A Recruitment Agency s Guide to Cloud Computing. etztec.com

Transcription

1 A Recruitment Agency s Guide to Cloud Computing

2 Introduction to the cloud and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) Many have heard the buzz about cloud and cloud services. As always with emerging technology there s a period of moderate growth as early adopters lead market uptake and suppliers refine their products or services. However, it is now fair to say the cloud has finally arrived. But what is the cloud and why should it matter to recruitment agencies? Essentially, a cloud service is any computing resource delivered or accessed over the internet. It may be as simple as an online storage vault for photos and mp3s or as complex as delivering all the network computer resources on which to run a large global business. Few organisations would choose to or, for that matter, find it particularly practical to instantly switch over to using cloud services to meet all business needs. SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) is a business model that enables individual and often specialised IT services to be sourced from providers operating in the cloud. The growth in the popularity of SaaS solutions - or web apps - that address specific business needs perfectly supports the gradual migration of businesses of all sizes to online cloud services, consuming IT as a utility rather like water or energy services.

3 Benefits of cloud and SaaS for recruitment agencies Cloud services and SaaS solutions hold compelling benefits for businesses of all sizes across industry and commerce. Financial sense Using externally provided cloud services and SaaS solutions revolutionises the equations for obtaining the business technology solutions that today s organisations need. This approach reduces the need for capital investment in hardware and software. This effectively shifts IT from CAPEX and enables it to be treated as an operational monthly cost. Simplifying things further for Financial Director s, as there s nothing to own, there s nothing to depreciate. Easy scalability of web services means that many SaaS solutions operate a PAYG payment model based on monthly metering. This avoids tying up cash by buying Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in advance to meet predicted growth. The current economic environment is uncertain; SaaS helps the bottom line at a time when growth is unpredictable.

4 Benefits of cloud and SaaS for recruitment agencies Emphasis on value As cloud services and SaaS web apps are interfaced through a browser and frequently use xml and other standardised formats for exchanging data, there is a reduced risk of finding that you are locked-in to the service provider. Historically, traditional software vendors have used proprietary technology to lock customers in and used their position to impose costs that do not represent good value. The emphasis on no lock-in is generally indicative of the value-driven approach of many SaaS vendors and this extends to all areas of a solution including pre- and post-sales service and support. Integration ready Don t fall into the trap of thinking that SaaS solutions are one-dimensional vanilla and unsuitable for your needs. Some applications standalone and fit your business needs off the peg. Many may be readily custom-fitted to meet complex requirements, especially if data needs to be exchanged with in-house systems or other SaaS solutions. Many service providers are highly experienced at bespoke fitting their solution to meet precise requirements. Sometimes the solution may be used as a selfservice by your customers, as part of fulfilling your service commitment. SaaS solutions that need to be used in this way may be white-labelled, meaning you can brand them with your own corporate identity.

5 Benefits of cloud and SaaS for recruitment agencies Low impact on ICT resourcing In terms of user support, in-house teams should have no increased responsibilities once solutions are implemented. Web apps generally have good online support - naturally - and frequently back this with user and administrator training if necessary. Expect telephone support for critical apps. In terms of infrastructure, as long as user computers are correctly specified and maintained, and existing networks are adequately specified for internet services, web-based applications have little or no impact on internal IT resources. Well supported business-class internet connections are essential, but no additional hardware or software resources need to be implemented. Good news for productivity Generally web apps are quoted with 99.9% availability, meaning that to all intents and purposes they are constantly available, 24x7, and workers are not prevented from working because of service outages. Delivery from the internet means workers don t have to be in the office and are able to work from wherever convenient. This is especially useful for flexible and remote workers, and aligns with organisational policies that support providing a better work/life balance. If contractors or freelance workers need to be brought in to address a staffing need, web apps generally scale up on demand or at short notice.

6 Benefits of cloud and SaaS for recruitment agencies Levelling the playing field Larger businesses tend to have access to newer versions or better solutions, frequently enhancing the competitive advantage that results from sheer size. From the perspective of small and medium businesses, web apps help level the playing field somewhat by allowing direct access to the best up to date technology tools that they may once have been denied for want of investment.

7 Technologies and Solutions Now that we ve established the general benefits of SaaS we ll explore some of the solutions for recruitment agencies in the market place Some of these may be generally useful across a broad range of business functions, but others are dedicated to solving a specific business problem. Some may have been conceived by those with detailed knowledge of the needs of a particular market sector. What they all have in common is that recruitment agencies can enter the cloud with any of them and start reaping the benefits.

