Solution Selection - Set Up for Success not Failure

Let me be clear this is not going to be an article on how important Change Management is to a successful go-live, it is important but that is a topic for another day.

Having worked as a Business Analyst / Contractor for many years, predominately in the HR and Payroll space, I have been part of many HR transformation programmes. Some have been very successful and others not so, for a myriad of reasons.

Implementations can fail before you even start. I appreciate that this is a bold statement but let me explain why.

How many times are you asked by a company to support an RFP and they already have the shortlist of systems to be assessed? Usually, they have chosen the same 3 software packages that other large organisations use. Those which are perceived to be the best and are recommended on the Gartner HR Magic Quadrant, even though there are hundreds of HR software packages on the market. What is wrong with that you ask? There may be nothing wrong, but if you don’t do your groundwork to understand exactly what your company requires first then you may end up with an expensive, multi module software package which you vastly under use and doesn’t meet your needs.

Requirements are key. Every company is different and what works for one will not necessarily work for another.

Prior to producing a shortlist of systems for an RFP there are a few things you should consider:

• Roadmap - Define or review existing HR roadmap, ideally covering the next 3 – 5 years. This will help with prioritisation and helps gain buy in from key stakeholders. Overlay this with your HR IT Strategy.

• Current Processes - Review and map out your current processes, this will help you understand where the pain points are.

• Current System Landscape – Map the systems out with data flows. The number of systems may surprise you!

• Personas - Define who your end users are i.e. office-based employees, retail, warehouse etc, part time vs full time, types of contracts. Personas are important. If you would like employees to clock in and out via a mobile phone, for example, do they all have a smartphone, or do you need to provide alternative methods?

• Org Structure – Look at scope of project from a country perspective. UK only or all locations globally. Look at future expansion plans for countries / regions as part of your roadmap. How many employees do you have now and forecast to have in the future? This is really key, as most HR solutions will have an optimal number of employees that the solution is designed for.

• Business Requirements - Document your business requirements and prioritise them. (A useful technique is MoSCoW - Must have, Should have, Could have, Won’t have). [PK1] Gain feedback from key stakeholders and end users on current pain points and what they need to do their jobs properly. Include data feeds, reporting and dashboard requirements.

• Business Operating Model – Review and include any workflows and approvals. If you are intending to revise your operating model i.e. devolve responsibilities down to line managers, make sure you start the change activities early.

• Cost Benefit Analysis – Understand current costs, tangible and non-tangible benefits of a new solution and what budget you have.

• Delivery Strategy – Waterfall / Agile. Implement everything all at once or by module, by employee type, by region?

Be clear about what you are trying to achieve. Do you need a solution that future proofs you for the next 10 years or a solution that solves your immediate problems or something in between. Do you want a single solution that has lots of different modules which allows you to grow with the solution or, the ability to have different solutions which are best in class, with a mechanism for integrating employee data?

Remember, roadmaps may change, and business priorities may change, so you need a solution that provides flexibility.

You are now in a much better position to look for solutions that will meet your requirements. This enables the production of a shortlist of systems that are right for your company rather than just because everyone else uses them!

But how do I find my shortlist of solutions? Below are some handy hints and tips that may help you:

• Research vendors

  • What modules do they provide?

  • Do they meet our high-level requirements?

  • Which sectors do they cover?

  • What are the optimum number of employees for this solution? Is there room for growth?

  • Which countries do they cover?

  • Implementation fees - ballpark costs for implementing the initial scope but also for further modules once live.

  • Pricing structure - Is it a PEPM (price per employee per month)? Are there any charges for leavers? Is there a separate charge per module?

  • What is the support model?

  • What types of customers use the system (this can be very telling)?

  • Do they meet your IT Tech and Security requirements?

  • Are they financially viable? How many employees do they have?

  • Talk to the Vendor, could you work with them?

• Ask contacts that you have in similar sectors what solutions they use (and whether they would recommend!)

• Is there something used elsewhere in the business that may be suitable

Typically look for 3 – 4 systems for your shortlist. These are the systems you will compare against your more detailed requirements and have a detailed demonstration of the functionality they provide. Any more than this then can be incredibly time consuming, and confusion can set in regarding which system did what! Documenting each session as they happen is key.

Your implementation may still fail for other reasons but at least by doing the groundwork prior to selecting your shortlist means you have put yourselves in the best position possible and set your company up for success.