ELMO Software vs. PDS Vista

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
ELMO Software
Score 8.3 out of 10
N/A
ELMO Software (ASX:ELO) is a cloud-based solution that helps thousands of organisations across Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom to manage their people, process and pay. ELMO solutions span the entire employee lifecycle from ‘hire to retire’. They can be used together or stand-alone, and are configurable according to an organisation’s unique processes and workflows.N/A
PDS Vista
Score 6.2 out of 10
Enterprise companies (1,001+ employees)
Vista® is a human resource, benefits, payroll, recruiting, and self-service software. Functional elements include recruitment, staffing, position and training management, compliance, and performance and compensation.N/A
Pricing
ELMO SoftwarePDS Vista
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
ELMO SoftwarePDS Vista
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoYes
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsLicense pricing is based on the number of full and part-time active employees within bands (e.g. 751-1,000). SaaS pricing is based on PEPM.
More Pricing Information
Features
ELMO SoftwarePDS Vista
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
ELMO Software
7.9
11 Ratings
1% above category average
PDS Vista
7.7
18 Ratings
2% below category average
Employee demographic data8.09 Ratings9.017 Ratings
Job profiles and administration7.88 Ratings9.014 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.7.17 Ratings7.012 Ratings
Organizational charting8.38 Ratings7.013 Ratings
Organization and location management7.88 Ratings7.016 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)8.65 Ratings6.011 Ratings
Employment history00 Ratings9.018 Ratings
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
ELMO Software
8.0
5 Ratings
0% below category average
PDS Vista
8.0
18 Ratings
0% below category average
Pay calculation8.15 Ratings8.216 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors8.04 Ratings7.39 Ratings
Benefit plan administration7.93 Ratings8.216 Ratings
Direct deposit files8.03 Ratings8.217 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management8.23 Ratings8.213 Ratings
Reimbursement management7.73 Ratings8.25 Ratings
Leave and Attendance Management
Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Product A and Product B
ELMO Software
8.5
3 Ratings
5% above category average
PDS Vista
8.2
13 Ratings
2% above category average
Approval workflow8.53 Ratings8.27 Ratings
Balance details8.53 Ratings8.213 Ratings
Annual carry-forward and encashment00 Ratings8.212 Ratings
Employee Self Service
Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Product A and Product B
ELMO Software
8.0
10 Ratings
1% below category average
PDS Vista
7.1
17 Ratings
13% below category average
View and generate pay and benefit information8.05 Ratings8.216 Ratings
Update personal information8.010 Ratings7.314 Ratings
View company policy documentation8.26 Ratings7.38 Ratings
Employee recognition7.76 Ratings7.25 Ratings
View job history00 Ratings5.84 Ratings
HR Reporting
Comparison of HR Reporting features of Product A and Product B
ELMO Software
7.7
6 Ratings
1% above category average
PDS Vista
8.0
16 Ratings
5% above category average
Report builder7.56 Ratings8.014 Ratings
Pre-built reports7.76 Ratings8.016 Ratings
Ability to combine HR data with external data7.84 Ratings8.013 Ratings
Onboarding
Comparison of Onboarding features of Product A and Product B
ELMO Software
7.8
7 Ratings
3% below category average
PDS Vista
7.3
1 Ratings
9% below category average
New hire portal8.26 Ratings7.31 Ratings
Manager tracking tools7.44 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance and Goals
Comparison of Performance and Goals features of Product A and Product B
ELMO Software
7.8
8 Ratings
4% below category average
PDS Vista
5.8
2 Ratings
34% below category average
Individual goal setting8.28 Ratings5.52 Ratings
Line-of sight-visibility8.08 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance tracking7.38 Ratings6.42 Ratings
Corporate goal setting00 Ratings5.52 Ratings
Performance Management
Comparison of Performance Management features of Product A and Product B
ELMO Software
7.6
10 Ratings
4% below category average
PDS Vista
7.3
4 Ratings
8% below category average
Performance plans7.710 Ratings7.32 Ratings
Performance improvement plans7.710 Ratings7.31 Ratings
Review status tracking6.78 Ratings7.32 Ratings
Review reminders7.79 Ratings7.23 Ratings
Multiple review frequency8.29 Ratings7.32 Ratings
Succession Planning
Comparison of Succession Planning features of Product A and Product B
ELMO Software
7.5
7 Ratings
