Product: HR case management

"Overall Sunrise has been pivotal in the success of HR Shared Services, not only has it saved time and effort but has assisted us to build our reputation as a trusted service." - Karen Dunwell - HR Shared Services Training and Project Lead.

Greencore Group is a leading manufacturer of convenience foods, providing high-quality, fresh sandwiches, salads, sushi, prepared meals and other convenience foods to all the major retailers and food service operators in the UK. With a workforce of approximately 14,000 colleagues across multiple locations, Greencore plays a crucial role in the food supply chain, ensuring that consumers have access to convenient and nutritious food options. As a company that values efficiency and innovation, Greencore is committed to maintaining smooth operations across all its departments, including HR, which is responsible for managing the needs and concerns of a diverse and widespread colleague base.

What Greencore was looking to achieve:

Greencore’s HR shared services team is responsible for supporting multiple departments and functions within the company. However, the process they were using to manage HR requests had become a significant pain point. All HR enquiries were funnelled through a central email account, where 15 HR Coordinators would attempt to pick up and manage the requests. This approach led to numerous challenges, as Karen, the HR Shared Services Team Leader, described it - a frustrating process that needed a revamp.

The existing process had many inefficiencies:

• Lack of visibility: HR Coordinators often struggled to identify which cases they were handling, leading to confusion and inefficiencies. There were instances where multiple coordinators unknowingly worked on the same case, wasting valuable time and resources.
  
  
• Poor communication: Colleagues who submitted HR requests frequently heard nothing back, prompting them to send follow-up emails. This not only created duplicate requests but also clogged the system further, making it even harder for coordinators to manage their workloads.
  
  
• Queue jumping: Managers, frustrated by the delays, would bypass the email system entirely and directly contact HR Coordinators to prioritise certain cases, regardless of their urgency. This queue jumping disrupted the workflow and caused further delays in handling other, potentially more urgent, cases.

Greencore needed a robust HR case management system that could bring order to this inefficiency, streamline processes, and ensure that every request was handled efficiently and transparently.

How Sunrise Helped Greencore Achieve Their Goals:

With the introduction of Sunrise’s HR case management system, Greencore experienced a significant transformation:

• Streamlined processes and automation: Sunrise enabled HR Coordinators to log every case as soon as it came in, automatically assigning a reference number. This made each case instantly searchable and ensured that all relevant information was stored in one place. The full audit trail provided a clear record of every action taken, eliminating confusion and ensuring accountability.
  
  
• Efficient case assignment and tracking: The system allowed for the easy assignment of cases to the appropriate teams or coordinators. Notifications were automatically sent based on specific criteria, such as potential SLA breaches, ensuring that nothing slipped through the cracks.
  
  
• Enhanced control with Service leave agreements (SLAs): The introduction of SLAs was a game changer for Greencore. Each type of HR case was allocated its own SLA, which included specific response and resolution times. This allowed the HR team to enforce business processes consistently and effectively. Managers could no longer bypass the system by contacting coordinators directly, as the SLAs provided a transparent and fair framework for handling all requests.
  
  
• Improved communication and response times: With Sunrise, colleagues no longer had to send multiple follow-up emails to get a response. The system provided timely updates on the status of their requests, reducing frustration and improving overall satisfaction with the HR services.

• Facilitation of a shared service centre: The implementation of Sunrise played a pivotal role in establishing a shared service centre at Greencore. The unified system streamlined HR operations across multiple locations, fostering collaboration and ensuring consistency in service delivery.
  
  
• Seamless implementation and effective training: Feedback from coordinators who were part of the team during the Sunrise implementation highlighted that the transition was seamless. They quickly adapted to the new system, feeling confident in their ability to navigate it within a few weeks. Additionally, the thorough and detailed training provided played a crucial role in ensuring that the team was well-prepared to leverage the system's full capabilities from the start.

Overall, Sunrise’s HR case management solution brought much-needed structure and efficiency to Greencore’s HR operations. The once unmanageable process was transformed into a streamlined, transparent, and well-organised system that empowered the HR team to deliver better service to their colleagues across the organisation.