The Krotoski Group – one of Poland’s largest automotive dealership networks – has recently embarked on a major digital transformation of its HR processes. In this interview, Sylwia Mikołajczyk, Director of Human Resources, shares how the company moved from scattered Excel spreadsheets to a centralized, fully flexible HRM system.
Małgorzata Rząd-Poźniak: It’s been several months since the first HRM Productive24 modules went live. What were the biggest challenges the Krotoski Group faced before implementing the system?
Sylwia Mikołajczyk: Before implementation, we were dealing with countless Excel files and work scattered across different locations and systems. The previous system we had begun rolling out addressed mainly HR’s own needs, not the most urgent needs of the business. When I joined the Group, I knew from the start where our HR department needed to go: it had to provide real, tangible support to the business. Around the same time, the management board launched a quarterly target system. At first, everything was managed on paper and in Excel. As you can imagine, for a company of Krotoski Group’s size – with over 900 employees – planning and tracking this process created an enormous workload. That’s why our top priority in digitizing HR was to relieve the business from excessive manual work, paperwork, and reporting. I won’t hide that it meant extra work for our HR team at the beginning, but the goal was clear: take the pressure off the business, even if it required more effort from us initially. And the results? Streamlined processes, centralized data, and the transfer of information from disks and binders into one IT system. We eliminated data duplication and significantly improved goal management across the organization.
Małgorzata Rząd-Poźniak: You were implementing Productive24 alongside another system. What prompted the change in direction?
Sylwia Mikołajczyk: Before we started working with Productive24, we spent a year and a half implementing a different system. At the time, the supplier promised a lot — that all our key processes would be integrated and that we’d get a “tailor-made” system tailored to our way of working. Unfortunately, reality didn’t match those expectations. The implementation began with very basic, soft modules, and in the end, only one was actually used. The others either didn’t work as expected or failed to deliver real value. Then we hit a major roadblock: the supplier announced they would no longer develop the system for individual needs, offering only standard, ready-made solutions we would have to adapt to. That was a clear signal for us to change direction. Our organization is dynamic, and we need tools that adapt to us – not the other way around. That’s why we decided to switch suppliers and partner with Productive24, who understood our situation right from the start. The difference is clear, for example, in the quarterly module. Since its launch a few months ago, we’ve already made several modifications to fit our evolving needs. With the previous provider, not only would that have been impossible, but this crucial module might never have even been developed. With Productive24, it’s truly like night and day. The previous solution simply didn’t meet our core needs – neither in supporting our company’s growth nor in easing the burden on the business.
Małgorzata Rząd-Poźniak: I understand that before, many tasks required manual data entry?
Sylwia Mikołajczyk: Yes, exactly. It wasn’t so much analytical work with numbers as it was operational and record-keeping tasks – entering data, copying it between systems, and manually checking for consistency. There were lots of Excel files and numerous microsystems created for very specific, often one-off tasks. While some of these tasks still operate that way today, we’re gradually moving more and more processes into Productive24. The real strength of this platform is its ability to gather all information in one place – accessible to the right people with a logical flow of data between modules. This brings much-needed consistency and transparency and eliminates a lot of repetitive manual work.
Małgorzata Rząd-Poźniak: What did the decision-making process look like, and what ultimately led you to choose Productive24?
Sylwia Mikołajczyk: I have to admit, after our experience with the previous supplier, we approached the process with great caution. Our key question was simple: can you truly tailor the system to our needs — or is “flexibility” just a promise? We wanted to avoid reaching a point where we’d be told, “this can’t be done” or “you’ll have to adapt to the system.” This willingness to adapt to us — not the other way around — became the main reason we decided to work with Productive24. Of course, we considered the financial aspect, but flexibility and openness to our processes were the top priorities. From the very beginning, the conversations were conducted in a spirit of partnership: transparent, realistic, and focused on what was actually possible. That gave us hope the project would succeed. Ultimately, our fear of encountering another company that overpromises and underdelivers disappeared after the first implementation. When we saw the module work exactly as agreed and meet our needs, we knew we had made the right choice with Productive24.
