“Is that configurable?”
Make sure to see all the pieces
The most popular question asked in HR system demos these days does not concern functionality, but rather configurability. This makes sense based on the increasing focus on speed, agility, and value. But, much like the error handling questions of a decade+ ago, getting an answer of “yes” is not sufficient. Seeing is believing. So, don’t accept yes for an answer. Insist on digging deeper.
What does error handling have to do with configuration?
When HR systems were focused on transactions, it was exceedingly important that a transaction be successful – that the user complete the transaction, that the entry not conflict with anything else in the database, and that the resulting data have integrity. Meanwhile, the sexy and preferred demo focused on the positives. “Look how easy it is to add an employee!” There was really no point in dwelling on the negatives (“what if something goes wrong?”). Success was a more compelling picture to paint.
As organizations started to experience transactional systems, they started to witness the drawbacks of unsuccessful transactions first hand. They then started to ask questions in demos – “If I enter a duplicate social security number, will I get an error?” Most vendors would answer yes. But of course, a simple yes wasn’t sufficient. Eventually, organizations realized they had to see how the error was handled – was it easy to decipher? would it lead to a successful transaction? Could the user progress as intended? Buyers became more sophisticated. They put pressure on vendors to demonstrate that they were handling errors properly. They insisted on seeing it.
Today, proper error handling is table stakes. But configuration is not. It is still at that early stage. But it’s time to push vendors to the next level with configuration – ask the how questions and insist on a demo of what you’re asking for.
What to ask for?
Configuration is not a sexy demo. At least, not the kind of configuration that is really going to matter. Functionality and usability demos are plentiful – these demos show you a better world, a positive world of wide-spread adoption and strategic value. Configuration demos, meanwhile, are messy. They presume that the vendor’s out-of-the box solution is not perfectly suited to you. They make things more complicated – even if the configuration itself is “easy.”
There are increasingly powerful levels of configuration. It’s important to understand the different levels and how important they are to you in terms of accomplishing your goals. And, it is critically important to ask two questions for each level that matters to you:
- If I make this configuration, will it require any work on my part to take an update or upgrade?
- Can you show me how this is done?
With each increasingly powerful level of configuration, it is less likely to be “upgrade safe” and it is more complicated to show. Know where you draw the line and know where the vendor draws the line.
- Add, Drag & Drop user interface – moving/hiding/adding sections and portlets. Most vendors can do this and it’s the most likely spot where you’ll see a configuration demo without specifically asking for it. Make sure to ask where exactly this kind of configuration can be used and where it can’t.
- Label & column changes – pretty standard fare these days, but do be sure.
- Business rules associated with fields – can the choice lists, error processing, and derived information be changed? Now we’re getting a little more sophisticated.
- Business process changes – beyond the page level rules, can you alter the sequence of steps that result from the information?
- Adding a field and the associated business rules and business processes – does adding a field affect not just the UI, but also analytics and the business process framework? This could be considered the most basic level of extensibility.
- Creating pages, combining elements of existing pages, creating new navigation – For example, you want to create a talent profile that is geared toward recruiters and has a completely different UI than that used by the rest of the population. This is a much more advanced form of extensibility and is much less likely to be upgrade safe.
- Extending the application to leverage tools in a completely new and different way. For example, you like that performance/potential matrix and you want to leverage the tool for evaluating recruiting sources. This is extremely advanced and requires more of a platform-as-a-service approach.
Bottom line: configuration is key to keeping up-to-date with your software package and, therefore, maximizing the value you bring to your organization. Make sure your vendor is delivering the configuration you need by getting sophisticated with your questions and insisting on seeing it in action.
Your POV: Is there a configuration level missing from my list? Where do you draw the line in your expectations?
