The News: ADP announced in early August that it had acquired Sora, a low-code intelligent workflow automation and data integration tool that unifies human resources, information technology, and other systems and data sets to create an easier-to-use experience for employees, business owners, and HR professionals.
According to ADP, the acquisition further solidifies ADP’s longstanding strategy to simplify complex HR processes through automation by reducing time spent on manual tasks and allowing teams to focus on business-critical tasks and create more personalized communications and experiences for employees.
ADP Announces Acquisition of Low-Code Automation Tool Provider Sora
Analyst Take: ADP’s announcement that it had acquired Sora, a low-code intelligent workflow automation and data integration tool that unifies business applications such as HR, IT, and other systems and data sets, is illustrative of a larger trend in the enterprise software market to allow more efficient workflow automation creation via the use of low-code workflow tools and integrations. Although Sora had been an integration partner of ADP, the acquisition solidifies the company’s push to simplify complex HR processes via automations, thereby freeing up HR staff to handle higher-value tasks.
Low-Code Integrations Reduce Manual Work to Connect Systems
Third-party integration of disparate data and HR software can be a manual process that relies on technical development teams to customize integrations. This process can take time away from other higher-value tasks and may be more challenging to manage across multiple business systems.
Through the integration of Sora’s low-code tools, ADP’s client’s HR teams can build and iterate on existing workflows, incorporating data from various systems, thereby allowing the automation of key HR processes across onboarding, offboarding, leave of absence requests, training, and employee communications, change management, and other key HR tasks.
The ability to create workflow automations without investing in manual development tasks is becoming more commonplace across all types of enterprise applications, and is particularly apropos for HR-related workflows. The incorporation of Sora allows organizations to quickly respond to changing scenarios and workflows without relying on costly and time-consuming development resources. Due to corporate reorganization, changes in benefits providers or administrators, or corporate acquisitions, mergers, or divestitures, these workflows may require revision or modification, which previously would require a high level of technical expertise and staff resources to address.
Further, by formalizing the integration via an acquisition, ADP is demonstrating its commitment to making sure its customers can maximize their investment into ADP, without needing to acquire additional low-code development tools.
Using Smart Insights to Improve Employee Engagement
Sora’s technology also allows organizations to surface smart insights based on HR data, permitting the generation of more personalized communications and experiences, such as the automatic creation of upcoming milestone or onboarding task reminders. By using a more personalized approach to employee communication, employees will generally be more engaged from onboarding throughout their tenure with the company. Better employee experience levels are generally a factor in better employee satisfaction, which, in turn, leads to better overall performance and the delivery of better customer experiences.
Disclosure: The Futurum Group is a research and advisory firm that engages or has engaged in research, analysis, and advisory services with many technology companies, including those mentioned in this article. The author does not hold any equity positions with any company mentioned in this article.
Analysis and opinions expressed herein are specific to the analyst individually and data and other information that might have been provided for validation, not those of The Futurum Group as a whole.
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Author Information
Keith Kirkpatrick is VP & Research Director, Enterprise Software & Digital Workflows for The Futurum Group. Keith has over 25 years of experience in research, marketing, and consulting-based fields.
He has authored in-depth reports and market forecast studies covering artificial intelligence, biometrics, data analytics, robotics, high performance computing, and quantum computing, with a specific focus on the use of these technologies within large enterprise organizations and SMBs. He has also established strong working relationships with the international technology vendor community and is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and events.
In his career as a financial and technology journalist he has written for national and trade publications, including BusinessWeek, CNBC.com, Investment Dealers’ Digest, The Red Herring, The Communications of the ACM, and Mobile Computing & Communications, among others.
He is a member of the Association of Independent Information Professionals (AIIP).
Keith holds dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in Magazine Journalism and Sociology from Syracuse University.
