Employee labour relation procedures in SA still run by and large on manual paper-based systems. These manual systems are in part the reason for so many employee disputes.
Small to medium-sized companies lose more than 60% of the cases arbitrated by the CCMA, and over 80% of these cases are based on unfair dismissals.
The majority of employee complaints are around non-complaint procedures and favouritism. Employees complain that some employees receive harsher treatment than others. Consistency is what employees, unions and the law demand. But non-compliance is often due to both ignorance and a lack of proper procedures.
In large organisations, the situation is somewhat different. Procedures are in place, but systems are still manual and these systems generate huge amounts of paperwork which are difficult to manage.
Of the companies we evaluated in corporate SA, not a single organisation could boast having an electronic, workflow-based document management solution.
Workflow and document management go hand in hand and have been around for years in other industries. Document management has been successfully used in the insurance industry where we all know how critical the paper flow has become. Workflow and document management have proven their benefit in this industry.
But the employee relations market has lagged behind. Some corporates have implemented a type of document management solution, but only addressing the fringes of workflow and knowledge management. This is where we believe many of the labour dispute problems lie: the inability to manage paper and procedures.
In organisations of over 20 000 employees, systems can be disjointed, purely because they are manual. Workflow typically addresses the problem of different people needing to do different things at different times in different places. The `geographical` spread of people in an organisation presents logistical challenges. Workflow consolidates this by providing one central database from which all the company`s processes can be managed.
A manager in Durban will not be left to interpret an internal policy differently to a manager in Johannesburg.
Workflow and document management, as in the insurance industry, will go a long way in managing paper flow and ensuring that the correct labour procedures are followed. Workflow provides a central point of access, giving an all-encompassing document management solution.
But in defence of employers, to develop a fully operational employee relations (ER) document management system is expensive and time-consuming. How does a company keep up with changes in legislation? And the software developer needs to know this market intricately.
This is an ideal market for a third-party to bring in a software solution and offer the option of either access via the Internet or in-house installation.
The benefit of a centrally controlled system means that once the company`s procedures and documentation have been implemented, paperflow is automated.
Users will not be able to deviate from procedural controls and an audit trail of every event is recorded. Training is much easier because there is a document management framework to follow.
A new product has been launched designed around these exact features. It offers document management, workflow and knowledge management.
The software is based on business process management (BPM) methodologies. This means that it enforces processes in a workflow environment, all within the labour relations framework.
The processes are customised in line with each organisation`s labour practices, thereafter, workflow enforces these internal processes, assuring adherence to company-specific procedures.
The software, through its knowledge management tool, provides employers with instructions, advice and access to relevant information on how to proceed with an action, enquiry or counselling procedure, and offers suggestions on the correct course of action.
Most importantly, the procedures are customised to meet each organisation`s requirements and incorporate their existing internal policies. It is customised around the client`s business rules and documentation.
Overall, because it is a workflow solution, processes are managed and streamlined. It is the first time organisations will now be able to derive all the benefits from a workflow and knowledge management solution in the labour relations market.
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