Małgorzata Rząd-Poźniak: The Productive24 implementation included a wide range of modules and advanced integration with the Symfonia system. Why was this integration such a priority for you?
Sylwia Mikołajczyk: The integration project with Symfonia is still underway – so far, we’ve completed about 10–15% of the planned objectives, with many more stages ahead. Along the way, new needs have emerged, including additional modules we hadn’t originally planned for, which have now been added to the schedule. This shows just how dynamic the project is. The integration itself is crucial because Symfonia stores our employees’ HR and payroll data, which we use to calculate salaries. We wanted to avoid a situation where the same information would have to be entered manually in two different systems. Data consistency and an automatic flow of information between systems are essential for us. Our version of Symfonia had already been customized to the specifics of our organization, so the integration also had to be tailored – it wasn’t a ready-made “plug and play” solution. That’s why we’ve only just started integration testing. We have high expectations: at least 95% functional coverage of agreed requirements, leaving only a small margin for potential risks. While this approach makes the project more complex, it also ensures the quality and full automation we need.
Małgorzata Rząd-Poźniak: I mention this because many HRM providers won’t even attempt to build dedicated integrations with other systems.
Sylwia Mikołajczyk: That’s right. And from the perspective of a large organization, this approach is completely incomprehensible to me. I can’t imagine an HR system operating in isolation from the payroll system. That’s why, from the very beginning, I envisioned Productive24 as our master system – the central place where employees handle all HR-related matters, rather than just one of many tools covering parts of the process. My goal was to create true employee self-service: a system where people can update their personal data, submit requests, or check their goals and bonuses themselves. Of course, every change still requires HR validation – but our role should be to review and approve the data, not retype what the employee has already prepared. This not only saves a significant amount of time, but also shifts the entire philosophy of how we work.
Małgorzata Rząd-Poźniak: From a technological perspective, how would you assess the system’s flexibility? Do the implemented solutions fully meet your business needs and perform as expected?
Sylwia Mikołajczyk: Definitely yes – provided we conduct a thorough analysis and clearly define our needs at the outset. If these assumptions are addressed properly during the design phase, the system truly reflects our processes and works as expected. Of course, during implementation – especially at go-live – additional feedback from users often comes up. In such cases, we report it to Productive24, and the system is flexibly adjusted “live” in the production environment. We also value that even if something can’t be reproduced exactly one-to-one, we’re offered an alternative solution that still fully meets the business objective. In these situations, we can either accept the proposal or work together to find another approach. This is crucial for us – we have a real influence on the final shape of the tool and are never limited to ready-made templates.
Małgorzata Rząd-Poźniak: Earlier, you mentioned the goals module. Is it fair to say this is now the most important and most frequently used part of the system?
Sylwia Mikołajczyk: That’s right – the quarterly goals module has become the centerpiece of our work. All three companies in the Krotoski Group now rely on it, and its launch brought a huge sense of relief across the business. We finally said goodbye to Excel files that had to be filled out manually, printed, signed, scanned, and uploaded to a drive. Now, the entire process is fully digital. We have instant access to the complete history – we can see who has completed their goals, filter data, and take action in real time. Previously, my team had to dig through dozens of network folders and review 800 individual files just to check completeness. Today, it’s a matter of a few clicks – saving us over 97% of the time and effort. When you scale this up to the entire organization, factoring in managers, directors, and others involved in the process, we’ve recovered dozens – if not hundreds – of man-hours each quarter. And this is just one process. The system has automated tasks that once drained the resources of many people, freeing us to focus on what really matters: analysis and decision-making, instead of manual data collection and organization
Małgorzata Rząd-Poźniak: That’s an impressive result! Are there any other modules that have had a similarly big impact on your day-to-day work?
