HR Technology - Oracle by Sheila & Sapna

I & Sheila will be discussing Oracle's HR Technology in this Blog. The first half of the conversation is explained by me and I have included Sheila's Blog here with a link for the second half ( Thanks Sheila).


Bill Kutik had a conversation with Gretchen Alarcon (Vice President of Global HCM Strategy, Oracle) on different technologies out in open right now and some expected soon.

Gretchen A's Blog : human-strategies.blogspot.com

Gretchen A talks about integration of Web 2.0 technology in Social-networking ( Group Space, Wiki, Blog), Oracle, People Soft HCM etc. An example discussed is Tagging - Indexing document with a word or label to bring it up with it. Oracle will enable HR to use their technology how they want it and where they want it through their Web centre Product - part of Server Technology or Portal Technology - EDS & People Soft.

Gretchen mentioned that in Oracle Open World - Larry Elison said that Fusion HCM is bringing the best from Oracle and is expected at the end of 2008. Moving to Fusion HCM can a new implementation or an upgrade for the customers, EDS & People Soft will be upgraded as asked by the users. For E.g. In People Soft 8.9, New Talent Management will be a possible Integration option.

Gretchen discussed the three steps :

1. Emphasizing the need of timing the market to release the product when customers will need it and with the right complexities.

2. Involving the HR to regulate their reporting structure with it.

3. Discussion with Software Development Group on after doing the research - what needs to be built and why is it important.

The product management part decides what technology will be used, what to build and how will that look , an inbound look at the bound. The Strategic side looks at the outbound view of the product determining what is required and when will it be needed.

Here is a link to Oracle Website for their Hr Technologies http://www.oracle.com/applications/human_resources/intro.html

*** Sheila's Blog *** http://techlesslyhopeful.blogspot.com/2008/12/oracle.html

Kutik interviews Gretchen Alarcon, VP of Global HCM Strategy for Oracle. She talks about what Oracle is currently up to - which I will let Sapna handle. The interview then turns to her background and philosophies. Alarcon has a BA from Stanford and an MBA from the University of Michigan. Prior to pursuing her MBA, she was inspired by a professor who teaches at UofM. She came to understand that to be an effective human resources manager, she needed to become savvy in business, as well. I for one, agree completely! How can you manage a company's resources when you don't understand how the business works? This is what was meant by "HR not being the sharpest tacks in the box." Alarcon talks about her move from an HR practitioner to a strategist. She acknowledges her depth of domain experience has helped her but as a strategist, but broad skills are also necessary. She advocates research and the need to be analytical. She says one must be aware of how companies work in order to time what Oracle is investing (development) in and when the demand for those products will be. She says one of the first lessons she learned as a strategist is she cannot build software for herself, it must solve the client's needs. The interview ends with her discussion about mutual mentoring noted in my previous blog.