5% below category average
PDS Vista
3.6
1 Ratings
75% below category average
Create succession plans/pools7.96 Ratings3.61 Ratings
Candidate ranking7.66 Ratings3.61 Ratings
Candidate search6.55 Ratings3.61 Ratings
Candidate development7.96 Ratings3.61 Ratings
Recruiting / ATS
Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Product A and Product B
ELMO Software
7.5
5 Ratings
3% below category average
PDS Vista
2.5
3 Ratings
102% below category average
Job Requisition Management7.84 Ratings3.13 Ratings
Company Website Posting7.74 Ratings3.13 Ratings
Publish to Social Media7.32 Ratings00 Ratings
Job Search Site Posting6.82 Ratings00 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention7.82 Ratings1.92 Ratings
Applicant Tracking7.53 Ratings2.33 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts8.04 Ratings2.02 Ratings
Asset Management
Comparison of Asset Management features of Product A and Product B
ELMO Software
-
Ratings
PDS Vista
7.3
7 Ratings
6% below category average
Tracking of all physical assets00 Ratings7.37 Ratings
Best Alternatives
ELMO SoftwarePDS Vista
Small Businesses
Patriot Software
Patriot Software
Score 9.0 out of 10
Patriot Software
Patriot Software
Score 9.0 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.5 out of 10
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.5 out of 10
Enterprises
Infor Human Resources
Infor Human Resources
Score 7.3 out of 10
Infor Human Resources
Infor Human Resources
Score 7.3 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
ELMO SoftwarePDS Vista
Likelihood to Recommend
8.1
(15 ratings)
8.0
(23 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(7 ratings)
Usability
8.0
(15 ratings)
8.2
(2 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
9.5
(2 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Support Rating
7.6
(8 ratings)
8.2
(3 ratings)
Online Training
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(2 ratings)
Implementation Rating
-
(0 ratings)
7.3
(1 ratings)
User Testimonials
ELMO SoftwarePDS Vista
Likelihood to Recommend
ELMO Software
The performance review process is clear and easy to complete, for both employee and manager. I have experienced this in both roles, with my own staff, and undergoing my own review with my manager. I haven't experienced scenarios where it is less appropriate, I think our HR department customised the software well to our needs.
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Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
As Vista HRMS is fully customizable to suit your needs, a company should determine if they have a current employee who can do the work themselves otherwise they will need to consider the additional cost of asking PDS to do the customizations for them. There are additional modules that we aren't currently making use of, but each company should learn about the functionality of each of them as some may be more beneficial than others. When gathering your questions, ask all potential users of the system what they would want to see in an HRMS. We did so before selecting Vista HRMS and we got pages and pages of questions and comments and made sure that each item was addressed beforehand and was something that we would be able to incorporate into the system. You have the option of taking the system in house or being a hosted client. Make sure you figure out what resources your IT department has available. If you have a dedicated administrator who will do all the upgrades and enhancements great, otherwise you may need PDS to help out and having PDS host may be a better option
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Pros
ELMO Software
  • Has extensive courses library (theory and video library).
  • Very responsive, resourceful and efficient support team.
  • Stuff survey - great range of available templates.
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Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
  • Vista HRMS is very flexible, it does everything we need for HR, benefits and payroll. It’s user-friendly and intuitive to use, when we roll out new self-service items our employees have no problems and require minimal training or documentation.
  • PDS has excellent customer service and support. We get answers to the majority of our questions and problems quickly, within the day that we call. More complex issues that may require PDS’ technical support are usually addressed within a few days. We were upgrading our production servers to Windows 2012 over a weekend and a key person in our organization was on leave. When we checked with PDS to see what cost would be involved if we needed their help, they said it was included in our regular maintenance, no extra cost.
