A global organisation that dominates the colourful world of paint and coatings decided to embark on transformation journeys for all its support functions. Quintop was quickly considered to establish a Global Business Services (GBS) centre for Europe as part of the new HR Target Operating Model.
Problem Statement
Aligned with the global strategy to enhance business outcomes, a global GBS strategy was developed. Ultimately, Poland was chosen as the prime location for a GBS centre to support European countries in Finance, Procurement, Master Data Management, and HR processes. The HR department led the way as pioneers, being the first in line to relocate their operations to Poland.
Challenges
With HR at the forefront of the transition to the GBS centre in Poland, the Quintop Transition team laid a robust foundation. They appointed a local HR manager and forged partnerships with local recruitment partners. However, the quest for employees with specific language skills proved to be challenging in the highly competitive Polish job market. Additionally, the project faced extra challenges due to the simultaneous implementation of SuccessFactors, a new global HR system, resulting in changes in processes and procedures during the transition.
The Role of Quintop
Quintop was tasked with developing the GBS centre in Poland as an integral part of the organisation’s global GBS strategy, alongside four regional centers in Europe, America, and two in Asia. The HR scope for the regional centers encompassed all HR administration related to the employee life cycle: onboarding, career progression, and offboarding. However, payroll activities remained unchanged and were decentralised, managed by local People Services teams in each country.
The Outcome
After extensive knowledge transfer, the Global Business Services centre in Poland went live with People Services for the United Kingdom as the first milestone. Subsequently, the other four major European countries (Netherlands, Sweden, France, and Germany) followed suit. During this period, the GBS People Services team, consisting of twenty employees, worked closely with colleagues from Local People Services in each country.
Is your organisation considering a new HR Operating Model or Global Business Services? Quintop possesses the expertise to successfully implement this. Please feel free to contact us for a discussion regarding your organisation.
