Personnel cost planning software: how to choose the right tool

All personnel costs at a glance - sounds good? To ensure that you always plan with up-to-date figures and that personnel cost planning does not become a long-term project, you need an efficient tool or software with which you always have all the data relating to your personnel costs at hand.

Which tool is suitable for personnel cost planning? We have listed the most important features that are important for secure, agile and user-friendly planning for you and present our specially developed and hosted planning software QVANTUM for your personnel cost planning.

Why do you need software for your personnel costs?

Relying on software brings many benefits. Among them:

• Timely execution of personnel cost planning thanks to automated data collection
• Meeting the complexity of the data (especially for groups of companies)
• Simulate future personnel developments
• Automatic adjustments of plan data to tariff increases, bonuses, etc.
• Close the gap between controlling (cost monitoring) and HR (personnel management)
• Link to your overall cost planning
• Detect bottlenecks and overcapacities in time

Your software for personnel cost planning should have these 8 features

1. data connection

Are you one of those companies that plan with all kinds of isolated applications? A tool for HR management, a tool for project planning, a tool for finance. If you introduce a new tool for your personnel cost planning, make sure that you can work with the data that you have previously collected in the different areas. So importing planning models and planning data from inventory systems or other ERP data sources should be possible with your new tool.

In the best case, your new solution for personnel cost planning is not just another isolated tool, but part of an all-encompassing enterprise planning software. This gives you time, transparency and control, and saves significant costs. In addition, when you network your production figures, sales, financial and personnel planning, you can make data-driven decisions and are well positioned to compete.

QVANTUM is a unified planning software for controllers that lets you do your predictive forecasting, cost planning, sales planning, sales and revenue planning, budget planning, workforce planning, and P&L planning - all centrally in one cloud. You can also integrate almost all data systems. For example, BI solutions such as Qlik, Tableau, PowerBI or MicroStrategy are connected using a standard interface or open REST API.

2. low implementation costs

Depending on the software you choose for your workforce cost planning, implementation may involve many appointments, webinars, and emails that require you and your staff to invest time and effort. With many sVendors, you can expect to spend about 100 project days preparing and implementing the new tool.

In the QVANTUM planning software hosted by us, your new planning model is ready for use in as little as 5 project days. Our onboarding takes place in 5 steps and offers you opportunities to get a first impression of planning in the cloud. By providing standard content and up-to-date standard dashboards, we deliver the most important figures so that you can start planning immediately. Based on your requirements and wishes, we can make individual changes to tailor our planning model and dashboards to fit your business.

3. fast implementation

If you’re considering new software for your workforce cost planning, be sure to get it up and running quickly. Common solutions require a large project with external consultants - where weeks or months often pass before the tool is live and you can begin your workforce cost planning.

Unlike common tools, QVANTUM is simply implemented as part of the ongoing process and is ready to go within a few days. And that’s without email ping-pong, advanced training and external experts. QVANTUM provides you with customized models and templates for your individual use cases. Get a first insight in our free trial version.

4. flexible adaptation

In the case of high turnover, new changes from above or rapid growth, such as is the case with a start-up, it is useful if you can easily adapt planning models and forms within the framework of personnel cost planning in the software without much effort.

In cloud-based planning software such as QVANTUM, you only need to enter your data and specify calculation logics. The merging of different planning data as well as the adjustment in case of changes to the specifications is automated. Furthermore, it is possible to create reporting forms without input options, for example to compare top-down planning with bottom-up planning. Look at your target and actual planning at any time to check whether you are on the right track or whether the costs fit the budget.

5. compliance with the privacy policy

Software? When is our data really secure? Perhaps you have asked yourself the same question. To ensure that each planner only sees the data for which he or she is responsible, it is necessary to assign specific rights in your software. Because unlike Excel, all data is centrally recorded in the cloud.

Thanks to clean data separation (multi-client capability), DSGVO-compliant TOM (Technical and Organizational Measures) and our own hosting in the German data center of Buhl Data GmbH, the protection of your sensitive data is ensured at all times with QVANTUM. Best of all, you can manage roles, groups and rights independently.

6. independent operation

What you don’t want is for your employees to have to undergo expensive training or for you to have to use your own IT staff to make your HR cost planning work. With tools like Board or Jedox**, deep scheduling changes** can’t be implemented without IT support or outside consultants.

In contrast, a software-as-a-service like QVANTUM is designed for everyday use by your users. Thanks to an intuitive user interface, anyone with knowledge of Excel can also plan in QVANTUM. Forms and even planning models can be adapted on an ongoing basis without any programming knowledge.

7. cloud-based

Your personnel cost planning software should be cloud-based. This not only saves you from expensive hardware and IT costs, but also from having to perform time-consuming installations. Plus, you’re location-independent and can easily pull data from all departments and countries using cloud software. Only top-down was yesterday. When you carry out your personnel cost planning in the cloud, you plan more agilely and more precisely.

QVANTUM’s personnel cost planning is located in Controlling and designed for cross-departmental use - Controlling thus keeps the strings in its hands and always sees the current status of planning. Due to the central collection of all planning-relevant data, you can completely dispense with sending Excel files via e-mail. The advantage: You retain control and transparency over your data and ensure that you work in compliance with data protection regulations and that your sensitive data is secured.

8. visualization in real time

In order for you as management to make valid decisions based on your planning, your personnel cost planning software needs agile dashboards that always provide you with an up-to-date overview of cost developments.

QVANTUM offers “turnkey” standard dashboards with overviews and core data for management. These draw data from QVANTUM corporate planning as well as from other personnel cost planning tools you use. Based on PowerBI, you can customize your dashboards quickly and easily. There are no additional license costs for many companies, because a PowerBI license is usually already included in your Microsoft license. Thanks to the active connection to all QVANTUM plans and the interface with other planning tools, your dashboards will always have up-to-date information.

Curious?

You can test the QVANTUM Cloud now for free without an appointment. You can find more information about the QVANTUM software in our overview.