Transforming HR for strategic impact at AstraZeneca: How centralized HR support improved internal customer service
| Date | 01 January 2006 |
| Published date | 01 January 2006 |
| Pages | 16-19 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/14754390680000861 |
| Author | Simon Hayward |
| Subject Matter | HR & organizational behaviour |
16
16 Volume 5 Issue 2 January/February 2006
STRAZENECA UK1HAS SUCCESSFULLY
completed the first stage of a global
transformation of its HR function. Senior
management felt that the company’s
generalist HR model wasn’t working. So, in 2003,
supported by learning and development specialist
Academee, AstraZeneca’s (AZ) HR function began to
adopt a centralized delivery model designed to
guarantee high levels of service to its internal customers.
The challenge for HR
HR services at AZ had traditionally been delivered
through a number of sites and functionally based teams
that offered a full range of generalist support. A
companywide drive to focus the business on its core
activities of researching, making, developing and selling
pharmaceutical products meant the spotlight fell on
HR and other support functions to see how they could
realize value – through cost savings and improved
customer service.
Although it wasn’t immediately obvious to service
users that the generalist HR model needed
transformation, the limits of the structure undermined
the high-quality service that HR wanted to provide to
all its internal customers.
• Shared technology and resources were lacking. There
was too much reliance on goodwill, networking and
paper-based communication. It was also unrealistic
to expect HR generalists to master the intricacies of
A
by Simon Hayward
Academee
Transforming HR
for strategic impact
at AstraZeneca
How centralized HR support improved
internal customer service
AstraZeneca needed to
refresh its internal
customer relations
processes from its
outdated paper-based
communication model.
Using a centralized
delivery model, the
company increased its
efficiency, improved
internal customer service
and ultimately,cut costs.
FEATURES AT A GLANCE
,
,
,
,
TRANSFORMING HR FOR
STRATEGIC IMPACT AT
ASTRAZENECA
IMPLEMENTING A CUSTOMER-
FOCUSED STRATEGY
WHY MANAGERS ARE CRUCIAL
TO INCREASING ENGAGEMENT
FOCUSING HR ON GROWTH
AT HARLEY-DAVIDSON
ENHANCING STAFF PAYMENT
SYSTEMS AT HUGHES SUPPLY
,
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