Shortlisted team for the tmp.worldwide Award for Outsourcing: Personnel Today Awards 2000
In December 1999, BP entered a global agreement to outsource all transactional HR processes to Exult. This would be done through the introduction of a redesigned global HR process. Under the title of The Atlas Programme, the outsourcing deal would see the creation of myHR.net, a personalised web-based portal through which every employee could access HR information and services.
The initiative was introduced for a number of reasons. First, the deal would mean BP could reduce the unit cost of HR administrative and transactional services. Additionally, there would be new capacity created for the delivery of HR services to every employee while BP’s own HR function could focus at a more strategic level of people management, enabling a closer alignment of company strategy and organisational capability.
Unlike many organisations that have outsourced the administrative side of the HR function, BP chose to outsource its requirements to a single provider. Not only will Exult support BP through its own service centres, but it will also act as a service integrator, managing any contracts with other third party suppliers on behalf of BP.
The initiative is expected to take three years for full global implementation. The programme is being delivered through the Atlas Project Team, which comprises subject matter and functional experts from both BP and Exult. The team is organised by region with functional teams – Process Transformation, myHR.net and so on – responsible for their specialities in all areas. As the project has progressed, team responsibilities and personnel, have altered to reflect the skills required at each stage.
Crucially, the Change Management and Communications team has worked closely with BP business streams delivering workshops which ensure that all staff are aware of the transformation taking place within the company. At the same time, myHR.net has been designed and tested by HR managers from multiple business units.
In this way the service would clearly be functional and practical for employees, while at the same time, those involved in this area would act as ambassadors for the service throughout the company.
The myHR site includes myFuture – a career service which matches employees to new work or training opportunities and an Expat Tool which provides pay and conditions information for individuals considering foreign placements.
In the future, information held by myHR will be integrated into other non-HR processes in the organisation offering increased efficiencies in other areas.
The Atlas Programme is at the top of BP’s e-business agenda and is a key driver to the company’s global aspirations. When roll out is complete, the programme will affect all employees and a new standard will have been created for delivering HR services in the most effective and efficient way
Company fact file
Team The Atlas Project Team, BP and Exult
Number in HR team 50 including Exult in UK, embedded HR managers
Number of employees responsible for 100,000
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Main achievements The Atlas Programme will ultimately affect all heritage companies comprising BP – including Amoco, Arco and Burmah Castrol. This means covering over 100 countries. Statistics on the initial releases of myHR.net indicate that half of employees with web access have visited the site to browse or conduct HR business.
Priorities for next 12 months Both in the UK and US, the challenge remains to transfer more transactional work to Exult. The team is also looking at the rest of Europe and the world for new contracts to extend the programme to these areas. Benefit plans and other HR functions will be further consolidated and standardised.
