United we stand, divided we fall
Patrick Henry
One of my clients in London had organically grown over a number of years and had become an international brand. The regional offices pretty much functioned autonomously when it came to technology enablement. Each region had its own HR and ERP system with local customisations.
HR departments face significant pressure to design and support global processes, particularly in key areas such as recruiting and training, encompassing talent management. The demand for a cohesive and standardised approach to HR functions on a global scale stems from the need to effectively manage and develop talent across diverse geographical locations. This pressure is driven by the complexities associated with ensuring consistency, compliance, and efficiency in HR practices across the organisation’s global footprint. As businesses expand internationally, HR departments are challenged to create strategies and systems that facilitate seamless talent acquisition, training, and overall talent management to meet the evolving needs of a diverse workforce.
Developing a global HR application architecture from a frequently diverse system landscape poses a significant challenge. The complexity arises from the varied and often heterogeneous nature of existing systems within an organization. Integrating and harmonizing these disparate systems to create a unified HR architecture requires careful planning and strategic considerations.
Personnel Number & Organisation Structure
In the context of creating a global HR application architecture, two crucial elements come to the forefront: the harmonization of personnel numbers and the harmonisation of the organisational structure.
- Harmonization of Personnel Numbers: Achieving consistency and uniformity in personnel numbers across the organisation is vital. This involves standardizing the format and generation methodology for employee identification numbers. A harmonised personnel numbering system facilitates seamless integration and data management, allowing for accurate identification and tracking of employees globally. This harmonisation is especially important when dealing with diverse HR systems and ensures a unified approach to employee identification.
- Harmonisation of Organisational Structure: Standardising the organisational structure is equally essential for a cohesive global HR architecture. This involves aligning job roles, departments and reporting hierarchies across different regions and business units. A harmonised organisational structure simplifies processes such as reporting, analytics, and talent management, as it provides a consistent framework for understanding the workforce composition. It streamlines communication and collaboration by ensuring a shared understanding of roles and responsibilities throughout the organisation.
By addressing the harmonisation of personnel numbers and organisational structure, organisations can overcome challenges related to data consistency, reporting accuracy, and overall efficiency in global HR operations. These elements serve as foundational components for a streamlined and integrated HR application architecture that effectively supports the organisation’s human resource management on a global scale.
[DRAFT – pending content]
