Implementation of the Asistar portal with E-File at Volkswagen Group Services

Volkswagen Group Services is a shared services centre providing support for business operations and complementary services for companies of the Volkswagen Group operating in Europe. The company in Poland employs more than 700 people and continues to grow dynamically. Digital transformation and digitalisation of business processes are among the key areas which promote the development of Volkswagen Group.

The company faced several critical challenges:

• Time-consuming error correction - in paper personal questionnaires completed by employees
• Large increase in employment - excessive burden on HR department during onboarding
• Change in employee expectations - the need for remote and comfortable handling of HR matters, at a time convenient for employees
• Digital transformation - a strategy to automate and digitise HR processes
• Ecology - the desire to act in a more environmentally friendly way

The growing number of employees, frequent legislative changes, inspections by ZUS and the National Labour Inspectorate (PIP), and the need to maintain documentation in compliance with current requirements created significant operational challenges for the HR department.

Volkswagen Group Services decided to implement the Asistar employee portal with E-File, offered by Contract Administration. This comprehensive solution included digital HR process management and employee documentation digitalization.

Implementation steps included:

• Definition of key project parameters including usage specifications for the scope of functionalities of the E-File - what HR activities the system is supposed to reflect and the order in which various functionalities are to be implemented

• System parameterisation: Setting up the portal according to agreed specifications, tailoring safety settings to the needs of Volkswagen Group Services, setting up user accounts and roles plus access levels (active directory)

• Identification of team members involved in the project and their roles

• Formalities relating to the entrustment, processing and digitisation of employee data

• Definition of the way of digitising employee files - paper file production, document scanning, e-file uploading, verifying completeness

The system launch was implemented in two stages:
1. Service test release and collecting user feedback
2. Launch of E-File and its further development - according to the needs of Volkswagen Group Services

Key implementation considerations included:
• Digitisation of documents requires completion of omissions in the documentation
• Internal promotion and ensuring smooth adoption of the new system by employees is important at each stage
• E-signatures for selected team members are required for E-File
• Optimal system configuration should be preceded by a diagnosis of the most urgent needs of the business, the management and HR department

The digitisation of HR processes has allowed the company to reduce the time for selected HR tasks by up to 94%. Measurable results include:

• Fewer printouts: 40% time saving - Before implementing E-File, all employee requests and documents were printed out. Today, this not only saves time, but also reduces paper consumption by around 60%.

• Reduced time to validate personal questionnaires: 33% time saving - E-File allows to focus on other aspects of employee introduction than verifying the correctness of documentation.

• More efficient use of management time: 50% time saving - Without the E-File, all documents to be signed were printed twice; now a single signing is sufficient.

• Fewer documents to be scanned: 75% time saving - E-File eliminates the need to scan a large number of documents, which have an online form from the start.

• Fewer documents delivered to HR and payroll company: 50% time saving - Before implementing Asistar portal, HR documentation was delivered to Contract Administration 2 times a month. At present, the majority of data is available immediately in the system.

Benefits for different stakeholder groups:

Employees:
• Increased comfort during onboarding – opportunity to read the documents freely and to complete them at a time convenient to employees
• Quick and convenient access to own personnel files, e.g. employment contracts, personnel questionnaires, applications submitted, leave limits
• Self-service - updating data, submitting applications and downloading documents
• Option to communicate with the HR department online, at a convenient time and place
• Increased satisfaction with cooperation with HR department

Managers:
• Ongoing access to data and personnel documents of subordinate employees
• Facilitating the planning of leave
• Convenient leave management - permanent overview of leave limits, approval of leave requests by e-mail, calendar of absences
• Self-submission of applications and online HR documents, e.g. applications for employment or job changes
• Self-generation of reports possible

Management board:
• Ongoing access to HR data and reports, without involving HR department
• Reduction in time spent signing employment documents

HR department:
• Significant reduction in workload during onboarding: faster filing of employment documentation, eliminating errors in questionnaires, no need to scan documentation
• Saving time related to minimising the number of questions directed to HR by employees, managers and management
• Increased comfort at work: reducing repetitive administrative tasks, easier access to data, option to carry out duties remotely
• Positive impact on the image of HR