputation for

reliability and scalability. However,

these applications have been built upover time with a patchwork of

additions every time a new process or

change to business rules was needed.

The resulting structure is similar to a

city that has grown in an uncontrolled,

sprawling fashion as opposed to one

that was developed from a well

thought out plan with ease of

navigation in mind.

The concept behind .NET servers is

different. The infrastructure itself is

decentralized with data storage and

processing widely distributed

throughout the system. This model

focuses on easy integration of modular

applications and services. For

example, it promotes interfacing via

SOA (service-oriented architecture).

Rather than binding a set of data and

the functions that are applied to it in a

single bundle, SOA provides solutions

that can be reused over and over in

many different environments and for a

wide variety of applications.

It does all this while providing the

same scalability and continuous

operation offered by legacy

mainframes. However, it can be more

readily modified and upgraded since

its structure is modular, transparent,

and uses languages such as C#.Net

and JAVA which are interoperable

across multiple platforms.

The newest innovations in .NET

servers - like Microsofts Azure cloud

computing platform - promise even

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greater flexibility. Applications, data,

infrastructure, and information

synchronization (or any combination

thereof) can be carried out in the

cloud environment. This reduces

capital expenditures for on-site

hardware and software in lieu of less

expensive operating costs that require

payment only for actual usage.

Special Challenges Facing HR

Todays Human Resources

departments are responsible for

maintaining compliance with complex

and constantly changing state and

federal business regulations. If they

fail to accomplish this task, employers

may be subjected to fines, litigation,

and reduction of profitability from

missed tax credits. Modern workflow

software uses logic rules and

automation to reduce the burden of

manual processes for any number of

specialized HR data tracking and

reporting functions.

Access to these rapidly evolving

solutions is especially necessary foremployers who manage a large

workforce. Executive level decision

makers in HR are being pressured to

cut costs and do more with less.

Streamlining data management

processes would seem to be the

simple answer.

However, integrating off-the-shelf

applications (which still frequently

requires some degree of customization) can be costly and time

consuming with a legacy mainframe

system. Todays IT programmers

werent around when the original

coding was developed and put in

place. Changes made over time are

rarely adequately documented and no

one really knows the system fully.

Even if a companys current IT staffmembers are familiar with COBOL or

other obsolete programming

languages, they have difficulty

untangling the monolithic internal

structure of a traditional mainframe.

This means HR often has difficulty

persuading IT to attempt upgrades or

modifications that will allow the

incorporation of newer technologies.

A phased migration to a .NET server

offers an opportunity to truly

understand & document business

processes, streamline applications,

host data on a more accessible

platform, and make the entire

infrastructure more agile. The

decentralized nature of these servers

reduces the risks associated with

using a single data center as well.

Broad distribution also matches the

needs of todays HR departments

which may have branches in many


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locations for a single employer. With

web based interfaces, data is

accessible from any portal yet can be

protected by appropriate security

permissions. In addition, the end

users experience is not negatively

affected; HR personnel wont have

difficulty adjusting to any changes.

Identifying Which HR Functions to Target First

Any process that is complex and repetitive enough that HR has ever considered

outsourcing it is a prime candidate for migration. Such functions usually take up a

significant amount of time andas they aredo not contribute to overall company

profitability. When these systems are hosted on a .NET server, they can be more

readily integrated, upgraded, or modified using off-the-shelf solutions or via

assistance from SaaS (Software as a Service) providers. The targeted processes can

be streamlined and automated to reduce labor and leave more HR resources

available for strategic planning.

Heres a list of HRIS processes that are ripe for migration to a .NET server:

Recruiting

Time and Attendance

Onboarding

Ongoing and General Workforce Management Tasks

Payroll & Employment Taxes

Benefits Management

Regulatory Compliance

Employee Scheduling

Retirement Plan Administration

Making the Case for HR Migration

There are two main areas of resistance HR executives must

overcome when putting forward the

idea of migrating to the .NET platform.

The costs involved are generally ofprimary concern to employers. This

means HR must investigate and select

options that offer high ROI over the


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near term. Then, the ongoing savings

can be applied to future phases after

the initial migration has paid for itself.

Since the expense of maintaining .NET

servers is about 1/10th of the cost of

legacy mainframes, demonstrating thehigh value of this changeover is not

too difficult.

Time and effort required from IT is

another major barrier. Finding the

right partner to assist in the migration

process is crucial to relieving this

burden while not discounting the

contributions of existing IT personnel.

Fortunately, most companys in-house

programmers are actually more likely

to be familiar with the platform-neutral

languages used in the newer servers

than with the older coding languagesof a legacy system.

The more collaboration there is

between HR, IT, and the migration

specialists at every stage, the greater

the chances of success.


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