The good news is setting up HR Software is becoming easier and faster. The Best Cloud HR Software Platforms are allowing you to realise your investment much more quickly. Gone are they days of your rude awakening after you have gone through the honey moon period of speaking with sales people about what you want, only to find that you have been over promised things that are not possible.

The difference between a Software System and a Platform can be seen in the smarts that a Platform has, to enable your change management process rather and presenting roadblocks. Platforms allow for configuration, hey allow for fast changes in Process automation and data structure management. What that means for the end user is the ability of the Platform to configure and deploy is supporting your business requirements and decision-making processes.

A lot of HR Software Systems that have come on the market have been presented to users in terms of engagement through eye candy. What is missing in these systems is the change management ability to adapt to process and data structures. What you don’t realise is that the running mechanics of these types of Software and rigid meaning that changes are complex and costly.

So let us take a look at some of the detail relating to how HR professionals now have better choice relating to getting access to quality, cost effective, secure HR Technology faster.

Data – Data is what ultimately provides you with insight for decision making. The more inclusive the data the better the ability to make decisions. So when it comes to technology, getting data into a system is a key part of setting it up and being able to justify its existence within your business. Firstly you need to consider what format the data exists in. Is it in another system or is it on XLS or, hard copy paper. Preparing that data for import is going to make it easy to get it into your new system. Does your new system allow for data to be easily imported, by a layman user or does it require a BA and Developer to do this. If your answer is, a BA and Developer, you are automatically now looking at a more costly and complex process. If the answer is a Layman, then you have instantly cut cost and complexity for the initial set-up of your system and the ongoing scaling of it. Chances are, if you are going to need a BA and Developer to upload data for you, you are dealing with a Software System not a Software Platform. Remember, a system has not been designed with future proof in mind. There is no service orientated architecture underpinning the database fields and logic.

Workflow – Automating Workflow Processes are the most powerful administration reduction areas. Once done, they can Free up enormous amounts of time for both HR and Managers. Its important to know what your top 10 Workflow processes are. For your system to allow you to achieve rapid ROI, these workflow processes need to be delivered into your system as part of the early phases. Workflow processing also needs to be easy to administer. Pre-configured workflows allow you to get traction quickly. The ability to customer and link forms to workflow processes also need to be able to be facilitated through end-user orientated tools. If this can’t be done, your ability to action items that have not been thought about during the information gathering requirements phase will be limited and this can cause the costs of the project to blow out significantly. Some of the key Workflow processes that are asked for regularly are: Request to Hire, Send Survey to Applicant after Application, Absence Request, Timesheet Submission, OH&S incident Submission, Request Training, Submit Onboarding Documents like Certificates and Licences, Letter of Offer and Contract Authorisation, Performance Review Notifications and Interaction.

Forms – Closely related to the above. What happens if your requirements are out of alignment with what is standard in your HR Technology Platform. Do you need to get Developers and BA’s involved in updating your interface and forms. In differentiating between a product and a platform, we can easily see that if the system has not been designed with configuration in mind Forms , Workflows and Data Upload will be difficult, time-consuming and costly. HR Platforms, will allow for end users to configure the interface through point and click type tools that allow for fields, forms, tabs etc to be updated quickly and effectively. This means that your functionality will be able to be deployed around the business into multiple locations effectively.

The above smarts can all be used to make your roll-out efficient and fast. You still need to have a good plan. You need to understand what you are going to do with your flexible HR Technology. Here are some questions to ask internally to understand more about your own needs.

HR Tech Starter Questions:

What format is our data in?

What types of Data need to be uploaded into the HR System?

Is the data currently available or do we need to manage this to get it into the right format?

Does our Payroll system allow for RESTful API integration?

Can we use our Payroll system as the source of Upload for the HR System?

What are our 10 Top Workflows to Automate (including onboarding)?

What are the 10 Top Nice to have workflows?

Are the Top 10 Nice to have workflows going to require complex customisation in our chosen HR Platform.

Do they cover Recruitment, Performance, HR?

How many Locations are to receive the new System?

What are the different types of Login accessed that is going to be required for users in these locations?

What is the likelihood of our HR needs changing within 12 months of going live?

What do these changes look like?

Have I got Data Set Snapshots for all the key areas of our current data management so I can compare this to the fields in the HR systems we are looking at?

Have I included all key stake holders in the process of gathering these requirements?

Get Back to Basics:

There are many aspects to setting up a quality cloud HR Software system. Understanding your moving parts prior to embarking on your selection process is a big part of the picture. If you run your requirements through this process, you will be a long way along the path in selecting the best system. The next part of the overall picture comes down to the provider having adequate security in place both at the software level and database level. Having the right internal BC processes to make sure your data is safe and secure. Using the right data facilities that cover SOC 1 and 2 Requirements.

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