Customers and partners can now download 3.0 SP1 from SAP Service Marketplace.   This release is a major step forward for SAP Visualization Solutions by Nakisa as it includes enhancements to our flagship Org Charting solution and its administrator tool to enable customers and partners to easily configure the app to their needs.

Some of the enhancements included in SP1 include:

• Visualize more key workforce information and reporting relationships including Dotted-Line and Assistants
• Improve offline sharing with interactive PDF chartbook printing
• Support unique, complex org structures of enterprise organizations with next gen admin tools

Also Coming Soon…

Keep your eyes peeled for the new language pack enhancement. The 3.0 language pack will be released shortly, enabling SAP Org Visualization by Nakisa, and SAP Talent Visualization by Nakisa to operate in 14 languages.

Our 3.0 SP2 release continues advancement of Org Charting capabilities and includes a progressive phase for the Data Quality Console.

We’ve just “signed off” on the first service pack release for SAP Visualization Solutions by Nakisa 3.0. In addition to improved quality, stability and performance across all SAP Org and Talent Visualization by Nakisa applications, what we think will really excite our customers and partners are the improvements we have made within the Admin Console.  We’ve added administrator capabilities that provide more control and greater flexibility to greatly simplify configurations for complex org structures.

Enterprises are unique and complex organizations. Each has its own processes, procedures and challenges.  That’s why “out-of-box”, “cookie-cutter” org management solutions cannot provide the answer.

This was the key challenge we focused on addressing in SP1. We wanted to make SAP Org Visualization by Nakisa 3.0 as flexible and adaptable as possible. We wanted to provide enhancements to the Org Chart that would make it easier to configure, and simpler for customers and partners to make the solution work for them.

Essentially, we set about mapping the technology to fit the needs of the enterprise, instead of the other way around. We simplified the Org Chart configuration process, virtually eliminating the need to write custom code.

The Admin Console now includes capabilities that support advanced and complex org structures and relationships.  Some of these capabilities include: an Org Chart wizard that can create custom hierarchies and relationships; a simple text editor that enables users to modify captions; template-based views that make adjustments and mapping to custom fields easy; and a details panel designer allowing full control on all sections displayed.

It’s not just the Admin Console that has been improved. Org Chart views have some new functionality, there is a new Chartbook, and customers are now able to authenticate their SAP users with external authentication support.

SP1 will be available on the SAP Service Marketplace in early March.

More details to come, so stay tuned…

The HR Technology Conference and Exposition took place a couple of weeks ago. We had the pleasure of inhabiting the SAP booth, showing the latest versions of STVN and SOVN. There was much going on elsewhere during the event too. Here are some of our key takeaways:

Integration is becoming a top priority

Traditionally we have had conversations about the user interface or “bells and whistles”. This year though, when people were talking about org and talent management software, it was integration that was the focus of conversation. There was a consistent thread re: the importance of data integration in both the Bersin & Associates survey, and the Jac Fitz-enz presentation. There was a significant increase in the amount of people identifying integration as a key factor. The Bersin survey reported that one-third of HR technology users are willing to sacrifice some features for integration (twice the number from last year).

Bersin stated that one of the keys to implementation success was to “do your homework first”. It could be suggested that as part of that homework, companies should determine how, and how well, their software vendors integrate with their ERP system. Expect vendors to reassure. It’s easy to say “we integrate”. As a user, the challenge becomes determining what that actually means.

Integrity of data

Going hand-in-hand with integration, there was also lots of interest in the importance of data quality as a foundation for HCM technology strategy. Of course, the subjects of integration and data integrity are very closely related. A solution that does not integrate well will inevitably have a negative impact on the quality of data available to the user, but that is not the only cause of poor data quality. The more complex the organization is, the more complex the system is likely to be. Maintaining a high level of data integrity in these environments becomes increasingly demanding.

