Case Study:
University of Birmingham

University of Birmingham Case Study

The HR department at the University of Birmingham was faced with the urgent requirement to radically streamline their HR processes, improve management reporting and provide a more effective service to their staff, following the centralization of the recruitment and transactional teams.

The Problem

The University HR department was managing high volumes of data in an unstructured way. The newly centralized function was under pressure to better process, track and manage data across multiple channels. The HR requirement was twofold; for a new platform capable of underpinning a best-practice approach, and for a partner with strong HR expertise capable of consulting on and implementing a solution within a relatively short 3-month timeframe.The market-leading ServiceNow platform was quickly identified as having unique benefits in terms of cost-effectiveness and the scalability of Software as a Service (SaaS). Unlike many solutions in the market, the ServiceNow HR solution wouldn’t replace existing systems but complement them. Specifically, it would provide Birmingham University HR with the capability to:

  • Centrally manage, measure, track and report on both employee and external interactions with HR
  • Deliver more effective HR services to improve their employer and employee experiences

These benefits, alongside a compelling ROI business case, meant ServiceNow HR was quickly identified as the most suitable technology and platform to adopt. This decision was also bolstered by the existing use of ServiceNow by the University of Birmingham for their IT Service Management solution.Given the demanding timeframes and strategic importance of the project, a partner with strong consultative capabilities across both ServiceNow and HR was required. With a strong reputation across both, Engage ESM was selected to lead the project and implement the ServiceNow HR solution.

After evaluating the University’s existing HR processes and priorities, Engage ESM adopted a best-practice approach. The recommended Engage ESM HR Service Management (HRSM) Jumpstart solution was based on proven HR frameworks and utilized existing blueprints to minimise time-to-value and maximize cost-effectiveness.Leveraging agile methodologies, Engage ESM HRSM JumpStart was quickly implemented within an 8-week time frame.

Engage ESM and their HRSM Jumpstart solution for ServiceNow has been transformational. HR in the University of Birmingham is now far less reactive. HR processes are more operationally efficient which in turn means more time is freed up to add more value and contribute more strategically. ~Geeta Parashar, HR Project and Systems Manager, University of Birmingham

Results

The impact of the Engage ESM HR Jumpstart solution has been transformational for the University of Birmingham. Almost immediately, the University HR department gained a real and measurable improvement in the sophistication of their processes and reporting.This has meant significant changes for the HR team as previously manual processes such as tracking, and logging enquires are now fully automated. The University can now easily audit, track and report on all cases and with this better visibility they are now able to deliver a higher level of service.Following the success of the ServiceNow HR implementation, the University of Birmingham continues to look at more ways to leverage the platform.

Quick Facts

  • 25,241 HR cases have been processed (as at 19/06/2018)
  • 100% of work is allocated to a named contact within 1 day
  • Over 80% of work is completed within the SLA for the size of workOver 90% of offers sent within 3 working days
  • Over 95% of posts advertised within the allocated SLA
  • Ability to track, audit and report cases

Features

  • Critical enabler of a centralized HR service
  • Supporting the day to day management of our operational work
  • Providing visibility and assurance to our customers
  • Enables a continuity of service and then ensure fair and consistent workloads for the team
  • Enables us to see our performance in real time and respond appropriately rather than react to problems
  • Will enable us to develop SLA’s and manage expectations
  • More secure than email