Technological advancements have started replacing many of the clerical works. However, the importance of human capital in any given organization is still irreplaceable. Human resources (HR) department in any organization deals with an array of responsibilities from hiring to managing, and from monitoring to firing any staffer. The HR department too is not untouched by technological advancements but only some limited initiatives could be taken to tackle it.

In September 2017, the beta version of a new software, PIE, was launched in the market. PIE is a human capital management software developed through the initiatives of Bimal KC, Manoj Mahat, and Ramesh Kumar Sapkota. The trio had started working in the field of software since 2013, after registering the company named PIE. But even until then they did not have much knowledge of the field. They started studying trends of corporate cultural development and years later, after studying various case studies, they finally came up with PIE that aims to cater organizations and their employees with industry-specific design.

“PIE (Planning, Integration and Execution) is a software that we designed to meet the HR management needs of any given company. There have been many start-ups and businesses in sectors like technology and food, but no one had actually taken any initiative to change the scenario in this sector, though the field was already known,” KC said.

“Existing HR softwares offer the same model with basic design and processing, for no matter what industry you are working with. But, with PIE, we have integrated different models into a single software, so that the customers will all have utmost HR experience that is specifically designed for their field and according to the institution’s HR needs. Organizations can use PIE to track and maintain the check and balance needed in every organization,” he added.

“People have this misconception that HR is only about attendance such as signing in and out. But HR is one of the most important aspects of any organization and it needs our constant care. Also, HR is not only for banking sector; it is equally important regardless of the sector,” KC added further.

According to him, “HR field in Nepal still needs ample work to be done. There is still lack of proper rules and regulations, policies and framework. And the attitudes of the institutions also need to change. Some institutions overwork their employees without any regard to their comfort and feelings, which is wrong. Via PIE, all-level employees can directly contact the HR department because of which they can formulate a better two-way communication between them.”

PIE is a web-based application, so there is no installation charge or separate updates necessary. It is very easy to use, and it can be used by any level of the management without the help of an IT professional. The software only takes up about five minutes to set up. You answer a series of questionnaire and choose the best one for your organization. This decides up to 90 per cent about how the software will perform. Any further customization would be catered by the developers themselves. Each employee will have an account which will allow them to track their attendance, leave, payroll, appraisal, feedback and progress.

So far many banks, restaurant chain, business houses and hospitals have already started using PIE for their HR solutions. It offers unlimited storage, for at least 200 customers. They are serving the packages in two sections -- basic and enterprise. To use PIE, an institution is required to have at least 10 employees. 

Wherever the large amount of data entry or storage is concerned, security of the data becomes a pressing issue. PIE has certified Norton 250 bit security. All the transactions within the application will ensure transparency within the organizations. It helps them prepare a report, get clear picture of where they lack, devise a better plan and work to overcome their flaws.

PIE has now 15 employees with teams dedicated to research & development, marketing, developing and trial & errors. “So much can still be done in the field. We encourage young minds to invest their time and dedication to make even more progress. But it demands a lot of patience and persistence before it starts bearing results,” KC added. 

PIE will very soon be launching mobile apps for the software, in both iOS and Android platforms. With their long term vision to make PIE a global brand, the group plans to launch the software in India in 2019. They also plan to introduce PIE accounting software for easy transaction monitoring in the organizations.