One example: AFC Enterprises, Inc. (AFCE), owner of the Popeyes Chicken restaurant franchise. AFCE’s HR department ran through several different kinds of software before settling on a software as a service (SaaS) vendor, a company spokesperson said at the recent International Association for Human Resources Management (IHRIM) conference in San Diego.

What is SaaS? In a nutshell, it’s a delivery model in which companies don’t own or install the software — the application is hosted by the vendor and companies pay a subscription fee to access it through the Internet.

AFCE is happy with the arrangement, as were several other companies that gave talks at the conference.

Some of the advantages of SaaS: a lower upfront cost and less burden on the company’s IT staff — the vendor handles all the maintenance and upgrades. Those factors are increasingly important as many IT departments are understaffed due to the economy.

One trade-off: flexibility. Without installing the software themselves, companies lose the opportunity to customize applications. That’s why experts recommend looking into all the options a vendor offers to determine if it can adapt to your needs.

The recession can be good for companies in the market for new technology, experts say. Many vendors are hurting, which may makes easier to negotiate pricing on new contracts.

With new customers few and far between, providers could be willing to drop prices. In addition to the costs of software licenses, deals can also be had when negotiating installation, training and maintenance costs.

The bottom line: Companies looking to spend are in the driver’s seat. Many experts say companies should buy now, if they can — especially in the case of products that improve efficiency and will cut costs down the road.

In tough times, technology can help HR departments do more with less — but it also becomes more important to make careful decisions about software vendors.

Some of the biggest problems with HR software– such as hidden costs, resistance from users and security issues — can often be avoided by conducting the right research.

Here are the things you want to learn about before a purchase is made:

1. Scalability – When choosing a system, companies can’t just consider the current size of the workforce — they also need to think about how big the company will be a few years down the road. The best bet is to go with a vendor you know can handle your needs even as the company grows.
2. Ownership of data – Many HR vendors offer subscription-based, hosted systems — meaning the software and company data are stored on the vendor’s servers and accessed online. That can cause problems if you ever switch providers — some charge fees to transfer the data. Find out those details before making a decision.
3. Security – Find out what systems and procedures are in place to keep information from being lost or stolen — for example, encryption, daily backups and user authentication. This is where the folks in IT can help. They’ll know what to look for.
4. Employee satisfaction – One of the most important things to do is find out which software is best for everyone who needs to use it. The best way: Schedule a product demo and involve representatives from any group that will need to use the system (management, employees, IT, etc.).
5. Vendor stability – Buying an HR system creates an on-going relationship because of the need for customer service and upgrades, or because the vendor is hosting the data. That’s why experts recommend learning about the vendor’s financials to make sure it’s a business that’s going to stick around.

When it comes to HR software, the most well-known offerings are often impractical for all but the largest companies. What’s out there for small businesses?

Fortunately for smaller businesses, a lot of systems are scalable and priced based on the number of employees in the company.

The first choice a company has to make: an in-house system, or a Web-based, on-demand program?

In-house systems are purchased and then installed and maintained by the company’s IT staff.

For Web-based software, companies pay a monthly fee to access the system online. The benefits: There’s no big up-front cost for the software and necessary hardware, and it’s easier to upgrade as the company grows.

However, some businesses are more comfortable with the security and control that comes with installing software in-house.

As for specific products, employers have a lot of choices — with more options for small companies appearing all the time. Here’s a list of the top five HR tech products for small business, according to CNN‘s “Ultimate Small Business Research Guide”:

1. SimpleHR — One of the least expensive HR products available, SimpleHR lets companies store basic information about employees’ salary, benefits, performance reviews, vacation use, safety incidents, etc. Different versions are available (with different prices), depending on how many employees the company has.
   For more information, read our Simple HR Review.
2. People-Trak HR — Priced at a one-time fee of $20 per employee, People-Trak is one of the more flexible offerings. Other versions are available that add features for additional costs.
   For more information, read our People-Track HR Review.
3. OrangeHRM — This open-source software is free — but employers can buy a professional support package if they lack the IT staff to comfortably do it themselves. A Web-based option is also available for a monthly fee.
   For more information, read our OrangeHRM Review.
4. EmpXTrack Starter Edition — EmpXTrack combines payroll software with an employee database, featuring a self-service option that lets employees keep their own information up-to-date. Pricier editions add tools for performance evaluations, surveys and recruiting.
   For more information, read our EmpXTrack Starter Edition Review.
5. Microsoft Dynamics NAV and GP — For some smaller companies, these offerings from Microsoft could be overkill, but they might be worth the investment for employers with robust growth who already rely heavily on Microsoft products.
   For more information, read our Microsoft Dynamics NAV and GP Review.

More than 40% of companies plan to spend the same amount on HR-related software in 2009 as they did in 2008, according to a recent survey by International Association for Human Resources Information Management.

For 21% of companies, the HR tech budget will increase, while it’ll decrease at 37% of firms.

Where’s the money going?

Companies spending money in 2009 said they’ll be buying:

• onboarding software (28%)
• benefits management tools (25%), and
• general HR management systems (12%).

For companies with money earmarked for technology purchases, some experts say now is the best time to spend it — many vendors may be hurting for sales and will be willing to negotiate discounts to attract new customers.

1. Not getting customer references — References from current customers may be the most important pieces of information you can get when making a tech purchase. Ask for contacts so you can call them and get unbiased details.
2. Skipping a thorough demo — Before a decision is made, the software needs to be checked out by HR, IT, management and anyone else who will be affected by the change.
3. Ignoring the vendor’s financials — Especially as more software becomes Web-based and vendor-hosted, it’s important to be confident the company you’re buying from is going to be around for a while.

