 Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Critical Success Factors for a
successful HRMS implementation?
Over the course of many implementations and after interviewing
hundreds of potential project managers, I have developed a list of critical success
factors for system implementations. They are not listed in any particular order, but they
are all important to the success of your implementation.
- Executive sponsorship — A champion for the project in the
executive ranks is a must. It is usually the Vice-President of HR or similar person, but
does not need to be. This is the person that will provide the political savvy to the team
and guide them through the potential mine fields.
- Communications — communicate frequently and succinctly to
the entire organization about the project.
- Dedicated core team in a dedicated place — you need a
team of resources whose sole purpose is to implement the system. You will not be
successful with "part-time" resources. The team should have their own space,
both an area to meet and work together, like a "war room" and individual work
stations for each team member.
- Well-defined expectations — tell them what you are going
to do. Refer to Mission, Project Charter, and Objectives discussed earlier. Communicate
changes immediately.
- Seasoned project manager — it is not a good idea to let
someone "cut their teeth" on an HR system implementation.
- Seasoned team — the majority of the team should be
experienced in HR, Benefits, Payroll or HR Systems.
- User involvement — the users of the system need to be an
integral part of the implementation.
- Software expertise — someone on the team should be
experienced in the software. You may need to hire external resources or consultants for
this role.
- Team building — the implementation team needs to be
trained to work well together. Refresher training throughout the course of the project is
also beneficial.
- Technical support — experience in all of the technical
aspects of the project is essential. This includes LAN, WAN, operating systems (UNIX, NT,
Novell), database management systems (Oracle, Sybase, Informix, SQLServer), connectivity,
and the HR system software. Prior to a major system implementation, it is a good idea to
set the ground work. There are some preliminary activities that should be performed.
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Who should be on the implementation
team?
I recommend that the project team consist of the following:
- Seasoned Project Manager
- HR Expert (Compensation, Applicant Tracking, Recruitment, etc.)
- Benefits Expert
- Payroll Expert
- Technical Expert familiar with the current HRMS or worked with an
HRMS
- Stakeholders (Accounting, Internal Audit, etc.).
All may not be full-time, but they need to be dedicated to the
project, nonetheless. If a group cannot operate without an individual, chances are, that
is the individual you need on your team.
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Why should users be included in
the design process?
When you are designing your new system and customizations, keep your users involved.
They are the best source of what needs to be accomplished during a process and how it can
be done in the most effective manner. Their involvement with your design and development
will also heighten their buy-in to the new system. They will be allies during the roll-out
of the new system.
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Should I convert history? If so, how
much?
Carefully consider the value of converting history. If historical data is needed by the
on-line system, e.g. to automatically calculate vacation allowance, then it is wise to
convert the minimum amount needed. If history is simply a reference for researching ad-hoc
situations, seriously consider converting your historical data to a separate file in a
"flat-file" format with no edits. This provides the benefit of using the new
system and tools for searching and reporting but will not bog down the system processing.
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What variables do I
need to manage in a project?
The project plan revolves around three interrelated variables:
Resources, Scope, and Time. If one of these variables change, at least one of the others
must also change. Some refer to this as a project management triangle.
Resources — This variable
refers to the people, machinery, material and other resources needed to complete the task.
Scope — This variable defines the
tasks that need to be performed.
Time — This variable defines the
time frame within which the project must be completed.
Once the resources on the team are fully loaded, it is easy to see that if you add
tasks, the end date will move. If you do not want the end date to move, you will need to
assign additional resources or remove some other tasks.
This is often referred to as "The
Project Triangle."
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