Sylwia Mikołajczyk: Yes! For example, the absence and time tracking modules, which we are rolling out in stages, are already in use in two smaller companies within the Group. This gradual implementation is part of a deliberate strategy: it allows us to continuously assess functionality and quickly address any user feedback. As a result, we have a clear picture of how the system performs in day-to-day operations. The insights we collect go directly to my department and form the basis for further improvements before scaling the solution to the largest, main company. In the near future, we will also launch a dedicated organizational structure generator – redesigned to match our specific requirements and accurately reflect our dynamic structure.
At the same time, we are preparing to implement a module for monitoring and controlling overtime costs – a solution that is particularly important for managing labor expenses within each company. With this tool, managers will be able to track and analyze the costs generated by additional working hours in real time, without relying on separate Excel sheets or manual data compilation. This is another step towards greater transparency, autonomy, and efficiency in the Krotoski Group’s management processes. For the HR team, it also means instant access to up-to-date information and the ability to act without additional administrative workload.
Małgorzata Rząd-Poźniak: Will this module also give managers and employees another self-service area within the system?
Sylwia Mikołajczyk: Exactly. Our goal is to give employees even greater autonomy in accessing information and completing selected processes – all while ensuring full oversight and control from the HR side.
Małgorzata Rząd-Poźniak: How did your team respond to the implementation of the new system? Have you received any notable feedback from users?
Sylwia Mikołajczyk: As with most new tools, there was some initial reluctance. Comments like “Another system?” or “Another change…” were not uncommon. Given that our organization was already using a number of different platforms, this cautious attitude was completely understandable. However, the change in perception came quickly. Users began to notice the tangible benefits of working with Productive24 – above all, greater convenience, time savings, and smoother processes. The system was well received and is now increasingly viewed as genuine support in day-to-day work. I’m confident that with each new module we introduce, employee satisfaction will continue to grow. People are gradually becoming more familiar with the tool and appreciating its capabilities. It’s still early days, but the direction is clearly the right one.
Małgorzata Rząd-Poźniak: If you had to pinpoint the three biggest advantages of Productive24 compared to other systems you’ve used, what would they be?
Sylwia Mikołajczyk: For many years, I worked in and for large international corporations such as Facebook and Google. This meant dealing with some of the most complex enterprise-class HR systems on the market. And while these platforms are undeniably advanced, they are often paradoxically rigid and poorly aligned with our market realities. They enforce a fixed way of operating and leave little room for adaptation to local specifics. That’s why the flexibility of Productive24 stands out as its greatest strength. Here, we can truly tailor the system to our needs. Any process we consider necessary can be mapped in the tool – without artificial limitations or a “that can’t be done” mindset. In fact, I believe Productive24 can successfully compete with global leaders like Workday. The team thinks with us, adapting solutions to our operating logic, organizational structure, requirements, and legal environment. This is a major advantage over many international systems, which often come with irrelevant fields—such as questions about religion, gender, or blood type because they were designed for other markets and simply replicated in ours. Productive24 avoids this by designing everything from the ground up to fit our local context and regulations. A second key advantage is access and structure management. I value the ability to precisely control permissions—who sees what, who can access which data, and how visibility works across departments. The system maps our structure with accuracy, clarity, and functionality. If I were managing HR for a holding company with subsidiaries in multiple countries today, I’m confident I could configure branches in the Czech Republic or Norway in the same system—while fully meeting local regulations and requirements.
For us, it’s invaluable that all three companies within the Krotoski Group operate on a single platform. There’s no need to juggle multiple logins or switch between systems – the entire organizational structure is unified, integrated, and accessible in one place. This not only enables employees to quickly find and connect with colleagues from other companies in the group, but also allows HR to report and manage data holistically, without fragmentation. The result? Greater efficiency, faster access to information, and a significant time savings for everyone involved.
Complex processes? Simple solution! One comprehensive HRM platform.
