“It used to take weeks to get agreements signed back to the office. But with Penneo, the process can be done in a matter of minutes. It’s so much more effective.” – Daniel Finetto, Head of HR Services at Eltel

Challenge

The HR Administration team at Eltel Sweden had a large amount of manual work involving paperwork which was taking up too much of their time. They decided it was time to check the market for potential solutions.

When looking into their requirements, the HR team assessed that the right solution would be:

• User-friendly: catering to the needs of all employees, across departments
• GDPR-compliant: the HR team takes data privacy very seriously
• Mobile-friendly: many employees are on the field daily so easy access across devices was essential

Solution

Coming highly recommended by their colleagues in Eltel Denmark, the HR team at Eltel Sweden decided to look into implementing Penneo Sign.

After initial discussions, it became clear that Penneo’s solution could provide Eltel with what they needed. A user-friendly, mobile-friendly, and GDPR-compliant tool that would enable them to digitalize many of the HR admin processes.

“The onboarding process was very good too – we started out with 5-6 users and are constantly adding more. We received a lot of help from the Penneo team during onboarding and we felt reassured at every step of the process.” – Daniel Finetto, Head of HR Services at Eltel

An additional benefit was Penneo’s integrations with several eIDs across the Nordics. Future employees would then be able to sign their employment contracts with their local eID, even though they might reside in other countries like Denmark or Finland.

Results

After a successful implementation, most of the admin-related employee documentation is now being handled with Penneo – from employment agreements to confidentiality agreements and other contracts.

All documentation is kept in one place, which makes it easy to have a complete overview of processes – thus removing a big part of the manual work previously involved in this.

The HR team is already looking into broadening the use of Penneo to other types of processes and documentation. And they are also working with other departments to map out their processes, in order for them to start using Penneo in their document workflows too.

“We’re really happy with Penneo and with how user-friendly the system is. We received a lot of good feedback from others in the organization too, which is great. Everyone feels that everything is much smoother now.” – Daniel Finetto, Head of HR Services at Eltel

About Eltel Networks

Eltel Networks is a leading Nordic field service provider for communication and power networks, enabling a more sustainable and connected world today and for future generations.

Founded in 2001, Eltel has today more than 5400 employees and offices in seven countries.

“Setting up Penneo was very easy, and it has helped us significantly simplify signing procedures.” – Emélie Sandström, Head of Group Financial at Gina Tricot

Challenge

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the company could no longer hold its board meetings physically, which meant that their traditional way of handling documents had to be seen over. Before a lot of documents were signed during these meetings.

The company realized that it would have to find a better way to handle document signing further on.

Solution

By a recommendation from a company already using Penneo, Gina Tricot decided to implement our digital signing solution to optimize the document signing process for all parties involved.

With Penneo’s signing flows, all document transactions are sent and tracked automatically. The dashboard provides process transparency, and the automatic reminders help stay on track.

Our solution makes it easier for the signers too: they can view and sign documents using their electronic ID from any place with the click of a button. It’s much faster and more secure than relying on snail mail. And a copy of the final signed documents is automatically sent to each signatory, who can safely store and retrieve it from their free personal archive.

Penneo has many benefits to offer – the easy implementation is one Gina Tricot appreciates in particular.

Results

Penneo has helped Gina Tricot to reduce the administrative burden and offer a more convenient signing experience.

And as some document workflows are automated, the team has more time to focus on core functions and tasks.

“Today, we are able to relocate on average 40 hours (one work week) to other things than printing, posting, scanning, and following up on document signing.” – Emélie Sandström, Head of Group Financial at Gina Tricot

About Gina Tricot

Gina Tricot is a Swedish fashion chain with 151 physical stores and online shopping across Europe.

The company’s aim is to provide women with affordable trendy apparel while keeping simplicity and flexibility in design and operations.

