My Gartner Research

I am asked regularly for research that I have published on a particular topic.  I thought I would provide a reference page with links to the Gartner site (almost all of this research with the exception of First Takes requires a Gartner subscription).  This is far from a complete view of all the research I have published over the years or our overall HCM coverage (there are many other analysts who cover various aspects of HCM -- I could never keep this page current if I included all of that).  I did include some older notes that I would consider either "classics" or provide a lot of good definitions (especially in the Talent Management section).   From time to time, I will also remove links from here as research gets superseded or just plain old.

Recent Research

3 February 2009
James Holincheck Thomas Otter

The market for employee performance management software has grown quickly, and has attracted many vendors. ERP and HR management system vendors compete against emerging talent management suite providers. Leaders have emerged, but additional market consolidation is likely.


3 February 2009
James Holincheck

Customers are buying multiple talent management applications from a single vendor. However, despite the vendor hype, few customers have bought a broad suite of talent management applications from one vendor.


18 December 2008 
James Holincheck

Build benefits cases around addressing short-term cost and productivity issues, as well as longer-term workforce challenges.

Defining Workforce Analytics 
13 November 2008
James Holincheck

Many companies are making investments in talent management applications. Although these applications provide a good foundation for strategic human capital management, workforce analytics are the key to helping companies maximize the value of investments in human capital.

Core HRMS


A multitier HR service delivery model is a proven approach for improving the efficiency of HR service delivery. This model can significantly lower costs while maintaining or increasing the quality of HR services.

HR Self-Service Applications Defined 
28 August 2008
James Holincheck

Use HR self-service applications to gain more value from your HR management system and HR outsourcing investments. Leverage portals to provide a common and compelling user experience for employees and managers.

The Impact of SOA on HCM Applications
29 July 2008
James Holincheck

Service-oriented architecture-based solutions promise to address some of the key challenges of developing, implementing and maintaining traditional human capital management applications.

New SOA-Based HCM Applications Emerge
29 July 2008
James Holincheck
 
New applications from Lawson, SAP and Workday give human capital management customers a glimpse into the potential of service-oriented-architecture-based solutions.

ERP, SCM and CRM: Suites Define the Packaged Application Market
25 July 2008
Yvonne Genovese Jeff Woods James Holincheck Nigel Rayner Michael Maoz

Users searching for ERP are often looking for the level of integration provided by ERP, but for functionality that extends well beyond ERP. Understanding suites and leveraging their value is important to a successful application strategy.

CUE Conference 2008: Lawson Continues Emphasis on Target Vertical Markets
16 May 2008
James Holincheck John E. Van Decker

At the 2008 Lawson CUE Conference, the theme of vertical specialization was continued from the 2007 conference. Also, Lawson introduced new products, acquired and developed internally, that it hopes will differentiate it from its competitors.

CUE Conference 2008: Lawson Unveils New Products
15 May 2008
John E. Van Decker James Holincheck

At the 2008 Lawson CUE Conference, Lawson introduced new products, acquired and developed internally, that it hopes will differentiate it from its competitors.

MarketScope for Large Enterprise HRMS, 2008
19 February 2008
James Holincheck

The market for human resource management system solutions is mature, but large-enterprise customer expectations about solution capabilities continue to grow, pushing vendors to keep up.

Evaluating the Use of One Provider for Global Payroll Outsourcing
21 June 2006
James Holincheck Cathy Tornbohm

In small markets, most global organizations outsource payroll to local service providers. However, new models have emerged that enable organizations to outsource payroll to a single vendor. Early adopters must understand the pros and cons of these models to choose the most appropriate provider.

Deciding to Insource or Outsource for Human Resources
28 February 2003
James Holincheck
 
Enterprises making new HR technology decisions are often considering various types of outsourcing. However, they should look at outsourcing as only part of an overall sourcing strategy for HR service delivery.


Talent Management

SaaS's Impact on Human Capital Management
22 July 2008
James Holincheck

Software as a service in HCM is strong, and Gartner expects its use to increase. Users must look at the different adoption rates in different segments of the market to understand the level of maturity of SaaS HCM solutions.

Magic Quadrant for E-Recruitment Software
10 June 2008
James Holincheck

The market for e-recruitment software continues to mature. There are many options that provide strong solutions for core processes. However, flexibility of configuration and support for specific geographies and industries continue to differentiate solutions.

