Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • Maternity & Paternity
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • Maternity & Paternity
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Payroll software

How to handle payroll software product demonstrations

by Personnel Today 20 May 2010
by Personnel Today 20 May 2010

Once you have made the decision to invest in new payroll software, you’re faced with the difficult process of deciding exactly which supplier to go with. This will inevitably lead to the product demonstration.

The most common mistake HR managers can make when researching the different products available is leaning back and waiting to be impressed, says Brian Bennyworth, group HR director at housing association LHA-ASRA.

“It’s so easy to be dazzled, and vendors will try to sell you all sorts of things you never thought you needed, and you’ll end up paying for stuff you never use,” he says.

Create a shortlist

Instead, consider creating a shortlist of three to five vendors who offer products that seem appropriate. Next, before speaking to any supplier, work with your colleagues to draw up a requirements list:

  • What does the software need to do?
  • What are the requirements in terms of cost, integration, training?
  • What are essentials and what are just ‘nice to have’ software features?

Demonstrations

With this list in hand, invite your shortlisted HR software vendors to provide a live software demonstration.

“Communicate your requirements to the vendor; they will appreciate knowing what you’re looking for and being able to demonstrate the solution appropriately,” says Mina Kumari, HR director at internet service provider Star Internet.

At the demonstration, ask the vendor to show you how the HR software will handle a typical process – using your organisation as a model.

There’s little use in seeing how a payroll software system handles a weekly salary run if you pay employees monthly, for example.

Keep score

Use detailed score cards to record details of each demonstration, otherwise it can be hard to remember which HR software packages had specific features and functions.

After the demonstration, debrief with colleagues – talk about your impressions and see if there are any remaining questions about potential software solutions.

Other top tips

  • If you’re not the person who works most with your current HR software system, try to include others in your department in the product demonstrations. They will have a better understanding of the importance of certain features and benefits
  • Try not to get overly impressed by gimmicks. Remember the practicalities
  • Quiz the person demonstrating the product to you. Don’t let them simply deliver their sales spiel, without putting it all into the context of your department and your organisation.FrontierPayrollPyramidNorthgateCeridianBondTeamSpiritAdvanced mktoMunchkin(“589-ITG-580”);

Avatar
Personnel Today

previous post
Malmaison & Hotel du Vin HR chief Sean Wheeler to leave for new post at Dorchester Collection
next post
Technology blurs boundaries between work and home for ‘Generation Standby’

You may also like

Payroll services at some firms disrupted after Kronos...

17 Dec 2021

Hybrid working: How to develop a truly agile...

19 Nov 2021

MHR granted Royal Warrant for supply of HR...

10 Sep 2021

Former boss behind MyPayrollHR fraud in US sentenced...

10 Aug 2021

Why data analytics is the first step to...

3 Mar 2021

Personnel Today Awards 2020: HR Technology Award shortlist

5 Nov 2020

Personnel Today Awards 2020: HR Tech Provider of...

30 Oct 2020

Statutory sick pay rebate: how to prepare your...

23 Jun 2020

Payroll departments under pressure but ‘unsung heroes of...

6 May 2020

Handling an acquisition during the coronavirus crisis

26 Mar 2020
  • Apprenticeships are the solution to your recruitment problems PROMOTED | Apprenticeships have the pulling power...Read more
  • What it really means to be mentally fit PROMOTED | What is mental fitness...Read more
  • How music can help to ease anxiety at work PROMOTED | A lot has happened since March 2020, hasn’t it?...Read more
  • Why now is the time to plug the unhealthy gap PROMOTED | We’ve all heard the term ‘health is wealth’...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2022

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2022 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • Maternity & Paternity
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+