How Naval Group Far East Cut HR Processing Time by 80% with PayDay! HRMS

Naval Group Far East is a key player in the marine defence industry, managing operations across the region with a workforce of approximately 200 employees – around 60 of whom are based in Singapore. As the company scaled, its HR function needed to evolve from manual, Microsoft Excel-based processes to a more streamlined, digital-first approach.

Previously, HR operations were handled manually using Excel spreadsheets—a setup that made even routine tasks cumbersome. Leave applications, approvals, and employee data updates involved hard copy forms or emails, leading to delays, follow-ups, and miscommunications. This administrative burden left little room for strategic HR work. As Serene, HR Country Manager, noted: "Before using PayDay!, we were on Excel. It was quite painful because we had to do everything manually, raising leave applications, sending hard copies or emails for approval. So, it was very time-consuming."

With PayDay! HRMS, Naval Group Far East transitioned from manual HR processing to a fully digital, centralised system. The platform streamlined key functions including employee data management, leave applications, and report generation. The ESS Portal allowed new joiners to capture their own data independently, saving time and reducing transactional work. The customisable reporting capabilities of PayDay! HRMS enabled the HR team to easily extract the data they needed, supporting faster and more strategic decision-making. This shift from reactive to proactive reporting helped the team keep pace with compliance checks, management requests, and workforce analysis. The system's interface also provided HR users with better visibility into ongoing tasks, upcoming deadlines, and overall workflow status—minimising errors, reducing missed deadlines, and allowing for early intervention when needed. Beyond efficiency and compliance, employee enablement was also a key outcome. With the integration of Freshdesk, a 24/7 knowledge portal, employees could independently find answers to common queries—freeing HR from repetitive questions and enabling a self-serve culture.

The implementation of PayDay! HRMS delivered immediate and substantial operational gains for the HR team at Naval Group Far East:

- About 80% Reduction in Processing Time: What once took 20 hours to process is now completed in just 5 hours. This allowed the HR team to redirect efforts toward core people initiatives, while also reducing burnout associated with repetitive, manual work.

- 75% Reduction in Errors: Automated workflows eliminated many of the inaccuracies common in manual systems. This was especially important in areas like payroll inputs, leave tracking, and statutory reporting—where errors could previously result in time-consuming revisions or compliance risks.

- Enhanced Compliance: Ongoing updates from PayDay!'s technical team ensures that the system remains aligned with changing regulations. Whether it's adjustments to CPF contribution rates or tax policies, the product is regularly maintained to reflect statutory changes. When CPF rates changed, the system was updated and compliant with the regulations without manual adjustment needed.

- Employee Enablement: Before Freshdesk, employees would come to HR with simple questions that were already in the user guide. Now they can search keywords and find answers themselves anytime, reducing HR's administrative load and improving the employee experience.