Simpler Enterprise Interoperability with Acendre Cloud

Transcription

1 Simpler Enterprise Interoperability with Acendre Cloud Talent Management Solutions

2 Table Of Contents The Challenge of Enterprise System Integration 03 Cloud-based Integration from Acendre 04 Why Use Acendre for Integration? 05 Acendre APIs Leveraging Open, Standards-based Web Services APIs 06 Acendre Cloud 07 Acendre Connectors 09 The Holy Grail of Talent Management 10

3 The Challenge of Enterprise System Integration Enterprise IT departments are faced with increasingly complex environments that encompass numerous applications, databases and users from internal and external sources. Organizations, and their employees, departments, data, customers/ constituents and partners, can no longer function successfully in silos. Everything and everyone need to be connected, and those connections can t be an afterthought. The ecosystem within which all these players participate needs to work seamlessly; the usability of the integration needs to be almost invisible to users. For human capital systems, the benefits of integration are strategic and operational. From a strategic standpoint, ensuring tight integration of internal and external systems and data allows for successful implementation of an organization s talent management strategy: > A single source of truth across the HR ecosystem, as integrated platforms are kept up-to-date automatically in real time. > Workforce planning requires external data for proper modeling and predictive analytics. > Recruitment requires integration with onboarding and performance data to improve hiring strategies. > Onboarding systems need data from external systems and either internal or external hiring systems to ensure high-quality onboarding. > Performance can be improved by analyzing employee performance with hiring, onboarding and learning system activity. > Learning and development systems integrate with internal and external systems. From an operational and tactical viewpoint, integrations also provide significant benefits that can reduce costs, improve productivity and enhance organizational performance. These operational benefits include: > Reduction in operational costs across your organization. > Reduction in manual, error-prone data entry. > Elimination of inefficient, error-prone double handling of data. > Automatic notifications and mature error handling procedures. > Faster and more efficient onboarding of new employees and increased employee engagement. > Consistency of data integrity across HR technology solutions. Interoperability seamless integration of systems, data and platforms is a core element of everything Acendre builds and delivers. Acendre understands that today s enterprise climate demands secure, easy-to-use and cost-effective integration that accommodates the systems and data you utilize and are key to how your organization operates and delivers on its goals and mission. Acendre also comprehends that we function in an ever-changing world, so there are likely to be new systems and new data sources needed that must integrate into your current environment. Acendre has delivered proven integrations at many of the world s largest organizations. Ensuring secure, bullet-proof, efficient and cost-effective interoperability solutions is imperative to our mission, and is therefore always at the center of what we do. The bottom line is that interoperability and integration is a strategic organizational priority as well as a critical business challenge for IT. Never losing sight of those intertwined imperatives will serve your organization well and ensure an environment that is understanding of and accommodating of the myriad of integrations that make up your HR ecosystem. 03

4 Cloud-based Integration from Acendre With interoperability at the heart of every Acendre solution, Acendre has built an interoperability framework that ensures seamless integration between human capital, payroll and financial management systems, regardless of the directional flow of data. Acendre ensures that integration occurs at the systems-of-record level, as this is part of Acendre s design and architecture. A core belief of Acendre is that all systems must be easy to use for all users throughout the system. Since we understand and embrace the need for organizations to utilize systems of their choice, we carry this easy-to-use motto to our integrations and every user touch point. This means interoperability must provide a simple user experience even when integrating to and from Acendre systems. Some of these integrations are already available and deployed; for others, Acendre s philosophy is to ensure integration is straightforward and easy to build. Acendre Talent Management Applications ACENDRE SECURE CLOUD Workforce Planning Recruitment Onboarding Performance & Succession Learning & Development People Analytics ACENDRE MONITORING Acendre API Engine Public Web Services APIs Connectors Custom APIs HRIS Job Boards Assessment Partners Payroll Providers Talent Management Point Solutions Cloud Applications 04

