by Joel T. Patz
Human resources run human resource organizations. Visual HR 2.0 paves the way to optimal productivity for busy HR managers. This comprehensive application, with its well-designed interface, is a real timesaver. It scans resumes, enters new-hire information and analyzes benefits plans, among other things.
The System Manager module is the program's core. It brings together the operational aspects of the Configuration Manager, Employee Editor, Employee Manager and Activity Manager, and permits the integration of other optional modules.
With the System Manager, you can use the multilevel system security to establish access privileges for records, screens and reports. Systemwide choice lists and job codes are easily maintained with a few mouse clicks and entry of required information. Icon-driven functions in the Employee Editor provide speedy access to employee data, such as personal, employment, job, salary, benefits, awards, education and skills information. OSHA and health and wellness files are also just a click away. The program tracks attendance and reports potential abuses within three days on either side of a scheduled holiday. Visual HR 2.0 also lets you keep employee ID photos on file.
You can create customized screens for the Employee Editor module and track salary range information for compensation analysis using the Configuration Manager. Six wizards help speed system configuration: the Benefits Wizard for life, medical and disability insurance; the Eligibility Wizard for setting up eligibility formulas; the PTO (Paid Time Off) Wizard for dealing with vacation, sick and personal time; the Defined Contribution Wizard for defining contribution parameters; the FSA Wizard for flexible spending accounts; and the Credit Wizard for establishing credit formulas for benefit plans. You can set up 401(k) and 403 (b) contributions and employer matching funds in minutes.
With the Activity Manager, you schedule HR department activities for completion within specified parameters. Jobs can be assigned to individuals and time-consuming tasks, such as report printing, can be scheduled for delayed processing.
Visual HR 2.0's Recruiting Manager module streamlines the hiring process and supports an unlimited number of job requisitions. A Job Requisition Wizard simplifies the process for filling an open position, with user-defined information relevant to any step in the hiring process available with a mouse click. With built-in OCR capability and support for a variety of scanners, it takes only minutes to scan resumes into Visual HR 2.0 to make them available online. The resumes can be searched, and customized letters generated to send to selected and rejected candidates.
The Data Exchange module lets you import and export payroll data. In a point-and-click field mapping window, you identify the location and name of the fields in the import file and the corresponding fields in Visual HR. For exporting payroll, interfaces for major payroll vendors such as Great Plains, ADP and Macola are available.
Human resources professionals will be overjoyed with Visual HR 2.0's report writing capabilities. It offers over 230 reports that cover every aspect of available data across all modules. EEO 1 and 4 are two of its 10 EEO reports, and OSHA 101 and 200 can be produced in a wink. Letter templates and a mail-merge utility ease communications with present and future employees. You can create customized reports that use the same filtering options as any standard report. Specially designed reports can take advantage of Crystal Reports, the outstanding authoring tool included with the application.
Visual HR 2.0 offers a complete toolbox for any human resources department. Its details will please the demanding user, its speed will please the pressured professional and its output is bound to please everyone.
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Visual HR 2.0
Price: Based on number of employees, from $1,000 to $18,000
In Brief: This is a complete, well-designed human resources application for small to midsized businesses.
Disk Space: System, 28MB; data, 4MB to 6MB per 100 employees
System Resources: 28%
RAM: 8MB (16MB recommended)
FLX Corp.
800-359-4747, 610-408-3900