  • The PDS User’s Conference is an excellent learning opportunity for training on everything Vista does, including using Crystal Reports for custom reporting. You also get to meet and talk to the executive and development staff and have direct input into the future product development.
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Cons
ELMO Software
  • Help seems unavailable.
  • A guide or how-to would be extremely appreciated - I haven't found any, at least for user level.
  • User interface could follow a more standard/familiar approach.
  • Some panes should be collapsible (e.g. the right "Work Flow" area, which gives very little help).
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Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
  • Typical of any system built for the unknown requirements of hundreds or thousands of customers with varying needs, PDS sometimes doesn't fit our processes precisely out of the box. However, this con is far outweighed by the ability to configure and customize the system.
  • The most significant pet peeve of our users is the necessity for so many clicks to navigate between different areas or the system or to review applicants. These items are being addressed based on feedback from the user community in an upcoming release.
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Likelihood to Renew
ELMO Software
No answers on this topic
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
I feel so invested in Vista HRMS that I don't really want to try other options. I know we as an organization are not using this product to it's full potential and that is just due to us lacking the resources to be able to invest the time into breaking it apart and making it work to the best ability for us. The system works great as is, but there are a lot of implementations we can put into place to help us out even more. For example, we would love to start using Workflow to create more efficiencies. I personally have a very good relationship with our hosted vendor who supports Vista HRMS and can help me with any issues and concerns, this is a big part of the reason that I would renew with this product and continue to be an advocate for Vista HRMS.
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Usability
ELMO Software
Once I learned the specific way of doing things, the software became very logical and ergonomic. It is easy to use and is an excellent resource for many of the specific tasks required for my role, especially in relation to staff onboarding and management. It is also excellent as a resource for my own personal HR information.
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Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
The interface is intuitive, even if it does require some extra clicks to get to where you are going. The screens are consistently designed and formatted. There is a logical flow and organization to the application layout and menuing systems.
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Support Rating
ELMO Software
I am not sure whether you are asking how the learning & development team rates ELMO Software or how ELMO supports our team when issues arise with the software? It is not my decision to purchase the software nor am I involved with the maintenance of the software.
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Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
PDS has excellent customer service and support. We get answers to the
majority of our questions and problems quickly, within the day that we
call. More complex issues that may require PDS’ technical support are
usually addressed within a few days
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Online Training
ELMO Software
No answers on this topic
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
The resources and online tools that PDS provide are extremely thorough and helpful in our training and learning.
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Implementation Rating
ELMO Software
No answers on this topic
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
Ask lots of questions, ensure you fully understand the functionality (particularly history records) and train, train, train the users for correct and complete utilization of the system.
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Alternatives Considered
ELMO Software
Aspen is more straightforward in creating a course of personal development recognized by our industry, but your ELMO Software is generally easier to use. As the workforce in our company is very often built by the majority of people with basic academic background education, IE they often have only just completed year 10... it is very important your element of making it easy to understand, using simple words and clear explained multiple choices in the final quiz
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Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
I've used Peoplesoft HCM in the past. The products have some similarities, but they are marketed to different sized companies, so it's a bit of apples to oranges. Peoplesoft was very complex and challenging to manage and support. Vista HRMS should require fewer technical resources and still provide robust features for HR and Payroll. We selected Vista HRMS because it met the majority of our requirements and was priced to enable us to purchase and implement it within our budget. Also, it's an integrated system (although not truly one system when you count Vista Time) which is an improvement over our current state.
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Return on Investment
ELMO Software
No answers on this topic
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
  • Positive impact would definitely be self-service for both employees and managers to view and update selected data.
  • Through some analytics our managers are able to track turnover for their site/department by many criteria (length of service, reason, etc) and can view a number of other analytical reports such as headcount and demographics which help them to make informed decisions about their department.
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