Optimizing and keeping your HRIT system up to date: the key to successful HR Management
Optimizing and keeping your HRIT system up to date in the years after the go live is vital for organizations aiming to maximize the benefits of their HR management efforts. By addressing both technical and organizational aspects, organizations can increase efficiency, improve decision-making, be compliant, and enhance employee experience. In this blog senior project manager João Lourenço Silva explains why investing in continuous optimization demonstrates a commitment to leveraging technology to support HR and organizational goals.
Implementing a Human Resources Information Technology (HRIT) or HCM system, can revolutionize organization’s HR management processes and improve efficiency, accuracy, and employee satisfaction. However, the journey doesn’t end with the go-live date, warns João Lourenço Silva, senior project manager at SuccessDay since April 2023. “To ensure the system continues to deliver optimal results, it’s crucial to focus on continuous optimization and staying up to date”, says João.
João was approached by a recruiter via LinkedIn for a job opening at SuccessDay. “I had several talks and it immediately felt like a warm bath. People here are genuinely interested in you as a person. Furthermore, you get a lot of responsibility, freedom, and autonomy here, which really appeals to me. So, I was happy to join the great team at SuccessDay and bring my experience in HRIT and SAP SuccessFactors to life in a new environment.”
At least once a month, he comes from Cologne to the head office in Eindhoven for a couple of days. He then tries to meet as many colleagues face-to-face as possible. João prefers to combine the trip with customer visits. “A lot can be done remotely in this job, but sometimes it’s just handy – and pleasant – to be able to look each other straight in the eye,” he says. His current roles include project manager at wefox, a European digital marketplace for insurance, headquartered in Berlin.
Reaping the full benefits of your system
As a former HR Transformation Consultant, Project Manager and HRIT Specialist he knows from experience that the job is not over after implementing an HRIT system. Optimization and keeping the system up to date is equally important if you want to reap the full benefits of your system. “I’m not just talking about the technical aspects, such as implementing patches and new releases and conduct routine audits to identify system inefficiencies, performance bottlenecks and security vulnerabilities. Integrate your HRIT system with other organizational systems such as payroll, performance management, and learning management systems. This enables seamless data flow, eliminates manual data entry, and provides a holistic view of employee information.”
Next to the technical aspects, there are the organizational aspects. Conduct regular training sessions to ensure HR staff and system users are proficient in utilizing the HRIT system’s full potential and offer ongoing support through a dedicated help desk or knowledge base. Also, encourage feedback from system users to identify pain points and areas for improvement. “As your organization evolves, it’s essential to customize the HRIT system to meet changing requirements. Regularly review and update configurations, workflows, and data fields to ensure the system aligns with your HR processes. Therefore, I advise you to always be part of the organizational strategy development and continuity.”
Improve your efficiency, decision-making, and employee journey
First, by optimizing and updating your HRIT-system you enhance efficiency and productivity. Regular optimization of the HRIT system improves process efficiency, reduces manual work, and allows HR professionals to focus on strategic HR initiatives. This translates into increased productivity and better utilization of resources. Secondly, it improves decision-making: an up to date HRIT system provides accurate and timely data for HR reporting and analytics. João: “Real-time insights empower HR leaders to make informed decisions, identify trends, and proactively address workforce challenges.”
Furthermore, staying current with system updates helps ensure compliance with changing data protection regulations and safeguards against security threats. Non-compliance can lead to legal consequences and damage an organization’s reputation. Finally, a well-optimized HRIT system contributes to a positive employee experience. “Self-service functionalities, mobile accessibility, and streamlined processes enable employees to access and manage their HR data efficiently, leading to increased satisfaction and engagement. This is no luxury in today’s tight labour market.”
Why, how, and what?
But how do you tackle this? First, define the why, how, and what. According to João it is important to achieve your goals with Objectives and Key Results (OKR’s). “Determine your narrative and derive clear initiatives from it. Define your strategy and culture and develop the technology accordingly. It’s important to tell a story: data and processes must have a flow and design a corresponding employee journey – from hire to retire.”
Connect with vendors, whether through events, conferences, workshops, webinars, newsletters or other means. “Attend trainings, be part of learning groups, and share experiences, ways of working and best practices with peers from inside and outside the organization”, the Senior Project Manager at SuccessDay recommends. “Furthermore, continuously improve and keep the focus on initiatives that matter.
Make sure you don’t work in silos and that you have a holistic overview and develop from there. And finally, don’t be afraid to request support on extended expertise.”
Want to know what support SuccessDay can offer in this area? Get in touch with us!
Illustration: Studio van Laar
About the author
Based in Cologne but originally from Portugal, João Lourenço Silva supports various organizations before, during and after the implementation of a global HRIT system. The Project Manager and Business Analyst with close to 15 years of experience, had just become a father for the second time when he started at SuccessDay. Before, he helped company to increase the efficiency of key end-to-end processes in various industries. João is driven by a growth mindset and a passion for technologies and innovation. He has international experience working abroad and in cross-cultural teams and he is Certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt with Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) and Scrum Master.
