Many employers have a love/hate relationship with Human Capital Management (HCM) technology. It can be a powerful tool for your business, but the whole process around choosing, implementing, and maintaining the right platform for your business can be incredibly overwhelming. What if it didn’t have to be?
Is there someone on your team who:
- Has experience implementing HCM technology?
- Knows the right questions to ask vendors?
- Understands how to customize systems to best support your business needs?
- Is skilled at training your employees?
If not, it may be time to call in reinforcements. Imagine how much more smoothly the implementation and integration of HCM technology could be if you had an advocate in your corner who knew the ropes, could guide you through the process, and work with you to get the best possible outcomes?
Over the years, we have seen the difference it can make when companies leverage an outside partner during the selection and implementation process. Not only does it help reduce the stress of implementation, but it can also improve the accuracy and speed of the process. Plus, you can avoid the expense of choosing the wrong tools for your organization or using the right tools in an inefficient way.
Let’s take a moment to break down the four major components of navigating an HCM technology project.
1. Selection
Any Human Capital Management (HCM) technology project should kick-off with a full analysis of existing resources and pressing business challenges of the current environment.
At Rally Partners, we like to present clients with a questionnaire to evaluate their needs, including their goals, budget, business objectives, growth plans, current technology usage habits, and data/reporting requirements. Based on the information gathered, we recommend options for their consideration and schedule vendor demos. In some cases, we may even discover that their existing system is still a great option from an infrastructure perspective, but that it isn’t optimized to be utilized to its full capabilities.
2. Implementation
Whether we’re working with a new vendor or revamping an existing platform, it’s important to ensure there's an efficient, effective implementation process in place.
At Rally Partners, we see implementation as a broader category that not only encompasses how the process is managed, but also how the system is configured, optimized, and maintained. It’s important to make sure at the outset that there’s a strategy to effectively integrate any existing technologies, as well.
Our goal is to minimize stress and increase efficiency while sticking to timely deadlines. We start with a project plan and timeline to make sure all milestones are being hit by both the vendor and the client throughout the implementation process, participating in every vendor call throughout the implementation process to ensure seamless communication.
There are several system configuration considerations that are critical to factor into the project including workflows, notification settings, and self-service features such as benefits enrollment configurations and carrier feeds. With certain vendors, we can even access a client’s portal to make changes in real-time, freeing up time and resources.
Once implementation is underway, it’s critical to test the systems to make sure everything is working as intended and that data integrity is maintained. But the implementation support doesn’t end once the system configuration is completed; we also provide ongoing support of the both system and our clients’ staff.
3. Employee Experience
Employees interact with your HCM technology on a daily basis. However, many employers don’t realize that they don’t have to settle for off-the-shelf, default content and configuration. Many platforms can be customized to help reinforce your brand and company culture through the portal user experience.
From benefits to decision support tools, one of our goals is to create value for employers and employees alike. That’s why the development and delivery of training tools plays such an important role in the process of rolling out any new HCM technology.
We know that if the system isn’t easy to navigate, users will resist using it or get frustrated in the process. This defeats the purpose of trying to create efficiencies through the use of technology and puts undue burden back on HR teams.
4. Employer Support
From selecting the right modules to designing custom reporting capabilities, there are a lot of decisions to be made when selecting, implementing, and optimizing HCM technology. Many employers would benefit from having a knowledgeable partner to help them understand system capabilities and determine what might be the best fit for the unique needs of their organization.
We know that taking on a project of this scope can be daunting—especially the thought of taxing valuable resources in an already lean organization. That's where we can help.
Rally Partners takes on some of the burden of the mundane and complex project requirements, freeing up your staff to focus on other critical business activities. Even after the implementation is complete, we provide ongoing support for both your system and your staff.
Finding the right HCM technology solution requires a commitment of time and resources, but the value it can bring to your organization is immeasurable—and you don’t have to go it alone. You can avoid mistakes that end up costing time, money, and resources when you have an experience advocate and partner to help navigate the process.
