Does this sound familiar? You implemented a new full suite cloud HCM solution, or a major component/module, around 6 months ago. You’re quickly realizing that the functionality you were sold on and your current experience are miles apart. Your support staff is overwhelmed, and resolutions provided from the software vendor haven’t been effective. You might be feeling a little bit of buyer’s remorse, which is a natural feeling in a situation like this. While you might be thinking it’s time to scrap the new system, and go back to the old one, or find a new option that better fits your needs, abandoning your new technology shouldn’t be your first course of action. Enter the system assessment option.
A system assessment, sometimes called a system optimization or health check, can be viewed as a “forensic analysis” of your HCM environment. This type of exercise helps you uncover exactly what isn’t working with your HCM system and frankly, will give you the information you need to see if improvements can be made to your current system to transform it into what you were envisioning, or if you really should consider replacing the technology.
In a system assessment, you get answers to questions such as:
- Was the technical implementation successfully completed?
- Are there “bolted on” systems or other integrations that are causing problems, or that could become problematic at a later point?
- Are there any gaps between your business requirements and the configuration? If so, how can the configuration be adjusted to cover those gaps?
- Has there been proper change management, or is there a need for additional change management?
- Is there a need for additional training for stakeholder groups like managers, or end-user employees that would help boost system adoption and lower the volume of support inquiries?
- Did a successful data migration occur?
- Is the software platform on the most current release?
There are plenty of other questions you’ll have answered during a system assessment, but the ones mentioned above are some of the more common ones.
A system assessment is a minimal investment to make that can help you avoid the much larger cost of replacing a system altogether. Plus, you’ll have the added benefit of eliminating that feeling of buyer’s remorse since you now have a thorough understanding of what wasn’t working with the system, and a plan to resolve those pain points moving forward. And quite frankly, with the pace of change in the HCM technology world these days, it is something you should consider doing it annually.
Companies that offers these system assessment services have the experience and talent to successfully manage problem resolution activities, regardless of if your issues reside within your Payroll System, Applicant Tracking System, Time and Attendance, or across your entire Human Capital Management technology ecosystem. So, before you throw in the towel and throw out your recently implemented system, give some serious consideration to a system assessment from an experienced third-party firm such as HRchitect.
About Reggie Wilson
Reggie has over 20 years of technology sales experience that ranges from Telecom to Human Capital Management systems. He joined HRchitect in 2013 as a Regional Sales Manager, and leads the sales efforts in the 15 state central region of the US as well as central Canada. Reggie has worked with clients from mid-market to enterprise scale, who have deployed solutions ranging from Workforce Management to Core HR systems.