Q&A on achieving board-level approval and organisational buy-in

when implementing a new HR system


1. Iíve decided I want to install a new HR system at my company, but I have never implemented a new IT solution before. How can I ensure the project is a success?

Achieving organisational buy-in is what separates successful IT projects from the disasters. In the case of investing in HR technology, buy-in involves making sure all employees are not just behind the project but actively championing it.

To achieve it, you must first of all think about all the people or teams that will be affected by the implementation of a new HR system, and how you are going to communicate with them and make them feel that this is ëtheirí project. Without this, at best, people will not support the project and, at worst, they will actively undermine it. Think about the cultural changes that are needed and how to bring them about sensitively. People can get worried by changes to their working practices; it is very easy for it to sound like criticism of current practise.

2. How do I go about putting together a business case for investing in an HR system that outlines return on investment (ROI)?

Many projects are never properly evaluated because there was no accurate measurement of the baseline ñ where the project started. Thatís why itís essential to make sure youíre aware of previous inefficiencies in time and/or money, as well as less tangible benefits such as departmental morale and staff turnover. Identifying potential ROI will help you justify the purchase and help you to achieve the senior level buy-in you need.

The figures to support a business case may not be perfect - indeed part of the business case may be the need for more accurate figures. But donít be frightened of using and extrapolating from the figures you do have. Assess the cost of the problems you are trying to solve. For instance, excessive turnover of staff costs the company money in different ways. There are the direct costs of recruitment like advertising, agency charges and interviewing as well as indirect costs such as reduced sales. These figures can provide the backbone of your case:
How much does it cost to recruit and train a new staff member?
How many employees do you replace each year?

3. Do you have any tips for presenting the business case to the board?

The best way to get the board to approve your proposal is to get a champion to fight your case for you or with you. The champion should be a senior figure on or with close ties to board members; having an ally makes the project look broader rather than just an HR issue. But board approval is unlikely to be unconditional ñ they will expect you to report back to them and be kept up to speed with developments.

Once the board is convinced, you will need to put together a project team to successfully implement the system. Again, think of the different constituencies in your business and how they can be represented. The core of the team is likely to be colleagues from HR but you will also need people from IT, finance and users of the system at line manager and employee levels if implementing an e-HR system.

4. What about convincing the rest of the organisation?

Make a list of all the different groups in your business in terms of how they will relate to the new HR system. Do they use the current system or will they have to use it in the future? Once defined, you need to talk to each group and find out what they would like from the new system. In the case of introducing an employee self-service facility, talk to employees about what the changes will mean for them - an easier way to request a holiday or more accurate overtime measurements, for instance?

Where a manager self-service product is being deployed, talk to line managers about their expectations as well as fellow HR team members. Talk about the costs and problems of current work processes but also focus on what else the system could achieve. Reassure managers that a new system will not negatively affect their workload. Instead, it should make their role as a team leader easier by giving them more accurate, timelier information. Moves to self-service will require changes in attitudes for all employees but they should also mean benefits for everyone too.

Donít let this be the end of the procedure; collect the feedback and make sure it forms part of the procurement process.

5. Do you have any other tips for smoothing the implementation process?

Communicate and celebrate each step of progress made ñ setting goals and getting recognition when theyíre achieved is very motivating for the project team. These can be anything from choosing a supplier to getting the hardware installed.

Keep talking to all your team about how the roll-out will affect their department and what can be done to minimise problems.

6. How do I go about implementing a training scheme for users?

Training is vital. Not just to get the system running but to ensure that people get the most out of the system on an ongoing basis. Be careful with the timing of the training. It will be a waste of time and resources to schedule training six weeks before the system is installed as, by the time it goes live, anything learnt will be forgotten. If at all possible, spread the training over a couple of days or sessions and give people a chance to use the system in between sessions. The temptation to ëdo it the old wayí is powerful and wonít be countered until people are really confident using the new software.

7. Iíve heard some horror stories about day one of rollout. Is there anything I can do to minimise the potential for disaster?

No matter how much preparation youíve done, you should still plan for Armageddon on launch day. Make sure the IT department and helpdesk are up to speed and ready for a few busy days. Training should be part of an ongoing process as your system develops. If you chose the right supplier, the system youíve installed should be flexible enough to change as the company does. Keep talking and listening to people as they start using the new system. Does it do what they hoped? Is there room for improvement? What can they do now that they couldnít before?


Sonia Warnes, sales and marketing director, Microsoft Business Solutions HRM. hrpinfo@microsoft.com