90 percent digital is not enough

And it is often only the last ten percent that is missing on the way to a paperless office. Yet solutions have long been available on the market to make electronic personnel files 100 percent paperless - i.e. without printing, signing and scanning again.

And this is regardless of whether a company uses SAP HCM or the HR system of another provider or has stored its documents on the file system.

Let's take a look at the problem using onboarding as an example: The employee life cycle in the company begins with the signing of the employment contract.

Mostly analog with pen on paper, rarely digital by means of a signature on the signature pad. This creates the personnel file and the tour de force begins. Employee ID cards, keys, access cards, cell phones and notebooks are handed out and receipt is confirmed. Confidentiality agreements, safety instructions and confirmations of attendance are also documented.

A lively dance between paper-based and digital storage begins, much ends up on file servers and in systems, some in the HR department's filing cabinet. And with every payslip, every leave request and every sick note - usually in paper form - the hybrid personnel file grows.

There is no question that documentation and data protection are essential pillars of modern HR management. The current General Data Protection Regulation of the European Union has further exacerbated the situation for companies.

However, this is not the only reason why hybrid personnel files or those as pure hard copies have long since exceeded the limits of cost-effectiveness and administrability. Although many companies have successfully digitized their processes, the last step - the last ten percent - is usually the last straw.

In other words, when digitally stored documents have to be printed out for signature and scanned in again or the payslip arrives by post. It therefore makes sense to completely digitize these processes as well.

SAP's integrated Human Capital Management (HCM) already supports HR departments in their numerous tasks. With an electronic personnel file, whether in the cloud or on premises, processes can be made mobile and therefore more efficient, while the automation of manual activities offers further savings potential.

Last but not least, legally compliant and traceable approval and signature processes are also crucial. This requires different signature methods for different documents due to legal aspects.

We at r>IT have developed the e-Sign product portfolio precisely for such requirements. They work as an add-on for existing applications such as SAP HCM, but can also be used more simply - for example in combination with file systems.

This allows a secure, electronic personnel file to be generated for every employee. Documents can be digitally signed biometrically/advanced using a signpad/certificate or qualified with a cell phone signature or citizen card.

For example, if an access card is issued, e-Sign ensures that the digital signature is applied smoothly and then stores the PDF document correctly in the employee's file.

And e-Sign can also be operated as a microservice in the cloud. This allows payslips, for example from SAP HCM, to be encrypted and delivered personally by email. The process can therefore be handled 100 percent digitally.

This saves time and money, prevents unauthorized opening and enables the successful delivery to be checked. The same naturally also applies to other documents that need to be sent simultaneously and securely to a large number of people - such as travel expense reports, annual payslips or bonus letters.

This means that the last ten percent mentioned, which is still based on paper, can also be digitized. Quick wins for companies - and at a moderate cost.