Could your company benefit from shifting to an open source HRMS?

There are a number of robust open source HRMS in the HR application marketplace, many that have a proven track record of usage by a number of companies. Is open source suitable for your organization? Here are the top advantages of using an open source HRMS as detailed by open source customers.

1. Price effectiveness

In an era of tight budgets, open source checks all the boxes as it is free to download and use, although some may choose to pay for premium support or the build of custom items, such as reports. Small businesses and startups may not have the budget yet for an HRMS product with a license but open source is the answer for that dilemma with many offering combined HR and financial solutions or specialized, niche HR products.

Recommended reading: find an open source HRMS provider that meets your needs with our completely objective HRMS vendor directory.

2. Ability to modify and customize code

Many software applications lock down their code such as Software as a Service (SaaS) providers to ensure ease of updates. Such systems can cause frustrations for end users when they are unable to get simple changes to make the system less confusing or more efficient, such as changing an optional field to required. Open source provides options by allowing access to the code, a company can choose to not disturb it or can change and update it to meet all of their exact requirements. Tech savvy customers may already have developers in house knowledgeable about the code base, saving time and money over having a traditional HRMS where consultants are needed and access to code is restricted.

3. Delivered functionality saves time

While some fledgling companies would consider in-house development of a custom coded solution, using open source HRMS takes the guesswork and coding from scratch away. It provides an HR framework of how to design your business processes around the system delivered functionality, such as the hire process or benefits assignment. Rather than an HR person identifying all of the fields needed, their format and layout on the pages, open source comes with those details already provided and ready to use out of the box. If your HR department is not full-time or staffed with seasoned professionals, open source can help to bridge that HR knowledge gap.

4. Connect with community for knowledge sharing

Many open source HRMS apps also offer blogs and communities where customers can share ideas and tips and ask questions. As the code is open source there is a transparency about the product and its usage. Many of these communities are quite active and open in sharing effective solutions, report definitions and ideas for enhancements whereas in the past an outside consultant would be needed to provide ideas and insight.