SuccessFactors latest release bets on analytics, social, mobile
SuccessFactors' March release integrates recently acquired technologies, aims to bring analytics to the average employee and weave in social and mobile capabilities.
The on-demand software provider, which specializes in human capital management and business execution, weaves in the acquisition of YouCalc for analytics. The latest SuccessFactors release puts analytics in a separate tab.
"We want to bring tools to regular end users," said Brad Mattick, senior director of product marketing at SuccessFactors. "The promise is that you can provide insight and metrics directly in the application."
The most obvious example of the YouCalc technology is SuccessFactors compensation workbench. When manager wrap up performance reviews, merit raises typically go out. SuccessFactors now provides analytics to give managers some idea of what raises should be in the context of the company's curve.
Other items for SuccessFactors includes smart groups and other social networking features. I noted that most SaaS offerings now have some social component. Mattick said that SuccessFactors is hoping that integrated groups and auto-populated profiles---the company's software is connected to the HR hierarchy inside companies---will set it apart. "We think there will be multiple social tools that will be interoperable," said Mattick.
He added that SuccessFactors plugs into SharePoint and email systems and that's where most enterprise collaboration content resides today.
On the mobile front, SuccessFactors is integrating corporate directories, conversations and push notifications with smartphones.
