Large organisations would typically have a HR department that would be using a dedicated HR package like Chris 21 for managing people information and Payroll functions. Also the IT department would typically be using Microsoft Active Directory for storing staff details. However these two systems can get into a situation where the data is not Synced.
The HR department usually makes the relevant updates in the Chris 21 package without informing the IT department of the various changes. Thus Active Directory becomes outdated with incorrect staff details which then is propagated to the corporate intranet built on Microsoft SharePoint and this then compounds the problem.
Based on best-of-class Microsoft C# and .NET framework, Empower IT used Microsoft SharePoint to achieve simple integration between Chris 21 and Active Directory for the human resources and payroll departments.
Why do businesses need Chris21 – SharePoint Integration?
Chris 21 (Comprehensive Human Resource Integrated Solution) provides the platform on which companies execute their Human Resource and Payroll Strategies. This solution can be defined as a dedicated, multi-functional and highly flexible Human Resource Solution.
Active Directory provides a single source to store staff details for any organisation. Often with the larger clients we work with, we find that the corporate intranet contact directory information is out of sync with the latest HR information in Chris21. As a consequence, when a staff member accesses the directory, they find that their personal or colleague’s contact information is out of date.
A simple integration is thus necessary between the two systems to ensure the accuracy of information in all systems.
How is the Integration done?
In simple terms the integration can be defined as a 4-step process as follows:
- The employee fields from Chris21 needs to be copied into SharePoint (via an overnight batch process), the unique identifier can be the employee number.
- A simple routine is developed within SharePoint to pick up the latest CSV or XML file (this information can be then parsed and matched with the employee number).
- After the export/import routine SharePoint gets updated with the most important employee information such as position, department and manager.
- SharePoint and Active Directory can now be synced overnight to update the details in Active Directory.
Although, it seems to be s a simple and straightforward 4-step process in terms of data integration, Chris 21 does not have the API that allows for a streamlined approach. Empower IT has developed the API necessary for an integrated data transfer approach.
Whether you want to use SharePoint for integration or not comes down to your business’ specific need and the integration workflows that determine what the final solution will look like.
If you’re using Chris 21 and would like to integrate it with Active Directory of any other Microsoft systems like Microsoft SharePoint and Office 365 then call the Empower IT team now at +61 2 8030 8900 for an obligation free discussion or write to [email protected] (Ref: Chris21 Integration)
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Chris21 and SharePoint Integration:
How a powerful Chris21 and SharePoint integration is achieved; explained with example scenario. Read on
