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PDS Vista

PDS Vista

Overview

What is PDS Vista?

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.

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Recent Reviews

TrustRadius Insights

Vista HRMS is a versatile software that is used by organizations, including the Lee County Clerk of Courts and Lee County government, …
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VistaHRMS

4 out of 10
April 11, 2022
We are currently using it for are HRIS in our HR department. It is used for payroll as well. We have rolled out self-service to a few of …
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PDS VistaHRMS

9 out of 10
February 09, 2017
We use PDS VistaHRMS for our core HR, Benefits, Payroll and Recruiting functions. Our main users are in the Human Resources area but all …
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I love VISTA

10 out of 10
February 07, 2017
We selected Vista HRMS after a diligent evaluation process. We were looking for a flexible solution that could grow with us. Vista is …
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Happy with Vista HRMS

8 out of 10
April 15, 2015
Vista HRMS is being used across the whole organization. This is our HR/Payroll/Benefit/Absence Management solution for our company.
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Popular Features

View all 43 features
  • Employment history (18)
    9.0
    90%
  • Employee demographic data (17)
    9.0
    90%
  • Direct deposit files (17)
    8.2
    82%
  • Organization and location management (16)
    7.0
    70%
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Pricing

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N/A
Unavailable

What is PDS Vista?

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.

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services

Would you like us to let the vendor know that you want pricing?

2 people also want pricing

Alternatives Pricing

What is Workday HCM?

Workday Human Capital Management is built as a cloud-based system with global consistency in user experience. Workday HCM is part of a broader system with other Workday products.

What is SAP SuccessFactors?

SAP SuccessFactors is a suite of HR/HCM products covering these capability areas: core HR and payroll, recruiting and onboarding, learning and development, performance and compensation management, workforce analytics and planning, and employee experience management.

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Features

Human Resource Management

Organizing, tracking and providing instant access to critical employee data, job profiles, transfers, promotions, and benefits information.

7.7
Avg 7.8

Payroll Management

Provides for pay calculation and benefit plan administration, in addition to managing direct deposit, salary revisions and payroll tracking.

8
Avg 8.0

Leave and Attendance Management

Streamlines communication between HR and employees and facilitates efficient management of employee leave including requisitions, approvals, balance calculation, and annual carry-forward.

8.2
Avg 8.1

Employee Self Service

Employee portal allowing employees to view and update their personal information.

7.1
Avg 8.1

Asset Management

Maintaining a record of assets such as laptops, pagers, cell phones, etc. issued to employees. Record typically includes asset type, number, serial number and date of issuance.

7.3
Avg 7.7

HR Reporting

Pre-built and custom reports, and integration with external data.

8
Avg 7.6

Onboarding

Employee onboarding is the process of orienting new hires to the social and performance aspects of their jobs so that they are able to function in their new roles as quickly as possible.

7.3
Avg 8.0

Performance and Goals

Goal alignment is the practice of ensuring that all employees have clearly defined goals in support of the overall corporate strategy.

5.8
Avg 8.1

Performance Management

Performance management is the process of ensuring employees meet pre-determined objectives and goals through regular check-ins and appraisals.

7.3
Avg 7.9

Succession Planning

Succession planning is the identification and development of internal employees with the potential to fill key business leadership positions in the company.

3.6
Avg 7.9

Recruiting / ATS

Recruiting or Applicant Tracking Software is software used to manage the recruitment process electronically by handling job postings, applicant status, resume management, etc.

2.5
Avg 7.7
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Product Details

What is PDS Vista?

According to the vendor, PDS Vista is a comprehensive Human Capital Management (HCM) platform designed to offer personalized solutions for diverse industry requirements. The product encompasses various services such as recruiting, onboarding, human resources, benefits administration, and payroll management, thus serving as an end-to-end solution. By leveraging advanced technology and customization options, PDS aims to tackle complex challenges faced by businesses in this domain. Notably, the vendor emphasizes their commitment to customer satisfaction through personalized support provided by knowledgeable experts. While specific industries or professions are not explicitly specified, the vendor assures that the product suite caters to a wide range of organizations seeking HCM solutions tailored to their distinct needs.

