The ÖSW Group has participating interests in over 30 affiliated companies and is active throughout Austria. The group introduced SAP in 2020; the HR department is using SAP HCM. During the pandemic, it became clear that ÖSW needed to take the next decisive step towards digitalization: The lack of access to HR files, which were stored centrally on paper, proved to be a major obstacle to mobile working.

Danijela Gisser-Blazevic, Head of Group HR, wanted to resolve this issue by introducing a digital filing solution. She identifies HR team satisfaction as the project’s key objective and states:

“Skilled HR professionals shouldn’t be spending their time searching for documents.”

In the search for a software solution, the HR team, supported by an SAP expert, narrowed down the numerous products on the market to two providers. After a product presentation, the ÖSW AG team found the decision easy: They were convinced by the structure, handling, and overall package of Centric Employee File.

Structured implementation

The HR experts found Centric’s systematic approach particularly helpful during the introduction phase. Centric’s detailed specifications gave the project team a good understanding of the options right from the start and made it easier for them to define their own requirements. Danijela Gisser-Blazevic also emphasizes the good communication with Centric, which proved to be a reliable product and implementation partner:

“Thanks to Centric's good guidance, we were able to implement the project smoothly alongside our day-to-day business.”

Centric Employee File was introduced for around 830 employees in all affiliated companies. Before implementation, the paper files were digitized. Within 3.5 months, an ÖSW AG employee sorted, scanned, and archived all the documents in the employee files according to predefined rules. However, the approximately 180,000 scanned documents were not just mass imported into Centric Employee File. Instead, the HR team reviewed all the scanned documents and only added the relevant documents to the digital file. Documents were, among other things, also selected with a view to enabling all employees to access their own files at a later date.

Decentralized HR processes with a high level of data protection

The HR department and the management team are currently working with the Digital Employee File. Management wanted to be able to view the information they needed, for example, for upcoming salary discussions. With Centric Employee File, this wish has now been granted. The SAP-controlled roles and authorizations concept ensures that access to sensitive data is clearly regulated.

‍Danijela Gisser-Blazevic confirms:

“With Centric Employee File, we can integrate our managers and employees in HR processes while ensuring the highest levels of data protection.”

Individually customized standard software

The rollout in the companies is technically very simple. The focus is therefore more on the tool’s organizational anchoring in the company through a sophisticated definition of roles and user authorizations. A particular challenge is posed by the highly detailed information in the long-standing ÖSW Group, which has evolved to include 30 heterogeneous affiliated companies. A step-by-step rollout is thus happening in the decentralized organization, with a well-thought-out development of the authorizations concept in each case.

All other company requirements can also be easily realized via the standard software. For the Austrian market, just three document types need to be added to meet all the requirements. The project team has renamed some terms in the system not used by ÖSW, and different folder headers have been defined for the payroll staff and managers’ views. The company’s nonprofit status has no effect on the Digital Employee File.

Efficient processes, happy employees

Centric Employee File has simplified work in payroll accounting and significantly increased efficiency. For example, frustrating searches in paper files are now a thing of the past, and documents such as employment contracts or supplementary agreements can be found with just one click. Acceptance and satisfaction in the HR team are correspondingly high. The system-controlled compliance with retention periods, including the archiving of documents, also offers peace of mind to HR staff in their everyday working lives.

After her positive experiences with Centric Employee File, Danijela Gisser-Blazevic will also be looking at other products from the Centric product range. Interesting features for ÖSW include Document Builder and the digital signature as a supplement to the Employee File.

“Centric Employee File provides structure, order, and control for employee files. This makes our day-to-day work much easier.”

Danijela Gisser-Blazevic, Head of Group HR, ÖSW Group

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