Two Heads and Two Platforms Are Better than One HRIS. Or not?

It all starts when you put the leaves in order for the first time. Get a platform that makes it easy to report and confirm them. Then you should keep the receipts and petty cash well-ordered. So, you can pay for a tool that handles it effortlessly. How about tracking the employees’ working time? I’m sure, there are digital timecard terminals. But how about some tool for timetracking? And finally, some kind of database to store employees’ personal information and documentation. It’s only a dollar per person monthly. Not so bad.

Maybe you know it. A thousand requirements and a thousand tools. Professionally, it’s called “overtooling” and some consultants call it today’s digital plague. Certainly, it’s not just about HR.

According to a recent survey by the Czech company Fidoo, office companies have 7.1 subscriptions to various services with the average fee 170 CZK.

The situation is similar when we look at specialised tools in individual departments which are often the company within the company.

Overtooling – a necessity or a habit?

All right, time for questions. So how many tools should a company use?  No one can give you the answer because it depends on which stage you’re in. You’ll more likely to have the most tools at the very beginning of launching new processes or debugging the change. Later, when the processes will be stabilized, the number of the tools will decrease. Moreover, the ones used the most often will be connected via API. Why? The law of business evolution.

A large number of tools entails a lower efficiency threshold. By the time, you’ll be spending more and more time by maintaining a disparate system with a lower return over time than trying to maintain a compact system.

In the first phase, it’s natural that you want to try out the tools and decide if you really need them. So, you’ll have more tools than the real process needs are and particularly what the real savings are. Over time, you’ll reduce the tools and you’ll be glad to change saved money and time if any of the tools doesn’t fit your needs for 100%.

Useful vocabulary:

• Overtooling – a larger number of various software tools than needed.
• Undertooling – a lower number of software tools than needed.
• Effectivity Treshold – an efficiency threshold created by your mix of programs.
• Underutilization – low using of paid software functions and options.
• Sunk Costs – the costs of programs you actually don’t use.
• Ghost Fee – program fee you pay for without knowing about it – e.g. for a forgotten licence.
• Ghost Users – the users for whom you pay licences even though they don’t work in the company any more.

Have you already decided about the HR software mix? What should you beware of?

Setting up software tools is a complex discipline and it’ll probably be trial and error method. However, if you follow a few simple rules, you’ll get to a right goal soon.

• A real need: Do you really need this tool? Isn’t it just curiosity that becomes a habit? Before you activate the demo, think about how to accomplish the goal differently by using the current software.
• Integration and compatibility: Will the new tool be able to communicate with others? Don’t you put your head in a noose by activating it, knowing that it’ll keep your data up to date by syncing it manually?
• Flexibility and scalability: Your company grows and changes. Will the software be able to do that? How much is a license when you grow twice the size? What about if you want to limit certain functions?
• Data security and protection: Data protection is crucial in HR. Even if it’s just a piece of personal data puzzle, everything must be absolutely bulletproof. Claims will find you.
• Support and training: Do you really want to be the one who will train people for another service? Choose wisely. A service with plenty of instructional videos on YouTube is the best solution.
• Real costs: We’ve already mentioned this issue. Every company knows that you have to start at low price and then heat it up. Check how much it is for the functions you aren’t using at the moment but you’ll need them later.
• Updates and upgrades: Make sure that the company has its own roadmap and won’t stay still.
• Experience and references: When choosing a software, look for recommendations. You probably won’t go to a restaurant without checking the reviews. So, why don’t you do the same in case of software?
• Compatibility with legislation: What sort of market is the service intended for? A website in Czech language doesn’t mean that it follows Czech legislation.
• Data access and reporting: Can you get data out of the service when needed? If not, you’ll regret it one day.
• Reliability and stability: You want something that won’t let you down at the worst possible moment. Overseas services could deal with some troubles – from annoying but acceptable ones, e.g. longer response time, to major failures.

 Is all-in-one platform the only way? Consider the following five arguments

Well, is all-in-one, a big and robust platform, the only way? Basically, probably yes. Let’s follow the rule that the more heads we have the more key systems that we’re responsible for we should have. Then, you should be really careful to choose the right one. What should you beware of?

1. Perhaps the biggest risk is a vendor lock-in, i.e. dependence on a single supplier to whom you lie at the mercy of. Changing it is usually a painful process and unfortunately some people calculate on this fact promptly. Imagine the situation when they want to increase the price by 10%. You would rather clench your teeth than calculate the costs that would be associated with a complete change of the supplier. Moreover, a new supplier might do the same. So, check the terms of a contract and data migration possibilities carefully to be sure you can leave any time.
2. Professional platforms – HRIS is definitely one of them – are also really sensitive to the experts in their teams. The lack of them usually leads to choosing the wrong priorities in the development over time, targeting out of professional public and generally not getting the best of what you need. Therefore, check the technical knowledge of the supplier and their consulting skills. Make sure that your provider offers robust customer support and training that doesn’t stop at tool introductions but has much deeper practical overlap.
3. There’s another related issue: technology and needs change rapidly, so it’s important that your HRIS system is constantly innovating and adding new functions. Before choosing the platform, find out how often the provider releases updates and how responsive they are to changes in HR. The roadmap influenced by the clients themselves should be a standard. Because only the platform working like this will help you to be competitive.
4. Pay close attention to payment plans as well. How often does the supplier increase the price? Does it limit the functions as the time goes to force you to pay for more expensive plan? Don’t be afraid to ask their suppliers. In particular, look for transparent pricing models with no hidden fees.
5. One last key thing. Each company has its own specific needs. That’s why it’s important that HRIS offers personalization and customization options. Search for a platform that allows you to customize processes to your needs and provides modules you can add or remove as needed.

What about Sloneek?

Sloneek claims to belong to the all-in-one group. We created our HR platform to cover full spectrum of HR functions such as recruitment, onboarding, attendance or employee journey management. However, we dare to go far – competency models, employee feedback or even AI assistance in HR.

We insist on one thing: each model is created with utmost care and attention to detail to ensure a high level of functionality. So, as a result, we’re great as a main HRIS platform and also in individual tools.

Verdict

Using all-in-one HRIS platform provides a comprehensive solution that integrates all HR functions into one system. It simplifies management, minimises the need to switch between different tools and reduces the risk of errors and inefficiency. Implementation and maintenance costs are lower due to one platform that covers everything what you need.

On the contrary, multiple tools approach allows companies to select specialised tools for each function. It can cause greater flexibility and specific functions but also more complex integration and higher overall costs. Coordination between different tools can be time consuming and require more resources to maintain.

If you’re looking for an efficient, cost-effective and easy-to-manage solution, all-in-one HRIS platform is a better choice. For specific needs and a higher level of customization, multiple tools may be more appropriate but you have to be aware of higher costs and more complex management.