End-to-End Human Capital Management Suite

The product is designed to streamline and automate administrative and payroll tasks, as well as offer strategic decision-making capabilities. Key features include workflow management, tax handling, recruitment support, training management, compliance with OSHA and workers' compensation regulations, performance evaluation and compensation tracking, employee and managerial self-service options, analytics, comprehensive reporting capabilities, among others. The vendor highlights their personalized approach and industry expertise to deliver a tailored experience for each customer.

Vista Analytics

The product is designed to offer a comprehensive analytics solution that prioritizes user-centricity. The vendor asserts that users can replace traditional printed reports with visually appealing graphics, enhancing stakeholder accessibility and comprehension of information. Users are granted real-time access to data and the ability to customize their dashboards through easy drill-downs and data exports at the click of a button. With an extensive library of predefined analytics, Vista Analytics enables organizations to effortlessly collect statistical data, analyze trends, and showcase key performance indicators (KPIs). Furthermore, it provides training courses covering graph analysis, setup procedures, usage guidelines, KPI utilization, and dashboard deployment. This toolset ensures effortless compilation of summarized data into meaningful charts or columns based on specific groupings. Additionally, it offers diverse dashboards for effective result presentation, auditable views and alerts for meticulous data management, secure user-specific dashboards, as well as workflow reports tailored for ROI analysis.

Workflow

The Vista Workflow engine is seamlessly integrated throughout the Vista product, offering automation of approval processes. The vendor asserts that their workflow features were designed to address the management of approval processes, transaction monitoring, and activity rerouting. Users can utilize tools like manager and employee time review and approval, as well as customize approval steps to align with individual process workflows. Through implementing consistent practices and automating approvals, PDS Vista aims to optimize HR operations, improving productivity while reducing administrative burdens.

Automatic Scheduling and Calculation of Initial and Standard Measurements

The product offers automated scheduling and calculation capabilities, allowing businesses to streamline processes and ensure compliance with ACA regulations. This feature aims to save time by accurately determining initial and standard measurements for employee healthcare eligibility and stability periods. The vendor asserts that the automatic scheduling and calculation functionality of PDS Vista will enhance efficiency in managing healthcare plans within organizations.

PDS Vista Features

Human Resource Management Features

  • Supported: Employee demographic data
  • Supported: Employment history
  • Supported: Job profiles and administration
  • Supported: Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.
  • Supported: Benefits information
  • Supported: Organizational charting
  • Supported: Organization and location management
  • Supported: Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)

Payroll Management Features

  • Supported: Pay calculation
  • Supported: Support for external payroll vendors
  • Supported: Off-cycle/On-Demand payment
  • Supported: Payroll history for each employee
  • Supported: Benefit plan administration
  • Supported: Direct deposit files
  • Supported: Payroll tracking and auditing
  • Supported: Salary revision and increment management

Leave and Attendance Management Features

  • Supported: Approval workflow
  • Supported: Email notifications
  • Supported: Balance details
  • Supported: Annual carry-forward and encashment

Employee Self Service Features

  • Supported: Employee login
  • Supported: View and generate pay and benefit information
  • Supported: Update personal information
  • Supported: Request time off
  • Supported: View job history
  • Supported: View company policy documentation
  • Supported: View company news and information
  • Supported: Employee recognition

Asset Management Features

  • Supported: Tracking of all physical assets
  • Supported: Asset return

HR Reporting Features

  • Supported: Report builder
  • Supported: Pre-built reports
  • Supported: Ability to combine HR data with external data

Integration with other HR capabilities Features

  • Supported: Additional HR capabilities (talent management, LMS, etc.) supplied by same vendor
  • Supported: Additional HR capabilities (talent management, LMS, etc.) supplied by different vendor

