Where did the hunel project start? What was the background?
Routine administrative work that came around every month, such as managing assignment records, calculating payroll, and year-end tax settlement, used to take an excessive amount of effort. Because we ran the legacy system alongside separate spreadsheets, it was very hard to keep data consistent in real time, and with little integration between systems we kept re-entering data by hand and cross-checking it. Large reorganizations and complex payroll calculations relied heavily on manual work, so the risk of human error was always present. There were also clear structural limits to producing the statistical and multidimensional HR analysis reports that would let management decide quickly.
What led you to decide that it was time to change?
As the business grew more sophisticated and the organization steadily expanded, we came to the conclusion that manual data management could no longer respond flexibly. We felt the need for fundamental change most acutely when we could not reflect frequently revised Korean labor and tax law in time and had to patch the system as a stopgap each time.
Among the many HR systems available, why did you choose hunel?
We rated hunel highly for having an architecture that responds to the Korean labor environment and complex tax law changes the fastest and the most reliably. Flexible API integration with internal systems such as our existing ERP, and the ability to extend interfaces, were also key criteria. Thanks to the references HCG has accumulated and its systematic methodology, we were confident we could complete the project reliably within the seven months we had.
| Before | After |
| Payroll simulation · close took a considerable amount of time | Processing time down by more than 30% |
| Corrections from manual entry errors were a constant | Automatic validation logic made corrections all but disappear |
| Assignment history managed without a standard | Standardized assignment history, so data flows can be tracked · controlled |
| Management saw the organization · workforce picture late | A real-time dashboard that speeds up decision making |
Were there any unexpected difficulties during the build?
Midway through the project, reflecting our own distinctive benefits programs and pay structure within the standard package called for some technical coordination. The HCG project team drew on seasoned experience to offer well-considered alternatives to complex requirements, and I was impressed by the flexibility with which they analyzed our work and found the optimal customization approach, one that kept changes to the package to a minimum while still meeting our own standards.
How did you prepare for legally sensitive areas such as working hours and leave policies?
At the process design stage we could go beyond simply implementing features and receive HR process advice grounded in industry best practice, which was a great help. In particular, when designing sensitive working hours management · leave policies that could raise legal issues, HCG's clear guidelines let us address compliance risk in advance. We could clearly feel the expertise of a dependable partner that raises the level of our HR together with us, rather than a mere IT vendor.
Looking back on the project, what feels like the biggest change?
With the complex management of assignment history now standardized, our HR staff can see and control the flow of data clearly at a glance. Management told us that being able to check the organization · workforce picture they need on a real-time dashboard has made decision making considerably faster.
Many people have used a legacy system for a long time or hesitate because of the cost. Which companies would you recommend hunel to, and what advice would you give them?
I would strongly recommend it to companies struggling to respond flexibly to new business expansion or reorganization because their existing system has structurally aged, and to companies that want to move away from manual practices and reshape themselves into a smart, data-driven HR environment. The burden of initial build costs and staffing is only natural, but you need an ROI perspective that accounts for long-term operational efficiency and opportunity cost. It is worth recognizing that leaving an outdated system in place, with the yearly fixes and lost work it causes, does greater damage to competitiveness. When persuading management, it is effective to make it clear that upgrading the system is not simply an IT investment but an essential strategic task for company-wide productivity and risk management.
Finally, as a company that has been through it, what deserves the most attention early on?
Only by investing enough time in initial data cleansing can you prevent the confusion that data mismatches cause for the business right after the system goes live. Having HR staff take an active part not only in the project design but also in unit · scenario testing is the single most important key to helping the system settle in faster.
