Alexey Yermolaev: For personnel management of ERP systems holding it is not enough

: Alexey, tell, please, what reasons pushed the company to start such large-scale BI project?

Alexey Yermolaev: Till 2009 the reporting under personnel was provided by all enterprises entering into TNK-BP, but for its collecting in the company other software product - the BRS system was used. It was implemented in 1999 and served the companies about ten years, but as it often happens, ceased to perform the functions assigned to it fully. So just speaking – became morally outdated.

It became at some point obvious that the holding needs a new analytical system for collection of data on personnel – more flexible, less dependent from a human factor. Of course, improvement of quality of data, forecasting accuracies was the main requirement to a new solution also. As a result, we expected expenditure management process optimization on personnel and also economy stored to both information processing and preparation of reports.

TAdviser: As far as we know, the holding uses the ERP system on the SAP platform: its opportunities appeared insufficiently for achievement of effective objectives?

Alexey Yermolaev: Absolutely truly, TNK-BP since 2006 actively develops SAP HCM. Within the program of projects in 2006-2010 the corporate prototype was developed and projects in the corporate center and a number of subsidiaries are complete. In a system account about 40 thousand employees is kept. However possibilities of SAP ERP of HCM did not allow us to generate the reporting under different parameters. Also in the system of SAP not all enterprises work now, but data on personnel were necessary for us in the integrated type on holding in general.

TAdviser: How you selected the new BI platform and the system integrator?

Alexey Yermolaev: Eventually the project was implemented on the SAP BI platform. Of course, also positive experience from use of other solutions of this vendor, both existence of a support service, and that fact that SAP BI was already actively used by the company in different divisions for reporting affected here. Besides, due to use of the SAP platform we managed to save on the server hardware and purchase of licenses. It is possible to tell that the set of factors – both cost, and functional won. As a result we created the solution which collects data from all personnel management systems of the enterprises of TNK-BP together.

As for the contractor, as a result we stopped the choice on EVOLA company with which we cooperate not the first year though, of course, anyway the integrator underwent the standard procedure of competitive selection – the tender. The following tasks were assigned to a command of EVOLA company: conduct examination and develop architecture of a new system, estimate possibilities of IT infrastructure, develop instruments of automatic collecting and consolidation of information and also a reporting form.

TAdviser: Tell about features implemented as a result of the solution, its main opportunities?

Alexey Yermolaev: The new analytical system of TNK-BP consists of the data warehouse of SAP BW on the SAP NetWeaver platform, and tools on creation and visualization of the reporting of SAP Business Explorer (Query Designer, Analyzer). Analytical data processing is conducted in several basic directions: to organizational and regular structure, personnel records, planning and time recording, settlings with personnel. Naturally, for each area the key indicators are created. Thanks to a system, about 120 employees have access to the consolidated data on personnel of all holding.

The obtained data allow to trace and analyze changes of such indicators as the flowability, the number of acceptances and dismissals, staff expenses under the different articles and so on and to make the plan fact the analysis of these indicators that helps to make timely operational and strategic decisions on personnel management.

As a result managers had more flexible tool, an opportunity to work with a set of cuts and also were saved from double work during creation of reports. Data collection from the enterprises of holding is performed in the automatic mode monthly, at the same time the key user can trace what data were sent. Our own Competence Center is engaged in SAP in maintenance.

TAdviser: Whether there were difficulties in the project progress and what? How did you manage to overcome them?

Alexey Yermolaev: I cannot tell that the project was simple for us though we managed to implement it in only eight months (from them three were occupied by support). For example, ensuring data protection at collection of information from our enterprises for what we tested different encryption systems became one of the essential moments. Besides, it was necessary to provide effective communication more than hundred employees of TNK-BP from 30 cities. By the way, problems with user training at us did not arise as a system is implemented in simple and usual to users the interface.

TAdviser: What at the moment the main outcomes of this project for you? Whether you will develop it further?

Alexey Yermolaev: It is considered that it is difficult to define cost efficiency of BI projects, and we were not engaged in this aspect. However we noted other advantages of work with a system, the most important of them: for acceptance of management decisions now we obtain better information, and thus more quickly. Creation of the uniform reporting for all holding also played a positive role.

We plan also further completion of SAP BI. The immediate task is creation of new report forms and setup of tasks on preparation of reports. In the long term we plan further consolidation of data and improvement of systems capabilities: for example, creation of a workplace of the manager with the monitor of indicators and also visualization tools and integration into other applications.

TAdviser: Thanks!