Enwisen's SaaS (software as a service) suite, AnswerSource, includes a knowledge base that provides employees with personalized HR information; a case management application that lets customer service representatives tap into the knowledge base; and an "onboarding/offboarding" software package aimed at helping new hires and those leaving the company.

The Novato, California, company's software is used by about 260 customers, including Microsoft, Nissan and Comcast.

The personalization features of Enwisen's software make it easier for employees to navigate HR policies, said Larry Dunivan, senior vice president of human capital management for Lawson.

For example, if a company has seven benefit plans available but an employee in the process of signing up only qualifies for two, they can be shown just the characteristics of those plans, versus having to wade through a mass of information, Dunivan said.

Onboarding has been a particular major pain point with HR systems, said Ray Wang, CEO and principal analyst of Constellation Research. Enwisen's software helps companies' HR departments save time and money otherwise spent answering questions from workers, he said.