Beyond ROI: The Hidden Benefits of ELMO Software

ELMO Software recently commissioned a Total Economic Impact™ (TEI) study from Forrester Consulting. The aim was to measure the true value of ELMO, focusing specifically on factors such as Return on Investment (ROI) and time savings.

While the numbers are pretty impressive (the study found a 129% return on investment, $685K in net present value, and a payback period of less than six months), it also unearthed thousands of hours of recuperated time. Time that can be better spent on higher value work.

But some of the hidden powers of ELMO’s modular HR platform lie in the benefits that can’t always be measured in dollars and hours.

These hard to quantify gains get to the heart of what ELMO does: streamlining HR, empowering employees, and driving business impact.

What were the parameters of the TEI study?

Before we dive in, a quick recap of the nature and parameters of the in-depth Forrester study. 

Crafted based on data and interviews with real life ELMO customers, a representative organisation was created for profiling and to quantify results. This representative organisation is an Australian healthcare organisation with 500 customers and a seven-person HR team. 

1) Mitigating data security risks with a single source of truth

Security is non-negotiable when managing employee data. Before adopting ELMO, these organisations had information scattered across spreadsheets, emails and paper files. With ELMO, everything is stored securely in one centralised platform, protected by multi-factor authentication and access controls.

One interviewee highlighted how this shift helped them meet ISO requirements and reduced the risk of accidental data leaks. This means something as simple as a misdirected spreadsheet is no longer a concern. It’s this level of assurance that builds trust across the organisation.

“We’re no longer worried about losing candidate information – everything is in one place, and far less prone to error.” – People and Community Director, Arts and Recreation Services

2) Improved compliance with in-built processes

Compliance isn’t just about ticking boxes, it’s about protecting your people and your organisation on a fundamental level. ELMO provides automated reminders, real-time reporting, and mobile-enabled learning to help ensure employees complete mandatory training modules.

This can be especially critical in heavily regulated industries such as healthcare, where accurate records of staff training and certifications are essential for audits and patient safety. One leader noted that with ELMO, they can now prove compliance remotely.

This level of oversight strengthens operational integrity and ensures teams are always audit-ready.

“We were able to demonstrate the compliance of our staff qualifications remotely [using data extracted from ELMO].” – Executive General Manager of People and Culture, Healthcare and Social Assistance

3) Empowered employees

A seamless digital experience goes a long way in driving employee satisfaction. ELMO consolidates multiple HR touchpoints including leave requests, performance reviews and payslips into one integrated platform. For staff, this means less time manually navigating requests and more time focusing on meaningful work.

Organisations reported increased engagement with annual staff surveys and uptake of employee wellbeing programs. Employees appreciated the simplicity, and managers benefited from fewer administrative interruptions.

This speaks directly to ELMO’s commitment to employee empowerment and removing unnecessary burden on HR teams.

“It’s good to have everything in one system so employees can look at all their info on one system with one login rather than going to separate ones.” – Director of People and Community, Arts and Recreation

4) Enabled diversity, inclusion and social impact 

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are top of mind for many organisations, but measuring impact can be difficult. ELMO enables deeper insight into recruitment demographics, helping organisations track and improve representation across gender, culture and language.

One non-profit shared how ELMO helped them support their gender equality action plan in sport, achieving a workforce with 60% female representation and 30% from minority cultural backgrounds.

“[ELMO] definitely helped with our storytelling, as it allowed us to quantify what our workforce looks like.” – Director of People and Community, Arts and Recreation Services

With these insights, HR teams can align workforce strategies with social responsibility goals, bringing purpose and performance together.

What can’t be measured still matters

While the TEI study quantifies many financial benefits, it’s the unquantified outcomes that can often deliver the most lasting impact. From safeguarding data and ensuring compliance, to improving employee experience and supporting social change, ELMO delivers far more than ROI.

These outcomes go to the heart of the full value of ELMO’s platform, and why it’s a trusted partner for organisations looking to transform HR from an administrative function into a strategic asset…