Crunchr

It suits Crunchr analytics users, and its contract is not public

It reads data from 15 named systems and is audited every year

• Crunchr names 15 systems it takes data from, including Workday, SAP SuccessFactors, Oracle HCM, UKG, ADP and Cornerstone. It also takes Excel and CSV files. If Crunchr names your HR system, ask to see the link to it working in the demo.
• Crunchr says a technical set-up usually takes 2 to 4 weeks. It says a data feed from Workday can be fully running in two weeks. You could see your own HR data in Crunchr within a month of starting.
• An outside audit firm checks every year that Crunchr's security controls are in place and working. Another outside firm tests its defences against attack every year. Crunchr supports two-step sign-in, and staff can use their Microsoft work login if your company has one. Your security team can check the audit, the attack tests and the sign-in options before you buy.

Its customer results come from analytics, and its contract terms are unpublished

• Crunchr's named customer results come from its people analytics and HR reporting. SITA's story names strategic workforce planning, but its figures cover the whole Crunchr platform. So you are judging the planning tool on the platform's record.
• SITA also used Crunchr's consultants to tackle wider problems across its organisation. Crunchr also offers strategic consultancy that turns business goals into a people plan with measurable goals. A plan built in Crunchr may involve its consultants as well as the wizards.
• Crunchr publishes no terms of service or contract length. You cannot check notice periods or price rises before a sales call. Crunchr says it disposes of your data securely when your service ends. Export your plans and scenarios before then.

It suits enterprise HR teams whose data must stay in the EU

• A 2022 Crunchr press release calls Crunchr the people analytics platform for enterprise HR teams. Its smallest named customer is Medical Center Leeuwarden, a Dutch hospital with 3,000 employees. Randstad, with more than 40,000 employees, is also a named customer. If you employ fewer than 3,000 people, ask Crunchr for a named customer with fewer than 3,000 employees.
• You choose whether Crunchr stores your data in the EU or the US. Crunchr guarantees the data never leaves the region you choose. That suits you if your HR data must stay in the EU.

No price is published, so get a written quote first

Crunchr publishes no price for Workforce Planning. In 2022, Crunchr called the product competitively priced, with no figure given. No UK public-sector or US federal contract names Crunchr, so there is no public price to check.

Dayforce publishes a list price for its own planning tool, which you can use as a benchmark. Dayforce's tool lists at $54.00 per employee per year, plus $171.96 per employee per year for the Dayforce Platform. Compare Crunchr's quote with those figures.

What to ask Crunchr before you sign

1. Is Workforce Planning priced apart from your people analytics, or included with it? Good answer: one yearly figure, in writing, naming what it includes.
2. Can we call a customer that uses the planning tool itself? Good answer: a named company and the plan it built.
3. Will our plan need Crunchr's consultants as well as the wizards? Good answer: a plain yes or no, and a fixed fee in writing if yes.
4. How many years ahead does a plan cover, and can it track approved jobs against this year’s budget? Good answer: a number of years, and a plain yes or no.
5. Can the tool plan by skills, using data from TechWolf or Eightfold? Good answer: a skills plan shown in the demo.
6. Does an approved plan flow back into our HR or finance system, and how often does data refresh? Good answer: the direction of each link and a refresh time.
7. Does the tool predict anything about a named employee? Good answer: a plain yes or no, in writing.
8. What notice period applies, and how do we get our plans back if we leave? Good answer: a written notice period and an export format.

Alternatives to Crunchr

Visier, Orgvue and 4PLAN HR are worth a look if Crunchr does not fit.

Visier sells four ready planning models, including one for skills, but you must buy Visier People Essentials first. Visier's planning product page quotes Providence, which hired over 2,000 caregivers ahead of vacancies. Visier People can also predict which named employees are likely to resign, so check your legal duties first.

Orgvue suits you if you want expert help to build the plan. You build your plan on Orgvue with its own consultants, called Expert Services, or with a partner. Orgvue's order forms add 7% a year to the price through the term. Budget for that rise in each year of the contract.

4PLAN HR says it suits companies from 500 employees. Consultants set it up over 2 to 3 months, then you run it yourself. A named planning customer, Westfalen Weser Netz, has about 1,100 employees. Look at 4PLAN HR if you employ fewer than 3,000 people.