SPECTRUM and Concord Work on the Cutting Edge

Since Concord’s highly successful IPO three years ago, the market leader in e-business infrastructure management has enjoyed huge expansion into domestic and international markets. Included in Forbes magazine’s list of the top technology companies, Concord’s cutting-edge technology brought about change and growth in its workforce requiring a new human resource information system (HRIS) to match its growing human capital management needs.

With an increasingly dispersed workforce that had doubled in size over the course of the year, Concord discovered that growth brings many new challenges. Its human resource department quickly saw the need to find a Web-based HRIS that could connect employees located in numerous locations. “A lot of companies couldn’t supply what we were looking for,” said Erin Genis, HRIS project leader at Concord. After considering a variety of software options, the search team at Concord knew it had an ideal fit when it reviewed iVantage™, a new product from Denver-based SPECTRUM Human Resource Systems Corporation.

SPECTRUM’s iVantage system has proven to be the choice of companies that are looking for the latest technology in their HRIS. Web-designed and Web-operational, iVantage provides Concord with the latest in Web-application technology to offer complete HR functionality for its human capital needs. The system tracks Concord’s compensation management, benefits, governmental compliance, absences, training, and applicant records.

With a Web-operational system like iVantage, the server where the data is stored can be located at any secure site. HR professionals and managers can access the employee data over the Internet or via a LAN using Microsoft® Internet Explorer. In the near future, all Concord employees will benefit from iVantage’s fully Web-operational technology as they implement the system’s employee self-service functionality. Employees will be able to review their own employment, benefits, and vacation records, according to Kelli-ann McCabe, director of human resources. Such a feature is appreciated by Concord, which puts particular value on empowering its employees.

According to John Heimbach, a client services senior consultant for SPECTRUM, the employee and managerial self-service feature was designed to be flexible and user-friendly. With iVantage, the system administrator has the freedom to control what data is viewed and changed by employees in various roles within the organization.

Concord is also utilizing SPECTRUM’s iVantage Link™ module, which is designed to eliminate duplicate data entry between iVantage and its payroll system. The payroll interface electronically transfers changes made in iVantage to Concord’s ADP PC/Payroll for Windows.

SPECTRUM installed the iVantage system without any hitches, according to Genis. Ample training and technical support are offered through SPECTRUM’s product support and client services departments, although iVantage is not difficult to learn. Concord was impressed with the excellent performance by SPECTRUM’s team, considering that the company was one of the first to implement iVantage. “SPECTRUM’s workflow and products are truly HR best practice,” McCabe said.