Implementing SuccessFactors? Here are six critical change management lessons.
SuccessFactors, human capital management system, HCMS; these terms may seem like a lot of jargon. In simple terms, a human capital management system (HCMS) is a technology system that manages processes related to the people within an organisation. SuccessFactors is a brand of one of these systems. It’s owned by a technology company called SAP.
SuccessFactors can support the following types of processes in an organisation:
Onboarding and offboarding
Recruitment
Learning
Performance development and performance management
Remuneration reviews
Talent reviews
Workforce analysis
Reporting using people related data.
It can sound very attractive that an organisation can put in one system that enables all these processes. But do not be fooled; there is a lot you need to do in addition to buying and implementing the technology to be able to fully realise the benefits of investing in this technology.
In this article we share six lessons we have learned from the work we have done supporting the implementation of SuccessFactors and other HCMS to ensure these systems are not only implemented but adopted.
Changes to the way that HR works will be necessary.
To fully realise the benefits of a human capital management system (HCMS) you will need to change the way HR works with the business. A HCMS can enable your people to self-serve and become more self-sufficient. This has implications for the role of HR and how they add value to the business.
We recommend undertaking a review of your HR operating model (ways of working) prior to the design of the system. This review should consider the role of HR in a technology enabled future. I.e., what is the role of the HR Business Partner and how do they interact with the business? Where should employees go for HR support?
Designing new processes is a must.
At an absolute minimum, the future state processes with on system and off system steps must be mapped. The workbook (technology processes) provided by the system integration partner is not enough to undertake a change impact assessment and subsequently, prepare the audience. For example, the onboarding process will likely be driven by your new HCMS, but the new system cannot issue a new security pass (part of the ‘business process’ not the system workflow).
We recommend that you allow sufficient time in your program plan to map the future state business processes. This will involve working with a group of stakeholders – some that understand the current state and some that understand the potential of the technology – to identify all the groups and steps involved in the future state. Doing the change impact assessment alongside this effort is a great way to save time and effort.
People leaders are the lynch pin to successful adoption.
People leaders are typically the most impacted group by a HCM implementation. Supporting them to adopt the new technology will require a significant focus on behavioural change versus just how to use the new system (e.g., supporting leaders to take on new processes that HR has historically done on their behalf).
Behavioural change requires an understanding of who your audience is and what makes them tick. We recommend taking the time to do a thorough stakeholder analysis and using the information to develop a change experience that will truly help the group understand why they need to change and the benefits; not just how to use the new system.
Be ready to supply urgent assistance.
Support for a HCMS is critical as the system is dealing with sensitive, people related information that people often require help with “urgently”. And if support isn’t immediately available, people tend to revert to old ways of working or use out of date data. Will Leaders have access to VIP support? Should employees go to their manager for help before contacting support? Will technical system questions go to IT, or HR? Who will manage role-based permissions? How will people know who to contact?
Clean data will underpin the change management effort.
If leaders do not trust the data in the system, they will not use it. Therefore, you must plan to thoroughly clean and prepare the core data required for the system. Core data typically includes your establishment data – the names, roles, reporting relationships, salaries, costs of all staff. You will need leaders to review this data – so engage them in the process and use the process to introduce the importance of the incoming HCMS.
It can take a long time to clean up this data, so we recommend that this activity is commenced as early as possible. We encourage our clients to dedicate people to managing the effort and run it like a campaign. Communicate regularly to leaders about why clean data is critical, how it will assist them in the future, how they can update the data and how they are progressing.
Engage an independent partner to deliver change management.
Many technology partners focus on the system and “go-live” at the expense of delivering true organisational change. Configuring and deploying technology at a large scale is a complex task. It requires focus and a specific set of skills from the technology partner. That focus can distract from seeing the technology implementation as one, enabling, component of a broader set of changes that are needed to ‘transform’ the organisation.
An independent partner can enable your people and organisation to adopt and embrace the change. The technology implementation represents one (albeit substantial) part of several changes to processes and people that need to be enabled. An independent workstream can look beyond the technology and focus on the needs of your people and organisation to adopt and embrace the change as part of their ways of working.
Conclusion.
When you are implementing a human capital management system like SuccessFactors you must approach the effort as a business transformation, not just a technology change. So much more than just the system must change when you make such a significant investment.
We have many lessons learnt when it comes to digital transformation (many of which can be found in our latest eBook). Some lessons are more specific to enterprise resource management systems which you can read about in this article on SAP S/4HANA. But in this article, we have focused on ours lessons that are more specific to human capital management systems.
If you would like to deep dive into any of these lessons, please reach out! We’d be more than happy to share our experiences.
Clare Morris, Director