It offers a detailed description and ‘How To’ guide of the eight steps that will aid in the most efficient and effective HRIS/payroll implementation.  And as we all know, we want to make this implementation process stress free, if possible.  With this guide in hand, you will be assured that this process will be as complete and stress free as possible. 

To learn more, view Executing Parallel Testing: Part 2 of a 2 part series.

There are 4 basic steps in order to perform Parallel Testing and the process can be quite involved.  However, in order to perform these steps and experience the most accurate and satisfactory outcome, there are many considerations to make when in the planning stages.  Learn more about the process and how to plan for it by viewing Payroll Software Parallel Testing, part 1 of a 2 part series.

Most times, depending on your timelines, the number of people on staff affected by the process, or the number of resources you actually have available to put toward the implementation, the answer to this question will be obvious.  However, it is something you must consider when implementing more than one HR software solution.  Remember, it’s not just about getting the HR Information Systems implemented.  It’s about the necessary training after the implementation and the amount of time the affected employees take to reach a comfort level with a new system. 

You definitely don’t want to end up in a situation of being overwhelmed because there is too much being taken on at once.  If this happens, you may have some stressed out and very unhappy employees on your hands and we all know that’s not a good thing.  Read the full article at CompareHRIS.com.

How does your data get transferred to the new HR Management Software system?  This is something you need to specifically ask about when researching a new HR Management System.  If you have data in your current system that you cannot live without in your new system, you need to specifically ask how this can happen or even if it can happen.  You also need to be specific as to which fields of data in your current system you need transferred to your new system.  The reason for this is that some fields can be easier than others to import and, if the correct questions are asked, you may find that some fields can be imported directly but another process may be needed for other fields to be imported.  For some, this particular issue can be a deal breaker.  So please perform your due diligence and if this is a concern for you, make sure you ask the question “Can my specific data be transferred to the new system and if so, how does this happen?”  Get details, because those details can make a big difference as to your final choice in a HR software.  Read the full article at CompareHRIS.com.

For example, not only will you find the breakdown on what information you actually need to determine your HRIS HRMS system needs, you’ll also be instructed on how to pre-qualify your short list of vendors and what your first HRIS vendor meeting should look like.  We also provide helpful hints on how to take advantage of the knowledge your HR system consultant or salesperson brings to the table. 

Once you’ve made your decision, you’ll find much advice to ensure a successful implementation with as few snags as possible.  It will behoove any HR professional to spend time perusing the large article base we established for the sole purpose of making the HR Information Systems selection process as simple and successful as possible.  To read this entire article, please visit HR Systems Selection Process.

The author shares some of his personal HRMS Software implementation experiences which underscore his previous assertions about steps a HR professional should take in order to make the HR Information Systems or Payroll Software implementation process run as smoothly as possible.  This can also be a ‘lessons learned’ for the implementation specialist.

Specifically, the implementation expert should choose his terminology carefully.  If he doesn’t, one word could send a client into a tizzy.  Then, how do the participating parties handle a messy situation in such a way as to not turn it into a blame game?  Lastly, if you don’t check the references on your Human Resources Management System implementation expert, what’s the worst that can happen?

Read this full article at CompareHRIS.com.

Those items not defined in the original scope of the project can cause additional time, thus additional expense, in completion of an implementation.  Be sure the project scope is as specific as possible in the beginning.

The HR Systems implementation specialist who lacks experience may also delay the completion of the project.  This issue can be addressed while checking references on any HRIS HRMS application being considered for purchase.

There’s always an unforeseen situation that may arise during the course of an HRM Software implementation.  However, if you take care to ensure those things within your control are eliminated or minimized, you can have a successful implementation with few bumps along the way.

To learn about the top five reasons an HR solutions implementation can be over budget, visit CompareHRIS.com to read this article in its entirety.

After this little rant, you might find it amusing that I started my career in HR Management Software working in a HR solutions technical support department. If you think you are frustrated during these calls, trust me, the guy or gal on the other side of the line is just as frustrated or maybe even more so. I was required to work in support for six months before transferring to another position and that is exactly what I did. Tech support is a job that wears on you. It’s hard to go home chipper when all day long people have been telling you that your Human Resources Management System does not work. Be nice to the human resource technical support people of the world; they have a hard job. Sometimes even I forget.

These are some of the reasons that people, all of us, hate talking to HRIS system tech support departments; but what is the alternative? If you try the tips I have laid out below, you will be surprised how often you can answer your own questions or correct problems without having to go to tech support. Even if you have to call tech support, you are more informed about the problem and will be able to more accurately describe your problem than had you not researched the solution.

HRIS System Help Files – Pretty much any HR Management System you will use offers help files. Most of the systems I have viewed or tested offer extremely detailed help files. Use these;  there is a lot of information in these tools.

Online HRIS system Knowledge Databases – Not all HRIS companies offer these but if your HRIS system provider does, I highly recommend accessing the service. A knowledge base is an online database of issues related to your application. You simply type a question, problem or error code and a list of the most likely answers is provided. It’s likely that when you call tech support, they will use this exact tool to resolve your issue.

Test the problem – Being a good HRIS systems support person really involves testing problems to determine the answer. If you are good at deductive reasoning or enjoy a good puzzle, this is the job for you. Let’s say, for example, you are having problems printing a report. The first question I would ask or test is if this is only happening on one computer. If it is, then it is likely a local computer problem, not a software issue. If not, then the next question is “What has changed since the printing worked?”.

