Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions are top of mind for human resources (HR) leaders these days. New technology from Workday, SAP’s SuccessFactors and Oracle HCM – Human Capital Management Cloud continue to take market share from traditional enterprise resource planning (ERP) platforms. However, in their race to get up and running, many organizations do not adequately prepare for how life will change after go-live. This is a problem.
For those committed to an HR technology change now or in the near future, consider the following Top 5 ways to plan effectively for business as usual (BAU) and to get the most out of your new global SaaS environment.
1. Define your operating model. Paint a clear picture of the interrelationship of post go-live service providers, operational processes, technologies and shared services tiered support models. Achieving the greatest overall value from a new delivery model begins with a clear understanding of the future state.
2. Consider the impact on business processes. Adapt your business operations support processes, including request for service, technical change management, release and deployment management, identity and access management, for your new global SaaS environment.
3. Create new roles to support the operating model. Designate support responsibilities well in advance of go-live. Appoint internal staff to be responsible for ongoing configuration changes, new releases and interfaces to downstream systems and operations. Create new process roles (e.g., SaaS Service Owner, E2E Issue Coordinator, HR Release Controller, Governance Manager, Request for Change Service Manager and Demand Manager) to support global business operations.
4. Solve for service ownership. Establish the role of a SaaS Service Owner to ensure the resources and capabilities are in place to deliver the SaaS service as expected and to provide a single voice back to the SaaS vendor regarding requirements, release plans and issues.
5. Establish service governance. Establish a governance framework, including meetings and committees, to streamline and improve decision-making and global coordination. Having a clear governance structure in place will help to address future challenges as they come up.
ISG helps companies with end-to-end HR transformation, including preparing for operations in their post go-live global SaaS environment. If you’re ready to discuss your vision for transformed HR operations, contact us for strategic insight.
