Morten Madsen, Group HR Director, Vald. BIRN. (Photo: Vald. BIRN)
When the foundry giant Vald. BIRN in Holstebro, Denmark, began the search for a new HCM system, they were working from an old and cumbersome tool that could no longer keep up with their ambitions. With operations in Denmark, Sweden, Germany, and Italy, 800 employees, and complex certification requirements, they needed a solution that could provide clarity, control, and predictability.
"Our old system was outdated. We needed a solution that could support both our ESG strategy and the operational HR work across the entire group," says Morten Madsen, Group HR Director at Vald. BIRN.
"We wanted one unified system that could bring everything together - from HR Master Data to competence and learning - on a single platform."
When Vald. BIRN began their digitalisation journey, many HR processes were still manual. Onboarding new employees was done on paper, and large amounts of information were handled through email and local spreadsheets.
“When a new employee started, we actually filled out a physical form that was then delivered to the payroll office. It was both time-consuming and exposed to potential mistakes,” says Madsen.
“Today, everything is digitalised and automated. The onboarding flows are streamlined, and even skilled workers on the shop floor use the app actively. It has been surprisingly positive to see how engaged production employees are in using the system.”
Photo: Vald. BIRN
In heavy industry, HR is about more than recruitment and follow-up. For quality and safety reasons, it is about ensuring that all employees have the right skills and qualifications. And these must be documented and up to date at all times.
“As a major supplier to the engineering and automotive industries, including companies like Scania and Volvo, we are subject to very strict requirements for authorisations and documentation. In practice, having the right competence and updated CV data for our employees is our ‘licence to operate’. Now we finally have a system that gives us full control, of this” says Madsen.
With CatalystOne, the HR department has established a clear competence framework and overview across professional groups and countries. Courses, authorisations, and certifications are now registered, followed up, and reported digitally.
“It’s a great benefit both for us as an employer and for the employees themselves. They get an overview of their own development, and we get a solid foundation for compliance and training,” he says.
Photo: Vald. BIRN
A key success factor in Vald. BIRN’s HR digitalisation is the integration between the recruitment system Garuda and CatalystOne. When hiring new employees, all candidates are recorded in Garuda. Once the hiring decision is made, the data flows seamlessly into CatalystOne, and from there into the payroll system.
“Garuda is our online recruitment platform. Being able to transfer all candidate data directly into CatalystOne saves us a lot of manual work,” says Madsen.
The solution makes it possible to manage the employee journey digitally – from application to the first working day – and reduces the risk of errors and double registrations. With the integration to the payroll system Lessor, data flows seamlessly from recruitment and onboarding to payroll and further development within the CatalystOne modules.
This creates a smooth transition into the organisation and ensures that onboarding is fast and efficient. It also frees up time so the HR team can focus on more value-creating work.
In sum, the solution supports the entire employee journey. From recruitment in Garuda, through onboarding and competence follow-up, to payroll via the Lessor integration.
Photo: Vald. BIRN
Madsen emphasises that the collaboration with CatalystOne has been characterised by openness, trust and close dialogue, both during implementation and in daily operations.
“We see CatalystOne as a professional and solution-oriented partner. Their response on support is quick, and they always come back with concrete suggestions. When we encounter challenges, we solve them together through a combination of innovation, development, and collaboration,” he says.
He describes the implementation process as dynamic and constructive, with a partnership that has been solution-focused from the beginning.
“CatalystOne showed early on that they take ownership of the collaboration and want to contribute actively all the way. That creates confidence.”
For Vald. BIRN, it was crucial to find a system that could be rolled out safely and efficiently, without unnecessary complexity. CatalystOne delivered a structured process that made it possible to digitalise HR operations across the entire group.
“We wanted a solution that could be introduced without disrupting operations. CatalystOne ensured a professional and smooth implementation,” says Madsen.
Today, the HR system is fully implemented in Denmark, Sweden, Germany, and Italy, as well as in all the group’s subsidiaries. The first three countries use the solution in their own language, which has been an important success factor.
“Allowing employees to use the system in their own language creates local ownership and makes it easier to get everyone on board. It ensures that the entire group works according to the same structure, while each unit still recognises itself in the solution,” he says.
Photo: Vald. BIRN
Following the implementation, the HR department has seen clear improvements in efficiency, reporting, and control.
“We have saved a significant amount of time, especially on onboarding and updating employee data. In addition, we have better reports and better documentation of everything we do,” says Madsen.
Digitalisation has also contributed to more efficient workflows and stronger support for the group’s ESG work. HR data, absence, organisational structure and competence are now gathered in one system, providing the industrial group with security and oversight throughout the organisation.
When Madsen looks ahead and considers the next step in Vald. BIRN’s digitalisation journey, he envisions adopting CatalystOne’s Compensation module, particularly in light of the upcoming EU directive on pay transparency.
“It’s a natural next step now that the competence module is fully rolled out and working well. We want to build on the structure we have already established,” says Madsen.
He believes that many industrial companies still have untapped potential when it comes to digitalising HR processes.
“Many have various systems, but there is still a lot to gain. We have seen major savings and clear benefits. And not least freed up time so our employees can focus on other tasks.”
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– Åsa Engström, produkteier for HR-systemer i Svenska Spel.
