A human resource (HR) software is designed for businesses of all sizes so that it can be implemented to ensure increased productivity and improved management performance.

A good HR management system—also known as a human capital management, human resources information, or human resource management system—includes tools that are helpful for recruiting, human capital management, time scheduling, and other strategies that help the business to manage their staff well. Hence, it is important for a business to embrace an updated HR management software so that along with effective management, high-value productivity can be guaranteed in an organization.

An HR management software saves valuable time and automates many processes for HR personnel. Almost all employee-related functions such as decision making, planning, or management of the company budgeting can be done through the HR software. An advantage of having an HR management software incorporated into the organization is that the database is secured and is cost-effective. However, not syncing the software with the cloud could make it difficult for many organizations to update it.

With the advancements in technology, many companies are using the cloud to store their software. Using the cloud provides portability and easy access to HR personnel.

The following are two of the popular HR management software for small businesses that can be considered for assured productivity and guaranteed employee satisfaction.

• JazzHR: This is among the most popular HR management software for small businesses. It assists the business to post job openings, screen applications, and manage the interviews through a real-time platform. Further, this HR management software also carries out a background check, reviews the incoming resumes, and the like.
• Cezanne: This is also a cloud-based HR software solution designed for small businesses. It has a mobile app that allows the user to log in using their Android or iOS devices. The facilities of this HR software can be availed by paying the monthly subscription fees which are subject to the number of users and modules needed to be implemented in the company.

We at an individual level feel that our personal data should be secure under a password cover. However, the scenario at an enterprise level is just not the same. If in an enterprise, an IT personnel loses his or her access to the user ID, he/she will need to be assisted by a team password manager or a central point of collection called the centralized dashboard that looks into the user’s aggregate data and his or her online activities.

Administrators may also be in a position to manage the data files of various formats for the accounts shared and also to set or decline permissions. For easing the enterprise from such additional difficulties, the enterprise management software takes charge. The enterprise password management software assists in separating personal, shared details, and single-use accounts. Most of these software solutions come with visualization tools that make it possible to monitor the behavior and security practices of the employees. This helps to improve the business’s password practices.

Here is a list of effective enterprise password management software solutions that offer good password management tools for the company.

• LastPass Enterprise
  It is one of the most reputed enterprise level software. The software allows the user to generate and store many logins in the master vault. The access to this vault is limited by multi or two-factor authentications. Users can access the master vault through any device from the website of the developer. The premium edition of this enterprise password management software solution provides cloud protection for all different types of files. This enterprise password management software also makes use of a database of phishing websites. The master vault further extends its protection cover by offering text notes.
• Dashlane
  This is also another enterprise password management software solution that provides services which are pretty much similar to those offered by LastPass. Among the good features is the bulk password changer that allows the user to immediately change a lot of data in case of a breach.
• Keeper Security
  This is another business level password management software that offers a highly secure vault that can store all the types of files in it securely. Keeper Security has various versions for iOS, iPad, Mac, Android, Blackberry, Kindle Linux, and Windows.
• Centrify
  This software offers features such as password capture, autofill, and password generation and has proved to be the most effective solution for monitoring and capturing information across accounts as well.
• CommonKey
  This is an affordable enterprise password management software solution for the small size businesses that focus on password protection. CommonKey operates on a Chrome extension due to which it is only useful while using websites and other services.

If one is well versed with computer hardware, then the term SSD would be of no surprise to him or her. Solid state drives, more commonly known as SSDs, utilize flash memory to deliver performance that, as compared to the conventional mechanical hard drive, is light years ahead. SSDs are static in nature and is less prone to wear and tear compared to conventional hard drives, making it cost effective for any computer. SSDs offer lesser access time, making processing speed faster and is highly energy efficient. It has been observed that using an SSD as the primary drive with the operating system and the most accessed applications and the remaining in an HDD gives maximum performance. If you’re not convinced yet, here are some reasons that can help change your mind.

Speed
A typical HDD takes 5,000 to 10,000 microseconds to access data, while an SSD can access data at a speed from 35 to 100 micro seconds, making SSDs a must buy. For people relying on a huge database on a daily basis, an SSD can be the best solution available right now. It has been observed that the boot up time significantly reduces if the OS is installed in an SSD as the primary hard disc.

Reliability
There is always a risk of wear and tear involved when computer hardware is in motion and such risks can be significantly reduced by using an SSD. The absence of magnets also makes them less influenced to magnetism, which can damage the conventional drive

Power Consumption
Static drives consume very little energy compared to the moving conventional drives and thus help control the electricity expense, and in laptops, they help a lot in increasing the battery life.

Size
An SSD occupies lesser space than the usual hard drive; hence, laptops utilizing an SSD can be made more compact and portable. In desktops too, the usage of an SSD helps in creating more space inside the cabinet.