Performance Management Features

  • Supported: Performance plans
  • Supported: Performance improvement plans
  • Supported: Review status tracking
  • Supported: Review reminders
  • Supported: Multiple review frequency

Succession Planning Features

  • Supported: Create succession plans/pools
  • Supported: Candidate ranking
  • Supported: Candidate search
  • Supported: Candidate development

Onboarding Features

  • Supported: New hire portal
  • Supported: Manager tracking tools

Performance and Goals Features

  • Supported: Corporate goal setting
  • Supported: Individual goal setting
  • Supported: Performance tracking

Recruiting / ATS Features

  • Supported: Job Requisition Management
  • Supported: Company Website Posting
  • Supported: Duplicate Candidate Prevention
  • Supported: Applicant Tracking
  • Supported: Notifications and Alerts

Additional Features

  • Supported: Natural Language Query Tool
  • Supported: Configurable Analytics, Dashboards and KPIs
  • Supported: Configurable Workflows
  • Supported: On-Premise or Cloud deployment

PDS Vista Competitors

PDS Vista Technical Details

Deployment TypesOn-premise, Software as a Service (SaaS), Cloud, or Web-Based
Operating SystemsWindows, Linux, Mac
Mobile ApplicationApple iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Mobile Web
Supported CountriesU.S. & Canada
Supported LanguagesEnglish

Frequently Asked Questions

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.

ADP Vantage HCM and UKG Workforce Central (discontinued) are common alternatives for PDS Vista.

Reviewers rate Employee demographic data and Employment history and Job profiles and administration highest, with a score of 9.

The most common users of PDS Vista are from Mid-sized Companies (51-1,000 employees).

PDS Vista Customer Size Distribution

Consumers0%
Small Businesses (1-50 employees)0%
Mid-Size Companies (51-500 employees)27%
Enterprises (more than 500 employees)73%
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(30)

Community Insights

TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!

Vista HRMS is a versatile software that is used by organizations, including the Lee County Clerk of Courts and Lee County government, airport, and court administration employees, for HR, benefits, and payroll management. Users have found that this program has greatly improved their organization by consolidating databases and spreadsheets into one accessible database. This has not only enhanced overall organization but has also allowed employees to easily access relevant information. With Vista HRMS, users can efficiently process HR and PR functions, maintain accurate records, and track employee information seamlessly. The software provides detailed payroll and benefits information, integrates well with other systems, and reduces the need for manual data updating. Additionally, Vista HRMS allows companies to produce regular net payroll and W-2s, with all employees having access to review their individual payroll information. The Alamo Area Council of Governments also utilizes Vista HRMS for various HR functions such as benefits management, recruitment, and payroll. This software is implemented across the entire organization, enabling employees to view pay stubs and managers to conduct performance reviews. With over 15 years of experience in HR and payroll functions, Vista HRMS has proven itself as an effective solution that seamlessly integrates with other systems. It offers great flexibility through its ability to be customized based on specific organizational needs. Companies have also appreciated the self-service functionality provided by Vista HRMS, as it allows applicants to conveniently access information during the application process. Furthermore, it serves as both a time and attendance system for employees and a reliable system of record for HR and payroll departments. Overall, Vista HRMS stands out with its integrated solution for HR, payroll, and benefits requirements while providing excellent support from its sales team. Users find it user-friendly regardless of their computer proficiency levels.

Vista HRMS has received positive feedback from users in several key areas. Many users have found the system to be flexible and capable, allowing for customization of fields, procedures, wizards, and reports to meet their specific business processes. Numerous reviewers have praised the user-friendly and intuitive nature of Vista HRMS, noting that employees require minimal training or documentation to navigate the system effectively. Users also appreciate the excellent customer service provided by PDS, the company behind Vista HRMS, with prompt responses to questions and problems. Additionally, several users highlight the seamless interface between Vista HRMS and their accounting software, making it easy to update the general ledger accurately. Overall, users express satisfaction with Vista HRMS as an all-in-one solution for their HR, benefits, and payroll needs.