Unlocking the Strategic Value From Talent Management Application Investments
26 December 2007
James Holincheck

Talent management applications are "hot." However, most customers are just automating manual processes, not leveraging the technology to enable more-strategic human capital management. We discuss how HR and HRIT professionals can unlock the strategic value from these investments.

MarketScope for Employee Performance Management Software, 2007
11 May 2007
James Holincheck
The market for employee performance management software is intense, and many vendors want in on the action. However, the depth and breadth of integrated solutions is still progressing.

Talent Management Application Suites Can Enhance Workforce Effectiveness
14 June 2005
James Holincheck
 
Most large companies have implemented an integrated set of administrative human capital management applications. Now, these companies are turning their attention to strategic talent management applications to get more value from their investments in people.

Talent Management Application Suites Emerge to Support Strategic HR Capabilities
14 June 2005
James Holincheck
 
Executive, IT, HR and vendor needs are aligned to support the emergence of a new suite of strategic HR applications, which we call talent management application suites. HR and IT organizations should assess their companies' talent management needs to take advantage of this market evolution.

Companies Need to Define E-Recruitment Software
23 November 2004
James Holincheck

Although definitions for e-recruitment vary by user, a well-balanced system should feature functionality in five basic areas.

Employee Performance Management Software MarketScope
10 June 2004
James Holincheck

Many enterprises that say their employees are their most-important asset do little to build and grow their human capital. Employee performance management software helps gain a positive return on investment in human assets.

Workforce Management

MarketScope for Retail Time and Labor Applications, 2006
7 December 2006
Gale Daikoku James Holincheck

This is an update on vendor capabilities in retail workforce management. Industry investment continues to grow as Web-based solutions mature and leading retailers use workforce optimization technology to improve store productivity.


Workforce Analytics

Toolkit Presentation: Starter Kit for Workforce Analytics
5 October 2007
James Holincheck Kathy Harris

Leading HR organizations realize that, to be a strategic partner with the business, both partners need to make fact-based decisions about human capital investments. The adoption of the next generation of workforce analytics will accelerate, as these HR leaders demonstrate what's possible.

Case Study: Workforce Analytics at Sun
27 October 2006
James Holincheck

Sun used workforce analytics to understand the financial impact of and to target its spending around its mentoring program.

Exploit the Next Generation of Workforce Analytics to Manage Human Capital
14 October 2005 
James Holincheck
 
Next-generation workforce analytics will help companies gain more insight into how they derive business value from human capital. However, HR organizations will be challenged to build and implement new skills, tools and techniques to be successful.

Gartner Special Reports

Cool Vendors

Cool Vendors for Human Capital Management Software, 2008
1 April 2008
James Holincheck Thomas Otter

Cool vendors in human capital management software for 2008 focus on emerging HCM trends of workforce analytics, as well the broader social networking trend in HCM context.

Cool Vendors in Finance and HCM, 2007
19 March 2007
James Holincheck Neil Chandler

Though many view financial and HCM solutions as mature and stable markets, the reality is that significant innovation is happening.

Cool Vendors in Human Capital Management Software, 2006
16 March 2006
James Holincheck

These "cool vendors" represent emerging trends in HCM technology. They take familiar HR and workforce problems (such as timekeeping, analytics, recruitment, employee engagement surveys and benefits) and use new technology to achieve improved results.

Predicts

Predicts 2008: ERP and SCM Applications
20 February 2008
Jeff Woods Tim Payne Andrew White C. Dwight Klappich Christian Hestermann Pat Phelan James Holincheck Nigel Rayner Yvonne Genovese

The dominant theme in applications is the realization of a business process platform and model-driven business process applications. This realization will change the way enterprises support and deploy applications.

Predicts 2008: SaaS Gathers Momentum and Impact
3 January 2008 | 12 pages
Ben Pring Alexa Bona James Holincheck Michele Cantara Yefim V. Natis

This report looks at the future of software as a service and provides five major predictions.

Hype Cycles


Debbie Wilson Andrew White Gene Alvarez Benoit J. Lheureux Pete Basiliere John E. Van Decker James Holincheck Ben Pring Nigel Rayner
Procurement spans a rich and diverse range of activities. As vendors address mainstream requirements and spending-category-specific needs, the variety of tools available to enable procurement activities is expanding and maturing.

