06/13/2024
Human Capital Management (HCM) systems are responsible for setting the tone for how corporations automate HR operations and enhance the employee experience throughout their careers.
Embarking on a system implementation project is a significant undertaking, regardless of the system type and the team responsible. Given the role HCM systems play in functions such as payroll calculation, benefits management, time entry, and PTO administration, the importance of effectively building, testing, and implementing these systems is critical. Thus, it is important to consider engaging a third-party client advocate to drive an HCM implementation. A client advocate helps ensure a successful implementation by facilitating communication, addressing issues, supporting deliverable creation and testing, and keeping the client’s needs and interests a top priority until go live. The seasoned expertise of a client advocate provides invaluable benefits, including keeping the project on time, within budget, and ensuring the client’s configuration is correctly implemented the first time, thereby reducing the need for rework and avoiding future costs.
Here are five benefits a client advocate can bring to your upcoming HCM implementation:
1. Ensures data consistency and integrity. The team from your chosen HCM provider typically does not handle the cleaning, extraction, or transformation of source data from your legacy HCM. They also do not assist with establishing a data repository for securely managing historical employee data. Although they do migrate some employee data to the new system, typically three years, most companies prefer to keep a much longer history for legal purposes. Assigning a client advocate to manage these processes ensures data consistency and integrity throughout the transition.
2. Improves requirements gathering, testing, and issue mitigation. Appointing a client advocate ensures dedication to the holistic application of the software, rather than focusing on isolated requirements. This role also involves maintaining consistency and overseeing testing to meet the requirements specified by your team, ensuring comprehensive adherence to both the software’s capabilities and your organizational needs.
3. Leverages proven PMO and OCM methodologies. A trusted partner can apply established Project Management Office (PMO) and Organizational Change Management (OCM) methodologies and frameworks, which are crucial for effective system implementations. By leaning on a partner that specializes in PMO and OCM, organizations reduce dependencies on their internal teams and increase the likelihood of long-term user adoption.
4. Aligns the HCM strategy with business objectives. Perhaps the most important viewpoint a client advocate offers is objectivity, enabling them to bridge the gap between the HCM provider’s technical team and your internal project team. This role is essential for devising a strategy that optimizes the HCM software’s capabilities and ensures that decisions support short- and long-term organizational goals.
5. Limits the likelihood of negative team morale. System implementation projects can be demanding and stressful. HR and A&F teams typically hire highly specialized employees whose greatest contributions lie in their subject matter expertise, rather than in their ability to execute project management tasks associated with implementation work. It’s crucial to assess whether your team can manage the demands of such a project alongside their regular duties without negatively impacting workplace culture and morale.
When an organization makes a substantial investment in an HCM system, it’s important to get the most out of the project and mitigate the unexpected costs associated with rework, delays, or ineffective processes. Regardless of the system type, chosen HCM vendor, or your team’s structure, employing a client advocate can help maximize the initial HCM investment by ensuring a smooth implementation.
Ready to discover how Sendero can serve as the client advocate on your system implementation project? Fill out the form below to connect with a consultant and develop a customized strategy for HCM success.