Małgorzata Rząd-Poźniak: Thank you very much! That’s a strong endorsement for Productive24! Given the flexibility the technology offers, do you see the future development of the system leaning more towards the ‘soft’ areas of HR, or will you continue prioritizing further process automation?
Sylwia Mikołajczyk: As I mentioned, I also aim to free the business from working in Excel spreadsheets or juggling multiple systems. Productive24 offers many interesting, ready-to-use modules – not only in the HR area. We are now testing some of them, such as the equipment records and fleet management modules. This means that digitization at the Krotoski Group is already expanding beyond HR. Within HR itself, we have started an implementation analysis of the recruitment process, exploring how well your out-of-the-box solution can be adapted to our needs. We have also begun similar analyses for onboarding and preboarding. There are plenty of plans – the real challenge will be setting the right priorities.
Małgorzata Rząd-Poźniak: Based on your experience with implementing HR tech solutions, what advice would you give to HR directors who are thinking about expanding the digitization of their processes, but still have doubts or concerns about taking that step?
Sylwia Mikołajczyk: First of all, it’s worth starting with an open conversation within your HR team about why you want to introduce change in the first place. At some point, concerns may arise that automation will lead to job cuts – but that’s not the case. It’s more about shifting the nature of the work: less operational ‘typing,’ more process coordination, data analysis, and genuine business support. Secondly, be aware that while choosing a ready-made ‘boxed’ system may feel safer, it often results in covering only part of your processes – with the rest slipping back into Excel. Over time, you get used to the idea that some things just can’t be done, and you stop even trying. That’s a huge loss of potential – not just for HR, but for the entire organization.
Małgorzata Rząd-Poźniak: How do you approach implementing an HRM system from scratch? For many organizations, the scale of such a project can feel like a major barrier – they often choose off-the-shelf solutions out of fear of the complexity and risk that an IT project might bring.
Sylwia Mikołajczyk: Implementing a system from scratch – especially one designed to reflect the unique processes of a company – is a significant undertaking. It requires time, commitment, and thoughtful reflection on how we truly want to work. But it’s worth it, because only then can we be sure the system will adapt to us, not the other way around. If your organization uses non-standard reports, specific bonus models, proprietary goal formats, or unusual structures, it’s worth choosing a solution that fully accounts for these realities. And this isn’t just about technology – it’s about trust in the implementation partner. You need the certainty that together you can design everything you need, without hearing halfway through the project: “it can’t be done.” It’s a more demanding path, but one that delivers real, measurable benefits: a system that works for us, not just alongside us. What’s more, building a solution in Productive24 isn’t a typical IT project. Because it’s a low-code platform, there’s no need to involve in-house programmers or maintain dedicated tech resources. On the client’s side – in our case, HR – the key is to define requirements and clearly state the desired business outcome. On the Productive24 side, an analyst actively listens, explores processes, asks the right questions, seeks the best solutions, and independently builds the system logic. This approach not only shortens implementation time but also significantly reduces project risk.
Małgorzata Rząd-Poźniak: Are there any specific reports or data in the system that provide exceptional value to the management board or CFO, and if so, which ones?
Sylwia Mikołajczyk: Definitely yes – this is especially true for the area of targets and bonuses. The system automatically translates target achievement levels into precise bonus amounts, significantly streamlining and accelerating remuneration calculations. And that’s only the starting point. We have ambitious plans for reporting – as new modules are launched, we’ll be able to generate advanced analyses and reports. In practice, this will automate around 90% of the summaries the management board currently expects from us, which today require time-consuming, manual preparation. Particularly valuable in the future will be recruitment reports – for example, on application quality, sourcing effectiveness, or time-to-hire. During the testing phase, we explored the predefined reporting capabilities in HRM Productive24 and saw first-hand how much they can simplify our daily work.
Małgorzata Rząd-Poźniak: Great! I wish you continued success in adapting the solution and automating further key business areas within the Krotoski Group.
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