Technology integrations can be challenging, but they are absolutely necessary to work efficiently in today’s connected and data-hungry world. We developed the Visma Connect Integrations Platform to help organizations do away with the hassle of technology integration and reap the benefits of enhanced connectivity much faster. Our sister company, Visma | Raet, is currently implementing our platform to offer two new software integrations to customers. Visma | Raet is a market leader in payroll and HR management software. The company’s system processes HR data for 20% of all people working in the Netherlands. We spoke with Sander Odijk, Director M&A, Partnerships & Alliances at Visma | Raet, to find out how our integrations services improve their customer experience.
Sander can you tell us about yourself and your role at Visma | Raet?
Within Visma | Raet, I keep a close eye on the ecosystem to scout potential investment and partnership opportunities for our product portfolio. I have worked for Visma | Raet for 20 years and have been active in the HR and payroll domain for those two decades as well.
Can you tell us more about Visma | Raet?
Visma | Raet is a SaaS provider that delivers HR systems to the enterprise market. Our comprehensive suite includes HR management, payroll, workforce management and talent management software. We are also the largest Business Process Outsourcing provider in the Netherlands. On a daily basis, over 450 payroll administrators provide services to clients who have outsourced their payroll and HR administration to us.
We work with organisations in several industries, including retail, telecom, financial services, healthcare, education and government. Our customers include ABN AMRO, KPN, Jumbo, ISS, Bol.com, and a good number of public institutions.
Visma Connect and Visma | Raet are both owned by Visma. Can you tell us about your recent collaboration in the integrations domain?
That’s right, both Visma Connect and Visma | Raet are Visma companies. We started working with Visma Connect more closely this year to integrate two new partnerships into our Youforce platform. We see an increasing need to integrate HR and HR-related data.
Which systems, in particular, are you integrating with Youforce using the Visma Connect Integrations Platform?
At Visma | Raet, we empower organisations with solutions for the entire HR lifecycle. We make sure employees are paid the right amount, at the right time. We also make sure that contracts are managed properly. We noticed our customers have an increasing number of flex workers in their organisation. In the Netherlands, the recently introduced law on WAB (“Wet Arbeidsmarkt in Balans”) has resulted in new administration requirements. For instance, tools that enable them to hire flex workers in a compliant way. Another development is the competition for talent. Our customers are increasingly aware of the importance of having the right people with the right skills in their organisations.
We are integrating two distinct partners to address these needs: Nétive and Talentsoft. Talentsoft provides talent management software and Nétive is a vendor management system. Visma Connect enables us to deliver a seamless integration to customers using these systems, and to subsequently monitor and maintain that integration.
I understand that you have also developed integrations yourselves. Why did you choose Visma Connect in this case?
Mainly to speed up our time to market. We have a lot of things on our roadmap. We could do the interfacing ourselves, but not in the ideal timeframe. We also wanted to offer customers an end-to-end solution, including proper monitoring to ensure data is flowing correctly between systems. Furthermore, we realised we could benefit from Visma Connect’s specialist knowledge. Visma Connect’s middleware layer enables us to make sure the data is transferred in the right way. Visma Connect helps us professionalise our integrations and get to the next level of interfacing.
How do your customers benefit?
Customers benefit from a hassle-free integration and an improved customer experience. Their different IT systems in the HR domain will now work together seamlessly. They will be able to ensure that employees and flex workers are working at the right time, with the right skill-set. Of course, all in a compliant way.
How would you summarize your collaboration with Visma Connect so far?
I am very satisfied with the way we have worked and are working together. Communication is fast and straight-forward. The interfaces were delivered within the agreed timeframes and within budget. I am happy that our customers will experience these seamless integrations, which will be launched in January and February 2020.