Being able to make business process decisions that will drive configurations, as you go through the phases of an implementation, is critical to the success of any project. One of the best ways to accomplish successful decision making is to ensure you put together a cohesive and well-rounded project team. The members of the project team should:
- Be considered a subject matter expert within the function they will be supporting.
- Be able to influence the organization, including executive leaders.
- Be willing to acknowledge, accept, and drive change within the organization.
- Communicate high level project updates to colleagues and direct reports effectively, as needed.
In addition, you want to ensure that you include people from the different functional groups that will have a role in the new system. When we implement a Talent Acquisition (Recruiting and Onboarding) system, as an example, we usually see people from the following functional groups as part of the project team:
- Recruiting (Recruiters, Coordinators, Managers)
- Hiring Managers
- Human Resources
- Compensation
- Finance/Accounting
- Payroll
- IT
- Project Manager
- Project Sponsor(s)
Some of these team members will be more involved than others, but it’s important to ensure you are getting feedback from the different users that will be using the system on a day to day basis. Having users from all areas of the organization as part of the project team, and actively participating in meetings, can speed up the decision-making process.
Some of the decisions you’ll be asked to make throughout the implementation process are going to have long term impacts, so it’s important that you are considering the big picture, as well as the small details. It’s also good to know what other companies in similar industries have done in the past that was helpful, or what lessons they learned. This is where having an implementation partner / consultant working with you through the process is priceless. A good implementation partner will have the ability to provide best practice recommendations, lessons learned, and guide you in making solid decisions about your new system implementation.
HRchitect has the technical expertise to assist you in this area. We have worked with many different sized clients, industries, and systems, which gives us an expansive knowledge of the best practice for your organization. Further, if you are in the market for a new or replacement system, HRchitect’s Secure Selection process will help to ensure you get the right system for your organization’s needs.