Heat
When there is motion, sooner or later, there will be a generation of heat inside the HDD, which can gradually damage the components inside. SSDs, on the other hand, don’t produce heat; thus, increasing the overall life of the computer

The only disadvantage of owning an SSD is as follows:

Price
SSDs cost a bomb when compared to the conventional hard drives. A 128Gb SSD can cost as much as a 1TB HDD. Laptops or desktops utilizing an SSD usually also have an HDD for storing large data.

Businesses require a good internet connection and communication lines to maintain their operational efficiency. A high-speed broadband connection, office landline, and calling bundles are essential for a business to function effectively. Here are a few factors you should consider before finding the right service provider.

Ascertain the type of broadband and landline connection best suited for your business. While ADSL and SDSL connections are the popular choices, there are some business broadband landlines that are powered by cable designed for a dedicated connection.

Businesses and commercial establishments will require a higher bandwidth to support multiple systems, terminals, and servers. While residential users may prefer a slightly higher download speed when it comes to the internet connectivity, businesses need a high upload and download speed.

As a business owner, you don’t want to end up paying a huge amount for a handful of users. The connection speed is one of the main factors that will affect the price of your business broadband landline package. If your establishment has less than 30 employees, it is a good idea to opt for connection speeds ranging from 8mbits/second to 24mbits/second.

Contention ratio is another factor to consider while browsing through business broadband and landline connections. In simple terms, when a network provider advertises a speed up to 10mbit/second, it is the maximum speed that only a certain number of users will be able to enjoy while others may have to manage with variable speeds from time to time. Many standard business broadband landline bundles offer a 1:1 contention ratio, which is good for lines that have been leased solely for serving the establishment.

Another benefit of leasing a business broadband landline connection is the combination of high-speed internet and a dedicated landline connection for the business. Broadband packages will include a high-speed internet connection with a favorable contention ratio. The landline package will include services for local, national, and international calls with a monthly line rental included in the bundle. Bundles are a cost-effective choice as you pay a single provider for two different services.

One of the important points to consider is the customer support. The internet and landline connections for businesses and high-end commercial establishments must be backed up with excellent customer support and consumer grievance redressal system.

Payroll software market is a vast crowded market where the consumer is spoiled for choice and left confused too. A bare-bone payroll software is to simplify the process of making payments to the employees of an enterprise. However, the above is a simplistic definition. In practice, the requirements are far more complicated than that and depend on the size of the enterprises. An enterprise employing less than 50 persons is classified as small, one employing between 49 and 999 is medium and above that is large. As the size of the enterprise changes the need for more functions in the payroll software is demanded. The payroll market has risen to the challenges and that is one reason for the plethora of products.

At the bottom of the ladder is an enterprise that is just being set up the needs of which is just to make the salary slip to help pay the employees to deduct their statutory savings and prepare the tax returns and not file. Payroll software is usually ideal for those who run small businesses or those who run on outsourced work. They, normally, have the capacity to scale up. No enterprise is started without the idea of growing. Therefore, the entrepreneur needs to think about his future requirement too and use software which in course of time can be scaled up. Companies have a choice to do the payroll in-house or outsource them. Big companies normally prefer to do it in-house as there are lots of functions that can be done with the higher end software. There are various software on the market under the “payroll for a small business” category. QuickBooks online payroll (QBOP), IntuitOnline payroll (IOP) are some popular packages on the market. OnPay is bare-bone payroll software operating on a monthly retainer, which covers 10 employees and thereafter on per employee per month charge basis.

QuickBooks online free software is very popular among the small business community. The financial software’s popularity indicates that it is used for more than just payroll like inventory management invoice generation and direct deposit of salary. The advantages of this package are integration with many systems is possible. It has a portal for employee self-service. It is versatile enough for use by various industries. It can be used in-house bookkeeping also. Besides, it is affordable to most small businesses. It can be used by those who serve many different industries.

Similar to ERP, Material Requirements Planning or MRP is one of the most important aspects of manufacturing. It is a way for manufacturers to connect their inventory forecasting with their accounting department. It is required to streamline the process of manufacturing right from raw materials to the finished products. For efficient streamlining, an MRP software has multiple features. They are:

• Production control
• Inventory control
• Cost reporting
• Scheduling
• Bills of material
• Capacity planning
• Estimation
• Warehouse management
• Accounts payable
• Change control
• Sales analysis
• Purchase ledger

However, there are certain features of a manufacturer software that are more in demand than others.