Hype Cycle for Human Capital Management Software, 2008
9 July 2008
Thomas Otter James Holincheck Rolf Jester Michael Dunne Carol Rozwell John E. Van Decker Debbie Wilson Robert H. Brown Gale Daikoku Marti Harris C. Dwight Klappich

The Hype Cycle for HCM software helps companies plan their HCM technology investments by providing insight into the maturity of key applications and technologies.

Hype Cycle for Software as a Service, 2008
9 July 2008
Robert P. Desisto Michele Cantara Eric Thoo Ted Friedman Michael Dunne Nigel Rayner James Holincheck Bill Gassman Matthew W. Cain Andrew White Benoit J. Lheureux Debbie Wilson Kimberly Collins Gene Alvarez Juergen Weiss Michael Maoz Yefim V. Natis Daniel B. Stang Neil Chandler Bill Hostmann William Clark Michael J. King David Gootzit Gene Phifer Arabella Hallawell Kelly M. Kavanagh Ben Pring Eric Goodness Tim Payne

The SaaS Hype Cycle represents an aggregate of different software markets. This Hype Cycle will help organizations discern the relative maturity and progression of various SaaS applications, with implications for a business model architecture and buying dynamics.

Hype Cycle for Analytic Applications, 2008
3 July 2008
Gareth Herschel Thomas Otter James Holincheck Debbie Wilson Michael Dunne Andrew Frank Marc Halpern Hung LeHong Joanne Galimi Richard J. De Lotto Bill Gassman Nigel Rayner Kimberly Collins Jim Davies Stessa B Cohen Kimberly Harris-Ferrante David McClure Adam Sarner C. Dwight Klappich Andrew White Tim Payne Bradley Williams Kristian Steenstrup David Furlonger Alistair Newton Michael Maoz

Analytical capability is increasingly packaged as a solution to address specific business issues, instead of being created with generic business intelligence tools. Gartner's Hype Cycle for Analytic Applications shows the maturity, adoption rates and benefits of different analytical applications.

Hype Cycle for ERP, 2007
5 October 2007
Jeff Woods Yvonne Genovese Nigel Rayner Christine Adams Jacqueline Heng Janelle B. Hill Mark R. Gilbert Tim Payne Bill Hostmann Andreas Bitterer Kurt Schlegel Debbie Wilson Christian Hestermann David Gootzit Daniel Sholler Yefim V. Natis Lorrie Scardino Dane S. Anderson Frances Karamouzis James Holincheck Neil Chandler Tom Eid French Caldwell John Radcliffe Andrew White David Newman Gene Alvarez Pat Phelan Kristian Steenstrup Denise Ganly David W. McCoy Michael Maoz Bill Gassman Charles Abrams Robert L. Goodwin C. Dwight Klappich Joanne Galimi Isher Kaila

ERP is transforming from a mainly transactional system to a key component of a user's backbone strategy, which Gartner calls the "business process platform." Users should look for technologies that support information-centric, process-centric and people-centric business activities.

Key Issues

Key Issues for Finance, Human Capital Management and Procurement, 2008
3 April 2008
Thomas Otter Nigel Rayner Debbie Wilson James Holincheck

Financial management, human capital management and procurement applications form the administrative "backbone" of all organizations. This Key Issues research for 2008 summarizes Gartner findings in these areas.

Key Issues for the High-Performance Workplace, 2007
4 May 2007
Tom Austin Betsy Burton Nick Jones Kathy Harris Whit Andrews Rita E. Knox James Holincheck Bill Hostmann David Mario Smith

The high-performance workplace focuses on how to increase the performance of people, whether they are employees, partners, suppliers, distributors, agents or customers. HPW strategies go beyond productivity to encompass effectiveness, innovation and business transformation.


First Takes

Taleo-Vurv Deal Part of Talent Management Market Consolidation
13 May 2008
James Holincheck Thomas Otter

Taleo's planned acquisition of Vurv Technology will strengthen its leadership in the e-recruitment market, but will not have a short-term impact on its position in the broader talent management software market.

SuccessFactors' Initial Public Offering Filing Confirms High Growth but at a Steep Cost
8 August 2007
James Holincheck

SuccessFactors has shown high revenue growth, but it is accompanied by high sales and marketing costs. By spending to grow its customer base and market share rapidly, it has made a big bet to become a leader in the emerging talent management application suite market. Yet, its strategy has some risk.

Private Equity Infusion to Help Ceridian Compete in HR BPO
7 June 2007
Robert H. Brown James Holincheck
A plan to acquire Ceridian would help the business process outsourcing provider gain the cash resources it needs to compete globally. But clients and prospects should seek a clear plan about Ceridian's future direction.

