HR Software Implementation – Who’s On First?

Compare HRIS has a great article available about setup order for employers who are looking to implement multiple HR applications. The short answer to the question about which one goes first is “It depends”. As Clay Scroggin points out, typically you want to start with what’s most important. For a company that is making the switch from a paper based system to a paperless one, the obvious first step is a basic HRMS database. That’s because any data collected with other applications (such as ATS) will probably feed into this system. Plus, it provides the foundation from which other applications (such as Payroll) will draw their information.


Choose What Will Provide the Greatest Benefit Right Now

Assuming you’ve already got your basic employee database covered, you can branch out based on your business priorities. Your goals might include relieving some of HR’s administrative burden and increasing employee satisfaction by implementing an ESS. For some businesses, better performance management and employee development are the logical next steps. Or, you could automate onboarding to increase compliance and protect against audits, fines, and litigation.

Consider the Complexity of Implementation

Another thing to bear in mind is the amount of time and effort required for user adoption. For example, an MSS portal requires your organization to spend time training every manager on how to use the system and following up to make sure they use it consistently. With a module like Universal Onboarding, new hire end users don’t require any training – it’s a wizard based application that walks them through everything step by step. HR’s side is also straightforward since it uses tools like Adobe that most people already have some familiarity with.

Finally, there’s the issue of IT involvement. The more complex the implementation, the more time and effort it will take to complete. Employers may wish to begin with something simple to start the software project off on the right foot. At Emerald Software Group, we recommend a phased implementation for clients who want to interface onboarding with multiple back end systems. This approach gives HR tools like error and omission free new hire data collection and payroll integration they can use right away. These features capture most of the value and functionality of the application. The second phase allows completion of the remaining interfaces with excellent attention to detail and without the type of rushing that could lead to a poor outcome.