The name fischer stands for wall plugs and modular construction kits, and also for components for vehicle interiors, electronic systems and process consulting services. The innovative company is also actively pressing ahead with a robust digitalisation strategy for its internal business processes. The fischer Group of Companies has rolled out Centric‘s Digital Employee File in the human resources departments of its 11 German companies. At the same time, around 2,700 existing paper files were digitalized and imported into the e-file solution.
GDPR compliance guaranteed
The company is aiming to automate, standardise and simplify its HR processes. One key objective for the move to using digital employee files is to enable modern, on-the-go decentralized and workflow-controlled collaboration between HR managers, executive managers and employees. However, compliance is also a key issue: Rolling out the solution will ensure legal compliance with the EU‘s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), for example as it pertains to retention periods for employee files, whilst also automating processes to the greatest extent possible.
Centric Employee File: A scalable and forward-thinking product
During the software evaluation phase, the project team looked at a multitude of products. Centric‘s Digital Employee File impressed the HR and IT experts with its comprehensive range of functions and features and yet intuitive and easy-to-use interface. A major advantage was the ability to use the
Digital Employee File in combination with Centric‘s Document Builder and Reference Letter Generator, both of which will also be implemented in future project steps. For the project managers, the automated creation of documents from SAP, which are then transferred to and kept in the digital employee file, forms the ideal basis for effcient and secure work processes.
fischer is also looking to optimize payroll transactions in the future by rolling out Centric‘s Audit and Compliance Tools. Edo Harms, Head of Payroll Services at fischerwerke states:
“Centric offers a comprehensive portfolio of solutions, which can run in both SAP HCM and SuccessFactors. This provides the technological flexibility we need.“
Efficient implementation
For Jens Kneißler, the implementing IT expert for the fischer Group of Companies, the technical installation process of Centric‘s Digital Employee File was quick and easy. Conceptualizing the fundamental design was the largest share of the workload in the implementation phase. Key points to consider in this included the selection of the documents to be filed in the digital employee files, a comprehensive erasure and retention concept and, above all, the mapping of a sophisticated role and permissions concept for access control to employee files.
The team from the fischer Group of Companies conducted the roll-out together with experts from Centric as a parallel adoption process alongside daily business operations. During the test phase, adjustments and new requirements were implemented in the system in an agile and operative-focused manner. Project managers emphasised the excellent collaboration with and the high level of service commitment displayed by Centric in this process:
“Centric implemented our requirements in record time. The consultants are dedicated, open-minded and committed to ƒnding the right solutions for our needs.”
Transparency and data security
Once the system was up and running, managers and HR employees were given access to Centric‘s Digital Employee File. The staff of the Human Resources department emphasise the relief brought about by the assured compliance with GDPR stipulations thanks to the software‘s in-built retention period deadlines, dedicated access permissions for individual document levels and audit-proof and revision-secure processes. Equally helpful in daily operations is the quick overview of essential information provided by the clearly structured header of the digital employee file. Even providing the files to “internal customers” for temporary use is now an easy process that is coupled with the ability to track where the file is at all times. Last but not least, the digital archiving of paper files also saves fischer a considerable amount of storage space in its Human Resources oṀce.
Versatile opportunities for automation
The fact that digital employee files are now available anywhere and everywhere forms the basis for state-of-the-art HR processes that enable mobile working models and cross-site collaboration. Edo Harms is already looking forward to the pending implementation of Centric‘s Document Builder:
“The combined use of Centric‘s tools will be a quantum leap in our company‘s digitalisation transformation.”
The Human Resources department expects that additional automation and the use of all available functions, such as approval workflows, the automated carry-over of master data, and the ability to set up appointments, follow-ups
and reminders or to create worklists will result in significantly greater efficiency and considerable time-savings in routine operations. IT expert, Jens Kneißler, gives the following positive verdict:
“Centric‘s software tool has an extensive array of functions, yet it is still easy to use. It means we can perform tasks and duties quickly and provides the department with a valuable aid.“
fischer is also looking to optimize payroll transactions in the future by rolling out Centric‘s Audit and Compliance Tools. Edo Harms, Head of Payroll Services at fischerwerke states:
"The Centric tool is easy to use despite its wide range of functions. It allows us to act quickly and provide good support to the department. Thanks to integrated compliance functionalities such as the automated retention periods, Digital Employee File provides us with the assurance of legal compliance."
