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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    PDS Vista

    Score1.2 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

    Proliant

    Score8.9 out of 10
    N/AProliant provides a cloud-based human capital management solution designed to simplify payroll and HR processes, improves accuracy, and ensures industry compliance. Proliant is an all-in-one solution for workforce and talent management across the entire employment life cycle. Specializing in payroll, Proliant helps users pay people accurately, on time, and without risk from the IRS, supporting tax filings, contractor payments, and unlimited payroll runs. Proliant also streamlines…N/A
    Pricing
    PDS VistaProliant
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    PDS VistaProliant
    Free Trial
    NoNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    YesNo
    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
    Community Pulse
    PDS VistaProliant
    Considered Both Products
    Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
    No answer on this topic
    Proliant
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    No answers on this topic
    79%
    Would buy again
    19 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    No answers on this topic
    86%
    Delivers good value for the price
    18 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    No answers on this topic
    88%
    Happy with the feature set
    21 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    No answers on this topic
    80%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    12 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    No answers on this topic
    81%
    Implementation went as expected
    13 Answers
    Features
    PDS VistaProliant
    Human Resource Management
    Comparison of Human Resource Management features of PDS Vista and Proliant
    Feature
    PDS Vista
    1.9
    19 Ratings
    125% below category average
    Proliant
    7.7
    23 Ratings
    6% below category average
    Employee demographic data1.018 Ratings9.721 Ratings
    Employment history1.019 Ratings8.822 Ratings
    Job profiles and administration1.015 Ratings6.620 Ratings
    Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.1.013 Ratings8.822 Ratings
    Organizational charting3.014 Ratings5.916 Ratings
    Organization and location management3.017 Ratings7.117 Ratings
    Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)3.012 Ratings7.217 Ratings
    Payroll Management
    Comparison of Payroll Management features of PDS Vista and Proliant
    Feature
    PDS Vista
    3.2
    19 Ratings
    88% below category average
    Proliant
    9.0
    22 Ratings
    9% above category average
    Pay calculation3.017 Ratings9.822 Ratings
    Support for external payroll vendors1.010 Ratings7.411 Ratings
    Off-cycle/On-Demand payment4.01 Ratings9.820 Ratings
    Benefit plan administration1.017 Ratings8.115 Ratings
    Direct deposit files4.018 Ratings9.921 Ratings
    Salary revision and increment management1.014 Ratings9.720 Ratings
    Reimbursement management8.25 Ratings7.914 Ratings
    Leave and Attendance Management
    Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of PDS Vista and Proliant
    Feature
    PDS Vista
    1.0
    14 Ratings
    157% below category average
    Proliant
    6.6
    21 Ratings
    22% below category average
    Approval workflow1.08 Ratings4.419 Ratings
    Balance details1.014 Ratings7.920 Ratings
    Annual carry-forward and encashment1.013 Ratings7.516 Ratings
    Employee Self Service
    Comparison of Employee Self Service features of PDS Vista and Proliant
    Feature
    PDS Vista
    2.0
    18 Ratings
    122% below category average
    Proliant
    8.7
    22 Ratings
    5% above category average
    View and generate pay and benefit information4.017 Ratings9.822 Ratings
    Update personal information1.015 Ratings9.822 Ratings
    View company policy documentation3.09 Ratings8.317 Ratings
    Employee recognition1.06 Ratings7.513 Ratings
    View job history1.05 Ratings7.915 Ratings
    Asset Management
    Comparison of Asset Management features of PDS Vista and Proliant
    Feature
    PDS Vista
    7.3
    7 Ratings
    10% below category average
    Proliant
    7.4
    12 Ratings
    8% below category average
    Tracking of all physical assets7.37 Ratings7.412 Ratings
    HR Reporting
    Comparison of HR Reporting features of PDS Vista and Proliant
    Feature
    PDS Vista
    2.0
    17 Ratings
    117% below category average
    Proliant
    9.0
    22 Ratings
    17% above category average
    Report builder2.015 Ratings9.821 Ratings
    Pre-built reports2.017 Ratings9.822 Ratings
    Ability to combine HR data with external data2.014 Ratings7.612 Ratings
    Onboarding
    Comparison of Onboarding features of PDS Vista and Proliant
    Feature
    PDS Vista
    1.0
    2 Ratings
    156% below category average
    Proliant
    8.6
    20 Ratings
    7% above category average
    New hire portal1.02 Ratings7.719 Ratings
    Manager tracking tools1.01 Ratings9.618 Ratings
    Performance and Goals
    Comparison of Performance and Goals features of PDS Vista and Proliant
    Feature
    PDS Vista
    2.8
    3 Ratings
    97% below category average
    Proliant
    7.2
    10 Ratings
    12% below category average
    Corporate goal setting1.03 Ratings7.09 Ratings
    Individual goal setting1.03 Ratings7.010 Ratings
    Performance tracking6.42 Ratings7.69 Ratings
    Line-of sight-visibility00 Ratings7.19 Ratings
    Performance Management
    Comparison of Performance Management features of PDS Vista and Proliant
    Feature
    PDS Vista
    1.0
    5 Ratings
    156% below category average
    Proliant
    8.2
    13 Ratings
    3% above category average
    Performance plans1.03 Ratings8.113 Ratings
    Performance improvement plans1.02 Ratings8.412 Ratings
    Review status tracking1.03 Ratings8.313 Ratings
    Review reminders1.04 Ratings8.113 Ratings
    Multiple review frequency1.03 Ratings8.211 Ratings
    Succession Planning
    Comparison of Succession Planning features of PDS Vista and Proliant
    Feature
    PDS Vista
    2.3
    2 Ratings
    110% below category average
    Proliant
    7.2
    9 Ratings
    9% below category average
    Create succession plans/pools3.61 Ratings7.59 Ratings
    Candidate ranking1.02 Ratings7.09 Ratings
    Candidate search1.02 Ratings7.09 Ratings
    Candidate development3.61 Ratings7.59 Ratings
    Recruiting / ATS
    Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of PDS Vista and Proliant
    Feature
    PDS Vista
    1.4
    4 Ratings
    140% below category average
    Proliant
    7.0
    14 Ratings
    12% below category average
    Job Requisition Management1.04 Ratings6.612 Ratings
    Company Website Posting1.04 Ratings6.912 Ratings
    Duplicate Candidate Prevention1.92 Ratings6.712 Ratings