Most HRMS systems will come with a sample company specifically for the purpose of allowing you to test a make believe company instead of your live data. Let’s say you want to test a new benefit or test using a mass update feature. A sample company can work great in this example. You may also find that if you need to setup a new benefit plan, a very similar plan may already be created in the sample company for you to copy from.

• The size of the company you are setting up HRIS software for – If you work for an organization with less than a few hundred employees, it is not completely out of the question for you to implement the HR Information Systems yourself as long as you are provided adequate resources, training to do so, and have the time to commit to the project. The trickiest parts of setting up HRIS software are going to be the import of data, benefits setup, interfacing with other systems, and report writing. It may be that you are able to install the system, setup all code tables (with the exception of benefits), setup users, and import the employees yourself and then have an HRIS implementation expert assist you on what you have trouble with. The advantage is you will be far more knowledgeable about the Human Resources Management System after having tried to implement it yourself. The disadvantage is that you may waste an excessive amount of time only to find that you don’t have the resources or time to successfully implement the HR application on your own.

• The complexity and ease of use of the HRIS software – I have worked with and reviewed a number of hr and Payroll software applications and on the difficult to setup items I mentioned above, they vary greatly. I have seen systems where the benefits setup, employee import capabilities, or report writing were so easy to use that without question an end user of a smaller company could setup the HR Management System application themselves. Then I have seen other HRIS applications where I would never expect the end user, without significant training, to be able to accomplish the same. If you are to consider implementing the system yourself, it is important during your evaluation of systems to review the system setup ease of use and capabilities.

• Does the HRIS software include Payroll – Setting up HR software is one thing; setting up payroll is altogether different. If the project is for a company with more than 50 employees, I would highly recommend utilizing an HRIS Payroll implementation expert to assist with the setup. There is simply too much that can go wrong from a poor HR Payroll software implementation to risk it.

• HRIS System Experience – If you have worked with the exact same or similar HRIS Software system you plan to implement, again, it is not out of the question that you would be able to implement the system yourself.

• Why you don’t want to self implement HRIS software – In fifteen years, I have not seen an overstaffed under worked HR department. I have seen projects fail even with an HRIS software implementation expert involved because the HR staff did not have the time to commit to the project. What I laid out above are exceptions and maybes but overall, I can’t in good faith recommend that anyone, without plenty of available time, not utilize the time saving resources of having an expert implement your HRIS Software solution. Even if you are able to setup the basic system, it is highly unlikely that you would do so in such a manner to take full advantage of the capabilities available.

The advantage of trying is if you succeed, you save company and department funds and in the end, you are far more knowledgeable with regard to the HRMS software. The disadvantage is a tremendous amount of time and resources may be wasted only to finally determine that an implementation expert is needed or the project is scrapped all together.

Work out the HRMS Software or HRMS payroll Implementation Details before Signing the Contract

• Verify the Implementer’s Experience – Every implementation expert has to perform their first HR Information Systems software implementation; just don’t let it be you. If it were me, I would not be in their first ten installs and maybe even twenty, if the implementation involves payroll. When it comes to implementing HRIS software and especially HR Management System systems, there is absolutely no substitute for experience. Be sure and find out exactly how much experience the individual has that will be overseeing or performing the engagement.

It’s highly likely that you have checked references on the HRIS or HRMS Software, but have you also checked references on the individual who will be performing your implementation? Important questions to ask when following up with these references might include the following:

o Was HR Management Software  implementation project completed on time and within budget?
o Would you use the implementer again?
o How was the implementer at explaining technical issues?
o Were you delivered what was promised?
o How was the HRIS or HRMS software training?

• Is Scope Well Defined – This is one of those cases where assuming can cause you lots of problems. Don’t assume what you expect to have done will be completed in the hours allotted for the engagement. Make sure everything you expect to have completed is included in an implementation schedule.

I recommend requiring the HRIS vendor performing the HR software implementation, provide you a low to high expected range of time for each phase and for each product option of the engagement. If you have a custom report or interface that needs to be created, make sure it is included in the estimated hours.

Once Work Begins

• Be Prepared – This seems obvious but, believe me, this is a constant issue for HRIS software and HRMS Software implementation consultants. We told clients exactly what we needed when we arrive for the first day of the engagement and at least a quarter of the time, the client would not be prepared. The problem became so common that we started requiring clients to email or mail us the information we needed on day one before we would even book travel or schedule the trip.

• Clear the schedules as much as possible – I hated sitting around during an engagement but sometimes this was unavoidable because the people we needed to meet with, such as I.T. or human resources, were not available while we were on-site. Make sure to let your I.T. staff, or any other departments that may be involved, know when they need to clear their schedules.

• Keep Job Focused – This is as much the consultant’s job as it is yours. While on engagements, I frequently had clients ask about additional capabilities or the “oh yeas, can we do this too?”. I always handled this situation the same. Let me finish what we have to do and then we can look at available time or extra time, for extra work not included in the original scope. This was not an issue on my projects but one of my consultants had a real challenge with staying focused and was over budget on the majority of his projects.

• Track Hours – If the project is a long one, make sure to track the hours worked by the consultant. Believe it or not, very few of the companies I worked with actually did this.