“If you have to make an old-fashioned signature then you have to print documents, write and sign, scan it and send it out and it never looks very pretty. So typically we would ask signers to come to the office physically and sign the documents if it was urgent. Such actions are completely avoided now.” – Henrik Øgaard, Senior Project Manager at Coop

Challenges

Senior Project Manager Henrik was given the task to ensure that Coop implemented a new digital signing system going forward. They already had a signature system but it couldn’t handle MitID and since it hadn’t been a requirement for Coop to use it in the past, they had settled for that solution. However, in connection with their real estate agents and property administration throughout Denmark, they continuously experienced difficulties delivering signed contracts in time. There were quite a few back and forth negotiations when it came to making the final agreement related to getting signed contracts for rent, lease, etc. that required MitID validation. In most parts of Denmark, MitID was seemingly needed.

Moreover, enhanced by COVID-19, their traditional way of handling documents and using the print and scan method became inconvenient and time-consuming as signers were required to show up at the office on short notice and sign papers so that they could be sent out with the postal service immediately. This was not only time-consuming for the employees and managers but also difficult to accomplish during holidays and with the postal services being overwhelmed by orders due to COVID-19.

Lastly, what Henrik especially found appealing about Penneo was the specific feature of requesting signatures, which would enable Coop to follow up on pending cases and have a better overview of the signature collection process. Instead of being dependent on PostNord and other postal services and having to write to collaborators if they hadn’t signed the papers yet.

• Time-consuming processes and costly transportation fees when collecting signatures

Coop had a typical print and scan process when handling contracts related to Coop’s leases to external suppliers (sublease for bakery, flowers, pharmacy, fishmonger, delicatessen, etc.), basic leases (OK petrol stations and car washes, Coop buildings on leased land), and contracts for the purchase and sale of real estate. The manual routines of handling contracts proved to be time-consuming as well as impractical and inconvenient. Along with costly transportation fees when signers had to show up urgently to the office to sign.

“If you have to make an old-fashioned signature then you have to print documents, write and sign, scan it and send it out and it never looks very pretty. So typically one would ask employees to come into the office physically and sign the documents when it was urgent. It was very time consuming and required a lot of coordination to get people into the office urgently.” -Henrik Øgaard, Senior Project Manager at Coop

• Negotiations and pending cases

Often many negotiations take place before a contract is signed. Relying on postal services and back and forth phone calls and email exchanges can be dreary. Especially because Coop often has new partners on a daily basis across Denmark. It can be therefore challenging to schedule meeting times and keep track of the different stages of the various agreements sent out for signing, which was also one of the reasons why Henrik was asked to look into new digital solutions.

Results

• Time and cost saving transportation fees

When Coop changed from print and scan processes to using Penneo, they no longer had to ask signers to come physically to the office and sign, even on holidays. Along with not having to pay any printing or transportation fees. Moreover, the implementation and use of Penneo was easy and manageable from the start. Coop can send agreements for signing directly from Penneo to the inbox of the right recipients anytime, from anywhere. And similarly, the recipients can sign the needed documents on the go, from any device.

• Postal Service dependency and case overview

The intangible waiting of postal services to deliver and return contracts was no longer an issue once Coop implemented Penneo and moreover, Coop can easily keep track of each document and its status. Setting automatic reminders is also an option, to make sure the documents get signed on time and meeting deadlines is not a hassle anymore. This way, Coop gets a complete overview of their document transactions and can easily take action where needed.

Even though Coop is not in the process of a longer digitization implementation, Henrik is still curious and open to discovering new features that can advance the daily processes in all departments. He was pleasantly surprised to discover the feature of requesting signers for signatures, as well as the ability to follow up on pending case files. Along with seeing the major changes of time being saved, increased efficiency, and Penneo’s user-friendly application.

