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The Electronic Staff Record, an Oracle-based integrated HR and Payroll solution, was implemented across the NHS as an enabling “service solution” for transactional processes and business intelligence for corporate teams.

The ESR solution, an integrated database supporting needs of all corporate functions, has the potential to become an immensely powerful corporate information tool.

While the project should be seen as a rare example of a successful, large scale, public sector IT project, it is important to recognise many people consider there are features of the system which remain flawed, cumbersome or tricky for end users. This is true of many, if not all, IT solutions. Read the rest of this entry →

A trust had deployed a number of self service transactional tools for communication between line managers and back-office functions in HR and Payroll and wanted to assess the benefits of the solution. Attractor was asked to evaluate the changes delivered by the trust implementing new tools.

Using a combination of focussed interviews (with front line and back office teams) plus detailed process analysis with impact assessments, Attractor was able to demonstrate significant benefits in relation to customer service, information management, workflow and process cycle times plus reductions in transaction cost.

Time savings on tasks generally freed up time to focus on operational and strategic issues – for both line managers and backoffice staff. A limited amount of the time saved was capable of translating easily to cash savings from organisational budgets.

The HR Director of a Special Health Authoritycontacted Attractor to help resolve problems between the organisation and its outsourced payroll service. Payment errors were experienced by many employees and confidence in the service (and management) were being undermined.

The HR Director, recently joining the organisation, needed an independent view on the cause of the problems and the range of viable solutions.

Attractor agreed to respond quickly and assist the organisation to understand and address the issues, helping to build the confidence of employees and their representatives the problems were recognised and being efffectively addressed. Read the rest of this entry →

Photo: srqpix, flickr

ESR users in London were asked, recently, to provide feedback to the DH team about the reasons why the Employee Relations toolkit within ESR had not been widely implemented.

Attractor has reviewed the Employee Relations functionality within ESR with clients who were using various “legacy tools” to monitor employee relations casework.

Having work with client trusts, Attractor was able to provide specific feedback to the DH team about the conclusions reached by clients.

Read the rest of this entry →

Attractor can assist the conception of a clear project brief to guide and support effective decision-making during project implementation. You will be able to communicate specific and measurable benefits targets and expectations upon which success can be judged.

The resulting benefits planning framework can help you avoid the fate of many projects – which fail to deliver results because the changes required to achieve the results are not recognised or effectively addressed.

Attractor can ensure you are clear how your significant investment of time, effort and money to complete a project will generate the improvements and changes you anticipate.

Attractor has worked with clients to focus attention on and deliver benefits such as -

• efficiency and financial savings,
• reducing waste and duplication of effort,
• higher quality service delivery,
• increased speed of responsem and reduced transactional cycle times,
• better business information and intelligence,
• improved customer service and satisfaction.

Attractor has a track record of delivering new teams, improved working practices and modern IT systems for workforce management, human resources and payroll operations.

With extensive experience within the National Health Service, Attractor can help you navigate political challenges, clarify your priorities, identify opportunities to deliver improved business outcomes, higher levels of efficiency and reduced costs.

Attractor has particular expertise and experience with ESR (Electronic Staff Record), the ORACLE-based integrated HR and Payroll system used across the NHS and can support organisations that -

• are unsure how to use the system effectively in their business context,
• are keen to realise benefits but unclear where or how to start,
• want to progress to implement new functionality – usch as self service, OLM, or interfaces

Ensuring key business results and governance issues are address during the planning and deployment phase, Attractor will support you reviewing business processes, introducing new ways of working, managing the transition for teams and selecting appropriate performance measures and benchmarks.

A Mental Health Trust recently adopting the ESR solution was concerned that, due to problems during the implementation project, they had not adopted effective working methods. Concerns existed over core business processes and how these would work with the external payroll provider. The Head of Human Resources asked Attractor to review role allocations and processes. Read the rest of this entry →

A London teaching hospital had received a critical audit report which identified problems with payment outcomes. The level of overpayments was considered unacceptable and major changes to data management and payment control within the organisation had been recommended. Attractor was asked by the Deputy Director of Human Resources to -

• provide an independent review of business structures
• consider working arrangements and processes
• identifyoptions for delivering the required changes
• highlight key issues for change implementation

Read the rest of this entry →

During 2008, the Head of Learning and Development for a Mental Health Trust asked Attractor to help clarify issues relted to enabling the ESR e-KSF interface – the benefits, drawbacks and workload impact for her team. Having also recently launched a new learning administration tool within the organiation, the management team was seeking clarification of the strengths and weaknesses of this solution compared to OLM. Read the rest of this entry →

The new Director of Workforce of an acute teaching hospital in London invited Attractor Consulting Limited to provide an external review of the business case, implementation approach and organisational readiness for ESR self service. The trust had completed pilot work but wanted to ensure governance arrangements were robust, systems dependencies were clear and benefits plans were comprehensive.

Attractor’s review confirmed that implementation preparations had been well-handled and business processes had been designed in a manner that would suit the features of ESR self service. It highlighted the need to ensure the strategy; vision and ownership for ESR were clear and coherent and address a number of specific operational and strategic business risks related to issues such as –

• human resources engagement
• benefits delivery
• cultural change for managers and human resources

 The review provided significant assurance on governance, implementation and organisational readiness, which were well-advanced. Attractor was able to identify additional benefits, some cash releasing, that ESR self service would enable.