Geeta Gwalani explores how the optimum use of technology can be achieved in the context of global mobility programs of organisations.

The use of information technology within human resource (HR) management has increased greatly during recent years, with most organisations now using technology to some extent in their management of HR.

Some believe that HR practitioners have become more focused on adding strategic value within an organisation and becoming a business partner to line managers. A number of authors have suggested that technology may be used within HR to facilitate this shift in the role of the HR function, including Edward Lawler and Susan Mohrman in their 2003 Human Resource Planning article, 'HR as a Strategic Partner: What Does it Take to Make it Happen,' and Samir Shrivastava and James Shaw in their 2003 Human Resource Management article, 'Liberating HR through Technology.' However, HR functions also have been under pressure to reduce costs and make efficiency savings, sometimes achieved by outsourcing parts of the function, but often through streamlining the transactional aspects of the work by means of call centres, self-service, and a greater use of new technology.

The use of technology within HR has increased rapidly during recent years, with 77 percent of organisations using some form of HRIS in 2005, according to a paper published by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

Ulrich's Model

Dave Ulrich, ranked second among management thinkers by Executive Excellence in 2004 and 2005, and ranked number one management educator and guru by BusinessWeek in 2001, and listed by Forbes as one of the 'world’s top five'business coaches in 2000, has provided a framework built around the four key roles that HR professionals must fulfil to make their business partnership a reality (See Chart 1).

Ulrich suggests that HR professionals must learn to master both strategic (long-term) and operational (short-term) processes and be employee champions through focusing on the deliverables of strategy execution, administrative efficiency, employee commitment, and transformation and change.

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