How to Prepare for Change in Human Capital System Implementations

Human Resources Information System (HRIS) implementations hit at the heart of organizations: they require documentation, review, and revitalization of an organization’s people, processes, and technology. The magnitude of change involved in HRIS implementations is daunting for those involved—both on the internal project side and within the end-user population. A significant number of system implementations fail or are seriously delayed because project sponsors and Program Management Offices (PMOs) separate the technology experts from the experts who focus on change management and, most importantly, from the people who will use the new system. In reality, when only a narrow range of human capital issues are considered, there is a lack of end-user engagement that can often delay adoption of the new system or derail the transformation effort entirely.

The Guidehouse methodology for addressing large-scale change initiatives such as a system implementation is called (re)Vision™. Our (re)Vision methodology is a new way of leading change through three primary building blocks: a people-centric change framework and design process, and behavioral science techniques. In doing so, we help clients consider their strategy, structure, people, processes, and technology at every stage of a transformation. By applying the (re)Vision methodology, we work collaboratively with clients, typically as an integrated team.

Guidehouse’s services are designed to bring lasting benefits to our clients’ organizations, in line with their visions and goals. Finally, our (re)Vision methodology is designed to make change stick. Our practitioners help lay the groundwork needed to facilitate lasting change as a part of the organization’s day-to-day culture. We help clients apply a new approach to solving problems, while focusing on their most important assets—their people.

Application of Guidehouse’s (re)Vision and HRIS methodologies provides a logical approach for driving large-scale organizational transformations. (re)Vision guides project sponsors and PMOs with planning, executing, and facilitating system transformation activities. In this way, the sponsors can engage their people in the right ways early, avoiding many of the common pitfalls experienced by those who follow a traditional approach that focuses solely on technology and ignores human capital considerations and opportunities throughout the HRIS implementation.

This article was co-authored by Kristin Ault.