Making the Switch to PrismHR – Five Best Practices

By Mike DeLessio

Without advance planning, navigating the switch to a sophisticated HR software platform such as PrismHR can be frustrating. HR software implementation requires HR service providers to embrace big changes in their daily functions. While that change is imperative for streamlining business functions and achieving cost-saving efficiencies, it is still challenging.

When changing the software that is an integral part of your everyday work, there is no such thing as a stress-free implementation. The truth is that switching from legacy platforms, while an absolute competitive necessity, is like performing brain surgery:

  • Preparing for the big day will help make the actual event go more smoothly.
  • There’s big benefit that comes from short term, hard effort; the outcome is always worth it.

Here are some of the realities that we ensure our clients understand as we prepare for HR software implementation.

HR Software Implementation Best Practices

1. Establish a Dedicated Team

The first step toward implementing new software is the kick-off meeting. Establish an HR software implementation committee, with representatives from key departments, including accounting, benefits, customer care, human resources, IT, payroll, and risk management. The implementation committee should incorporate every department where the new software will have an impact.
Involve the committee in the initial demo of the software so they understand its benefits. Getting inter-departmental buy-in will be crucial to a smooth go live.

2. Establish Roles and Responsibilities

It’s imperative to get assistance in establishing roles and responsibilities. Set a rollout timeline, including who is responsible for each step. PrismHR provides a team of experts to help you through the process, including project managers, implementation consultants, data engineers, and an executive sponsor.

3. Manage the Change

Implementing technology affects employees and clients. If your internal departments aren’t embracing the functionality of the new software, then clients will be negatively affected. Involve internal teams in the implementation from the beginning; they will serve as software ambassadors, sharing with their department and clients the benefits of the software. The last thing you want is a group of employees dragging their feet; you need them to have a vested interest in the outcome because it is part of their daily work.

4. Don’t Skip the Discovery Process

The discovery process at the beginning of the implementation should include asking clear questions that will ultimately guide the process. These are a few of the questions that the PrismHR team asks:

  • What features did you like about the old system?
  • What features did you dislike?
  • What is your long-term business plan?
  • What are you doing now – and what reports do you envision?
  • Do you want to offer your clients a self-service option?

During the discovery process, your goal should be to define any gaps in the out-of-the-box product, and how those gaps might need to be filled with a different process or further discussions with PrismHR that could result in a proper workaround.

5. Prepare Your Clients

We recommend a multi-tiered client rollout. The discovery process should map out the number of clients, their complexity, and how the rollout should occur. If you have more than five clients, they should be distributed into rollout buckets. Instead of one massive go-live event, implement multiple smaller client segments, grouped by the services they receive, geography, size, or other defining characteristics. This creates a slow, steady approach allowing you to more easily handle the process. Building and configuring the system while training clients and troubleshooting is all handled methodically, which helps ensure that your staff won’t become overwhelmed.