5 To ease the potential burdens of systems integration, Acendre provides the following: 1. Open, Standards-Based Web Services APIs APIs are at the heart of Acendre s interoperability strategy of delivering our customers the simplest yet most robust integration capabilities available today. Acendre provides open APIs that provide full import and export data flow to and from all functional areas of the Acendre integrated talent management system with any external 3rd-party system. The APIs are governed by the Acendre API engine and maintain all security permissions. 2. Acendre Cloud The Acendre Cloud is a proven, enterprise cloud platform for the Acendre integrated talent management system. It encompasses the Acendre API Engine and APIs, the Acendre Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) and a robust set of secure monitoring and management tools to meet your organization s needs and ensure an efficient and high level of performance. Integrations with Acendre can be accomplished through different methods and through different transfer methods, according to the level of resources available from your organization. The encapsulation of these cloud components enables Acendre, customers and partners to build and deploy seamless integrations to and from Acendre. 3. Integration Cloud Connectors Acendre offers packaged integrations and connectors that connect the Acendre Cloud to external systems via translating and syncing capabilities. Acendre connectors help orchestrate and administer interoperability between Acendre and other systems. The connectors are built, supported and maintained by Acendre, and Acendre is continually adding connectors to its library. Why Use Acendre for Integration? Acendre APIs can be used to build any integration you require. While you can choose any middleware technology you wish, Acendre does provide its own middleware tool to further simplify integrations. Acendre integration is proven in over 200 worldwide enterprises, ensuring a secure, low-risk implementation, and utilizing Acendre integration provides numerous advantages: > Integrations are provided seamlessly within the Acendre applications. All actions involved with integrations, including initiation, scheduling, configuration, security and auditing are all built into the system, minimizing learning curves and additional work. > All integrations are deployed to and run in the Acendre Cloud without the need for any on-premise footprint or middleware. No additional software or tools need to be licensed or deployed, simplifying the deployment and management. > Acendre provides management and monitoring services to ensure integrations run smoothly and any possible problems are detected immediately. Acendre s integration tools and packaged integrations have been tested and proven in many of the world s largest organizations, providing a low-cost, low-risk implementation of your complete human capital ecosystem. 05

6 Acendre APIs Leveraging Open, Standards-based Web Services APIs At the core of Acendre are open, standards-based APIs that provide your organization with full programmatic access to organizational operations and processes. These web services APIs are interoperable with all leading languages and middleware platforms, ensuring seamless integration between systems and ongoing, uninterrupted support that safeguards any system upgrades or changes. This interoperability is ensured through the use of the REST integration format, which also minimizes the amount of data passed between systems and allows fast building of integrations. To further ensure continuous compatibility into the future, Acendre s APIs are regularly updated and enhanced along with Acendre applications. Acendre APIs contain the following service categories: > Functional Services are the primary method of programmatically interacting with Acendre and directly correspond with the major functional areas of Acendre s solutions (e.g. Workforce Planning, Recruitment, Onboarding, Performance, Learning). The actions within these services correspond with organizational events and objects within Acendre s talent management applications (e.g. Hire Employee within Recruitment or Get Journal within Performance). Operations return extensive data sets but can also be configured to return a subset of data (e.g. contact information, position information, etc.). > Reporting Services provide a flexible, configurable method to retrieve data from the Acendre integrated talent management system, according to a user s exact specifications. Configurable reports deliver data via RSS. Reporting Services allow data to be distributed to third-party Web-based applications and data sources. > Outbound Messaging Services provide two-way communication and real-time notifications to external applications when particular events occur within the Acendre ITM, based on flexible rules you can create that meet your specific requirements. For example, when a form is created within the hiring process, an outbound message could be sent to a third-party system for further action based on the message and an accompanying query to Acendre. > Monitoring Services ensure that any unexpected problems or errors that occur within the integration are automatically reported and logged. Utilizing the Acendre APIs, Acendre ensures the third-party can securely interface and access Acendre data as well as the specific data required. Protections are put in place to ensure proper triggers are given by either side in the request for and receiving of information. Acendre s API infrastructure extensively logs and audits message requests, and these are easily reviewed in a simple-to-use interface. Import API: The Acendre Import API is built on a RESTful architecture style. Inbound Data Feeds are used to import data that can be used to automate particular actions and activities within the Acendre solution. Export API: The real-time Acendre Export API provides the ability to export data to a specified customer end point. This makes it possible to configure an action that automatically triggers an export of the data on the current process step to any number of external thirdparty systems. Customers can choose their desired methods to send data to their server, including HTTPS POST, and SFTP. Similarly, can choose from a variety of formats to send data to their server, including XML, JSON and CSV. Outbound Data Feeds are used to export data that can be used to automatically populate a customer s system. 06

