Sometimes if the beans are "old"they don't cook up soft no matter what. Another potential problem can be adding salt to the pot before they soften.
I use a shortcut for soaking when I cook beans. Sort and rinse the beans, cover with water and bring to a boil. Turn the heat off and let the beans sit for an hour. After they have sat for an hour you can cook them up. That just eliminates the need for overnight soaking which I usually forget to do.