The new HR system is well on track – but there is still some way to go

On 1 June, SDU launched the new HR system, HCM. It is the first time that SDU has the ambition of getting one unified HR system in which all employees and associated persons as well as all organisational units are registered. Going forward, the system will provide data and updates on employees, associates and organisational units to all other systems at SDU, both the telephone directory, PURE, employee lists on websites and the intranet. It is also the system in which all holidays and absences are registered.

- The ambition is high, and it takes time to get there as we have previously had four or five source systems for the same data. If you experience problems with incorrect addresses, titles, holiday balances and so on, the challenge is probably the transition to the new system, explains HR Manager Lisbeth Møller.

- The reasons are both poor and inhomogeneous data quality in the old systems and that it’s difficult to import data correctly to the new system when we merge data from many different systems. Furthermore, there are problems with some of the new processes that have become heavy and inadequate, including in particular the creation of new users, she elaborates.

A huge task especially at departments and sections

The challenges place a special burden on HR employees at departments and sections as well as on department/section secretaries who have the daily task of keeping all the many pieces of information up to date and providing HR services to the organisation. This huge additional task that these employees have been given of making a transition to the new system requires our patience and understanding, University Director Thomas Buchvald Vind explains:

- It’s a big and very important task that the HR employees at departments and sections undertake. They can’t provide the service they’re used to. They have additional tasks getting data corrected, and every day they have to deal with the many challenges of errors and new processes that don’t work.

- There’s no doubt that this is the way we have to go. After Christmas, we will also have a new financial management system. These are two important basic systems that SDU is having replaced, both because the current systems are outdated and because we want to digitise a number of administrative tasks.

- It’s no surprise to me that the transition is huge and demanding, and I hope that everyone will show patience and understanding of the great task that your administration is undertaking in getting the new systems in place.

Lots of options

But when can we expect everything to run smoothly? HR Manager Lisbeth Møller is optimistic and believes that there will be light at the end of the tunnel at the beginning of the new year.

- I believe that after Christmas we will have come a long way in relation to data quality and that SDU in the future will have a completely new and much more solid foundation for working with employees and associates. We have also started to analyse and change the user creation process so that it will be much better at supporting the collaboration across SDU. We have chosen a large standard platform, and there are many options once we have laid the foundation properly.

One of the important tasks to be solved in the HR system is the recruitment of academic staff. In connection with the application of the HR system, it was decided that the recruitment of academic staff for the time being will take place in SDU.JOB as the support of the scientific assessment, among other things, must be carefully analysed. The plan for this work will be drawn up in early 2022.