2. The Necessity of an HRIS System—
Tracking Employees’ Training in SAP
By Jordan Greene
SAP Training Module Project

3. Why This Project?
In my current position of HR
Generalist at MAHLE Filter
Systems, I saw an immediate
need for a better way to keep up
with employees training records.
When asked by ISO and TS auditors
which employees had received
what training and / or
certifications, there was no
effective and efficient way to
answer those questions.
We were buried in piles of paperwork.
There were tons of training log sheets
kept in files, only separated / sorted by
training heading.

4. About MAHLE Group
The MAHLE Group is one of the 30 largest
companies in the automotive supply
industry worldwide.
The Group’s key data are:
 Over 110 production locations on
four continents
 7 research and development centers
 Over 65,000 employees and sales of
approximately 5.3 billion Euros (USD 7
billion) in 2010

5. TS16949 / ISO14001
What is TS16949?
TS 16949 is the International Quality
Management Standard specifically
written by the Automotive Industry.
Because MAHLE manufactures automotive parts, MAHLE is required to have both
these certifications in order to conduct business with customers.
What is ISO14001?
ISO14001 is an Environmental Management
System that helps reduce the negative
impact our plant has on our environment.

6. TS16949 and ISO14001 Audits
Q: What are the auditors looking for?
A: Auditors are looking for evidence that we are
adhering to our customers’ requirements—that
we are doing what we say we’re doing.
Employees’ training plays a
huge role. Auditors want to
see evidence that employees
have been trained on the
TS16949 and ISO14001 policies
and associated procedures.
MAHLE struggled to retrieve
the documents in a timely
fashion for the auditors. In
some cases, the documents
could not be located, resulting
in audit non-conformances.

7. TS16949 and ISO14001 Audits
Passing both the TS16949 and the ISO14001 audits is imperative to stay in business,
so the deficiency in providing training records became a TOP priority for MAHLE.
What’s the solution?
There were two options:
1. Purchase a separate HRIS system to
electronically house all our training
records, or
2. Utilize the organization’s current ERP
system, SAP, to maintain all the data.
Since SAP was already being utilized
throughout the MAHLE organization and had
the capability to maintain the training
documents and to successfully mine data, this
option was chosen for MAHLE Murfreesboro.

8. Technology Takeover
Our world is more connected now than it’s ever
been—all due to the presence of technology.
Globalization is undoubtedly here to stay and
information in the global workforce is maintained,
shared, and transmitted electronically. As a result,
human resources departments must be able to
retrieve information at a moment’s notice to keep
and sustain a cutting edge for their organizations.

9. ERP and HRIS Defined
HRIS can be purchased separately as
stand alone programs or they may be
part of a larger ERP system. ERP is an
acronym for Enterprise Resource
Planning. It is a large-scale software
program designed for modern
businesses.
HRIS is an acronym for Human Resources
Information Systems. They are designed to
electronically manage mass amounts of
employee data and processes related to
employment.
Some examples of the tasks that HRIS can
perform are as follows:
• Employee attendance
• Performance management
• Benefits administration
• Payroll processing
• Recruitment and applicant tracking
• Training and development
i.e. HRIS

10. Why HRIS and ERP?
Utilizing an ERP is the best
way for organizations as a
whole to manage all its
applicable data
Utilizing an HRIS is the best way for HR departments to…
• Streamline HR processes and reduce administrative burdens.
• Reduce HR administration and compliance costs
• Compete more effectively for global talent
• Improve service and access to data for employees and
managers.
• Provide real-time metrics to allow decision-makers to spot
trends and manage the workforce more effectively, and to
• Enable HR to transform so it can play a more strategic role in
the business.

11. SAP (Systems, Applications, and
Products in Data Processing)
SAP is the ERP system that MAHLE utilizes,
and the choice for the creation and
implementation for what would become the
SAP Training Module, an HRIS portion that
would maintain MAHLE Murfreesboro’s
training documents and training program.
Some key facts about SAP:
• The Corporation is based in Germany.
• SAP has locations in more than 100
countries, including the United States.
• Its software applications include 34
currencies and languages.
• Users can track compliance with more than
80 local regulations.
SAP has just over $6B in total ERP
software revenue in 2012, leading
the worldwide market with 24.6%
market share.

12. SAP Training Module
What did I want to know???
So, I had to….
MY
And the research questions were….
1. How can the functions of the HR portions of the
SAP ERP be best utilized to maximize
organizational performance, specifically the
Training Module transactions?
2. What are the benefits to an organization of
effective utilization of an HRIS system?
3. How much improvement can be made in TS and
ISO audit scores due to the successful
implementation of the Training Module?

13. Research Methodology
• Consultations
• Discussions
• Trial and Error
• Q / A
• Focus Groups
• Interviews and Surveys*
• All Department Managers
at MAHLE Murfreesboro
• The HR staff of MAHLE Murfreesboro
• The Training Coordinator
at MAHLE Morristown
• Two IT Specialists at MAHLE Morristown
*Interviews and surveys will be
conducted after project implementation.