7 Acendre Cloud The Acendre Cloud is a proven, enterprise-class cloud platform for the Acendre integrated talent management system and for integrations to and from Acendre. All integrations with Acendre via the Acendre APIs can be built, deployed and managed without other tools or systems. Integrations can be implemented directly through the APIs described above or, if needed, via the Acendre ESB, a cloud-enabled, best-of-breed Enterprise Service Bus. The Acendre APIs communicate with third-party API engines; if necessary, communication can occur utilizing the Acendre ESB. Acendre issues commands to request information from a third-party API (e.g. get a list of users, etc.). Third party systems provide data to Acendre via their API (e.g. post user information to the Acendre system). When the Acendre ESB is utilized, it allows for proper data manipulation by both Acendre and the third party, ensuring all data is passed between systems in the correct format. With the Acendre ESB, Acendre provides the necessary infrastructure activity that allows Acendre to build, support and maintain the integrations. This means Acendre is responsible for writing the API calls and scheduling, logging and auditing of the integration, making it easy to utilize any file or database. The Acendre ESB ensures that Acendre integrations can scale as your organization grows and interconnect to any current or future 3rd-party system required. The ESB also supports the latest industry standards, protocols and formats. Acendre s ESB is a core component of the Acendre Cloud and provides universal and open standards-based connectivity for virtually all types of business applications, information and processes that a customer might have (e.g. HRIS, payroll, etc.) and any integration required. 07

8 Acendre Interface Manager (AIM) Acendre provides an easy-to-use graphical user interface to help define inbound and outbound integrations. These are used by either Acendre Client Solution teams or directly by customers to reduce programming time and effort. For additional ease of use, Acendre provides interactive documentation, technical resources and a comprehensive set of capabilities for the identification and management of integration related tasks. Outbound Integration Outbound integrations are used to extract information from Acendre via the Acendre APIs or Acendre ESB. This data can be stored and used by the customer or sent to another external system. Unlike typical solutions, Acendre s powerful integration capabilities do not require customers to transform data into a file prior to delivering the data to the external source, thereby creating a more efficient and direct transfer of data. This means that just two main steps occur in the outbound integration process: 1. Get Data In this step, the customer specifies the data source and can select from a variety of formats in which the report will be delivered. 2. Deliver Data The output can be sent directly to your tenant or to an external system via the Acendre APIs or Acendre ESB. Data can be transported via a variety of formats. Acendre utilizes API keys and message hashing to ensure the secure transfer of information and mitigate attempts at unauthorized access. Inbound Integration Similarly, it is a simple, straightforward process to upload data directly to the Acendre system. Examples of this information include candidate and employee data. Your data source can be uploaded and then pass directly through the Acendre APIs for importing into the Acendre system. 08

9 Acendre Connectors Acendre offers connectors that connect the Acendre Cloud to external systems via translating and syncing capabilities. Acendre connectors speed integrations by helping orchestrate and administer interoperability between Acendre and other systems. The connectors are built, supported and maintained by Acendre, and Acendre is continually adding connectors to its library. Acendre connectors provide the following benefits: > Reduced cost, lower risk and faster deployments without any development work for the customer. > Acendre provides full support across all integrations so customers can be confident the connections have been rigorously tested. > Connectors are an extension of the Acendre integrated talent management system. What are connectors? Connectors are pre-built integrations that are designed, implemented and supported by Acendre. The connectors have been built based on specifications from previously defined integrations between Acendre and other third-party systems, and are proven and tested in the real world. PAYROLL HUMAN CAPITAL CONNECT PeopleSoft Onboard Single Sign On National Finance Learn HCMS Center (NFC) SAP NFC SPPS Alesco Chris21 Ellipse Preceda Appian Job boards Assessment EmpowHR HRworx Affirm/HROnboard USAJOBS The Acendre connectors contain the integration processing logic as well as the data transformation details required to integrate with the third-party system. While the connectors are built to address specific third-party integrations, Acendre recognizes that every customer and their environment is unique, so the connectors can be tailored according to a customer s exact needs and requirements. They significantly reduce the implementation time required to complete an end-to-end integration by providing the processing logic, data transformation and error handling details required to integrate third-party systems. All connectors are configurable to accommodate differences in customer situations and run in the Acendre Cloud, releasing you from the burden of having to maintain a separate integration architecture. Since the connectors run in the Acendre Cloud, Acendre assumes all responsibility for maintaining and updating the integration architecture. They are updated, supported and maintained as any other Acendre application. Updates include updates to Acendre s core applications for compliance and new features, as well as updates to the latest infrastructure. 09

10 The Holy Grail of Talent Management Through its talent management applications and a secure infrastructure based on set of robust, proven APIs, Acendre is delivering on its vision of the holy grail of talent management the completely integrated HR ecosystem, supported by a single user interface, single user experience and single reporting system. This ecosystem is delivered in the cloud via a Software as a Service model. Acendre s innovative solutions not only provide seamless integration to other systems, but further extend their ability to address any organization s unique requirements with an integrated, flexible Business Process Workflow engine. Organizations can truly attain integrated talent management on their terms, not Acendre s with the systems that they require. With Acendre s powerful Planning and Analytics Engine capturing every data point in the system, previously unattainable insight can now be achieved. The completely integrated HR ecosystem is here simplified by Acendre. 10

11 Talent Management Solutions