To cut down on paperwork, as well as access information more easily, an increasing number of HR professionals are choosing to update their record keeping methods by switching to Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS). To reap the full benefits of HRIS, HR professionals need to carefully plan how HRIS will be implemented into their organization so that a smooth transition can be made with as little disruption as possible to the organization’s day-to-day business. Below are several factors to keep in mind when implementing HRIS.
Involve Everyone
A successful implementation depends on the cooperation of management and all staff. To achieve this, HR should ensure that they communicate the benefits of HRIS to all members of the organization and across all departments. These include Finance, Payroll, IT, Recruiting and Benefits, in addition to consulting senior management. As the benefits and the ways in which HRIS will be used may vary by department, HR should also consider tailoring communication and implementation of the system by department.
Assess Risks
HR professionals need to be aware of any potential stumbling blocks when attempting the implementation of an HRIS. They need to be knowledgeable of any possible resistance that might come from some staff in the organization, particularly those who are not comfortable with any sort of change. Moreover, HR should also be aware of any other barriers to a successful implementation. This may include a conflict in timing with the implementation of other policies or initiatives in the company. As with any new procedure, it is vital that HR assesses and pre-empts any problems that may arise and develops a viable plan to address any challenges. This type of forward thinking can help to reduce time and money taken to rectify problems after they occur. HR may also want to assess how much time putting the system into place will take, and treat this as a possible risk. Some HR employees and resources will be diverted towards the implementation process, so setting up a multi-stage implementation strategy which can allow for redistributing work normally done by those employees involved in the roll out, to other members of staff, is important. This can allow for a continuous performance of day-to-day tasks without too much disruption.
Adopt an appropriate methodology for implementation
Implementation methodologies involve providing content when crafting a project plan and the project plan itself delivers the methodology. An implementation methodology involves planning at a higher level before diving into completing more detailed tasks. A thorough and well thought out approach prevents rework in the long-run. Picking the right methodology is the key to developing a structured implementation approach and it is best to review the accepted methodologies before choosing the one that is most appropriate to the company’s needs. In choosing the best approach, HR may even be provided advice by their software vendor which can be helpful as software vendors are uniquely experienced in the implementation of their own system within various types of companies.
Carry out a Business Process Overview, and clearly define your requirements
Performing a Business Process Overview or BPO means mapping out data sources, interfaces, and procedures with other software used by the company. Doing so means that HR can better integrate their HRIS to work with other existing software and ensure compatibility.
Understand the Data and Clearly Define Requirements
An HRIS is only as good as the data stored and how the data is used. HR should have a good understanding of their current record management system, the current data requirements and determine how the same data will be recorded, tracked and retrieved using the new HRIS. This may involve meeting with each department to determine their data needs and gathering each departments’ requirements. These requirements should be clearly defined as this allow the HRIS to be configured in a way in which each departments’ reporting requirements can be met.
The implementation of any new system can feel overwhelming, particularly to companies which are already struggling to meet their day to day business needs. However, with careful planning in which HRIS is rolled out in stages, with clearly defined objectives, a good understanding of the companies’ data needs and an openness to change, a successful implementation is possible.
