Investing in an HRIS platform is a big decision, both functionally and financially. So when that system reaches end of life, it can be pretty daunting to consider your next step. There are lots of factors to consider before deciding whether to stick with your current vendor’s new offering, or embark on a fresh selection project for your organisation...
Moving on from your end of life HRIS
Whether you’ve been involved in selecting a new HR system in the past, or not, it’s important to note that the selection process itself can take up to 12 weeks on average, followed by phase one implementation which typically lasts anything from around 6-12 months - depending on complexities and modules.
During this time, your HR and data teams will be consumed with the project, with many team members allocated to the project on a full-time basis. HR teams are typically lean to begin with and this often creates a conflict with business as usual.
Even after a successful implementation and go-live, you never really stop implementing your HRIS, with continuous process and workflow tweaks, new modules or system upgrades taking place.
Big changes can lead to big benefits
When it comes to HR systems, every organisation and their requirements are different and with modern systems today every employee is now a user. This means that we are no longer designing HR systems for HR, we’re designing them for the employee, therefore system design and user experience becomes the priority over HR process.
This is the key to employee satisfaction and adoption and takes time to get right.
Introducing a new HRIS to your organisation takes significant investment but can lead to big differences in both ways of working and operating models. Not to mention the benefits gained from integrating to other business systems. It can also have a significant impact on team morale. Many of our conversations with HR Directors now start with “I need a new system; my team are shouting they can no longer continue to work like this”.
These are just some of the reasons why companies want to invest for the long term. When a system is used by every single team member in the business it is not something you want to change every two years! At least four-six years of value is expected from an HR system before needing to explore the market.
Most HRIS suppliers recognise this and keep their customers loyal by enhancing their platforms, providing a roadmap of well-researched and compelling features to ensure the software and HR operations move with the times.
However, sometimes replacing your HRIS software is the only option.
Some technologies come with an expiry date and can become difficult to support and even trickier to enhance. Most providers will provide a supported pathway for their clients to transition onto the next generation platform, although cost and timescales to do this can vary.
As a result, organisations tend to use this as an opportunity to explore the market again.
Reviewing your end of life options
Throughout the latter months of 2021 and at the beginning of 2022, we’ve been working on a record number of new Digital Review and Selection projects for clients who have decided to review their options based on end of life HRIS platforms.
Some feel it is a natural progression and have been happy overall with their vendor relationship, while others feel less well-served and undervalued and see this as an opportunity to form a relationship with another supplier and to start afresh.
If your system is coming to its end of life and your software provider is encouraging you to move onto their glamourous new platform, but you’re still undecided, we have created our top 10 questions to ask yourself.
As well as the checklist above, we offer a range of free resources to help with your HRIS end of life journey, including our 12 Steps to Selection whitepaper.
Or, if you fancy discussing the pros and cons in person, book a free no-obligation chat with our lovely Ben who can offer advice on your next steps.
