University Business - May 2007 - (Page 27)

HUMAN RESOURCES Make Smart Technology Decisions—Involve IT Know what to ask about upgrades and new technology, and HR will be better off. By Carol Patton W HEN THE HR DEPART ment at Western Michigan University wants to upgrade its software, the process is not as simple as placing an order with the IT department. Even if the cost is budgeted for, HR’s request must be prioritized and weighed against those from other departments or administrators by a change control committee that meets monthly to review each and every IT change on campus. “The days of buying technology by IT staff are long gone,” says Viji Murali, vice president of IT and chief information officer at WMU in Kalamazoo, which supports approximately 25,000 students and 3,500 faulty and staff. The committee was formed about eight years ago, when most, if not all, tech requests were honored without thought to their future impact. Therein lies the problem. A software program may be great for HR, but not for the school’s technology infrastructure. Likewise, HR’s request could impact other departments or delay implementation of an important project. For nearly 20 years, selecting technology for any department at some colleges and universities has been a team effort involving IT. Yet there are still departments that rarely cross borders, due to limited staff and resources or old-fashioned thinking. While each institution’s technology processes or controls may differ, HR professionals have learned a very important lesson: IT must be involved from the front end to the back end of the selection process. Otherwise, HR leaders can expect prob- Some HR departments cling to old paper-laden processes. lems that may compromise long-term goals and even dent colleague relationships. This advice may sound simple. And it has become painfully obvious at schools with more rigid walls, both between departments and among staff who work together. Art Brooks, vice president of sales at BeneTrac, a San Diego-based technology and services company that specializes in HR, says some university HR departments he has worked with rarely mix with IT. They still cling to old paper-laden processes, don’t understand basic tech terminology, and have confused expectations of software. Worse yet, they sometimes base tech decisions on inaccurate information because they don’t ask the right questions. Before HR even considers an upgrade or new technology, Brooks says, its leaders need to analyze current practices. Then they can begin to look ahead: What are the technology’s hard and soft costs? How does it impact employees? What is the bottom line? What is the return-on-investment? ROI is something many schools don’t measure. But it can help HR professionals objectively determine how well their current systems are working. Compare the costs against the ROI for the latest technology products offered by vendors. Although vendors’ numbers may be skewed, at the very least they can serve as a guideline. “Know what you’re doing now—the cost or benefit of it,” advises Brooks. “Compare apples to apples.” His company offers an online ROI calculator that can be adapted for schools. And don’t forget to ask vendors about timelines. For example, who’s responsible for the implementation of the software? How long will it take? What additional resources will be needed? How much HR involvement is required? If implementation or even maintenance is labor intensive for HR, you may decide to look elsewhere. TWO HEADS BETTER THAN ONE Back at WMU, Murali explains that its change control committee was developed to avoid potential problems. Each of her 105-member staff is an expert on certain software products. For instance, the three employees assigned to HR are responsible for knowing the ins and outs of each product used by the department. When HR has a tech request, someone first approaches any of these designated HR-IT Carol Patton is a Las Vegas–based freelance writer who specializes in covering HR issues. universitybusiness.com May 2007 | 27 http://universitybusiness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - May 2007

Contents
College Index
Advisory Board
Company Index
Editor's Note
Behind the News
Viewpoint
Money Matters
Marketing
Human Resources
Financial Aid
Community Colleges
The Innocents Abroad
The Big Business of Research
What’s New in A/V
The Kids Are All Right
Designing a Unified Campus
Business Technology
What's New
Calendar of Events
Direct Connect
End Note

University Business - May 2007