The interim manager's client was a medium-sized company from Bavaria. The European market leader in its segment employed more than 3,000 people in 27 countries worldwide. The company had undergone massive international expansion and the situation was still characterized by growth. Following a change in HR management, the decision was made to standardize the international processes and expand the strategic components of human resources. A modern and powerful IT platform for HR processes was to be introduced as the basis for both aspects.
Operational and strategic HR processes had not previously been centrally managed
The customer had already had HR software for master data management, time recording and payroll in Germany for several years. However, there were no international tools. Instead, the international HR departments operated independently and autonomously. This meant a lot of work for the head office. For example, central key performance indicators such as the number of FTEs or employees by country/business unit or demographic data had to be manually queried in the individual countries and then consolidated in Excel. Strategic and innovative HR topics had previously not been managed centrally at all.
Determining requirements for the future IT system and identifying interfaces
The company initially commissioned an IT consultancy specializing in the procurement and introduction of IT systems. However, the company itself did not have sufficient expertise to cover the technical HR aspects. The interim manager took on this task.
On acceptance of the mandate, the interim manager first clarified in detail which requirements the system to be procured had to cover based on the internal processes. Together with IT, he identified the interfaces to other systems, such as the financial system, time and access recording, capacity planning for shift operations and billing for the canteen.
Advising and supporting clients from selection to questions to the roadmap
The interim manager took particular care to show the client the potential impact of the IT tools on the existing HR processes. He helped the client to understand the elements of the various products and their benefits for HR processes. Finally, he helped to develop questions for potential future IT partners.
An important aspect within the HR organization was what experience was already available with the relevant tools and what capacities were available for technical support. The interim manager also worked with the HR team to develop a roadmap that defined which IT support was needed for which HR processes and when.
Market evaluated and clear recommendation for an HR IT provider made
In the next step, the interim manager evaluated the market for providers and products. The challenge was to find a product that covered all HR areas and could be used internationally. In addition, the system had to be suitable for a medium-sized company in terms of complexity, implementation and maintenance costs. The client had also made it clear that it was not currently considering outsourcing.
The interim manager identified a number of suitable potential partners and products. After an initial selection round with the company's HR and IT, three providers were invited to give presentations. This process was managed and moderated by the interim manager. After weighing up the technical components and financial aspects, the interim manager made a clear recommendation. An important factor in this decision was how the implementation would impact the client's resources, both in terms of costs for external consultants and the retention of internal employees.
The client followed the interim manager's recommendations. After the implementation, he received feedback that the solution approach suited the client very well and the introduction of the HR IT tool was successfully completed with the expected benefits.
