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ADP expands HR tools with Lyric HCM and WorkForce buy

ADP has upgraded its HR enterprise platform with a new system, Lyric, that it says adapts to new management approaches.

ADP has made significant changes to its HR software platform with its release of its next-generation system and its acquisition of WorkForce Software. Its new HR system, ADP Lyric HCM, is designed for companies with 1,000 employees or more.

One early Lyric adopter, Russ Aaron, vice president of HR at Gold's Gym, said the system has changed its approach to HR management. Gold's Gym, owned by RSG Group USA, operates around 700 locations worldwide.

Aaron said Lyric gives HR deeper insights into a company's organizational structure. "It's more of a 3D look at your organization," he explained.

For instance, a manager can use the ADP HR system to examine by gym location, hours, overtime and leave taken for fitness teams, group exercise teams, and personal trainers. "They can see all those things together," he said.

ADP said it designed Lyric to handle complex business structures. It also uses generative AI to automate tasks such as answering employee questions and personalizing employee interactions.

Flexible management structures

Rob Namba, ADP's solution consultant manager for Lyric, said, "Modern business faces challenges that don't fit into the old box of rigid structures."

With this new system, HR managers can track multiple HR metrics across teams and business hierarchies, including those with separate legal structures, Namba said.

Even when teams work across different reporting lines, ADP's tools provide HR professionals with the visibility they need to measure and improve engagement in these dynamic setups, he said.

An example of a personalized employee interaction on the ADP Lyric HCM.
ADP

Earlier this month, ADP also acquired WorkForce Software, which specializes in pay calculations and scheduling for companies with hourly or shift workers and complex pay rules. It is being integrated into ADP's HR platforms.

ADP did not disclose the purchase price of its acquisition. In a statement, ADP said that WorkForce Software tools will be used to broaden ADP's offerings.

It's more of a 3D look at your organization.
Russ AaronVice president of HR, Gold's Gym

Holger Mueller, an analyst at Constellation Research, believes ADP customers will move to Lyric, although it might take some years for it to happen across its customer base. He said the platform's major benefits lie in its design and structure rather than in entirely new features.

Mueller said that the ADP HR platform system addresses modern workforce dynamics, including the management of teams both inside and outside the enterprise. "It reflects the 21st-century work reality," he said.

Lyric, which also brings generative AI to bear as well as improves automation, personalization and capabilities, can be installed in a few months. The standard migration takes nine to 12 months, ADP said.

Patrick Thibodeau is an editor at large for TechTarget Editorial who covers HCM and ERP technologies. He's worked for more than two decades as an enterprise IT reporter.

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