Secure Cloud Meets Smart AI – Building the HRM System of the Future

If you work with HR and payroll, you know how important it is: the system should simply work - safely, smoothly and securely. That's why we're doing something big: we're moving Flex HRM to the Microsoft Azure platform. What does this mean for you? A system that is safe to use for many years to come. But also: a boost of smart AI features that make everyday life easier.

Why We're Moving to Azure

Microsoft Azure is one of the world's largest and most widely used public cloud platforms – and an obvious choice when we are now future-proofing our HRM system Flex HRM.

Oskar Anderstål, Team Leader for the development team here at Flex, tells us more:
– We see how fast the requirements are changing in HR and payroll - both in terms of security and new, innovative technology. By moving Flex HRM to the public cloud and Azure, we can truly future-proof the system. Our customers get a secure platform for their sensitive data and a stable operating environment that lasts over time, while we can quickly respond to new needs.

Among other things, Azure gives us:

• Faster pace of development - new features and enhancements can be rolled out more quickly, so you always have access to the latest.
  
  
• Best-in-class security - globally recognized security standards and advanced protection against cyber threats ensure you can safely handle your company's sensitive data.
  
  
• High and stable performance - the system delivers quickly and reliably, even under the heaviest load.

Read more: How Azure Works – Understanding the Benefits of Public Cloud

Our Vision for AI: A Colleague Who Lightens Your Workload

AI is everywhere these days, and it's easy to get caught up in the hype. But for us, it's not about technology for technology's sake, it's about solving real problems.

– Every feature must add value - whether it's saving time, reducing hassle or increasing safety for our users," says Oskar.

In other words, the core of our AI vision is simple - to give you an extra colleague to take the load off. Not someone who makes all the decisions. But rather a helper that quickly finds the right information, warns you if something looks wrong or makes sure the right task ends up in the right place in a form.

And just as important: to ensure that our solutions really support everyday life, we develop them (as always) in close dialog with our users - from the first sketch to the finished function, and further through continuous improvements once the function is in use.

Azure as the Engine for New AI Solutions

To realize our vision of the HR system of the future - with AI as an obvious building block - we need a platform that does not stand in the way of our development team. Enter: Microsoft Azure!

Azure gives us access to advanced infrastructure, tools and innovative technology - a great foundation for building the solutions of the future.

Oskar Anderstål:
– We avoid many of the technical barriers that existed before - with Azure the foundation is already laid. It allows us to test new ideas and deliver features at a pace that wasn't possible before, especially when it comes to AI and similar technologies.

Four Ways AI Can Make Everyday Work Easierr

So, what do we envision in more concrete terms? Thanks to Azure's built-in support for AI services, we can use the technology directly in Flex HRM to solve a variety of everyday problems. And some features are already available today.

Here are some examples:

• Language models - allow the system to understand and respond with text. For example, imagine typing "How many vacation days do I have left?" and get the answer right away, without clicking through menus.
  
  
• Predictive analytics - analyzes historical data and shows likely outcomes. Possible uses could include the system alerting you to the risk of staff shortages, or suggesting smarter schedules to avoid overtime.
  
  
• Image interpretation - already today, AI is used in Flex HRM to read information from receipts and automatically fill in the right fields. This saves time, reduces the risk of errors, and cuts down on manual hassle.
  
  
• Automatic error checking - already today, AI in Flex HRM helps to detect discrepancies and flag errors in the payroll run. This provides a more secure process and reduces the need for manual double-checks.

Read more: Introducing SmartDetect – Payroll Checks Powered By AI

Azure is Microsoft's public cloud platform - a powerful infrastructure used by companies around the world. Here at Flex, the transition is in full swing and is expected to be fully implemented in 2025.

The benefits at a glance:

• Secure operation in the cloud. With Azure, you get stable performance, high availability and automatic backups. All data is encrypted - both at rest and in transit - and protected by advanced access controls and physical data security in Microsoft data centers.
  
  
• GDPR compliance. The platform meets international security standards and is compliant with multiple frameworks and regulations, such as GDPR, SOC and ISO 27001.
  
  
• Support for modern development - Azure gives our development team access to world-class tools, such as AI services, language models and analytics.