The human resource profession began modestly with administrative functions. Now human resource management has become a key element in determining an organization's ability to compete. No longer limited to administrative tasks, human resource managers participate in the organization's strategic planning and are important participants as the organization strives to reach its goals. As the marketplace becomes increasingly global and competitive, the efficient management of all resources the workforce (human capital) becomes increasingly important.
             Technology has opened an entirely new field of opportunities and challenges. Technology frees human resource professionals from routine tasks, leaving more staff hours for higher-level responsibilities. One result is the further reduction in the time spent by human resource professionals on paperwork and similar tasks that originally were the main responsibility of human resource employees. In practical application, this means less time spent on data entry and more time to analyze and apply information from the data. With technological advances come concerns about costs and security. Costs can be controlled through planning, strategic implementation and proper use of applications that will provide a financial return. Security must be considered in the planning stage, during implementation and monitored during usage. The organization can face risks to its reputation, financial standing and lawsuits if there are security lapses. Technology has become a must for competitiveness, but it can result in a net loss without proper security.
             Software that enables information in human resource applications to be integrated with other applications requires planning and requires that users understand of how the process works. Fractional training on tasks without training on the overall processes related to those tasks can result in improper system use that will undermine the results. ...