Social networking software that links people-centric HR processes with the collaboration tools that those very people require – that’s the claim made by Saba about its so-called People Cloud.
The Software as a Service-based bundle of applications brings learning, talent and social collaboration functionality together into one place with voice, video and web conferencing, it says.
So how does it work? Well, here’s the theory:
Saba argues that the volume of information in most organisations is now so great that conventional search mechanisms are failing to make the grade any more. As a result, it believes that a better model for finding the right information is to navigate the network of people who created it, shared or commented on it in the first place.
Bobby Yazdani, the firm’s chief executive, explains: "The centre of this strategy is about people, it’s not about information resources."
Therefore, the People Cloud includes tools for creating and tracking an individual or team’s goals and objectives as well as measuring whether they are meeting them. The offering provides a mechanism called Impressions to enable managers and peers to post public recognition of good work alongside private ‘ways we can improve further’ messages called ‘Even Better If…’.
What is likely to prove more controversial, however, is the inclusion of a ‘People Quotient Score’, which ranks individuals within the organisation based on how many other people link to, comment on or share the content that they create (employees are unable bump up their own rankings).
The idea, according to Yazdani, is to enable managers to measure “the impact of an individual within the organisation”.
While this is likely to sound a bit embarrassing for some people, the system does allow managers to set policies on whether rankings are on public display or only for individual consumption.
Challenges ahead
Nonetheless, such functionality will inevitably lead to the creation of ‘PQ Bores’ boasting about their value to the business, while others risk being embarrassed and demotivated by their perceived lack of standing.
Saba would counter such fears by arguing that an element of competition will come into play here. As a result, employees will want to be seen to be relevant by their peers and managers and, as such, will create and distribute more and more information. This situation, will in turn, mean that the organisation has access to a richer content flow.
But such functionality is still likely to prove controversial in some circles – and HR directors will inevitably be at the forefront of determining whether the approach is appropriate to their own organisational culture or not.
While expressing some disappointment with the offering’s user interface, Alan Lepofsky, an analyst with research firm, Constellation Research, reckons that there is much to like in the People Cloud.
“One of the most impressive features is the integration with Saba Meeting, which enables people to easily launch a web-conference, record the session, then publish it directly to a video channel for future viewing all within SPC,” he says.
The second piece of functionality that Lepofsky likes is the product’s search capability as it “not only provides results in real time as you type (like Google), but also allows you to filter down results based on a series of filters”.
Third on the list is the Saba DNA (social analytics) module, which he says, “looks like a great tool for helping find people in your network”.
But Lepofsky warns that despite this, the vendor faces challenges ahead.
“Saba’s existing customer base is already accustomed to integrating multiple platforms together in order to achieve their business needs,” he notes. “As these customers look to implement social software, they may turn to vendors like
IBM,
Microsoft,
Jive,
Yammer and several others who have already established solid reputations in ‘social’.”
Saba People Cloud can be trialled at www.sabapeoplecloud.com.
