Select the right HR, Payroll and Finance software for your business

While it’s possible for you to research vendors on your own, it is hard to make the right decision without the correct expertise. Sometimes when a company takes this route, they find they don’t know the right questions to ask, other times they miss out on seemingly small but critical requirements that end up causing problems down the line.

At Phase 3 we match companies up with their most suitable vendor every day. Our people bring years of experience and industry knowledge to the table, helping you avoid issues with software that might not be obvious. We also understand the future roadmaps of software solutions, which can be a key factor in making the right choice. Our people will do everything they can to ensure you’re able to make a fully informed decision – try getting that from a Google search!

Choosing and implementing new software takes a lot more time and effort than many people realise. On average, selecting a system requires about 125 hours of internal time, time that will take people away from the primary responsibilities of their role.

The process can quickly become overwhelming, especially for those without previous experience of running a System Selection process. Between lack of experience and trying to juggle their usual job alongside, things may end up taking longer or running into unexpected issues. It’s much more efficient to work with experts who can navigate the selection process smoothly.

Unfortunately, business systems are lot like shoes, what fits one company doesn’t necessarily fit another. So, while a piece of software may have worked well for you when you were in another job, it may not suit your current company. Every organisation has its own specific setup and requirements, and it’s important to evaluate new systems based on that company’s specific needs and processes.

A System Selection Partner like Phase 3 helps guide you through every step of the process to find the best software solution for your business. Our team provides impartial advice and brings a wealth of industry experience to the table, ensuring that we select a system that truly fits your requirements.

Rather than getting bogged down in the technical details of different software options, we focus on understanding your organisation’s goals and priorities, giving you more time to focus on what matters most: achieving your business objectives and delivering the best experience for your employees.

We remain completely independent from software vendors, which means we bring no personal biases or outside influences into the decision-making process. Unlike internal teams, who may have strong preferences for certain tools based on past experiences, we focus solely on what’s right for your organisation. We also challenge the idea of simply transferring outdated processes into a new system, sometimes it’s the process itself that needs improvement, and we’ll be here to help with that too.

A system selection project is a thorough, multi-step process. We start by defining your needs in the pre-selection and procurement stage, where we help outline exactly what you’re looking for. Then, we dive into gathering requirements and designing business processes, ensuring that any new system will align with your company’s goals. We move on to evaluating and shortlisting potential vendors through the tender process, followed by product demonstrations where you get to see the software in action. After that, we’ll guide you through decision-making and due diligence to ensure you’re making an informed choice.

Once the decision is made, we’ll assist with contract negotiations to ensure everything is in place, and finally, we kick off the project initiation, setting the stage for a smooth implementation.

Many businesses underestimate the true cost of selecting and implementing new software. In fact, 90% of customers misunderstand the budget required for software and typically underestimate costs. But by working with Phase 3, you’ll get a clearer picture of what’s involved and avoid costly surprises down the line. Our expertise helps you make smarter, more cost-effective decisions, ensuring that the software you choose delivers value over time and doesn’t lead to unnecessary spending.

When you don’t approach a System Selection project correctly, you’ll probably find yourself facing some long-term challenges. For a start, you may experience delays (which were completely avoidable) just because the right questions weren’t asked early on. You also run the risk of poor adoption and engagement from your team. Failing to ask the right questions to the right people and discovering what they really need from it, can make the system unsuitable and put your people off it from the get-go.

You don’t want to find yourself wasting time and resources on a process that doesn’t result in the best solution. Worse still, you could end up overspending on a system that doesn’t meet your needs.  You may even find that you need to find a whole new system to replace the poorly selected one, doubling the cost and time involved.