8 Technologies and Solutions Hosting and online storage Hosting and online storage is more cloud service than web app. In terms of the physical infrastructure where cloud resources reside, storage and hosting are inseparable; however this does not prevent storage and hosting being uncoupled and sold as separate services. Global e-commerce giant Amazon leases storage, and its s3 service offers unlimited storage with 99.9% availability. There are however many, many players in this space and new entrants continue to keep the market place competitive, ultimately reducing IT costs to business. Online storage for business may wrap in higher value services such as scheduled offsite data back up. This leads to the next level of value-add - disaster recovery and business continuity services. Cloud services follow a general trend in IT - the industry is becoming more consumerised. Free online storage for personal use is everywhere - Hotmail, Gmail, icloud and Dropbox operating on the freemium business model. Many new computers ship with first year free online storage facilities and, at the time of writing, the most aggressive free space offer uncovered in the research for this guide is 25GB. Global e-commerce giant Amazon sells leases for the use of its server infrastructure. Its EC2 service allows you to host your servers on an hourly basis. This is one of the most competitive cloud areas and another big name is Microsoft with its Windows and SQL Azure hosting services. Rackspace, IBM and many others are playing in this space.

9 Technologies and Solutions Timesheets and back office processing Online timesheets offer recruitment agencies that use manual timesheet systems the opportunity to transform administrative processes. The benefits resonate particularly with temporary or contract worker agencies through enabling the delivery of better service all around - to customers and workers. Systems such as etz Technologies are custom fitted to the requirements of clients and are low impact in terms of disruption, training and IT resources. Many agencies that have carried inefficiency through more prosperous times have found this unsustainable in the current economic climate. In the absence of real growth, those that have moved over to online timesheets have found that stripping out back office inefficiency has been very helpful in improving bottom lines. Accountancy Online accounting software can take a number of forms. There are the traditional business accounting packages such as Sage that have gone online, and there are a number of newer players in the industry that have come into the market as online native. The facilities and sophistication can vary enormously, ranging from a basic package that meets the needs of the self-employed or one-man band companies, right through to those that scale up to provide services for mid-market global enterprises. Besides accounting, the more fully featured integrate bank reconciliation and invoicing with online payments, further increasing their value.

10 Technologies and Solutions CRM and Sales Force Automation Sales prospects may enter the pipe from a number of channels, some through interacting with sales and marketing teams or perhaps through digital channels. Online CRM keeps track of them, bringing it all together in one place to make sales management and customer service altogether slicker operations. The multi-award winning leaders in the online CRM market, Salesforce.com, remains the poster child of the SaaS world. Applicant Tracking Software Applicant Tracking Software (ATS) is another area with benefits that are of interest to recruitment businesses, as well as internal HR functions in medium to large businesses. Many solutions operate end to end - tracking job orders, publishing opportunities, managing applications and easing recruiter workflows through to applicant placement.

11 Technologies and Solutions Desktop productivity For some time now the cornerstone of office productivity across much of the developed world has been a PC or laptop loaded with Microsoft s Office core suite of , word processing, spreadsheet and presentation tools. Microsoft Office 365 takes the suite online, and the mid-range pricing plans provide functionality adequate for the majority of users. GoogleApps is a comprehensive offering, appending Google Docs tools with Gmail, Google Calendar, video sharing, 24/7 phone and support and increased security. Service features are not identical, but GoogleApps pricing undercuts Office 365 upper mid-range pricing by around 80% on a no contract monthly payment model. On a 1 year contract GoogleApps costs just 17% of Microsoft s upper mid range service. Google Docs offers some productivity for free, but once again is part of a freemium strategy as file size and storage limits mean that purchase is necessary for extensive or heavy users.

12 Technologies and Solutions Collaborative tools Web conferencing and online collaboration services present excellent value for agencies as fuel and travel costs continue to be a major source of the cost base of business. This also eliminates dead travelling time creating productivity gains that further improve efficiency. Cisco Webex seems to be the established pole-sitter in this cloud service area, but across the business world, as cost-cutting becomes an imperative if bottom lines are to show improvement, GoToMeeting is mounting a healthy challenge for market share. Project Management Competition in the online project management solutions arena is fierce. Extending and structuring ongoing collaboration and project work follows on from the Collaborative tools above. Service offers feature the capability to manage multiple projects, combining file storage with integrated communication tools. Such services means geographically dispersed teams are able to collaborate and activities and tasks may be assigned and timetabled to delivery deadlines. Huddle is a UK company in this field which brings a range of services together under one roof, while a thousand companies a week are choosing Basecamp (according to the company).

13 etz is a timesheet and invoicing service made for the smart recruitment business. Our platform offers you a simple and effective way to manage all of your back office operations. You can tailor-make your back office by easily plugging-in a number of additional tools and services. And amazingly, etz requires no special software installation or complicated training. Fantastically cost effective and user friendly, etz already makes an immense difference to hundreds of customers globally. Get started with the most powerful & amazingly user friendly timesheet software on the planet