Getting useful intelligence on your workforce starts with the integrity of the data. What is the takeaway here? When choosing a vendor, consider the options for visual validation and data quality auditing. How does the solution identify redundancies and inconsistencies that reside in the HCM backend?

Improving the talent management process

During the event, it became obvious that there are huge opportunities for companies to improve their talent management processes. Bersin commented that more than half of all companies still have an immature strategy or no strategy at all, when it comes to talent management. And, one observer noted that no one in the room raised their hand when asked who had a talent management strategy. Despite this, Bersin’s report showed market growth for talent management systems during the period 2007-2010, and predicted continued growth in 2011.

There seemed a general acceptance that companies need to focus on their strategy and process. The starting point for successfully managing the talent pipeline must start with building the foundation – competency profiling. Without well defined competencies, the other great features offered by vendors are not effective.

It was interesting to read the feedback on the Extend Technologies blog after a preview of Visualization Solutions by Nakisa 3.0. It’s very encouraging to read such positive feedback – so thanks for the shout out! If you have had a preview of the latest Nakisa solution, we’d love to hear your thoughts.

If you have not seen 3.0 yet and would like a preview, you can request a demo in the Nakisa VIP Zone.

Organizational agility is a hot topic in the industry right now. In current market conditions, organizations must learn to respond quickly to change. Large enterprises find this particularly difficult as they continually have to assess current business challenges and align their human capital strategy accordingly. In the article “The Agile Organization,” (Talent Management Magazine, July 2010 issue), the authors discuss the importance of a “nimble” human capital strategy and an adaptive workforce. Speed and adaptability is crucial to using talent to make organizations successfully manage changing scenarios.

So, how do we provide large enterprises with tools that can make the process faster and enable them to be more adaptable to their current environment?
At Nakisa, we specialize in providing solutions and support to organizations for this exact challenge. Nakisa OrgModeler enables users to create “what if” scenarios, providing a clear view of how organizational changes will affect headcount, budget, reporting structures, and so on.

OrgModeler also allows the user to save scenarios, and share them with their peers for review and modification. By visualizing potential scenarios, and achieving buy-in from key stakeholders, an organization can quickly determine the correct business strategy, and execute efficiently. With effective talent management visualization tools, the challenge of achieving organizational agility is much easier.

The consistent feedback from customers, partners and analysts was that SAPPHIRE^® NOW was a great event and I couldn’t agree more. Folks like Thomases Otter, and Wailgum, Ray Wang and Dan Howlett did a great job outlining the details from the show floor, so I wanted to focus on my takeaways from this year’s show.

First, SAP has probably taken one of its most courageous leaps in recent history with their “On-Premise, On-Demand and On-Device” initiative. Some have slated them as being late for the party and said the acquisition of a 2nd tier DB company makes no sense. On the contrary I think Bill, Jim, Hasso and Vishal showed that this acquisition makes a lot of sense when you also consider SAP’s existing investments in in-memory DBs, mobile and a Cloud platform + applications

Next, one point that has received less attention is how this acquisition will open up even more opportunities for SAP’s already vibrant partner ecosystem. As a long-time member of this very unique club, we have already been given the opportunity to take part in many programs (some official and some not ☺) around helping SAP innovate. The TalentOnDemand application built on SAP’s cloud platform we showcased at SapphireNow is yet another example of this.

Finally, it was great to see that SAP is back on track with a renewed focus on its customers. Bill is the right guy to lead the charge as he has consistently focused on customers while climbing the C-ladder at SAP.

Nakisa has always strived to make our customers champions and I think this was clear both in Orlando and Frankfurt seminars which are still available for you to watch via SAPPHIRE Online. It’s always an honor when our customers share their Nakisa experience with others.

Although SAPPHIRE may be over, I feel this is really a great beginning. Don’t forget to register for our upcoming webinar with Kohler on June 2nd and until next time, don’t forget to Visualize What Matters Most™

With Earth Day having passed just recently, I found it quite fitting that the latest volume of SAPInsider had an article entitled “Ensure That Your Company’s Talent Pool Never Runs Dry”.

