Profit Magazine - May 2011

“Our industry-leading PeopleSoft Enterprise 9. 1 expertise and 9. 1–specific RapidSolutions upgrade approach enabled us to mitigate the clear risks associated with a parallel upgrade of four separate 9. 1 applications at once,” says John Doel, senior director of HCM practice at Optimum Solutions. “Having implemented more than two dozen 9. 1 solutions, we were able to draw upon our considerable 9. 1 experience to provide proven recommendations for the most impactful and efficient way for Premera to proceed with its upgrade.”

“Our biggest payoff so far is
efficiency. Before, we had the data
and we had the processes, but
they weren’t in a single database.”

INTEGRATED TALENT MANAGEMENT

Since going live with PeopleSoft HCM, Premera has seen posi-
tive results regarding talent management. “Our biggest payoff so
far is efficiency,” says Hill. “Before, we had the data and we had
the processes, but they weren’t in a single database, requiring a
great deal of manual intervention to cull data and consolidate it.
When things were on paper, it was very challenging to identify
trends or conduct true analysis in a timely manner.”
According to Tracy Martin, senior director of PeopleSoft
HCM strategy at Oracle, the newly integrated talent manage-
ment features in PeopleSoft Enterprise 9. 1 make it possible
for HR personnel to do higher-end strategic analysis, such
as determining why certain business units outperform other
units or whether it is possible to mobilize and target new
markets. “Talent management tools are easier to use, you can
get to information more quickly, and the data is more reli-
able,” she says.

One goal was to put the specialized data in the hands of the employees who know it best, empowering associates and managers by giving them the accountability to maintain the data that they own. “In order for those individuals to have the data they need, we required a system that was accessible at the desktop and accurate and timely and that could serve first-line managers and team leaders who could access information about their workforce at their desks,” says Magusin.

And while Premera’s improved talent management function-alities benefit the company in terms of systems analysis, there is definitely a positive payoff for employees, as well. Many talent management features are employee-specific, like career planning, allowing employees to be proactive. Such features help provide a better workforce experience for Premera personnel.

PeopleSoft Enterprise 9. 1 also offers a wealth of system
enhancements, making it more efficient and easier to navigate.
There’s more real estate on the screen to see more transac-
tional menus, and menus are more efficient. A new approval
workflow engine automatically provides a multilevel audit trail
for any transaction that’s in the system, delivering regulatory
and legal benefits by automating what used to be very dif-
ficult and expensive to customize. The new system leverages
Oracle Business Intelligence
Publisher capabilities to
expand the PeopleSoft
ePerformance review
process. “From a reporting
perspective, the company
now has a robust, Premera-
specific, user-friendly visual
[PeopleSoft} ePerformance
report,” Doel says.

—Susan Hill, Senior Manager, HR Systems and Projects,

Premera Blue Cross

FUTURE PAYOFFS

And the work is not finished yet. Magusin says that Premera has a long-term talent management commitment and will continue to invest in HR technology going forward.

Starkman agrees that taking a long view on talent management is the best strategy for companies that hope to weather regulatory, economic, and security pressures like those that face the health insurance industry. “Companies need to begin to think from a leadership perspective, asking ‘What kinds of leaders do we need, and what experiences do they need to have in order to be effective?’ These things are information that the business needs in order to make good business decisions. It’s an opportunity for HR to contribute hugely to business performance,” she says.

To serve that end, Premera will be adding the next building block to the HCM system later in 2011 for improved talent management. “The opportunity for us with PeopleSoft Enterprise 9. 1 is to have a detailed manager profile of our entire workforce—what are the competencies, who are the people, what is their potential? It’s a much richer, deeper functionality than we’ve had,” Magusin says.

“We’re in the process of changing the way we do our work and looking at ever more efficient and cost-effective ways to do it,” says Magusin. “It remains to be seen exactly how it’s going to go with healthcare reform, but we stand at the ready to move quickly.” <>