• Demand prediction
  Forecasting demand for outgoing inventory is an essential factor of increasing profits of a manufacturing business. Manufacturing too less will cause a production backlog, whereas overdoing it will lead to an excess of finished products occupying too much of inventory space. This is why demand prediction is one of the most in-demand features of an MRP software. With this, a manufacturing company can easily predict with accuracy how many orders are required to be managed. Most manufacturer’s software has demand forecasting capability with the following features: historical data gathering, generating forecasts based on the data, and authorization of the forecast.
• Production planning
  An MRP software automates and creates finite schedules for the completion of manufacturing jobs. After determining the required inventory, the software will plan production by determining lead ties, production times, and the overall project time. It takes into account the purchase and procurement of materials and supplies required for the manufacturing process. High volume companies usually benefit from this feature since there is less variance in their overall demand for finished goods. A routine schedule enables complete utilization of the production line, ensuring maximum output. Most MRP software allowS manufacturers to fine tune their production schedule using the production planning feature to get the best out of their manufacturing process.
• Purchase scheduling
  One of the core features of a manufacturer’s software is purchase scheduling or purchase planning. This feature is required to determine the timely purchase of raw materials for the manufacturing process in order to meet the demand. This feature assists the purchasing department in understanding what is required for orders placed and for demands that have been forecasted by the system. Also, it helps determine the exact list of materials and its quantities required to finish a manufacturing job. Moreover, since production planning may change from time to time based on demand forecasts, purchase planning becomes a critical feature while looking for an MRP software.

In today’s world, the required corporate data is available and accessible on an employee’s desired gadget enabling the business to put their workforce to productivity at any time from any place. Companies also provide protection to delicate business data and monitor the reach of the organization’s relevant information. To ensure effective protection for company data, many organizations employ a strategy for reducing the risks of unauthorized access to information technology and data; this strategy is known as enterprise security governance.

To effectively protect your company’s data, enterprise mobility and security solutions are a great option. These help in sorting out various IT challenges faced by a business without compromising the security or mobility of the data.

An enterprise mobility and security software is a comprehensive software that can be installed quickly and works smoothly with the existing on-premise set up. Microsoft’s enterprise mobility and security software solutions have provided complete and comprehensive protection to many companies be it on-premise, on mobile devices, and on the cloud. This is why it remains one of the popular choices. Some of the popular Microsoft enterprise security software have been listed below:

• The Azure Active Directory is Microsoft’s cloud-based software that offers services like access to the directory, access to applications, identity management, and identity protection. The Azure Active Directory Premium is designed for those organizations that demand higher levels of management of their accessibility and identity. This software allows employees of the organization to access the data either on-premise or via the cloud through their preferred devices without hampering the security of the organization’s valuable assets.
• The Microsoft Intune offers its clients personal computer management capabilities, mobile device management, and mobile application management, thereby enabling the client’s employees to access the organization’s resources, applications, and information under a protective cover. The devices that are compatible with Microsoft Intune include macOS, Windows, Windows Mobile, Android, and iOS. Microsoft Intune not only manages corporate devices but it also extends its management capabilities to the personal devices. By using an application called the Intune Company Portal, users can enroll their devices as well remove them, install the company’s applications, and access corporate data through e-mails, Wi-Fi, etc. and even contact the company’s respective IT department.
• Azure Information Protection is also a cloud-based solution that is often stylized as AIP. This cloud-based solution helps the company to label, classify, and protect their emails and documents. Once the data is classified, it helps the company to identify the data irrespective of the time or source it has been shared with.

The Microsoft cloud-based enterprise security applications secure a company’s SaaS applications as well as it’s cloud. The threats are detected at early stages and analyzed by the Microsoft advanced threat analytics.

The invoice software is meant for small businesses which do not to have a reliable financial department needed to manage the accounts payable. Through this software the company’s staff will be able to adjust the speed and manage the process in order to get timely payments. The invoicing software creates invoices as well as customizes them, facilitates bills building and their payments, formulates reports and creating customer support. The online invoice software does the tasks such as preparing the bills, sending across the prepared invoice, receiving the payments and getting the reports. Benefits offered by the invoice software to the company are the minimization of late or missed payments and maintenance of a proper reputation and image.

An award-winning accounting & finance software is the FreshBooks which is the best cloud software solution for small businesses.  It is an invoice software that has the highest rate of customer satisfaction. The upgraded FreshBooks is promised by the company that it would be easy to use, modernized and fully paid with all essential features that allow improved and faster performance delivery. In this new version, invoices can be customized further and also have the capacity of tracking them. It has also a redesigned time tracker that can prioritize tasks better and allowing transparency in each operation. The additional new features in this upgraded version of FreshBooks are the multi-currency expense, search filter, and invoice conversations.

Xero is a financial collaborating application or an accounting software that is among the best available software that won the Expert’s Choice Award for the year 2017. This software solution is best suited for small businesses. This software is user-friendly as it enables a non-accounting user to deal with invoices and accounting without any barriers. Xero makes double bookkeeping manageable by users who don’t know the basic concept double bookkeeping. The software was founded in New Zealand in 2006 and has been performing outstandingly well in the country as well as other countries like Australia, the United Kingdom, and Europe. This software solution has 20 offices established in various parts of the world. Xero has associated itself with many accounting systems and third-party applications in order to provide the opportunities of being used in all aspects. It allows its clients to enjoy its services offered at a minimum price of around $20 per month.

Tipalti is the best management and payment automation software that won an award for the supreme software award for the year 2017. This software, when employed in a business, can solve late payment problems and other accounting issues.