You’re looking for HR software, but you and your staff won’t be the only ones using it. Of course, HR and IT will be closely involved in the selection process. But you’ll also need to get input from other managers and key people throughout the company.

Why? First of all, you’ve got to get the funding approved. Involving whoever holds the purse strings will make them feel better about signing the check, as well as get them better acquainted with the system you’re looking for and why it’s worth paying for.

Also, a big obstacle to any technology project is resistance on the part of the end users. With an HRIS, end users aren’t just in the HR department. Many systems include talent management tools, which’ll be used by all your managers, and self-service portals for requesting leave and choosing benefits, which’ll be used by most employees. Other functions might include payroll and benefits administration.

So who should pick the solution? A team made up of HR and IT staff, as well as some payroll/finance folks, department managers and a few of your employees. They should be able to give their input while your researching vendors, viewing demos, using free trials, etc. That’ll ensure you end up with the product that’s best for everyone.

Adobe Acrobat 9 software includes big changes that can help organizations and consumers exchange important documents in a secure, efficient way. With many businesses, both large and small, for-profit and non-profit, making the transition to a paperless environment, these upgrades could be critical to their transition’s success.

Now included in Acrobat are native support for Adobe Flash® technology, the ability to unify a wide range of content in rich PDF Portfolios, and access to real-time capabilities for co-navigating a PDF document with colleagues.

“Rapid, reliable communication is key to success on all of our projects,” said Shawn Pressley, director of project management systems and development at Hill International, one of the world’s largest construction claims and management firms. “With enhanced support for a broad range of content types and expanded collaboration capabilities, Acrobat 9 will enable us to reach any audience with the right information, where and when it’s needed. We can include proposals, images, computer-aided design models and even Adobe Flash applications in a single PDF Portfolio to clearly communicate what is required of our local and global teams.”

Acrobat 9 is used around the world as a way of communicating with widely dispersed teams of colleagues, partners and customers

Acrobat 9 provides deep support for Adobe Flash technology, enabling users to include Adobe Flash Player compatible video and application files in PDF documents. For example, a marketing manager can use Acrobat 9 to convert Web pages with multimedia to PDF documents. The PDF file can be shared for review and comment with others who are using free Adobe Reader 9 software, which is expected to launch up to twice as fast as earlier versions.

Acrobat 9 also includes the ability to unify a wide range of content into a single document with the new concept of PDF Portfolios. PDF Portfolios enable users to assemble multiple media types into one, compressed PDF file that can be customized with several professional layouts and specific branding. A sales professional could create a single proposal document for a prospective client that includes charts, spreadsheets and images, as well as a branded, introductory video from the CEO discussing the company’s latest products.

In addition, Acrobat 9 provides access to capabilities for collaborating live within a PDF document, enabled by working with Acrobat.com, a suite of hosted services available as public beta at the Adobe Web site. This new capability allows users to drive a group’s navigation through a PDF document in real-time, helping ensure everyone is literally, and figuratively, on the same page.

Acrobat 9 suite includes oAcrobat 9 Standard, Acrobat 9 Pro, and the new Acrobat 9 Pro Extended software. The most comprehensive member edition is Acrobat 9 Pro Extended, which includes Adobe Presenter software for turning Microsoft® PowerPoint presentations into multimedia files that can be published as PDF files.

Acrobat 9 Pro Extended, Acrobat 9 Pro and Acrobat 9 Standard for Microsoft Windows®, and Acrobat 9 Pro for Mac OS X, are available in English, French, German, and Japanese language versions. Acrobat 9 Pro Extended is available for US$699, and registered users of qualifying earlier versions of Acrobat (1) can upgrade to Acrobat 9 Pro Extended for US$229. Acrobat 9 Pro is available for US$449, and registered users of qualifying earlier versions of Acrobat (2) can upgrade to Acrobat 9 Pro for US$159. Acrobat 9 Standard is available for US$299, and registered users of qualifying earlier versions of Acrobat (3) can upgrade to Acrobat 9 Standard for US$99.

The prices listed are the Adobe Store direct price. Reseller prices may vary.

Other Adobe news: Reader 9 is expected to be available by early July 2008.

Using technology.

In a recent survey, software firm Vurv asked 779 executives to assess their HR managers and describe the areas they’d like to see improvement in.

Though the mastering of technology wasn’t ranked as a top challenge, the execs surveyed clearly saw room for improvement. When asked how their people were at using HR technology, only 22% said “expert.”

In contrast, 20% said “novice,” with the rest saying “intermediate.”

What do they want specifically? The most common response was a better use of the Internet to find new employees.

You can read the entire report here. (Free registration required.)

First and foremost you should get a live demonstration by a representative from the vendor – you can learn a lot more that way than by watching a pre-made video. The live demo can either be done in person, or via Web chat while you’re temporarily given access to the software.

Some other keys for the demo:

• Involve representatives from any department that will be impacted by the new system. Obvious people are HR and IT folks, but you’ll also want some employees, managers and anyone else who will use the software.
• Tell the representative what you want beforehand. If you give the demonstrator an idea of what’s most important to you, it’ll make the presentation easier and more valuable.
• Make sure you’re seeing software that’s currently available. Some vendors try to wow customers with unreleased prototypes or products that are still in beta form. They should mention that, but it’s better to be safe than surprised when you’re shipped a different product.

And of course, follow up with any questions you have, either at the end of the presentation, or later as you think of them.