The writer of this article, Bil Khan of SAP, outlines the basis of building a sustainable workforce. Business success in the future will rely on the ability to visualize key organizational information, and act upon it in order to align talent with business strategies.

As we continue to look towards the future, I urge business leaders not to forget about their most important resource – their people.

Until next time, remember to Visualize What Matters Most™

A recent blog by George Anders of the Harvard Business Review discussed the take-home lessons of a recent talent management conference. Although industries are moving beyond the economic downturn, it is clear to many major organizations that they have yet to “get talent management right.” For example,  attendees mentioned issues with developing an effective internal talent pipeline. Imagine how difficult it would be if your organization does not even have the right people to put in the right place. It would be extremely difficult to optimize talent deployment in this setting- as was discussed in a previous blog.

The most striking statistic from Anders’ post is that 72% of companies consider the war for talent as “an endless struggle in which they are neither gaining nor losing ground.” It is therefore necessary to start thinking of solutions to this challenge.

After having read the blog, I was happy to see the following comment posted by a reader:

“Companies who want to win the very real war for talent need to radically change the way they build talent. They need to make talent practices simpler (so that managers will actually use them) and more transparent (to avoid the negative impacts of secrecy), and enforce managerial accountability (since building great talent is their highest responsibility!)”

I couldn’t agree more. Simplicity, transparency, and increased accountability will be essential for organizations seeking to win ground in the war for talent.

As an aside, I would like to announce to all the readers of this blog that Nakisa has been nominated for an SAP Pinnacle Award in the category of Global Software Solution of the Year. Thank you to all of those who have supported us in the past year and, until next time, remember to Visualize What Matters Most™

It’s late into the night, and an entire stadium of energetic fans falls silent. Both teams have made it through regulation and extended play but are still tied for points. The entire game comes down to a moment of truth—the shootout.

Many different types of competitions have a standardized method when it comes to selecting the best team, the best athlete, and sometimes the best candidate.

The question I pose to readers this week is, “What happens when you are encountered with two seemingly equal candidates to fill a key position in the organization?” Some individuals rely on a list of “pros” and “cons” of either candidate, but this may be based on arbitrary preferences. Others may be willing to “go with their gut” and rely purely on instincts to decide which candidate is best suited for a position. But when it comes to the critical roles that are essential to the proper functioning of your business, the “moment of truth” needs an objective and consistent decision support system.

It is for this reason that the latest release of SAP^® Talent Visualization by Nakisa^® features tools such as the enhanced succession calibration grid to help you clearly identify the right person for a role. The solution also features our unique profile match capability. Nakisa’s profile match provides a flash based interface to track down and compare, side-by-side, potential succession candidates based on the role requirements. If the showdown is still “too close to call” our profile match also displays non-shared competencies that may not be required for the position, but may prove to be a valuable asset, putting the winner over the top.

Click here to find out what our Global Service Partner, ROC, has to say about it our latest release.

Until next time, remember to Visualize what Matters Most™

My team and I were very excited to attend SAP HR 2010 last week in Orlando. Each year, SAP HR proves to be a great event for us as we connect with the right people in the SAP/HR arena. However, this year was especially interesting for us as Nakisa was featured in over ten sessions throughout the event (the majority of which were volunteered by customers and partners without our solicitation). Each day in Orlando, our booth was constantly visited by individuals saying things like ‘I just came from a talk that highlighted Nakisa. How can I learn more?”.  As the attendees met with us, they were very interested in the demos of our latest release and our video presentations on Advanced Competency Management. It was great to touch base with the different conference participants and to demonstrate our commitment to providing innovative solutions in talent visualization and management.

I invite you all to get to know us better through our videos, and by following our posts on Twitter. For those of you who were unable to attend SAP HR in Orlando, we have posted some information on the seminars in our VIP Zone.

Until next time, remember to Visualize What Matters Most™.