1. August 2011
A Bi-monthly publication from The Gardner Group
The Ten Commandments of HR Technology
In today’s financial environment, HR decision-makers have little margin for error with technology decisions and
implementations. The Gardner Group has partnered with MillsonJames, an industry-leading HR technology advisory firm which
is helping our clients mitigate risk, improve efficiency, and reduce costs by following these Ten Commandments of HR
Technology.
For many HR professionals, the effects of the economy have been hard-hitting and long-lasting. Despite tighter operating
budgets, the pressure perhaps never has been greater on HR to deliver higher quality service—and with greater efficiency.
Often, the solution to this two-edged demand is supplied by the right HR technology—whether in the form of a simple-but-solid
online benefits-enrollment system, or a more complex, fully-integrated HR technology solution cutting across payroll, HR,
benefits, and time and attendance. Regardless of the specific technology, HR decision makers understand that technology is part
of the solution, and that tens to hundreds of thousands of tightly-held budget dollars are at stake.
But you must also understand the flip-side reality of HR technology: the wrong investment in the wrong technology can be a fast
track to organizational pain and suffering.
You can attack the technology and efficiency challenge with both caution and confidence by adhering to these Ten
Commandments of HR Technology. At the Gardner Group, we would be happy to assist you with any technology challenge you
may be facing.
The Ten Commandments of HR Technology
I. Thy Technologies Must Integrate and Speak to One Another
II. Thy Systems Must Be Flexible and Scalable
III. Thou Must Ensure the Security of thy Technology and Data
IV. Thy Technology Should Educate as Well as Transact
V. Thou Shall Ensure that Service and Support are on Par with
the Technology
VI. Thou Shall Prefer “Configurable” over “Customizable”
VII. Thou Shall Not Need an IT Degree to Set up or Manage
VIII. Thy Data Belongs to You—Not the Provider
IX. Thou Shall Require Strong Reporting Capabilities
X. Thy Systems Shall be Hosted and Web-Enabled
To paraphrase a well-worn saying, “you may not have the time (or money) to do things right the first time. But you’ll almost
always have the time (or money) to do them over.” Before you make your next big HR-technology decision, we encourage you to
leverage these Ten Commandments of HR Technology and allow us to assist you through the process. There is, of course, a solid
HR technology solution for what your organization needs. You just need to take the right steps to find it and we’re happy to help.
To access a recent article published on the full Ten Commandments of HR Technology, please visit
http://www.mec.mediaedgehost.com/digital/HRFLsummer11/index.html .
-MillsonJames, LLC
Will Online Enrollment Systems Make for a Environment
The past five years have witnessed a 165% growth rate in the proportion of employees that use some combination of Web-
based technology to enroll in their benefits thus reducing the high volume of paper used during the benefits enrollment season
according to a new study from The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America (Guardian). The study, Benefits & Behavior:
Spotlight on Technology and Enrollment sheds light on a larger trend of technology and Internet usage contributing to paper
reduction and operating efficiencies in the workplace.
Additional highlights from the study include:
40% of employees enrolled via computer-only versus 12% five years ago
36% used paper only to enroll versus 58% five years ago
21% report that they used a combination of paper and computer versus 11%
five years ago.
61% used computer-based enrollment for some portion of their employee
benefits enrollment.
Among the 61% of full-time employees who used computer-based enrollment for some portion of their employee benefits
enrollment:
Most (92%) cite convenience as the top reason that they access their benefits online.
87% said online access to benefits saves time and 73% said it gives them more control.
67% of employees mentioned the environment as an important reason for accessing their benefits online.
-PRN Newswire

2. August, 2011
How Do Benefits Enrollment
Vendors Differ?
The Value and ROI for On-line
The benefits technology marketplace is evolving rapidly Benefits Administration
creating sometimes an overwhelming number of
vendors. Benefits Enrollment Vendors not only differ An on-line benefits administration system has the opportunity to
based on type of solutions they provide but also based automate manual or redundant, paper-based processes, engage
on: employees with self-service tools, and enable employers to access
benefit participation patterns. Several methods for automating the
Experience- There are a great benefits administration function are available within the
number of vendors who have marketplace.
been around a long time but
haven’t really done many Through your partnership with The Gardner Group, we can assist
enrollment transactions on you to ensure that the right technology is deployed to achieve the
their system. unique objectives of your organization.
Target Market- Most vendors The Value and ROI for On-line Benefits Administration
have a specific target market
albeit, small, mid-size or large According to CFO.com, the average cost for an HR staff
employers. member to manually enroll an employee in benefits is
$109.48; the average cost for an employee to enroll online
Carrier Connection Capabilities – Not all vendors via self-service is $21.79 – an 80% savings.
have the ability to feed data electronically to
carriers. According to
Towers Perrin,
Ongoing Support – Some vendors simply provide online employee
the software and training to administer the self-service
solution while others offer continuous one on one results in a 15%
support. time savings by
HR staff.
Pricing – Most vendors price on a Per Employee
per Month basis. According to Risk & Insurance, manual administration and
Core vs. Voluntary Benefits – Some solutions are billing processes can cause a 7% error in premium billing.
only set up to handle the most basic benefit plans Some vendors and consultants estimate that $5.00 - $15.00
while an emerging trend with some vendors is per Employee per Month can be saved with more accurate
enabling the enrollment of voluntary products insurance premium/claims payments.
Features/Functionality/Services Wrapped Around Value levers contributing to a Return on Investment include:
the Technology
Reduced benefit-related calls to HR – using an online
Multi-lingual Capabilities enrollment system will result in fewer benefits related
Active or Passive Enrollment calls because employees have access to much more
Qualified Life Events Approved by information about historical, current and prospective
Administrator benefits.
Consolidated Billing
HR Alerts and Approvals Reduce enrollment transaction costs – Paper, printing
Compensation Statements and postage costs can be eliminated as employees
Call Center Support access information via self-service.
Paper fulfillment Reduce Liability – By automating processes such as
Complexity of Eligibility Rules Evidence of Insurability, the liability associated
Customization vs. Personalization historically with manual processes is reduced and/or
Plan Comparisons eliminated.
Portal Integration
Decision Support Tools Elimination of duplicate data entry – An online
Historical Reporting enrollment system that integrates with payroll/HRIS
Blast Emails can transfer data without redundant data entry and
Benefit Enrollment Surveys can eliminate the need for HR to enter any data into
On boarding the system.
-HR Technology Advisors Reduce Billing Errors – An online administration
system can increase the accuracy of benefit elections
and eligibility data that is transferred to benefit
carriers to ensure that both Company and Carrier are
Have You Visited Us on the same page.
on Facebook Yet? Improve Employee Satisfaction with the Benefits
As another means of communicating and keeping Enrollment Process – Employees can be assured that
our clients informed we created a Facebook page. Life Event Changes are processed with the right
We are posting our Newsletter, Health Tips, and information at the right time and can be instantly
much more. Come visit us by clicking the link below: notified if additional information is required.
Enrollment also becomes personalized allowing
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Gardner-Group/123662150999462 employees access anywhere, any time facilitating
better decision making.
Make sure you become a fan of our Page! -HR Technology Advisors