    Applicant Tracking1.04 Ratings7.013 Ratings
    Notifications and Alerts2.02 Ratings7.613 Ratings
    Publish to Social Media00 Ratings6.99 Ratings
    Job Search Site Posting00 Ratings6.912 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    PDS VistaProliant
    Small Businesses
    UZIO
    Score9.4 out of 10
    UZIO
    Score9.4 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Zoho People
    Score8.6 out of 10
    Zoho People
    Score8.6 out of 10
    Enterprises
    PeopleStrong
    Score10 out of 10
    PeopleStrong
    Score10 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    PDS VistaProliant
    Likelihood to Recommend
    1.0
    (24 ratings)
    9.2
    (24 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    9.1
    (7 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Usability
    2.0
    (3 ratings)
    7.1
    (19 ratings)
    Availability
    9.5
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Performance
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Support Rating
    8.2
    (3 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Online Training
    9.0
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    7.3
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    PDS VistaProliant
    Likelihood to Recommend
    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
    Read full review
    Proliant
    Overall, I would generally recommend Proliant to a colleague as I think the system and structure has great bones and is generally very easy to use. However, if a colleague was needing a system with a robust reporting system or access to immediate support, I would be less likely to recommend the system.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    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.
    Read full review
    Proliant
    • Some of the help for the training modules, [...] has been fantastic
    • [...] has also been really helpful
    • Adding a new employee to the system has been relatively easy and simple to do
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    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.
    Read full review
    Proliant
    • Reporting is limited to data that is pulled by pay period--not by date worked, so if trying to determine how much an employee earned during a quarter--you have to calculate this manually
    • Employee records are limited to admin only viewing--so managers can not see payrates, upload documents to employee files or update expiration dates to licenses, etc
    • User guides in the knowledge base are out of date and don't cover the recent updates to the system--or outline processes that are no defunct
    • Limited integrations with other HR platforms are available. Ex--outside ATS, candidate assessment tools
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    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.
    Read full review
    Proliant
    No answers on this topic
    Usability
    Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
    In my line of work, PDS Vista doesn't fit. I recruit and manager talent pipelines, as well as all onboarding aspects of 11 companies. I spend more hours getting data configured and searching for information within this software than I spend with my candidates. Theres an abundance duplication, and there isn't a single stream of information shared across screens. I have to input the SAME details into several screens for them to match up. Nothing is intuitive, and its certainly not end user friendly
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Proliant
    Proliant is pretty easy to maneuver and get used to. There are some things than can be tedious but nothing too difficult where you have to spend hours to get it to work. The payroll processing is pretty straightforward and that's the core reason why we use their software.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    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
    Read full review
    Proliant
    No answers on this topic
    Online Training
    Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
    The resources and online tools that PDS provide are extremely thorough and helpful in our training and learning.
    Read full review
    Proliant
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation Rating
    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.
    Read full review
    Proliant
    No answers on this topic
    Alternatives Considered
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Proliant
    Proliant is the only payroll software I have used, and I don't plan on changing that anytime soon. It gives me everything I need in simple, easy-to-use software. If I have questions they have quality customer service. I get calls weekly to change to other payroll services, and I don't consider changing because there is no need to change - I have everything I need here. Proliant does exactly the job I am looking for it to do.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    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.
    Read full review
    Proliant
    • i am not able to give this information because I don't believe our firm fully uses Proliant
    • I was just made aware of some of the benefits Proliant can offer through this survey
    • The only negative is that when the "pre-wire" requirement was activated this year, we were not told ahead of time and it caused a lot of confusion and delay when we tried to process the first partner payroll in January.
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    PDS Vista Screenshots

    Screenshot of employee data, which is the heart of a corporate knowledge base. Within Vista, an organized database of employees, applicants, jobs, and positions can be created and maintained. The product’s flexibility allows users to structure corporate data as simply or as complicated as business needs require.Screenshot of Vista Payroll, which is designed to strike the perfect balance between power and simplicity. It is designed to process large volumes of data within tight time constraints, whether U.S., Canadian, or Caribbean.

Vista Payroll is focused on its main tasks of calculating pay, creating paychecks, producing payroll registers, and federal, state, local, and provincial tax reports.Screenshot of the included Vista Benefits features, which can include unlimited plans and coverage levels, automated benefits eligibility, auto-housekeeping of valuations and premiums.Screenshot of Vista Recruiting, which presents critical applicant information in an efficient manner for both human resources professionals and hiring managers, alike.

Vista Recruiting gives HR departments command over the entire hiring process for each department in every location while more easily tracking and controlling costs, improving applicant management, strengthening relationships with applicants, and reducing paperwork for the HR team.