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| Analyze Your Current Environment |
Make sure you’re completely familiar with the processes, workflow, and environment currently supported by your current payroll system. This will help you identify and clarify your business rules, approval process, and reporting procedures. This information will help you choose the features and setup you’ll need for workflow and security.
Identify the Stakeholders within Your Organization
To garner support from internal executives, address any concerns quickly and completely. The likelihood of success depends on their endorsement of this process, so be sure to emphasize the financial benefits of the move and explain how you can make the change without a disruption to the business. If you have a spreadsheet from your initial study of business objectives, you may want to share that or a high-level overview of your analysis. Getting input from your company’s leadership will help eliminate the possibility of overlooking steps and may allow you to clear up any potential obstacles before they become problems.
Prioritize the Company’s Goals
Early on in the process, identify the features that will foster the greatest benefits to your business and focus on implementing those successfully. Although it’s easy to get excited about lots of new bells and whistles, begin with areas that demonstrate a clear financial benefit to your company. This prioritization process will bring about a greater sense of acceptance among managers, especially if they are not bombarded with features that seemingly don’t apply to them.
Identify Key Measures
Companies need to consider a few factors before they get started: data storage expenses for keeping documents and payroll data online for years, security costs, the need for a data recovery plan, as well as 24-7accessibility if the company is making itself the employee’s primary source for payroll history by eliminating physical check stubs. Other production and distribution expenses to keep in mind include:
• paychecks;
• handbooks;
• personnel forms;
• letters and other communications;
• reports;
• storage.
Also keep in mind your administration costs, such as cycle times and accuracy. And don’t forget to factor in turnover/retention and plan participation.
Implement in Phases
Even the most willing audience will need some time to adjust to changes in technology, so devise a step-by-step approach to the rollout, listing the most easily achieved benefit first, and don’t feel the need to rush through any plans. Remember that, even though this may seem like a boon for your workforce and company, employees may need extra time to recognize those benefits and therefore may be slower to jump on board. Therefore, don’t overestimate the program’s initial success and cost savings. Some companies begin by establishing electronic delivery and printing nonnegotiable paper copies for employees. They then transition into no copies.
Define Your Communication and Training Plans
Once your executives are on board, begin communicating with your company’s managers. Clearly describe the benefits for employees and the business. As the concept gains acceptance from the managers, let your employees know about the plan, how it will be implemented, its impact on them, and when changes will begin to take place. Be sure to keep them apprised of new developments as they occur before, during, and after the rollout to reinforce the value of the move to a paperless environment. Provide training and online tutorials to get people acquainted with the program, and discuss the benefits of a paperless environment in meetings, through employee portals and newsletters, and during one-on-one conversations. By doing this, you will ensure a smoother and more positive transition.
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