Confusing User Interface: Many users have expressed frustration with the system's confusing user interface, which has made it difficult for them to navigate and perform tasks efficiently. The layout and organization of features are not intuitive, leading to a steep learning curve for new users.

Inadequate Recruiting Module: The recruiting module falls short in meeting the needs of users, as they have identified several areas that require further development. Users have reported issues with candidate tracking, job posting functionality, and limited customization options within the module.

Difficulties in Creating Custom Reports: Several reviewers have mentioned encountering challenges when attempting to create custom reports. This process demands expertise in Crystal Reports, posing a barrier for users who do not possess this specific skillset or wish to rely on external resources for report generation.

Based on the feedback received from users, one common recommendation for Vista HRMS is to ensure that enough training is obtained before implementing the software. This is because users believe that Vista HRMS is well suited for most HR departments. It is important to note that this training will help users make the most of the software and optimize its functionalities. Overall, getting adequate training prior to implementation is seen as a valuable step in maximizing the benefits of Vista HRMS in an HR department setting.

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(1-23 of 23)
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April 11, 2022

VistaHRMS

Score 4 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
If you are not going to do taxes or checking printing in house, I am not sure this product would be best. It causes lots of issues when you have a 3rd party doing those things for you.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We have not gone live yet, but the product seems solid. It has alot of features for the price (features like self-service, mobile, reporting, and core HR/Payroll). Our biggest challenges have come in the implementation. We are a fairly large non-profit, so the level of effort and complexity for our implementation may have been underestimated. The PDS "team" has been primarily one implementation resource who is very knowledgeable, but they work almost exclusively off site and in a different time-zone. And, they are not full-time on our project, so there are some gaps we need to work around. This has presented some challenges in communication between our team and theirs. Also, PDS is hosting the application for us which should alleviate most of the technical work, but the setup was a bit complex. This is my perspective, and these challenges may not exist for smaller companies just looking to put in core HR and Payroll.
December 19, 2018

Overall Satisfaction

Lisa Lange, CPHR Candidate, PCP | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
We like having the control of processing payroll on site, this is new for us. The system is efficient and user-friendly. We did not have an HRIS system before and did everything manually through spreadsheets. This system has brought our department to a new level of professionalism.
November 29, 2017

PDS is money in the bank!

Cody Parker | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Vista has been great for our business as we expand and have to add in other company information but yet still be able to provide the tailored experience for the new company. I previously worked in ADP and Paylocity, having the ability to get in on the back end and make changes is a big plus.
Jim McKain  SPHR | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
I think it is well suited for most any HR or PR application. The trick is to get the right orientation and training up front and then after implementation. We failed to set up several things properly and we are still playing catch up but that is most likely our own fault. Making sure companies have a realistic understanding of the resource commitment is critical. A comprehensive HRIS package is every bit as complicated as most MRP packages, but most IT managers and C-Suite executives will not agree that the resources dedicated to the success of the HRIS package may rival that of a good MRP package.
Becky Boyer | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
It is well suited for any size organization. It has employee self-service capabilities that will allow an employee to view payroll details, W2s, change their individual addresses, change direct deposit information and make W-4 elections.
February 09, 2017

PDS VistaHRMS

Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Having options for on-site, hosted or SaaS implementations, the VistaHRMS system can meet the needs of most organizations whether the organization has IT staff or not. There will be situations where unique requirements may require customizations to the system to accommodate the needs. However, with the open architecture and the consulting of PDS, most anything can be developed to suit your needs.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
It is well suited for providing a dashboard for your employees where analytics are presented and you can drill down into particular details; when you require workflow to occur (i.e. to manage leave accrual) for recruitment and succession planning; goal setting and performance reviews; etc. If you need a tool that looks "cool" and is not so dependent on your skills to develop the system, you may not feel this system is right for you.
February 07, 2017

