PLANNING A NEW HRMS

Chapter 4

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Human Resources Management Systems: A Practical Approach

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By Glenn M. Rampton, Ian J. Turnbull, J. Allen Doran

ISBN 0-459-56370-X Carswell

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Planning Topics
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the planning process elements of project management the steering committee the project team communications strategy identifying and building-in critical success factors planning for the management of change options - repair & refine, build, or buy implementation of the plan training and documentation issues
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HRMS Phases
planning s designing s developing s implementing s maintaining
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Project Planning
Project plans are established to meet strategic, tactical, and operational goals s Plans can be too broad, or too detailed s Over-planning, or taking too much time to plan, can doom a project as can jumping into developing a system without a plan
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Planning (contd)
Planning is a pragmatic process, with the aim of developing plans that are effective and efficient, not that are all inclusive or perfect. Plans, like their financial counterparts, budgets, represent the planner's best estimate at a specific point in time.
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Planning (contd)
Plans should be flexible. It is the realization of the plan, through sound management of it, including adjusting for intangibles, and reacting to resource changes, which yields success
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Major Steps in Planning

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Recognition of need for new HRMS If there is an existing system, determine if it can be modified at a reasonable cost. If there is no system, or if the cost of modifying it is not reasonable, conduct an analysis of whether buying a system or building a system is preferred. Prepare a detailed needs analysis. Prepare a Request for Information (RFI) or Request for Proposal (RFP) and send it to selected vendors. Analyse the results, reducing the short-list until only one or two options remain, and select finalist product and vendor. Negotiate price and conditions, while conducting final vendor references, and financial review. Select implementation project team.
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Project Management
Project management combines planning with a controlled use of resources to develop and implement specific end results, or projects, such as designing and implementing a new HRMS
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Project planning must clearly specify the following resources

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(start/end dates) s people (identification; specific skills they bring to project; availability; cost) s tools (equipment, software) s money (budget)
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Project Monitoring
Project management requires a planning and scheduling methodology to manage and track each component of the project plan. s The ongoing tracking and recording of activities and results most distinguishes the project management approach from general management
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Software Tools Can Handle:

sproject

scheduling Every task/activity is integrated into the project schedule by listing an estimate of its start and end dates. smilestones These are time-limited events which signify specific and significant progress sresource assignment Every person and piece of equipment together with the cost of each must be assigned to specific accomplishment of tasks. Downtime or, in financial terms, indirect labour (e.g., vacation; union business; maintenance; etc.) is included where it is predictable scosts and budgets Resource costs are calculated and amalgamated over the expenses that are estimated to be required to accomplish each task
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representations There are between several different visual methods for the representation of activities

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Visual Representation Tools

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Chart - a bar chart which graphically displays the status of a task based on time or money. s PERT - Program Evaluation and Review Technique. PERT Charts illustrate the relationships and dependencies between different activities. s CPM - Critical Path Method. CPM was developed around the same time as was PERT, and performs the same function.
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Communication
The communication of plans and project status, both within a project team and throughout the organization, requires an inordinate amount of project time. Communication is not just telling; it is listening too. Peters (1987) suggests that managers and team members listening to one another, formally and informally, is one of the critical components of successful management.
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Communication (contd)
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The project manager should be a strong communicator - speaking, listening, and writing effectively. The involvement of all concerned is a key component of success of the project manager, project team, primary client, and senior management. Not all need to be equally involved, but the commitment which comes from participation and being part of the communication process is invaluable and irreplaceable.
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Communication (contd)
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This communication process encompasses the project team, the steering team, and the organization as a whole. Each must understand the project and have a sense of how the results will be integrated into the organization's business processes in most projects, too little time is spent in selling ideas, keeping all participants up to date, and ensuring that each understand how the project fits with regard to his or her interests and responsibilities. Time spent ensuring that participation is offered and occurs, like time spent planning, is time well spent.

