Ventana Research Analyst Perspectives

I am happy to share some insights on ADP drawn from our latest Value Index research, which provides an analytic representation of our assessment of how well vendors’ offerings meet buyers’ requirements. The Ventana Research Value Index: Workforce Management 2019 is the distillation of a year of market and product research efforts by Ventana Research. We utilized a structured research methodology that includes evaluation categories designed to reflect the breadth of the real-world criteria incorporated in a request for proposal (RFP) and vendor selection process for workforce management. We evaluated ADP and 12 other vendors in seven categories, five relevant to the product (adaptability, capability, manageability, reliability and usability) and two related to the vendor (TCO/ROI and vendor validation). To arrive at the Value Index rating for a given vendor, we weighted each category to reflect its relative importance in an RFP process, with the weightings based on our experience and data derived from our benchmark research on workforce management.

ADP, a longtime vendor of workforce management systems and tools, scored fifth overall in this Value Index evaluation. ADP placed second overall in its customer assurance rating that includes Validation and TCO/ROI. It placed second in Validation with solid case study collateral and strong customer references, and performed well in TCO/ROI, ranking second due to the clarity around costs and supporting materials with which to develop a business case.

Its product, ADP Vantage HCM Time, includes impressive capabilities such as algorithms that predict labor needs based on relevant organization data and scheduling that considers user skills, proficiencies and preferences in providing recommendations. A native mobile application for clocking in and out is available that includes geo-fencing and the ability to request time off and approve timecards. The product also excels in Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) compliance and reporting and in providing a range of useful external benchmarks and workforce KPIs such as labor cost per FTE, overtime and absence costs. ADP Vantage HCM Time is available in more than 100 countries and 18 languages.

Our assessment finds room for improvement in the product’s usability where it ranked 10th and adaptability where it ranked ninth. We found its software to be less accessible than that of other offerings, and configurability was not as robust. ADP also could be clearer about its time clock, administration and business technology trend support.

This research-based index is the most comprehensive assessment of the value of workforce management software in the industry. You can learn more about our Value Index as an effective vendor selection and RFI/RFP tool here. Participating vendors can learn more about how to use the Value Index here.