Deploying an HRIS: 7 tips for a successful project

A cornerstone tool in human resources management, an HRIS makes it possible to structure and improve processes that are fragile, too scattered, or managed manually. But SMEs and mid-sized companies do not have the funds or the significant time needed to devote to a complete overhaul of their software. This is even more true for Swiss companies, which must be able to keep operating with their local specificities. That is why your HRIS project must be built around your real problems and structured methodically. Here are our 7 tips for succeeding with your HR information system implementation project.

1. Diagnose your real pain points before choosing a tool

The first step in an HRIS project is to make a useful diagnosis: identify your real points of friction. To do this, determine which issue costs you the most or takes the most time today. It could be:

• duplicate entry: having to enter the same information into different tools, or send it through other channels before it reaches payroll;

• requests sent by email that flood your inboxes and make tracking difficult;

• data scattered across multiple Excel files, tabs and versions.

This is what we could call the Bermuda Triangle of HR: this artisanal way of working is tedious and not very secure, especially as your company grows. A good HRIS should help you solve the real problems first that your HR team faces every day.  

Start from the field and ask your HR team what their problems are. This provides excellent diagnostic material. For example, feedback such as “we have hundreds of unprocessed requests” or “the information is not the same from one file to another” tells you which aspects to prioritize in your HR transformation project.

Let’s take an example: if your HR manager complains about a “forest of files” for absences, certificates and employee data, then your priority is data centralization and a self-service portal to replace parallel files rather than talent management modules.

2. Prioritize 2 or 3 highest-impact processes before scaling

An HRIS deploys faster when it starts with a narrow scope. If you want to digitize several processes, choose a small number to test the tool. Choose processes that combine these 3 criteria:

• A high frequency;

• A strong pain point;

• A visible gain quickly.

In many Swiss SMEs and mid-sized companies, the best entry points are here:

• Payroll preparation and salary variables;

• Self-service for absences, certificates, data changes and HR documents.

Imagine your HR team has mapped 47 processes to digitize. This mapping offers a good overall view, but you gain deployment efficiency if you start with 3 major workstreams, such as payroll preparation, absences and the employee file.

This discipline brings 2 immediate benefits: on the one hand, it speeds up go-live. On the other hand, it creates visible quick wins for managers, employees and the executive committee.

3. Involve users from the start to ensure adoption

Beyond functional richness, you should choose an HRIS whose uses become natural from the very first clicks. A good HRIS project enables rapid adoption. For example, plan for a tool that allows:

• Employees to submit an absence, find a document or update their data in self-service;

• The manager to approve a request quickly;

• HR to manage the workflows with a clear view.

An intuitive interface allows you to save time on training for the new tool. And this becomes central for a multi-site, or even multilingual, company.

Concretely, the ideal operating logic with your effective HRIS rests on:

• A self-service portal;

• A HR services catalog;

• Data update campaigns, with automated reminders.

This approach creates a consistent experience for all users, while supporting a data crowdsourcing logic: everyone updates their data at the right time.

Field example: in a multi-site company, managers were still approving absences by email “to go faster”. After deploying a simple, clear portal, requests move through a single channel, HR tracks approvals in real time and HR email volume drops sharply. In the best-adopted rollouts, this drop can reach 80 %.

4. Secure the payroll connector during the selection phase

In Switzerland, the link between the HRIS and payroll is one of the most decisive levers in the project. A native connector with Abacus, ProConcept or your fiduciary firm directly transforms how HR works: the team moves from entry to auditing, from recopying to control. Likewise, this setup allows HR to keep their current tools. The HRIS connects them together and streamlines exchanges between the modules.

To choose your tool, ask yourself the following questions:

• How are salary variables sent upstream?

• How are absences and special cases handled?

• How does the tool handle the LTR, collective bargaining agreements, withholding tax and night or weekend premiums?

• How does the system absorb multi-site realities?

• How are exceptions managed before sending to payroll?

Imagine a company operating 3 sites, applying several agreements and preparing payroll with an engine already in place. The priority then is to make the flow of data to payroll reliable. From there, the HR team controls discrepancies, validates exceptions and regains peace of mind as the 25th of the month approaches.

This point deserves real rigor in selection. International solutions such as Lucca or PayFit may be appealing for their UX. However, a Swiss SME also expects native local compliance and robust payroll integration. It is this combination that gives the project credibility over time.

5. Choose a tool that gives HR real autonomy

The success of an HRIS rollout also depends on the level of autonomy left to the business teams. HR benefits from being able to create or adjust themselves:

• The workflows;

• The forms;

• The checklists;

• The approvals;

• The data collection campaigns.

Choose an HRIS offering a No-Code HR tool approach, which allows deployment without an integrator. This ensures HR can evolve their tool themselves, at the pace of the field, with lighter governance and smoother adoption.

For example, if your company wants to adapt onboarding for 2 sites, 3 populations and a bilingual FR/DE operation, choose a tool configurable by HR. That way, the team can adjust the workflows directly as field needs evolve. Likewise, it can adapt its modules to the 3 populations and create modules without having to create a mini IT project each time.

This logic also fits into a healthier economic model. A subscription that includes unlimited support and updates supports an OPEX model, meaning a current operating cost that is clear and compatible with continuous improvement. This is the most coherent approach for SMEs and mid-sized companies that want to move fast.

6. Measure ROI from the first month

Moving forward gradually in your HRIS project also makes it possible to measure returns on investment quickly. For this, a simple dashboard is more than enough. It can rely on a few very clear indicators:

• The volume of HR emails per week;

• The time spent preparing payroll;

• The number of corrections or re-entry actions;

• The adoption rate of the employee portal;

• The level of completeness of HR files;

• The average processing time for routine requests.

A quick measurement of ROI makes it possible to convince leadership with operational proof. It also creates a calmer dynamic for HR digital transformation, because everyone can see where the gains are created.

7. Keep the steering focus: reverse the HR iceberg

The real direction of an HRIS project is to shift HR time toward high-value missions. Too often, these make up the visible part of the HR iceberg. The submerged part, by contrast, is made up of time-consuming and unnecessary administrative work.

The HRIS must make it possible to reverse this iceberg: in other words, your tool must free up the time spent on administration so it can be devoted to the heart of HR's business:

• Onboarding;

• Managerial coaching;

• Talent management and retention;

• Company culture;

• Skills development;

• Improving quality of work life.

The goal should be to streamline, or even automate, all administrative processes that can be streamlined (entries, reminders, controls, repetitive requests, document tracking, data corrections). A successful HRIS rollout automates this layer and makes HR value visible.

This shift also changes the perception of the HR function. HR becomes more visible on the subjects that matter to leadership and to teams. It then acts fully as a performance lever.

In conclusion: the HRIS is an HR transformation, not an IT project

Succeeding with your HRIS project requires a clear method. The right sequence is to:

• Diagnose your main problems first;

• Then choose 2 or 3 high-impact processes;

• Secure user adoption;

• Frame the payroll connector with rigor;

• Aim for HR autonomy;

• Measure visible gains quickly.

The HRIS then becomes an HR transformation led by the business teams, with IT as an execution partner. In this configuration, the ROI becomes solid: data flows better, payroll becomes more reliable, requests flow more smoothly and HR gets time back for human support.