PHR Go-live

Phr went live as planned on the June Bank holiday weekend. PHR provides a new HR and Payroll system to all of ESB Group, including pensions payroll and expenses.

Project and business personnel worked throughout the go-live weekend to load payroll and HR data and bring systems, records and transactions up-to-date. Over 4500 transactions were entered into SAP in preparation for the first running of the ESB payroll in SAP. This was carried out successfully, with no difficulty with bank transfers and cheque payments processes.

All of the major HR and Payroll processes have now been completed in PHR. In the businesses, there was also intensive activity to train and brief all users in time for go-live. 'Change Agents' and 'Super Users' in every business area have played key roles in preparing for go-live and co-ordinating support efforts with the Project for users logging on and using the system.

PHR has over 3200 users in total across the Group. PHR users can use the system to record attendance, submit expenses claims and update some of their own personal details online. Approvals by the relevant managers are also catered for on line. These self-service features are referred to as Employee Self Service (ESS) and Manager Self Service (MSS).

Of these, around 400 are intensive users of the SAP software, carrying out specialist payroll and HR activities in Shared Services and the business units. To mark the go-live of PHR, a special Webcast by the Director HR and Corporate Affairs, John Campion was made available via the staff Intranet, who is very pleased with the success of PHR to date:

"The reaction from users to PHR has been extremely positive. Managers and staff recognise the benefits of a modern, online and easy to use system for such basic activities as attendance recording, claiming expenses, training activity management and the notification of staff transfers. As well as the benefits for staff, I have no doubt that PHR will play a strategic role in the area of ESB's HR management in the years to come."

ESB SHARED SERVICES