Achieving HR and Business Transformation with Sprout's Product Roadmap | Sprout Solutions

Introduction to Sprout AI Labs

Overview of the Speaker and Company

• Guan Delarama introduces himself as the Chief Product Officer and head of Sprout AI Labs, previously leading a fast-growing AI company in the Philippines before its acquisition by Sprout.

• He outlines his current responsibilities, focusing on product development and AI research and development (R&D).

Growth and User Engagement

• Delarama highlights significant growth at Sprout, with nearly 250,000 users across approximately 1,300 companies engaging daily.

• As of May 31 this year, over 32 billion pesos in payroll has been processed, with projections to reach between 84 to 90 billion pesos by year-end.

Innovative Products and Features

New Offerings from Sprout

• Introduction of "Sprout Inbu," an AI-powered sales co-pilot that has generated over 1.2 billion pesos in potential sales for clients within five months.

• Emphasis on transitioning from being solely an HRIS provider to becoming a leader in human capital augmentation through AI.

Product Categories

• The speaker categorizes their products into four main areas: Core HR, Talent Management, Retention Programs, and Business Performance Tools.

• Core HR includes payroll systems and data analysis tools.

• Talent management features products like Performance Plus and salary benchmarking tools.

• Retention programs encompass employee mood gauging tools like Pulse and financial assistance options such as Instacash.

Product Development Philosophy

Key Principles for Building Products

• Delarama emphasizes three guiding principles for product development:

• Addressing significant business pain points while prioritizing impactful solutions.

• Enhancing performance security and reliability across platforms.

• Focusing on delivering delightful user experiences.

Upcoming Features in Development

Shift Planner Feature

• Announcement of the "Shift Planner" feature aimed at simplifying shift assignments for employees in industries with variable schedules; set to launch in Q4 2024.

Mobile App Enhancements

• Plans to expand mobile app capabilities so that all user tasks can be performed via mobile by mid-next year; admin tasks will still require desktop access.

New Features and Updates in Sprout

Payroll Enhancements

• Sprout is rolling out new payroll features, including salary history and effectivity, allowing users to plan salaries ahead of time rather than on the day they need to be active.

• The system will automatically calculate proration adjustments for salary changes, eliminating the need for manual calculations. This feature is expected to be available in two months.

Introduction of AI Co-Pilot: Sprout Consur

• A new AI co-pilot named Sprout Consur will enable companies to answer questions from various information sources, such as documents and websites owned by the company.

• The chatbot can address a wide range of inquiries beyond HR policies, providing 24/7 support based on the knowledge base loaded into it.

• Users can access a live version of this AI at HR l.ph, which has been trained on employee rights and employer obligations.

Generative AI Features: Insight IQ

• A new reporting tool called Insight IQ will allow users to ask questions about their company's data and receive answers along with visualizations like charts.

• Users must phrase their queries in English (Tagalog support may come later), but the tool can generate real-time visual data representations based on user requests.

Automated Onboarding Workflows

• Sprout has introduced automated onboarding workflows that allow new hires to input their own information securely without manual entry from HR recruiters.

• This feature supports integration with tools like Active Directory and Google Workspace for seamless account provisioning.

Integration with Accounting Software

• Direct integration with accounting software such as NetSuite and QuickBooks eliminates the need for manual journal entries during payroll processing.

• This feature is currently available; users are encouraged to contact their Customer Success Manager (CSM) for activation.

Salary Benchmarking Tool: Benchmark

• Sprout's Benchmark tool allows users to compare salaries across different roles using anonymized data from its database of 250,000 users.

Salary Variance and Employee Insights

Understanding Salary Variance

• The current salary is at 26, with a variance of about 6K to 8K. This data will provide insights into employee demographics such as average age and future tenure.

• A benchmark has been released, indicating that this feature should now be available for users.

Fintech Innovations: Instacash and Insta Wage

Introduction to Fintech Offerings

• Sprout operates as a fintech company, offering salary loans through partners under the product name Instacash.

• An online portal called the Instacash admin dashboard will allow employers to view all transactions made by employees, eliminating manual reconciliation.

Enhancements in Instacash

• If companies find salary loans unsuitable, a new product named Insta Wage is being launched to address these concerns.

• The Instacash credit line will enable multiple borrowings within an allocated limit, providing greater flexibility for employees needing funds for emergencies.

Introducing Insta Wage

• Insta Wage allows employees to withdraw earned wages instantly before the official payday.

• For example, if an employee earns 5,000 pesos by day five of the payroll period, they can withdraw up to 4,500 pesos immediately.

AI Sales Co-Pilot: Sprout Inbound

Overview of Sprout Inbound

• Sprout Inbound is introduced as an AI sales co-pilot designed to assist sales agents during customer interactions.

• Unlike traditional chatbots that automate responses, this tool analyzes conversations in real-time and provides context-aware recommendations.

Benefits of Using Inbound

• The AI can support near real-time translation between English and Tagalog, enhancing communication across diverse customer bases.

• One client generated approximately 1.2 million in potential sales over five months using this tool; however, closing deals remains the responsibility of their sales team.

Conclusion: Commitment to Impacting Lives

Vision and Goals

• The overarching goal of Sprout is to positively impact every Filipino's life by improving business operations in the Philippines.

Overview of Feature Deliveries

Current Achievements and Future Plans

• The company has successfully delivered over 159 features to clients, showcasing a strong commitment to innovation and client satisfaction.

• There is an ambitious goal of delivering an additional 200 features by the end of the year, indicating ongoing development efforts.

• The speaker emphasizes that what has been shared is just a snippet of the broader capabilities and future offerings available.

• Engagement with product managers and developers at the Sprout Experience Center is encouraged for those seeking more detailed information about upcoming features.