We often get asked about the steps companies should go about to ensure a successful Employee Interaction Center implementation. The list below contains some of the major items we have seen be part of many successful EIC implementations.
Deployment Strategy- SAP offers flexible deployment options as there are two versions of the Employee Interaction Center. It is important for customers to understand the functionality and differences with each in order to determine the best fit for their organization. It is hard to be successful if you don’t choose the correct piece of software. We have written a more in-depth article on HR Expert called Understanding the Deployment Options for the SAP Employee Interaction Center (EIC).
Education/Training- All too often on ERP implementations training is an afterthought and key users end up getting training just prior to go-live (or in some cases not at all). We recommend that education starts even before the project officially begins with detailed presentations to key project team members showing the capabilities of EIC. This will help the entire team be on the same page during the requirement gathering as well as start the project off on the right foot. Training development should start as soon as the EIC system is operational and we have seen a lot of success with the train the trainer approach.
Consultants- It is important that if consultants are going to be utilized for an EIC project that they have previous implementation experience and the proper skill set. We have seen this be the single biggest issue on EIC projects and often get asked what skill set the consultants should have.
For ERP EIC we would recommend at a bare minimum they have the following.
Participated in multiple EIC implementations
Expertise in Case Management
Experience with Enhancement Packages
Expertise in Organizational Management and Personnel Administration
Expertise in CTI integration.
Expertise with HCM and HR Data
For CRM EIC we would recommend at a bare minimum they have the following.
Participated in multiple EIC implementations.
Experience with CRM 7.0 or CRM 2007
Strong skills in CRM “transaction” concept
Expertise with setting up and maintaining ALE connection for the download of specific HR data from HCM
Expertise with CRM Shared Services Business Role
Expertise with Configuring the CRM Web UI
Expertise with Configuring the Employee search process
Expertise in Case Management
Expertise in CTI integration
Knowledge Transfer- A successful EIC implementation should not be judged by the day it goes live. It is important that the internal project team has been actively involved during the implementation and have the necessary skill set to provide ongoing support to the system. We recommend that clients discuss this with their consulting partners from day one to ensure this is a key project deliverable.
This is by no means a complete list but by following the above you will ensure that your Employee Interaction Center is on the road to success.
