In Part 2 of this series, I cover additional “pain points” and common questions that arise during the HRIS sales process. My goal is to decrease stress, minimize wasted time, and smooth the progression from the initial search to a go-live date.

• There’s got to be a way to make this whole process easier, what else can I do?

To reiterate from the previous post:

1. Everyone’s life is simplified if you involve the right people from the beginning; I really can’t stress that enough!

2. Also, have a clear and focused understanding of what you want out of the new system.

3. Finally, don’t bite off more than you can chew. It’s much better to start with a system that meets your basic needs, and add components over time than to buy a huge system that is overwhelming to learn how to use. We’ve seen it happen time and time again; a company is overly ambitious with their goals of implementing multiple programs, only to find that they weren’t able to fully comprehend or receive adequate training on them, leaving everyone frustrated by their inability to navigate the systems effectively. After months of exasperation and inefficiency, this can lead to thoughts of changing systems again, decreasing the ROI and costing the company superfluous money.

• What are some other potential stumbling blocks that I should be aware of?

A potential folly to watch out for is thinking that the new software is solely your system. It’s too easy to only think about what is important to you and your department’s needs, and entirely overlook the other divisions that may come in contact with it at some point. We’ve noticed that the people who succeed in purchasing a new system are the ones that get buy-in from the other branches of the company. You’ll achieve this by listening to as many opinions as possible and receiving approval and cooperation from the parties involved.

Another hiccup that you may run into is a lack of understanding regarding the internal sales/purchasing process of your company. Most organizations, especially those on the larger side, have lengthy steps that need to be completed in a certain order, receiving sign offs along the way. Unfortunately, it can be typical for the search committee to come to a dead stop somewhere along the line, lacking the proper authorization to proceed any further. To cross this hurdle, familiarize yourself with the correct process beforehand, and discuss it with the financial decision makers to identify any possible hurdles that you will need to work around to solve.

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