Before hunel, what held you back the most?
The biggest problem was that our data was scattered everywhere. Because the functions were poorly connected, the owner of each area had to enter the same information manually across several screens, which undermined data consistency and reliability and forced us to verify everything repeatedly. It was also hard to look at data as of a given point in time, so it was difficult to focus on what really mattered, such as setting strategy and improving policy. The old system had a great deal of hard-coded logic, so it could not flex with changing HR policies, and because many functions were never built, core management ended up relying on spreadsheets. Employees had no place to check their own HR information either, so resources were wasted just answering simple questions.
Those difficulties must have built up. Was there a moment when you decided it was time to change?
Processes in the old HR system were disconnected from one another, so data consistency suffered, and with no framework for managing multiple corporate entities, using the system meant hard-coding a great deal. Every time a law changed we added another temporary workaround, and eventually the system aged to the point where it could no longer be used. Employees also wanted what current trends offer: the ability to check their own assignment and evaluation history and to handle HR tasks without being tied to a place.
Among the many HR systems out there, what was the decisive factor in choosing hunel?
hunel offered far more freedom to customize than other systems, so we could implement our complex HR processes as fully as possible. The decisive point was that the price was reasonable even though we were migrating all of our data and building a mobile app at the same time.
| Before | After |
| No links between screens, so the same information was keyed in repeatedly | Automation · data linkage cut manual work by more than 50% |
| Reliance on hard-coding, with core management run in spreadsheets | Standardized master codes · processes, enabling data-driven work |
| No channel for employees to check their own HR information | HR tasks handled through self-service in the mobile app |
| Executives had difficulty accessing data | A statistics dashboard summarizing data for executives |
Sorting out complex hard-coded logic and scattered spreadsheet data could not have been easy. How did you work through it?
Standardizing the complex hard-coded logic of the past and the spreadsheet data scattered across the company took far more coordination than we expected. Aligning the different standards held by each department, one at a time, was demanding. What helped us find our direction was that the HCG consultants did not simply hand us a technical fix; they proposed the best HR processes for us, drawing on best practices from other companies.
As you led this project, where did your team put the most effort internally?
Our own first task was consolidating the codes and standards that previous owners had each used differently. To standardize data scattered across several teams, we had to set the standards internally first, and that is where we spent the most time and energy.
How did routine HR work actually change after standardization? We are also curious about how employees and executives responded.
Once master codes and work processes were standardized, data-driven work became possible. Executives responded well to the dashboard that summarizes statistical data, and among employees we heard a lot of feedback about how easy it is to handle HR tasks in the mobile app.
How was your experience with customer support? Were there moments when HCG's HR expertise made a difference?
In the early days after go-live, the engineer and consultants in charge responded actively even to minor operational issues, so we settled in without much confusion. After that, sharing history and getting advice on issues that could not be resolved right away helped our IS team respond. We also received guidance reflecting labor law and other relevant regulations, along with the latest industry trends, as we systematized attendance, payroll, and remote contract · consent processes, which allowed us to minimize legal risk.
Which companies would you especially recommend hunel to, such as those running a legacy HR system for many years or preparing a large-scale HR system build?
I would recommend it to companies that still rely on spreadsheets because an old system cannot manage their data, and to companies that want to make things easier for their people. If you want HR staff to focus on more valuable work as strategists rather than as administrators, hunel lightens the load on the people doing the work. I would also suggest weighing the invisible opportunity cost created by an outdated system before the cost of replacing it, because leaving human error and employee dissatisfaction in place is a far greater risk in the long run.
Finally, is there a tip you would say is essential in the early stage of adoption?
I would put cleaning up your existing data first. However good the system is, it is useless if the data is inaccurate. Next, give serious thought to mobile use, since that is what employees feel most. Last, trust HCG's know-how and communicate actively. Some proposals may look more complex or unfamiliar than your current way of working, but they are often the optimal design once you account for future variables, data consistency, and the scalability of the system.
