Fischer is digitalising its Human Resources department

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 decentralised 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.

"Thanks to integrated compliance functionalities such as the automated retention periods, Digital Employee File provides us with the assurance of legal compliance."

Edo Harms, Abteilungsleiter Entgeltabrechnung, fischerwerke GmbH & Co. KG

Scalable and future-proof 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 efficient and secure work processes.

fischer is also looking to optimise payroll transactions in the future by rolling out Centric's Audit and Compliance Tools.

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. Conceptualising 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-focussed 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 finding the right solutions for our needs.“

Jens Kneißler, IT Business Solutions, fischerwerke GmbH & Co. KG

Transparency and data security

“The combined use of Centric's tools will be a quantum leap in our company's digitalisation transformation.”

Edo Harms, Head of Payroll Services at fischerwerke GmbH & Co. KG

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 office.

Versatile opportunities for HR process 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. 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."

Jens Kneißler, IT Business Solutions, fischerwerke GmbH & Co. KG