HR lacked a centralized system for data management, leading to inconsistent figures and slow decisions. Monthly reporting took up to seven days, and one controller spent nearly 14 workdays each month on absence calculations. Different databases created confusion for managers and teams.
Volkswagen Group Services implemented IBM Planning Analytics to consolidate HR data, automate reporting, and enable real‑time analysis. The solution was tailored to the company’s needs and replaced fragmented processes with a single, trusted platform.
With the implementation of this solution, Volkswagen has achieved significant gains in HR productivity and efficiency. The HR function now has a single source of truth, improved data quality and automation of routine tasks. The solution provides full visibility into HR metrics and KPIs from different sources as well as customizable modules, enabling managers to make smarter workforce decisions.
With IBM Planning Analytics, we have reduced the time it takes to generate reports from 7 days to just a few seconds. Our productivity has increased by 85%.
Alexander Beil, Volkswagen’s HR Controller, Volkswagen Group Services
Volkswagen, a leading global automaker, operates in a highly competitive industry where efficiency and innovation are key. Its internal service provider, Volkswagen Group Services, has 10,000 employees and plays a crucial role in the whole Volkswagen Group.
However, the HR team of Volkswagen Group Services was stuck in neutral, struggling to manage and analyze HR data. Monthly reporting took up to seven days, and a single person spent almost 14 days every month on absence calculations alone, highlighting the need for a more efficient solution. In the words of Alexander Beil, Volkswagen Group Services’ HR Controller, “Everyone thought they were talking about the same data, but they were using different databases. Often, managers and team leaders also asked us for different kinds of data about their employees”. The lack of a centralized system for HR data management was a major obstacle, causing data inconsistencies and difficulties in making informed decisions. “We needed a system that could handle all our HR data needs, including data integration and reporting,” adds Beil.
The HR team needed to shift gears and find a robust solution to automate these tasks, improve data quality and provide real-time insights to support HR processes and decision-making. That’s where IBM® Planning Analytics came in: a powerful tool that could help them get back on track.
Volkswagen Group Services chose IBM Planning Analytics following a recommendation from their finance department, which had successfully used the solution for eight years. Christoph Hein, an IBM Business Partner and consultant to Volkswagen Group Services, supported the implementation from prototyping to deployment. The result was a system tailored to Volkswagen Group Services’ needs, one that automated reporting processes, provided a consolidated system for HR data management and facilitated real-time data analysis.
““Everyone who needs to work with HR data has access to the same data sets, which are accurate and up to date. Managers can customize daily and monthly reports within seconds using one-click options to apply filters, change dimensions, and combine metrics such as address, absence, and competency. In addition, data from our old database can be exported easily with automated quality control”, says Beil.
Today, more than 600 users across the organization, including HR teams, managers and the works council, are benefiting from the solution. IBM Planning Analytics has bolstered the HR function with a single source of truth, improved data quality and automation of routine tasks. The solution provides full visibility into HR metrics and KPIs from different sources as well as customizable modules, enabling managers to make smarter workforce decisions. “In the auditor module, for example, team leaders get mails about individual employees, and they can plan specific training or recommend educational resources accordingly,” explains Beil. “And I can now focus on high-level tasks from the C-suite — special tasks related to the whole company,” he adds.
Christoph Hein, now Country Manager DACH at Intito Group, summarizes the impact of the solution thus, “Thanks to the exceptional flexibility and scalability of IBM Planning Analytics, Volkswagen Group Services has successfully empowered managers at all organizational levels with secure, transparent, and timely access to critical HR data. What began as a modest implementation for a small user group has now evolved into an enterprise-wide solution that supports hundreds of managers in their daily HR decision-making processes.”
With the implementation of this solution, Volkswagen Group Services has achieved significant gains in HR productivity and efficiency. As Beil puts it, “With IBM Planning Analytics, we have reduced the time it takes to generate monthly reports from 7 days to just a few seconds. Our productivity has increased by 85 percent!”
The key outcomes of this implementation also include:
The system has also enabled managers to work independently, making decisions without relying on the Human Resources Business Partner (HRBP) or the IT department. “With IBM Planning Analytics, managers are able to work freely and independently and can access the data they need at any time. The solution has a lot of potential and can generate different kinds of reports; all that users need to do is explore the possibilities”, says Beil.
Volkswagen has put the brakes on manual HR processes and shifted into overdrive, accelerating its workforce planning strategy. With IBM Planning Analytics, Volkswagen has built a foundation for agility — one that now extends beyond finance and HR to operations. It’s a reminder that when organizations remove friction from data access and empower teams with intelligent automation, they create space for strategic thinking, faster execution and lasting impact.