Investing in Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) help companies stay organized and efficient. Organizations use innovative systems to efficiently manage data, processes, and workflows, allowing fluid integration of HR and information technology (IT) activities. However, unsuccessful implementations can lead to organizations questioning their decision to implement a new HRIS.
First, ask yourself these questions:
Have we established a dedicated HRIS budget?
What people, process, and technology problems are we trying to solve?
Have we established a business case for this change?
Will this HRIS assist our company with achieving its goals?
How will this system support our company's growth?
Are we prepared to support our employees and core support teams through this change?
Implementation can be intense for organizations, especially those on the project team. These team members are responsible for managing all aspects of the project, including:
Scope
Design
Architecture building and testing
Project sign off
Implementation
A successful HRIS implementation includes creating the infrastructure, implementing strategies, training team members, migrating data to the new system, and monitoring the end-to-end (E2E) transformation. However, many organizations focus mainly on the proper functioning of the HRIS for go-live while neglecting other critical aspects to support adoption.
Here’s some pitfalls companies struggle with during HRIS adoption:
Failing to Prioritize the Employee Experience
Designing a system without end-user input will lead to disastrous results. To prevent this, all impacted users must understand how their business processes, workflows, and roles will change before, during, and after implementation. Provide end-users with an opportunity to provide input, which may shed light on critical items that could impact the implementation.
Lack of Involvement from IT Department with Unclear Governance
IT must be included when investing in new a HRIS. Their involvement ensures the purchase is technically feasible, aligns with the overall IT infrastructure, and they can support the implementation process. IT assists HR with understanding the technical needs of the company and assessing system capabilities, benefits, and recommendations. You must establish who owns what part of the process, data, infrastructure, business continuity plan, and additional project components.
Underestimating HRIS Costs
Without a clear understanding of technology needs, the implementation team can significantly underestimate the actual HRIS investment costs. HRIS systems can be expensive, especially if custom features are required to achieve specific company goals. As your organization settles into its new ways of working, consider post-implementation costs.
Not Selecting the Best Vendor
Many HRIS vendors sell the technology but don’t articulate customer roles and responsibilities to obtain the best HRIS results. Vendors focus on selling a high-end model, which may include features you don’t need and may skew your expected return on investment (ROI).
When choosing an HRIS vendor, consider their industry knowledge and how well they communicate customer benefits and expected results.
Follow these five (5) steps in the vendor selection process:
Define Business Requirements: Business requirements identify the product, materials, and services necessary for implementing new HRIS systems.
Create Selection Criteria: Establishing selection criteria for requests for information (RFIs) and requests for proposals (RFPs) is critical. Assign weighted values to each criterion, such as costs, technical requirements, post-implementation support, and additional factors.
Issue Requests for Information & Proposals (RFIs/RFPs): The designated HRIS implementation team must perform market research and compile a shortlist of vendors asking them to submit RFIs/RFPs. This information allows the implementation team to refine project requirements and develop an implementation framework.
Develop a Negotiation Strategy: List and rank HRIS implementation priorities with alternatives to negotiate with prospective vendors. Negotiation processes must include pricing strategies and an understanding of the organization’s bottom line.
Make a Vendor Selection: The HRIS implementation team should weigh steps 1-4 in the final decision-making process.
Underestimating HRIS Implementation Steps
Countless organizations make costly assumptions because of their company size. However, skipping steps in the HRIS implementation process can be detrimental to system performance and minimize its success.
Once you’ve selected the most appropriate HRIS system, focus on:
Identifying all stakeholders
Defining project objectives
Clearly outlining the project scope
Accurately capturing business requirements
Selecting a qualified and prepared project team
Allocating sufficient resources
Remember, project success requires:
Significant project management
Defined architectural framework
Change management support
Executive leadership and program management support
Qualified subject matter experts, testers, and leaders
Avoid common pitfalls associated with HRIS implementation by developing a clear and effective HRIS implementation strategy. Including key stakeholders will optimize the user experience and lead to a successful implementation.
For support with your HRIS implementation, contact Abnormal Logic at info@abnormallogicllc.com.