Trailblazing HR digitalisation at Honda France Manufacturing

To support Honda’s overall strategic aims and vision, the HR department of HFM faced a number of challenges around managing its human resources and harmonising its processes. From mass retirement from employees who all started at the same time, to identification and integration of new skills, and new technological products on the horizon, HFM needed the tools to be able to give HR visibility and make productivity gains.

HR had been set a target of digitalising its appraisals and performance and goals processes within a three-month time frame, to meet the deadline of its Japanese HQ’s new fiscal year. The current procedures were manual and time consuming, using a combination of Excel and Word. With up to 200 members of staff that needed appraising, HFM’s HR department was looking to reduce the time it took to administer their appraisals, and at the same time address security risks around GDPR issues.

Moving to digitalisation would require a change in mindset and the HR department had its work cut out to meet the deadlines set by HQ. Within the manufacturing plant, there was around 40% nearing retirement age and many staff were not comfortable using computers.

“We needed to look at ways of addressing time management and becoming more efficient by digitalising our key HR processes” says Pierre Toussaint, Human Resources and Associate Relations Manager, HFM.

In addition, as HFM drives towards future technologies and innovations, such as electric-powered Products, the firm had a requirement to attract talent with these new skillsets and expertise in order to stay competitive.

• SAP SuccessFactors is accessible by everyone wherever they need to work, providing all the data managers need to do their own ‘self-service’ HR, reducing the workload of the small HR department.
• The modules have helped to coach and train associates on how to conduct appraisals, providing them with much more confidence in their roles, not just as line managers in their own specific departments but also in their HR responsibilities during appraisals discussions with their line staff.
• HFM has confidence it has the right people in the right roles and that KPIs and objectives are structured and being met.
• With SAP SuccessFactors, the ‘state of mind’ has really changed. Appraisals have become much more collaborative between associates and workers, who are fully involved in the process and there is a realisation that everyone has a part to play in the appraisal activity.