The next step in HR digitalisation

HR software provider Persis has been on the market for 35 years and digitises its customers' HR processes. Niedersächsische Landesforsten, a company established as an institution of the state of Lower Saxony with over 1,300 employees, has been relying on Persis for several years and will introduce the digital personnel file, a software solution from the Persis overall solution, in 2024. noventum consulting has been with Niedersachsen from the very beginning and will also support them in this next digitisation step.

Niedersächsische Landesforsten - Forests in good hands

Niedersächsische Landesforsten (NLF) is the largest forest owner in Lower Saxony. Organised into 24 forestry offices and 250 forester's stations, the company manages 335,000 hectares of forest, with an additional 77,000 hectares of forest managed by local authorities and forest cooperatives. In addition to operational development, the main focus is on services in the areas of ecology and environmental education as well as the maintenance of recreational areas for many millions of people. The decentralised organisation of the company means that many decisions are made at regional and local level. However, HR work for the 1,300 employees is organised centrally and technical development in this area is also the responsibility of the company management in Braunschweig.

Digitalisation of HR work: gradual and consistent

The handling of personnel data is generally subject to high security requirements, which means that the IT behind the state authority also has very high demands in terms of data integrity and system security. This makes the implementation of software to support the work of the HR department at Niedersächsische Landesforsten a challenging process.

The starting point here, as in most companies and institutions, just a few years ago was standard Office solutions such as Excel or Access and largely analogue data maintenance in personnel files. Applicant management and HR manager were the first components from the Persis suite to be introduced a few years ago and with them the digitalisation of master data. Persis Stellenwirtschaft was the package with which Niedersachsen was then able to take its HR work to the next level of digitisation. The noventum consultants were able to provide planning and technical support. Steffen Kummer, Persis and HR consultant at noventum consulting, is supporting the company from Lower Saxony in its digitalisation efforts. "We have been supporting the digitalisation of HR work at NLF for years. It's a textbook process, so to speak. Solidly planned, technically very competently set up and always a confirmation for us Persis experts."

Today, all personnel data is managed with Persis, with centralised data storage taking place on a separate server for security reasons. Applicant data is hosted by Persis to protect these internal systems from unauthorised access. Via the recently introduced DMS, only the documents find their way into the Persis system via the inbox. All personnel files are still kept in haptic form. Correspondence created in-house is also stored in Persis, but is not audit-proof. These do not end up in the DMS.

On the initiative of the HR department, the next digitisation step is now on the agenda: the introduction of the digital personnel file.

Digital personnel file with Persis

Persis' Digital Personnel File replaces the traditional paper file with a decentralised, secure and quickly deployable solution that is integrated into the Persis HCM software. Digital documents, such as applications and correspondence, can be filed manually or automatically . The special charm of the Persis digital personnel file is that it secures all documents without exception that arise in a personnel life cycle, from application to retirement, and makes them accessible to for personnel processing.

The research and search options in Persis make the digital personnel file an outstanding information tool for personnel management. The software supports searches within a document as well as comprehensive searches across different employees. The intuitive functions offer extensive research, search and filter options, including keywording to optimise the search process.

Matthias Thiemann, Human Resources Manager at Niedersächsische Landesforsten, is convinced that his company is taking the next step towards digitalisation. "Our decentralised structures often make day-to-day work time-consuming and complex. Access to important personnel data, which is structured and controlled by a well thought-out access authorisation, makes work easier, and not just for the central HR department. I am particularly looking forward to the extended analysis options that the software offers us. For example, if we want to plan the qualification status of our employees, we will have very smart options in future.

In addition, the basic idea is to work largely paperless. Correspondence is generated in Persis and stored digitally in parallel in an automated and audit-proof manner. Digitisation means that personnel files are always available, quickly, across all employees and from any location.

The noventum consultants have been providing us with reliable and professional support in our HR digitalisation process for many years. I am delighted that they will also be supporting us with the introduction of the digital personnel file"