So what can businesses do about this? Well, aside from standardizing on a single platform and reaping the efficiencies inherent in that, the answer to that question is to provide employees and manager across the company with self-service tools. The workforce should be able to update address, phone number, and other personal information through an easy-to-use Web portal without needing HR staff to intervene. They should also be able to view and manage their benefits as well as apply for jobs, register for courses, maintain performance goals, enter and approve absences, and file their expenses. These are, of course, all widely understood needs. But what often goes overlooked when forging forward with employee self-service is the importance of ease of use. There is no sense in providing so-called self-service capabilities to employees, if no one can figure the system out—everyone will just end of on the phone with HR again. And to that end, Microsoft technology is familiar and easy to use.