By | Charlotte William
Transitioning to a Software as a Service (SaaS) HR system can be difficult. There are many questions to ask and procedures to follow. That is why it is critical to understand the best practices for migrating towards one.
Pre-migration Prep
Understand the process
When preparing to migrate to a new SAAS HR solution, it is critical to understand the procedure. Simply begin here to ensure a smooth transition.
Examine your new system’s capabilities and features before migrating to determine what must be migrated and why. For your future system, your current data sets may need to be updated or reformatted. Staff may require training before the migration begins.
Configure your source system for export after gathering this information. Depending on how much data you need to move and the type of data, configuration can take anywhere from one day to 30 days, or sometimes even more. You must prepare employee messaging about moving their personal data and consider security protocols before integrating your new SAAS HR system.
Identify stakeholders
Several of these stakeholders must provide input, resources, and energy to complete the project on time and within budget. The participation of all partners reduces risk and increases the likelihood of success for your new system migration.
Knowing who the key players are from the start allows for more effective communication and information sharing, allowing for more efficient resource use and data transmission.
Set up a timeline
Migrating to a SAAS HR system requires a well-planned schedule. The timeline will ensure that all stages are completed in the correct order and ensure the success of your transfer.
Setting up and onboarding implementation partners, defining the core objectives and scope, reviewing the capabilities of the current system, planning the migration, selecting testing strategies, selecting the problem management process, creating cut-over execution plans, and developing and facilitating the transition strategy using team resources are all part of a typical migration.
Each of the preceding actions, as well as milestone timeframes and critical activities leading up to go-live, should be included in the timeline. It should also allow for data backups, synchronisation with automated processes or HRIS integrations in other systems (for example, payroll), user training on new system features/tools, and troubleshooting during setup/testing.
Data Migration
Identify data sources
HRMS employee records, payroll systems, and time tracking software should all be used as data sources. Paper timesheets, vacation requests, and performance reports should all be considered.
Finding data sources assists businesses in prioritising data for a new HR system. As the organisation chooses a SaaS, technical professionals may need to collaborate with HR to determine which datasets must be put into the system and which can be preserved or removed. Organisations should also analyse previous trends to forecast future changes and build a more robust SaaS platform.
Each of the preceding actions, as well as milestone timeframes and critical activities leading up to go-live, should be included in the timeline. It should also allow for data backup, synchronisation with automated processes or HRIS integrations in other systems (for example, payroll), user training on new system features/tools, and troubleshooting during setup/testing. A precise timeline from start to finish may ensure an orderly transition with minimal downtime.
Map data to the new system
Data mapping from the old to the new system may take some time. It is critical to transfer any data required for the new system. Mapping should be done collaboratively by IT teams, stakeholders, and testers.
These demographics can assist organisations in better understanding their employees and making talent management decisions. Consider how multinational corporations will map their personnel data into multiple languages if their software allows for it.
Following the migration, a thorough audit is required because some records are frequently omitted or recorded incorrectly because of transfer or duplicate errors. Because some employees join as a result of technological or business changes, employers may need to manually update demographic information after migration.
Post-migration
Monitor system performance
Someone must actively monitor the SAAS system to ensure company HR policy compliance and user efficiency. A system administrator should monitor the system daily.
First, ensure that user access speed is not interfering with workflow or productivity. Check for any delays or inconsistencies in the navigation menus and data updates.
Monitoring entails security as well. To ensure compliance with security rules, the system administrator should set up a department or branch access controls and monitor user logins. Download reports regularly to ensure that records are backed up and properly preserved under corporate policies.
If customers cannot use the SAAS HR system because of technical issues or errors, hire a team of software developers to quickly assess feedback and innovate your company.
Troubleshoot any issues
Troubleshooting issues require urgent attention. The first step in troubleshooting is to recognise the problem and take action. IT professionals can help you diagnose technological issues. If data transfer issues arise, you will need to carefully check and match data between systems before loading information into the new HR system.
Create a feedback loop
To track utilisation, the new SAAS HR system requires a feedback loop. First-hand, qualitative user feedback will assist you in identifying successes and issues, learning user preferences, and identifying organisational improvements that can be addressed by fully implementing the solution, such as:
- To evaluate the new SAAS HR platform, collect user input.
- Use user profiles to understand employee system usage.
- Respond to user comments quickly and encourage continuous training.
- Monitor user feedback-driven modifications to encourage organization-wide collaboration.
- When making system modifications, keep key stakeholders and users informed.
Conclusion
Transitioning to a SAAS HR system can be a daunting task, but with the right planning, you can ensure a smooth transition. Start by understanding your needs and researching different options that can meet them.
