Inside the hangars of AERO Vodochody: where high-end manufacturing demands equally precise HR

AERO Vodochody AEROSPACE, a.s. has been shaping the history of Czech aviation for over 105 years. This industry is built on precision and quality. The company with 1,600 employees required that same level of precision – and they found it in OKbase.

The AERO Vodochody premises are a place where tradition naturally meets modern technology. The company ranks among the oldest aircraft manufacturers in the world, yet it works with the most advanced production processes of today. While production operates according to the strictest aviation industry standards, until recently, the HR department was burdened by rather demanding administration.

"In the past, we had to call, write emails, or hand-deliver requests. Everything was done manually," recalls HR Manager Marcela Kalousová, looking back at the time before digitalization.

At that time, the company was using a large foreign ERP solution. However, it gradually became clear that they needed a system that would be more flexible and better adaptable to the company’s specific needs. The final decision was also based on positive experiences and recommendations from the company’s management. The Czech system, OKbase, quickly proved its worth within the company, and employees even began to familiarly refer to it as "ókábejska."

Unified HR processes and less paperwork

One of the main goals of the implementation was to unify the HR agenda and reduce the amount of manual work. "We wanted to streamline all HR processes and eliminate unnecessary manual tasks," Marcela explains. The change is most evident in the daily routines of the employees. The system allowed for the introduction of self-service features, enabling staff to handle most routine HR tasks on their own. "Even those without a company computer now use 'ókábejska' from their personal phones," she adds.

Today, employees can easily submit vacation requests, download pay slips, or sign necessary documents – from anywhere, without having to visit the HR department in person.

Up to 250 qualifications per employee

The aviation industry also places very specific demands on workforce qualifications. It is essential to precisely track whether employees hold all the necessary authorizations required to work on specific aircraft components.

"As an aerospace company, we have very high standards. A single employee here can hold up to 250 different qualifications and certifications," Marcela points out.

During implementation, it was therefore necessary to migrate a vast amount of data from the legacy system – nearly 46,000 records and approximately 1,500 types of training. This agenda, which was previously an administrative burden, is now largely automated. The system monitors the validity of qualifications, sends alerts for upcoming expirations, and helps plan further training.

When a new employee joins the company, the system automatically assigns mandatory training based on their job position. "This eliminates the risk of someone working with an invalid certificate," she adds.

Faster payroll processing and simpler reporting

The digitalization of HR processes has significantly simplified the workload for both the HR department and the payroll office. Payroll processing has been cut from seven days to just three. Generating reports for company management or regulatory bodies is now also much easier.

"What we truly appreciate is the customer service. When there is an issue, we can reach a real person. Someone actually looks into our request," the HR manager emphasizes.

According to the company, it is precisely this personal approach and partnership that sets OKbase apart from large global solutions. Furthermore, AERO shares its experience to actively participate in the ongoing development of the system..

Technology supporting tradition

The implementation in a giant such as AERO took a mere six months. Today, OKbase is fully integrated into the corporate environment and is also ready to be linked with the new IFS ERP system. At the same time, the company is planning further digitalization steps, such as the introduction of electronic signatures. While the development of modern aircraft continues in the hangars, "ókábejska" takes care of keeping the personnel administration in order.

Source: e15.cz