“There is no doubt that Penneo has significantly reduced the time and streamlined the process, it has become very clear during corona, where it is so much easier to use it. I can mention an example from the autumn holidays where there were various who were not in the office but you needed to act fast and this would usually mean that someone would have to try to drive around with paper agreements between people so they could be signed – and this we avoid completely with Penneo. So that’s a significant improvement!” -Henrik Øgaard, Senior Project Manager at Coop

“We think that Penneo is very user-friendly. I think the onboarding process has been very professional and very accommodating and user-oriented. It has been a good experience with both the first onboarding and then a follow-up onboarding. It was very helpful to have a follow-up conversation, even though we did not need it after the first onboarding.” -Henrik Øgaard, Senior Project Manager at Coop

About Coop Danmark

Coop Danmark A/S is a retail company in Denmark and together with the independent cooperative supermarkets, Coop Danmark has approximately 1,100 stores and 40,000 employees (2018), and owns a third of the purchasing organization Coop Trading with store chains such as Kvickly, SuperBrugsen, Dagli’Brugsen, Irma, Fakta, Coop 365, and Coop Denmark’s e-commerce store and online supermarket.

Coop consists of many shops which are located in properties that Coop owns or rents. All agreements regarding the purchase and sale of properties plus all rental agreements have been handled manually or with their previous digital signature solution that didn’t use MitID, the Danish eID. Now Coop Ejendomme (real estate department) plus other internal decision-makers have switched to using Penneo for contracts that involve purchases and sales of Coop’s properties, rental of other retail and residential properties, as well as value optimization of Coop’s property portfolio.

“On some weeks, we need to send out 20 to 30 employment contracts and attachments for signature. This was very expensive due to high postage prices, and employee time spent on manual administrative tasks such as printing, scanning, and mailing contracts. With Penneo, we save both time and money, and employee relations have significantly improved.” – Kristine Stavik, HR Manager at Olivia Danmark

Olivia Danmark improves contract management processes with Penneo

With over 1500 employees and up to 30 new employment contracts waiting to be signed every week, executing HR processes smoothly and efficiently quickly became a challenge. Manually preparing, printing, mailing, and signing each employment contract was time-consuming and a waste of resources (paper, ink, postage). As a result, Olivia Danmark’s HR department decided to implement Penneo, a digital signing and data collection software.

Penneo helped Olivia Danmark speed up signature collection time. With Penneo’s solution, the employment contract can be sent in a couple of minutes, attachments included. The candidate receives it digitally and can conveniently sign it on their computer or smartphone. As a result, Penneo frees the candidate from the shackles of printing and scanning since the entire signing process is digital.

Manually keeping track of signed contracts is also a thing of the past for Olivia Danmark. Penneo provides a clear document overview and HR employees can easily see which contracts have been sent, opened, or/and signed. With Penneo, Olivia Danmark can also set up and send automated email reminders for forgetful candidates.

Understanding the needs of employees

The key to building employee trust is to have a good understanding of their needs and challenges. By allocating the time previously spent on manual administrative processes to better understanding and connecting with their employees, Oliva Danmark has significantly improved employee relations.

On top of that, by being able to track the contract status, Olivia Danmark can see if and when the signing process was interrupted. These insights help the HR department get in touch with future employees, have a conversation about the problem, and find the best solution together. Naturally, this builds trust between the company and future employees.

Results

Penneo helped Olivia Danmark build stronger and better relations not only between HR and employees but also between people in need and those willing to help.

With Penneo, Olivia Danmark is able to keep up with a large number of employment contracts. They successfully sent out all the outstanding contracts and attachments. Olivia Danmark cut down costs on paper, ink, and postage and increased productivity. The time they saved is now allocated to better understanding their employees’ needs.

Knowing when the signing process was interrupted allows Olivia Danmark to reach out to future employees and have an open conversation about the challenges they might be facing. As a result, they can understand why the contract was not signed immediately while building trust and improving employee relations.

About Olivia Danmark

Olivia Danmark provides financial assistance and support services for children and adults living with a disability. They believe that everyone has the right to live a happy and fulfilling life that is not defined by their disability. The organisation collaborates with over 65 Danish municipalities to ensure people living with a disability have the opportunity to live their best lives.

