The word “automation” may make you think of some futuristic technology that hasn’t been invented yet. Automation, however, has already added a lot of convenience and utility to modern-day life. Among the many ways that automation has contributed to our lives is in business applications, specifically salary planning tools. The right salary planning tool, with the right automation, takes numerous manual tasks and executes them automatically, dramatically reducing the amount of hassle and waiting that’s normally needed during the salary planning process.
Let’s look at the approval process for an example. A manager plans the salaries of their direct reports, factoring in any increases they may be eligible for. They then have to take this data – probably in a spreadsheet – and email it to their manager. This starts a long, drawn out chain of emailing and approving (or not approving) whatever salary change has been made until it reaches the desk of the HR or compensation supervisor who will give it the final approval.
The problems here are numerous. Assuming they’re organizing the data on spreadsheets and emailing them to each successive person up the approval chain, they’re leaving sensitive data vulnerable and unsecured. Beyond that, however, is the issue of time and reliability. Each person involved in the process is another potential pitfall, another place where the data could be stalled, greatly lengthening the salary planning process. The entire approval process is inefficient and costs an organization both time and money.
Automating the process with a salary planning tool can speed it up tremendously. Instead of emailing spreadsheets back and forth to one another, each person involved in the process can log in to a single system. The first manager can enter the proposed salaries for their direct reports, which will notify whoever is next in the process so that they can review it and approve it, which will send it further up the line. The salary goes farther and farther up the approval ladder until it receives its final approval, at which point it’s entered into the system where it can eventually be sent off to payroll.
As you can see, automating the approval process takes an otherwise tedious task and simplifies it, requiring each user to simply enter or review the pertinent data. A flurry of emails and spreadsheets flying back and forth between different individuals becomes a straight, streamlined line, allowing the salary planning process to run quickly and smoothly. This is just one of the many ways that a salary planning tool can help simplify otherwise complex processes, though. If you’d like to learn more about Harvest’s customized compensation solutions and how they can benefit your organization, please feel free to contact us.