Vendor-Specific

Vendor Focus for Oracle: Product and Service Offering Details
8 April 2008
Gene Phifer Kimberly Collins Kenneth Chin Isher Kaila Nigel Rayner Debbie Wilson James Holincheck Christian Hestermann Robert P. Desisto Michael Maoz Gene Alvarez Gareth Herschel Tim Payne French Caldwell Jorge Lopez Yvonne Genovese William Clark Massimo Pezzini Donald Feinberg Mark Driver Bill Hostmann Frances Karamouzis Jeffrey Mann David Gootzit Joseph Feiman Janelle B. Hill Andrew White

This document is a companion to the 2008 Oracle Vendor Rating research and provides details on Oracle's product and service offerings.

Vendor Rating: Oracle
8 April 2008
Gene Phifer Kimberly Collins Kenneth Chin Isher Kaila John Rizzuto Nigel Rayner Debbie Wilson Gene Alvarez Tim Payne Jorge Lopez William Clark Massimo Pezzini Bill Hostmann Jeffrey Mann Joseph Feiman Jane B. Disbrow Janelle B. Hill Robert P. Desisto David Gootzit Frances Karamouzis Mark Driver Michael Maoz Yvonne Genovese Donald Feinberg Gareth Herschel Christian Hestermann Bob Igou Pat Phelan James Holincheck Jeff Comport French Caldwell

Oracle is a powerhouse software vendor, with many infrastructure and application offerings. Oracle has evolved significantly during the past few years, and it will continue to evolve as it expands its software portfolio.

Oracle OpenWorld: Applications Unlimited Continues to Dominate Over Fusion
18 December 2007
Kimberly Collins Gene Phifer Jean-Claude Delcroix Don Free Christian Hestermann James Holincheck Isher Kaila Michael Zastrocky Chad Eschinger

At Oracle OpenWorld 2007, the Applications Unlimited message prevailed over Fusion Applications announcements. Clients were more interested in the latest versions of existing products than in Fusion.

Vendor Rating: SAP
14 December 2007
Daniel Sholler Tim Payne Alexa Bona Ed Thompson Yvonne Genovese Nigel Rayner John E. Van Decker Jorge Lopez Chad Eschinger Gene Alvarez Regina Casonato William Clark French Caldwell Paul E. Proctor Michael Maoz Alex Soejarto Andreas Bitterer John Rizzuto Bob Igou James Holincheck Sharon A. Mertz Debbie Wilson Michael Dunne Kimberly Collins Gareth Herschel Robert P. Desisto

SAP has solid finances, a large customer base, a well-established platform and core applications. This combination gives SAP a strong base from which to extend into new application areas and markets, and to try out new business models.

Other

The Business Impact of Social Computing on HR Data 
5 September 2008
Thomas Otter James Holincheck

The business impact of social computing on HR is strong, and Gartner expects it to grow significantly. HR and the IT organization should collaborate to build a culture and platform to leverage social computing in HR.

Managing Application Budgets: Practical Ideas for Reducing Expenses
5 May 2008
Debbie Wilson Matthew Hotle Neil McMurchy Valentin T. Sribar Matt Light Jane B. Disbrow Robert P. Desisto Kathy Harris James Holincheck

Although all organizations face strong, periodic pressures to reduce their expenses, the 2008 economic climate has made cost reduction a near-term priority for many businesses. Enterprises require guidance on how to identify potential short-term cuts in their application budgets.

How the Axium Bankruptcy Affects CHIMES Customers
14 February 2008
James Holincheck

With the Axium bankruptcy and asset sale of Ensemble Chimes Group to MPS Group (the parent company of Beeline), CHIMES customers have been scrambling to determine the best course of action. These customers should consider Beeline, as well as other market alternatives.

Alternative Delivery Models: The First Taxonomy
27 September 2007
James Holincheck Claudio Da Rold Mark A. Margevicius Bruce Robertson

Alternate delivery models are starting to appear in the IT market as mechanisms to provide a broad set of services and solutions to businesses. We look at a relationship and implementation-based taxonomy.

EIM Has Become Increasingly Important to Human Capital Management
26 January 2005
James Holincheck

As companies expand globally, enterprise information management of person data becomes critical. Organizations with knowledge workers worldwide need accurate head counts and an understanding of employees' expertise and competencies to properly match people, roles and tasks.

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