Automation & Self Service – for Your Car & Your HR

It used to be that we relied on customer service for assistance with goods and services. Back in the day when you pulled into a service station - you received just that – service. Attendants would pump your fuel, check your oil and tire pressure and clean your car’s windows – all for no additional charge. Today, most of us pump our own gas as it’s much less expensive to do so since the price per gallon rises dramatically for ‘full service.’ But possibly, in the not too distant future, we may not even have to drive our cars ourselves at all. (Wonder if the self-driving car and the gas pump can work together)?

The inventors and engineers behind Google’s Self-Driving Car Project are asking the question, “What if it could be easier and safer for everyone to get around? Aging or visually impaired loved ones wouldn't have to give up their independence. Time spent commuting could be time spent doing what you want to do. Deaths from traffic accidents—over 1.2 million worldwide every year—could be reduced dramatically, especially since 94% of accidents in the U.S. involve human error."

As we continue to evolve technology and then adapt and leverage it to serve the wants and needs of daily life; its new uses become second nature. And when self-service is as easy to use as say the Personalized Portal interface that’s part of an HR Shared Services system, its access becomes both habitual and beneficial to the workday routine of both employers and employees.

While automated shared services systems help HR professionals manage employee benefit programs, ensure regulatory compliance and adherence to corporate policy guidelines; there are many advantages to the other employees of the company who use the system as well. Accessing the personalized HR portal enables a wide variety of corporate functionality designed to make work lives easier by having pertinent company information, news and events available – anytime and anywhere from mobile devices.

The self-service portal is customized to each individual – providing them information directly relevant to their unique profile and role within the organization. The HR portal also provides a simplified method to handle a variety of company forms and programs such as tuition reimbursement, leave requests, expense and other approvals, as well as a host of others. Perhaps the most important functionality for employees though is the automated routing and tracking of any communicated issues between employees, managers and others. These capabilities encourage and empower employees to speak to any challenges they are experiencing via a private and secure communication system – channeling and addressing issues before they become untenable.

Maybe one day soon, we’ll be sitting in our self-driving cars, checking out the latest news and events about our employer through our self-service portals - accessed in transit on our mobile devices. Do you think the car will be flying by then?