14. What Exactly Can the SAP Training
Module Do If Utilized?
• It can store and maintain the training
Qualifications (needs) and Proficiencies (scores)
of employees within SAP. It can also aids with
defining which Qualifications are required for
each particular Job.
• Due to the link between employee and Job, the
Qualifications of each Job are automatically
inherited by the employee assigned to that Job.
As training is completed by an employee
(Qualifications are met), the results of the
training, such as Proficiency and completion
date, are stored in the Training Module.
• The SAP HR Training Module can also provide
reporting to aid with the selection of candidates
for other Jobs. Based on the Qualifications
required for the Job and the Qualifications
accrued by employees, an analysis can be made
to assist with determining the best candidates
within the organization.
Training I need based
on my job
Classes / Trainings I
have had and my
related scores
throughout my
employment

15. What Did We Do?
• Modified our existing job codes and created new ones.
• Looked at other Training Matrices.
• Met with each Department Manager at MAHLE Murfreesboro to
determine what training his or her employees needed or should have.
• Created our own Training Matrix in Excel for MAHLE Murfreesboro.
Example of a
job code in SAP
I = Initial (when employee is hired)
A = Annual Training
IA – Initial and Annual
There are a total
of 61 job titles
at MAHLE
Murfreesboro.

16. Then We…
• Created the qualifications
(training needed) and
qualification groups (e.g.
maintenance, HR, safety) in SAP
• Three other MAHLE locations
utilize the this same module.
• The line items in darker blue
represent the qualification
groups entered for
Murfreesboro (taken from the
matrix created).
• The line items in lighter blue
represent the qualifications
(needs / trainings) entered for
each qualification group.
Transaction: S_AHR_61003929)

17. Then We…
• Entered training hours (how long training took or is estimated to take)
 This information is necessary to calculate the number of training
hours spent over a certain time period for corporate reporting,
training budget information, etc. It is also useful to employees,
supervisors, and / or managers so they will know the amount of
time to budget for training.
• Linked qualifications to jobs
Transaction: PP01
Transaction: PPPM

18. And Finally We…
• Created e-mail links / notifications
Automatic e-mails are sent to
employees’ supervisors as
required training becomes due
for those employees. When
Qualifications are updated or
added for a Job and new or
additional training is required,
the affected employees’
supervisors are automatically
notified via e-mail.
The supervisor must complete the training by the due date and
turn the training log sheet into HR so that the completion of
the training can be entered into the SAP Training Module. If
the training is not completed a follow-up e-mail will be sent to
the next level of authority.

19. Capabilities and Reports
The SAP Training Module can:
• Link qualifications to multiple jobs. Some qualifications
apply to more than one job. Example: Everyone in the
plant is required to have annual sexual harassment
training.
• Transaction: Z_HR_US_Q2C_UPDATE
• Enter proficiencies for multiple employees at the same
time. In situations where multiple employees receive the
same training at the same time, this transaction allows for
a proficiency (or proficiencies) to be added to all of those
employees via a mass update.
• Transaction: S_AHR_61003917
• Compare job requirements to employee qualifications.
• Transaction: ZHR_MAHLE_PROFILE
• Compare an employee’s accrued requirements to a job’s
requirements. This is a report used to compare an
employee’s or employees’ accrued qualifications to any
job requirements, thus aiding in the selection of
candidates for a job.
• Transaction: PPPD
Job
Requirements
Employee’s
Qualifications

20. Training Module Key Concepts
1. Requirements (mandatory qualifications) are linked to
jobs, not to employees.
2. The employee link to a qualification and the entering of
the employee’s proficiency for that qualification occur at the
same time, using the same transaction (PPPM).
3. Elective qualifications should not be linked to jobs. They
are only linked to employees when the elective qualification
proficiencies are added for those employees via PPPM.
4. SAP determines if a requirement is outstanding for an
employee by comparing the requirements linked to a job
versus the obtained qualifications that are linked to the
employee who has that same job. This comparison is the
basis for the email notifications.
5. Employees retain all qualifications (required & elective)
indefinitely, even when they change jobs.
Elective
Qualifications

21. The Results
MAHLE Murfreesboro achieved completion of the creation of the SAP Training Module;
however, due to the current workload in an already understaffed HR department (adding
headcount, both permanent and temporary), it was concluded that a training coordinator
was needed. The training coordinator will be added to the HR staff beginning on January 1,
2015.
The training coordinator will…
• Have regular meeting with department
managers to ensure current training
requirements are being carried out and to
assist with finding appropriate vendors.
• Assist with the creation and procurement of
appropriate training materials.
• Maintain the SAP Training Module, and
• Become certified in Training the Trainer,
teaching supervisors and leads how to train
employees.

22. Further Analysis
Further analysis will take place after the interviews and survey are given to the HR
managers, IT specialists, and Training Coordinator in Morristown, TN.
Some of the questions will include….
1. What is the greatest benefit of having
an HRIS in place? The biggest
drawback?
2. How do you think ERP and HRIS will
evolve in the future?
3. How beneficial, in your opinion, is the
SAP Training Module?
4. How necessary are HRIS systems to HR
departments?
5. What is the biggest challenge
organizations face in regards to the use
of technology?

23. Further Analysis
In addition, scores on the
upcoming ISO14001 audit in
October 2014 and the TS16949
audit in March 2015 will provide
further evidence as to the
effectiveness of the SAP Training
Module.
“Prove to me that
Sally Employee was
trained on your
environmental policy
last year.”
Q: Can we do it???
A: YES!!!!!
With the SAP Training Module!

24. Further Analysis
Other means of analysis
include employee attitude
and performance due to the
increase of and focus on
training and development.
employees

25. Further Analysis
How well did we….
•Streamline HR processes and reduce administrative burdens?
• Reduce HR administration and compliance costs?
• Compete more effectively for global talent?
• Improve service and access to data for employees and managers?
• Provide real-time metrics to allow decision-makers to spot trends and manage the
workforce more effectively, and to
• Enable HR to transform so it can play a more strategic role in the business?
Through the implementation of the SAP Training Module?