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Fostering Cooperation
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involve key members of the project team in developing a communication plan. work with each team member to define how and when communication will take place and how the team will work together to solve problems that might arise on the project. devise a strategy with each team member to help ensure that information does not get lost, and to prevent ruffled feathers that often occur when messages are miscommunicated or omitted. begin developing a communication plan as soon a new project is undertaken, and update it as needed. Players often change in the project universe. Develop new communication strategies when this happens.Newcomers or replacement project team members are often left out and cannot fully contribute unless one takes time to involve them.
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Critical Project Success Factors

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The organization's financial health The organization's structure The organization's culture - to ensure a climate for success The existence of a "mission champion" The status and involvement of the project manager the existence of effective Project and Steering Committees whether clearly defined business needs have been identified

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Success Factors (contd)

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whether a formal documented plan has been developed (HRMS projects cross functional boundaries making great demands on all operational departments. The complexity of the task demands that a detailed documented plan exist and be used) whether planning has been coordinated across departments the extent and quality of systems support the age of, and satisfaction with the current system whether effective business process integration has been conducted Whether a realistic project budget has been established

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Change
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implementation of a new computer system, while presenting challenges, also provides a wonderful opportunity for the organization to introduce larger measures of change than might otherwise be the case organizations and the people in them have different tolerance levels with respect to change, some may actively resist change change occasions emotional responses which cannot be overcome by the logic of an engineered business process or detailed project plan

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Change (contd)
One can overcome resistance to change by:
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understanding individual and group interests and power structures. anticipating their concerns and objections. involving them in exploring "what's in it for them?"

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Training and Documentation

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In planning for the development and implementation of a new HRMS, these two related functions are often overlooked Overriding concern for getting the system up and running often leads to putting documentation and training off to another time when there will be more time and resources to devote to them A complete, documented plan is key to the successful implementation of any information system The critical need to plan for systems training and documentation should be identified early in the planning for any HRMS

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Scheduling of Training

Training be timed what was training

should be timely, that is, it should so that the individual can apply learned as soon as possible after the was provided

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Scheduling of Training (contd)

Too often, for economic or other reasons, individuals are scheduled for training when the course is available, rather than when it is needed, otherwise: s as individuals may be forced to flounder around learning things by "trial and error" that would be learned much more quickly on the course s training may eventually be provided that is no longer required s if those responsible for using and maintaining the system become demotivated and give up when they could have succeeded with appropriate and timely training and development.
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Training Phases
Training needs analysis s Identification of media and methods of training s Training program development s Training conduct s Training Evaluation s Skill maintenance s Continued support for post-implementation documentation and training
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The distinction between documentation and training has become less distinct with the advent of such innovations as:
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user friendly data base management information systems which do not require much technical sophistication to programme and maintain data menus, input screen, and reports user instruction documentation and tutorials built into the system to guide data base modification, and data input and retrieval graphical user interface (GUI) which on the one hand, makes the purpose and use of various functions more evident, and, on the other, has readily available help facilities to provide assistance when problems arise, or clarification is needed.

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Question 1
The strategic planning department of a Canadian organization with about seven thousand employees, had a data base specialist with a flair for producing ad hoc data bases and reporting programmes. He could produce very quick practical solutions to a broad variety of problems. Users came to rely on these solutions rather than bother with the longer time frames and "bureaucracy" (including documentation) that they encountered from MIS. This administrative convenience and quick turn-around was not without a cost however, in that there was very little documentation on these ad hoc solutions, except in the head of the programmer. What future problems do you foresee for this organization? How might these be avoided?

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Question 2
Why is it important to have training specialists on the systems development and implementation team throughout?

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Question 3
Do small organizations of 50 - 100 employees need to establish a project team? Is a dedicated project manager realistic for such an organization? Is a steering group required? What are the similarities and differences in the requirements for such committees and the leadership of them between small, medium, and large organizations?
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