Summary: Discover how to seamlessly integrate a modern payroll and scheduling system into your heavy industry operations with our blog's four essential steps. From selecting the right implementation team to ensuring compliance with regulations, streamline your transition and maximize efficiency.
Is your scheduling and payroll software disconnected and outdated, creating more issues than it resolves across your manufacturing locations and job sites?
You need a better way to reduce and manage labor costs. You've concluded that you need an integrated payroll and scheduling HR system—what's next? How do you integrate your new software with your existing team and processes and ensure that you comply with all the regulations that weigh on the heavy industry?
Here are four ways to ease the transition into a new integrated payroll and scheduling system for your business.
1. Your implementation team should know your company and your industry
A practical implementation team should, first and foremost, lighten your implementation burden! It should thoroughly understand your specific payroll and scheduling needs - what the new HR system needs to accomplish, how data should be entered, and the successes and failures of the current systems.
In addition, your team should also know the ins and outs of your specific industry and be able to respond to inquiries about how the system will address particular problems. Companies in heavy industry have to consider government regulations, cross-border workforce and international regulatory issues, and environmental impact and compliance issues, to name a few! Having a vendor partner who has the knowledge and experience in payroll management for heavy industry can craft your new system to meet your company's needs.
Although the biggest vendor seems like the "safe" choice, they can also be rigid and have a set implementation process. Smaller vendors can offer personalized service, individual attention, and tailored advice for your industry and company. A more flexible approach can ensure a better fit for your new system.
2. The implementation should work with your existing system
A vendor who is very rigid about how to implement a new system and expects you to change your processes to suit the new software will make implementation enormously stressful and time-consuming. Before you forge ahead with a vendor and a new system, talk to some of its customers, including those in heavy industry occupations with similar concerns to yours.
Implementing new HR software for heavy industry shouldn't upend your existing business or be an unreasonable burden on your employees. A reliable vendor will assist in overcoming resistance from staff members who are hesitant to change their routines due to the new system. The implementation process is much more than learning to use new software! An excellent implementation team will help you deal with people issues that are essential to your success with the new system and help everyone in your organization work together.
3. Implementation shouldn't cost a fortune
Everyone hears horror stories of companies implementing a new HR system and spending upwards of $3,000 per employee! High costs indicate that your vendor and implementation team may need to be better suited to your business. Implementation problems can result in significant energy and money waste and frustrate you and your employees.
Two of the significant factors that lead to out-of-control costs are:
- Unclear leadership. Make sure there is a clear definition of project leadership on both the client and vendor sides. The project lead must have the authority to make decisions on the client side. When clients bring in outside consultants to lead the project, they may face challenges if the consultant needs more insight into how their organization works and needs more authority to make necessary decisions. Without clear leadership, there is a risk of improper deployment of team resources and unclear prioritization, leading to additional time and costs to realign the project with its original goals. Knowing who leads the implementation team and collaborates with the client lead is essential on the vendor side.
- Unclear goals and timelines. In addition to strong leadership, the project team requires clear plans and timelines developed in collaboration with the vendor project manager. Regular team meetings are essential to ensure that priorities are clear and to facilitate knowledge sharing among team members as they acquire new information daily.
4. Implementation should be just the beginning
Most importantly, your vendor should show interest in forming a long-term relationship after your new system is in place! If you have any issues after implementation, you want to know who will take your calls and follow-up questions. You need implementation partners who understand that this is a vital and ongoing process of change and know how to ensure its long-term success.
StarGarden's implementation team will work with you from start to finish, analyzing your company's new HR system needs, outlining an implementation plan, helping you through the installation and implementation process, and being available for your ongoing questions and troubleshooting needs.
Click the link below to download our white paper detailing how StarGarden can help your heavy industry company implement a more efficient, integrated HR system. Contact us today to get started!
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