“The great thing about Penneo is that we saved a lot of money, time, and resources. On top of that, Penneo is a cloud-based system which made it very easy to implement and use with our IT system.” – Gitte Groth, Personnel Consultant at Copenhagen Airport

Challenges

• Delays and unpredictability serve as a goal to action for Copenhagen Airport

Gitte Groth, the personnel consultant at Copenhagen Airport, continuously experienced difficulties with the manual process of hiring and onboarding of the new employees due to:

• Long waiting time and delay in signing employment contracts. There would often be delays due to sending employment contracts out through the Danish postal service and having to wait to receive them back signed.
• Unpredictability on how much time the process would take, and therefore, the inability to plan the onboarding accordingly; for example, gathering onboarding equipment; such as phones, computers, handbooks, and other new employee requirements.
• Variable prices depending on the urgency of signing the documents. Whenever there was a tight time limit, the cost of the process would increase significantly.
• Longer hiring processes due to numerous manual tasks, which are also subject to human error.

• Growing acceptance of the eID: ensuring data security and compliance

In a large workplace as Copenhagen Airport, with more than 23000 employees, the focus on security is essential and regulated both by Danish and international regulations. Enforcement of these rules is part of operating an airport, and the role of HR is to provide a personal ID card that gives access to the security zones where the employee has their daily work function when hired. To obtain a personal ID card is a complex process involving background checks according to the current EU regulation, which consists of 3 parts:

• Establish a person’s identity based on evidence.
• Include criminal records in all countries of residence for at least the preceding five years.
• Include employment, education, and any interruptions for at least the preceding five years. Interruptions of more than 28 days must be accounted for.

Two years ago, the Danish police department did not allow this procedure to be done through digital signing and digital data collection. It meant that whenever Gitte had to collect the necessary qualifications and personal and professional background to prove that the employee would travel in the airport area without endangering himself and others. They had to do it the old “print, scan, postal mail way”.

This procedure is a big part of the onboarding process, and since they had already implemented Penneo in other sectors; they needed this step to complete the digital automation.

Results

• Copenhagen Airport improves efficiency with Penneo

After thorough discussions between Penneo’s and CPH Airport’s employees, everyone concluded that Penneo is the right tool to solve the challenges mentioned above. Due to its ease of use and automated process, the time of signing contracts shortens, respectively, the onboarding process becomes more comfortable to plan and reduce delays. Also, a Business Impact Assessment (BIA) made by CPH showcased that using Penneo for HR purposes reduces the costs by 35000 DK per year.

• Unlocking the potential of digital transformation with Penneo

As mentioned before, handing the employer’s ID cards electronically for CPH airport was not possible until Gitte reached out to the Danish police and introduced the benefits of it:

• Elevated security
• Safe personal archive option
• Security pro-causing in contracts
• Sensitive data protection
• Collecting data safely using forms: name, bank info, criminal records, next of kin
• Better GDPR-compliance
• Full audit trail, which is easily reportable when the auditors come knocking

The Danish police department is now fully digital when it comes to creating eIDs for CPH airport.

After having used Penneo for almost three years already at CPH, Gitte expresses the thrill of using less time tedious paperwork. The joyous practicality of all documentation is available for new employees from the moment they sign. As a result, the onboarding is now a better experience where the new employee also has control and an overview of the process. With Penneo, CPH has an effective and successful onboarding process through HR digitization.

Thanks to the collaboration with Penneo:

• CPH saved approximately 35000 DKK per year on postage, envelopes, and paper.
• 2700-2800 employment agreements have been successfully registered with Penneo.
• Many hours have been saved on collecting candidate data safely and fast.
• Safe personal archive; new and existing employees can keep track of all documents and contracts easily.
• Elevated security: errors such as missing pages, documents, or signatures have now disappeared.

About Copenhagen Airport

Copenhagen Airport (CPH) is famous for its comfort, commitment to travelling easy, and beautiful Nordic design. The largest airport in the Nordic countries, it is also one of Denmark’s largest workplaces, with more than 23000 employees from 560 different companies. As a result, Copenhagen Airport’s HR department has to handle numerous contracts (ca. 2700-2800) associated with the hiring and onboarding of new employees.