Criterion puts workers, managers on same page

Criterion Inc. plans to unveil a new work force analysis and planning tool

this week that will empower managers and employees to play more active roles

in managing agency employees' careers.

"The federal government is a huge employer, and Workforce Vision will

allow them to become more effective with the people they already have,"

said Marcia Jones, senior vice president and chief operating officer at

the Irving, Texas-based company.

Workforce Vision allows people within an organization to collaborate

on career planning, including performance, competency and training management,

Jones said. Some of the company's federal customers already include the

Internal Revenue Service, the Federal Reserve and the Air Force.

The software uses a component-based architecture that makes it compatible

with human resource applications and portals from software companies such

as PeopleSoft and SAP America Inc., Jones said.

Workforce Vision uses an organization's existing records to produce

myriad analyses and reports about employee performance, competencies, training,

career paths, succession plans, job requirements and more, said Bruce Kile,

vice president of client services.

"If an employee needed to take a class, it used to be all paper-based,"

Kile said. "But now a manager can see when the class is offered, e-mail

the options to the employee, who chooses a class, and then a confirmation

is sent to both, and it's all done over the Web."

Criterion will deliver Workforce Vision with a fixed- price, 90-day

guarantee. The company will install the software, load the client's existing

data and train employees within that time frame. Criterion also offers an

application hosting option and a perpetual training program that is good

for the life of the product.

Workforce Vision will be available on the GSA schedule starting at $50,000.