The steps to acquiring software and hardware systems are basically the same for every project, and time tracking software procurement is no different. However, the consequences are serious when the systems in question interact with virtually every employee in your company. If things go wrong, a company can expect to lose thousands of people-hours and spend thousands of additional dollars on training and maintenance. But if you follow these seven (fairly simple) steps, acquiring time and attendance systems should be relatively painless - and successful.
1) First, find out what your attendance system business processes are currently. Do a thorough audit of your tech capabilities and systems. Review all hardware and software systems that you current run or plan to acquire in the near future. Review your current attendance system and scheduling procedures. Make sure to consult with the folks who interact with the system the most. Review your company’s hours-of-work policy and pay procedures, and the step-by-step attendance system admin details.
2) Draw up your requirements document. First and foremost, what are your technical needs - and limitations? What do you actually need the attendance system software and hardware to do? Seriously, this sounds simple, but it’s the most misunderstood step in this process. Separate essential from nice to have, and don’t revisit of any nice-to-haves unless there is the need for a tie-breaker. Weight your requirements by how operationally essential they are - if the system was down for a day, what processes would simply fail? Rank those first!
3) Request proposals. Send the request to at least five software vendors who specialize in absence management software. Be sure to specify that vendors need not be a perfect fit - if they can’t meet all of your “must-haves,” they can still outline the time and cost of creating something just for you. Inquire about the latest industry developments, and if you can, hire a consultant - one who who can’t bid but knows the technology - to go over the technical details with you before you shortlist the applicants.
4) Call your shortlist and ask them to present. Ask for high-level overviews and a general budget proposal. Pay close attention to the company’s philosophy and dynamics - do they present as a team, or is each component presented separately? This is - seriously! - an important indicator of how well the system’s components will integrate too. Specify that you would really love to see both a software engineer and workflow management expert on the presentation team, not just the sales group.
5) Pick vendors like you’d pick employees - focus on great references, and a winning personality. Then send the winner a letter of intent subject to a reference check. One tip: make sure the reference can address the areas that are most important to your company specifically, and not just the vendor’s services in general.
6) If you can’t find an exact fit, don’t worry - many companies will set up a “proof of concept” period, much like a commercial software trial. Negotiate a set period for a small fee, and test the system. It might be a bit inconvenient, but you may learn more about your requirements this way than if you get a perfect match the first time! Analyze the results, and get quoted on those custom additions that you still require - who knows? If you want it, other people might want it as well!
7) Enjoy! Keep in mind that new time and attendance systems (and their sales teams) always bring huge expectations, and the tendancy is to compare it directly with the old system (which is getting replaced for a reason…) Learning curves often bring mixed reactions as expectations meet reality and users discover that each attendance and time management system functions differently from what they used before. This soon turns into satisfaction, however, as the system is fully learnt, begins to shows its unique strengths, and proves its worth!
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