PeopleSoft Overview

PeopleSoft, Inc. - A Human Approach
PeopleSoft founders Dave Duffield and Ken Morris felt that there was a need for a software application that could manage all aspects of organizational Human Relations departments, from recruitment to retirement. Managing the payroll, benefits, travel, expenses, and vacation of all employees was the key focus of the first PeopleSoft product, which was released in 1987. [1] At the time, the mainframe-computing environment was the primary architecture of many organizations. However, PeopleSoft's application was built for the client-server platform, with all data stored on a host computer. End users had access to the data through the local applications installed on a desktop; however, maintenance of client computers was time- and money- intensive. [2]

Full Enterprise Management
Throughout the years, there has been an increased use of full enterprise resource planning (ERP) products, such as SAP. While maintaining their strength in the Human Resources Management System (HRMS) market, PeopleSoft has recognized the trend towards full enterprise integration. To become competitive in the ERP market, PeopleSoft extended their product offering to include modules for supply chain, call center, and financials in 1994. [2] With their 1997 release of PeopleSoft 7, they upgraded the supply chain and finance modules, and added the functionality for analyzing business data. PeopleSoft 8 saw the addition of a module for customer relationship management (CRM) through the acquisition of Vantive Corporation, which was completed in January 2000.

Internet Access
Over the past decade corporate IT infrastructures have begun shifting to intranet-based architectures. Prior to PeopleSoft 8, their applications could not be deployed across this new architecture. A push was made internally to produce an Internet-enabled product that allowed users to interact completely with all modules and data through a single web browser window. PeopleSoft 8 was reengineered to deliver a fully integrated packaged application that required no client equipment maintenance. The modules offered one complete view of all customers and employees across an organization, [2] and all applications would be accessible within a pure Internet architecture. This new enterprise application suite utilizes XML (Extensible Markup Language) to provide data in any format while maintaining the integrity of the actual data sources. [3]

Continuing their focus on Human Resource Management, the Employee Portal module, released with PeopleSoft 8 in 2000, allows corporate employees to access their personal employment data, such as up-to-date vacation, benefits and payroll information. This portal also provides a single location for managers to process all job requisitions, promotions, and raises. This self-service aspect allows Human Resources departments to focus on the tasks of recruiting new employees, retaining current employees, improving employee development and other strategic issues. [3]

Competitors
As of this document's publishing date, SAP leads the ERP market followed by PeopleSoft and Oracle. With their latest product release, PeopleSoft saw an astounding 22% growth in revenue from fiscal year 1999 to fiscal year 2000 -- double the average growth of the ERP market as a whole over the same time period. [4] With this growth, they have become a major competitor to both SAP and Oracle. Other mid-market vendors, such as J.D. Edwards and Ross Systems, produce similar ERP packages that offer competition to the PeopleSoft products.

Future of PeopleSoft
As PeopleSoft incorporates the many components of a full enterprise management system, the company is looking to compete with SAP and Oracle in this market. Currently, PeopleSoft, Inc. has 8,000 employees worldwide and $1.7 billion total revenue. Craig Conway, a protégé of Oracle Corporation's CEO Larry Ellison, has broadened the scope of PeopleSoft and created a major competitor to Oracle and SAP in the ERP market. Many feel that PeopleSoft will become an even larger player in the ERP market in the coming years. 40% of PeopleSoft's revenue currently comes from international sources, with additional countries' sales still rising. [5]

PeopleSoft Timeline [6]

1987: PeopleSoft, Inc. founded by Dave Duffield and Ken Morris in California, USA.
1988: PeopleSoft HRMS released.
1991: Begins opening international offices. [7]
1994: Public distribution of Distribution and Financials modules.
1995: Launch of Student Administration System.
1996: Releases Manufacturing and PeopleSoft 6, their first ERP package.
1997: PeopleSoft 7 is released within upgraded ERP modules.
1999: Craig Conway named new CEO; release products to enable Internet transactions.
2000: Acquired Vantive Corporation.
2000: Deliver PeopleSoft 8 with an in-house application service provider.

References

1. PeopleSoft, Inc. http://www.peoplesoft.com/

2. PeopleSoft Corporate Backgrounder.
http://www.peoplesoft.com/corp/en/about/overview/corp_back.asp

3. PeopleSoft Live on PeopleSoft 8 HRMS.
http://www.peoplesoft.com/corp/en/products/line/hrms/index.asp

4. TechnologyEvaluation.com. PeopleSoft Plays Hardball. Copyright March 2001.

5. PeopleSoft: Return to Greatness, Jerry Borrell. Upside Media, Inc. Copyright
10/10/01. http://www.upside.com/texis/mvm/hardwareSoftware/story?id=3b78491a1

6. PeopleSoft Corporate History.
http://www.peoplesoft.com/corp/en/about/overview/corp_chron.asp

7. The PeopleSoft Fan Club. http://www.peoplesoftfans.com/