I love VISTA

Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
I would ensure that the company you choose is a good cultural fit for your environment. We spent a lot of time ensuring that our culture was compatible with Vista's. It's important to build a partnership.
Amitai Levin | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
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.
April 15, 2015

Happy with Vista HRMS

Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
All in all we have been happy with the product as a whole. As with any software nothing is perfect, but our belief that the company really does strive to listen to their users in making improvements to the system is great.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
You have the option of taking the system in house or being a hosted client. Figure out what resources your IT department has to spare, if you will have a dedicated administrator who will do all the upgrades and enhancements or if you will be job sharing those responsibilities. Like all software, Vista HRMS has multiple upgrades a year. You will need someone or a team of a few individuals to test these upgrades out and be able to take on a role of administrator, technology consultant or front end user and make sure these upgrades are working from all angles.
Vista HRMS really is a good product for keeping all HR and Payroll related records in one system, I just stress the fact that you have to have someone on hand who wants to own the product and be willing to learn as much as possible. The more you put into this product, the more you will get out of it.
March 18, 2015

Vista HRMS Review

Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
The best feature of Vista HRMS, in my opinion, is the integration of data into a single database. You can easily generate reports and create metrics to compare or analyze anything that we chose to track within the system. We track everything from certification/education, drug tests, I-9 information, to position history and salary increase history.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
As with any system/company the salesman make everything sound easy and like there will be no issues. This is not true with PDS or any system that you implement. I have been involved with implementing many different systems (including several HRMS systems) and this was a typical implementation. There is a lot of work to install the software, configure it, test it and convert all of your data. Do not underestimate the amount of work involved. The one thing that was unique with the PDS implementation is that we had one dedicated resource to assist us with our system setup and testing. It is very difficult for one person to be a subject matter expert in HR, payroll, benefits and technical aspects of the system. She did a good job of managing all parts of the implementation but was stronger in certain areas than others. We looked at in-house implementation vs. a hosted solution. I am very glad we went with the in-house solution. It may be a little more work initially to setup servers but the ability to access data and maintain control of your application is well worth it.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
For the most part, the Hosted version has all of the same benefits as the on-premise version. As a hosted client, we have direct VPN access to the database. Although access is read only, this is a huge benefit over most other SAAS or hosted applications. Bulk inserts and updates to the database are allowed, as are changes to the web front-end, you'll just need to submit your code to the hosting dept and have them review and execute it for you. The support team and hosting department are great and will help you do what you need to do.
January 27, 2015

New with VISTA

Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Make sure that you truly understand the undertaking of setting up your new VISTA HRMS system. Often people forget all the painstaking processes that their company has in place which can become troublesome when developing the processes for the new system. You will need all hands on deck, to include HR, Payroll, Accounting and IT departments along with the executives that make the financial decisions.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Vista HRMS is very flexible and also very customizable, The question to ask is how far are you willing to customize the application to fit a particular set of requirements. Most of the time no customization is required except for some custom report. But at the of the day, many PDS customers have and continue to customize the application to fit niche requirements.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
If you are looking for a system to help you with less paper-trail and something that is all encompassing, Vista is a great system to use. Overall it is probably one of the best HR systems I have used. It is easy to access all areas (HR, Safety, Payroll) in one system. It makes working with other departments easy because everyone has the same information in front of them. It is also easy to grant different levels of access for all employees. If you are wanting to find a way to have your HR system speak with your online website in the form of recruiting, this is a great tool to use. I would ask yourself what do you need from a current HRIS system? Do you need departments to have access to similar information? If you have a large company and need your employees to be cross-trained in other areas, this system does a great job of that.
January 17, 2015

Vista HRMS

Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
We are a mid-sized company so the functionality and costs are suitable. I suggest asking if you are smaller or larger.

Also, I would ask about in-house technical resources needed. There are options to have the data hosted in-house or hosted centrally by PDS. I would explore both options.
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