Four example scenarios to run through during your HRMS demos

When it comes to effective HRMS software demos, having well-scripted scenarios for your vendors is the key. Scenarios ensure that all vendors and their products are judged against the same measures, making it easier for you to compare what might appear to be wildly different products.

We’ve covered the basics of HRMS demos elsewhere and even laid out the basic components of a demo script. Let's now explore four critical scenarios applicable to any organization.

1. Basic access and navigation

• System walkthrough: Demonstrate the user interface and overall navigation.
• Customization options: Show how users can personalize their dashboards and navigation settings
• Online support options: Showcase the availability and accessibility of online support resources.
• If available, show hot key options.
• Error messaging: Highlight how the system communicates errors to users.
• Keyboard shortcuts: If available, present any hotkey functionalities.​
• Mobile accessibility: Demonstrate system access via mobile devices to emphasize flexibility.

2. System security

• Database security measures: Explain how the system safeguards its database.
• Role-based access: Describe the different access levels assigned based on user roles.
• Access configuration: Set up a group with 'read-only' access to all system data, another
  with 'editing' privileges for all system data, and assign a managerial user 'editing' access exclusively for their team members.

Use this step-by-step guide to HRMS demos to evaluate vendor presentations and make the right selection decision

3. Employee self-service

• Access points: Demonstrate universal access routes to ESS, such as desktop terminals, smartphones, and tablets.
• Payroll information: Show how an employee can view their pay data (e.g., paycheck, deductions, W-4).
• Personal information updates: Show how an employee can update their own records (e.g., direct deposit details).
• Leave requests: Run through an employee requesting time off, from initial request submission through to manager approval.
• Learning management: If applicable, demonstrate how employees can enroll in scheduled training sessions.
• Benefits overview: Demonstrate how an employee works through the open enrollment process, from viewing options to selection.
• Address changes: Show how an employee can update their home address details (this can be made more complex by specifying the old and new addresses and placing them in locations with different tax legislation).

4. Leave management

• Module integration: Demonstrate the integration between the leave management and time and attendance modules.
• Policy customization: Show how the system accommodates varying time-off policies based on factors like employee seniority and position.
• Exceeding leave balance: Illustrate the system's response when an employee has requested (via ESS) more leave than they have in their outstanding vacation balance.
• Managerial delegation: Show how a manager taking leave can delegate the authority to approve time off requests to a stand-in during their absence.
• Offboarding integration: Demonstrate how the system handles departing employees with unused vacation balances, including integration with the offboarding process.

By all means, take these scenarios and customize them to your own business needs; in fact, customization is a must. Add in details that relate to how you manage your operation, then stand back and evaluate which HRMS (and which vendor) performs best.