The City Council and Administration of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, is committed to continually enhancing the quality of life for its residents. As part of this commitment, the city embarks on a strategic planning process every five years, with one of the key objectives being a drive for business transformation. This transformation was needed to streamline the administration of the city, that would lead to improved interactions with residents and a more cohesive community experience.
Saskatoon is a dynamic municipality that provides a wide array of public services across 14 business lines, including culture, events, emergency services, transportation, urban planning and asset management. Recognizing the need for modernization, the city sought to integrate processes and operate under a unified business system. This holistic strategy was designed to enhance efficiency and provide residents with more effective and seamless services.
This growth has brought about the need for innovative solutions to manage the increasing demands on the city’s infrastructure and services, particularly in the areas of employee safety and labor relations, which is why they turned to Sodales. Let’s take a closer look at how the City of Saskatoon’s strategic drive for business transformation and modernization is reshaping the way it serves its residents, creating a more connected and efficient community with Sodales for Enterprise Health, Safety and Employee Relations.
“As one of our corporate goals, City Administration and City Council decided to embrace technology and business transformation which led us down the path of ‘one city, one system,’ to encompass all of our businesses and get everyone working together.”
– Cynthia English, ERP Project Manager for the City of Saskatoon
The Desire to Transform City Operations
The City of Saskatoon encountered numerous challenges that necessitated a comprehensive solution to streamline its operations and enhance interactions with residents. As the city expanded, the administration grappled with managing operations efficiently due to siloed and disconnected systems, leading to delays, errors and inefficiencies in city service administration. The lack of a unified communication platform made it challenging for employees to report issues or access information, resulting in decreased satisfaction overall.
The HR department faced difficulties in managing employee data and processes due to disparate systems, leading to inconsistencies in HR practices. Additionally, the city lacked a standardized approach to incident management, with different departments using their own methods, causing a lack of coordination and inefficiencies in addressing safety concerns and emergencies.
With over 300 different systems used across various business units, the city faced significant challenges in ensuring seamless integration, leading to data silos and inconsistent data management practices. The disparate systems hindered collaboration between departments, leading to delays in decision-making and project execution. As the city continued to grow, the need for scalable solutions became apparent, with existing systems not designed to accommodate the increasing demands of a growing population.
In response to these challenges, the City of Saskatoon sought a comprehensive solution to pave the way for a more efficient, responsive and integrated city administration. The implementation of Sodales was a strategic move to overcome these obstacles and achieve a transformation in the way the city operates and interacts with its residents.
Modernizing their processes
The journey began with the deployment of the SAP S/4HANA Finance solution to integrate payroll and accounting processes. This was followed by the implementation of several SAP SuccessFactors solutions, including the SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central and SAP SuccessFactors Recruiting solutions, as well as the SAP Time and Attendance Management application by WorkForce Software.
The most significant step in this modernization journey was the centralization of enterprise health, safety and labor relations with Sodales. This move has been pivotal in achieving standardized, clear and centralized health, safety and labor relations processes across the city’s business units.
“If you can purchase concert tickets, you can use Sodales. That’s how easy it really is.”
– Cassandra Makulowich, Injury Prevention Supervisor, City of Saskatoon
Boosting safety and efficiency: Saskatoon’s success with Sodales’ incident management module
Sodales’ incident management module marked a significant advancement in the city’s approach to handling safety incidents. This module, designed with best practices in mind, provided a structured and efficient platform for reporting, tracking and resolving incidents. By standardizing the process, the city ensured that all incidents were recorded consistently, making it easier to analyze trends and implement preventive measures.
The benefits of this system were multifaceted. Firstly, it enhanced the safety of employees by enabling a faster and more coordinated response to incidents. Secondly, it improved transparency and accountability, as all actions taken in response to an incident were documented within the system. This not only facilitated better communication between departments but also instilled a greater sense of trust among employees.
The module’s integration with other city systems meant that data could be shared seamlessly, leading to more informed decision-making. For instance, if incident reports revealed a pattern of workplace injuries in a particular department, the city could use this information to implement targeted safety training programs or introduce ergonomic equipment, thereby reducing the risk of future injuries and enhancing the wellbeing of city employees. The implementation of Sodales’ incident management module was a key factor in Saskatoon’s ongoing efforts to create a safer, more responsive and efficient city environment.
Strategic Change Management
The implementation of the Sodales software was carried out through a well-orchestrated change management program. Instead of a simultaneous city-wide implementation, the software was deployed one department at a time. This approach allowed for brainstorming and hands-on training about the functionalities, enabling the collection and action on feedback. The team ensured that current modules were well-used and received before adding more capabilities. Moreover, they set clear expectations for enhancement requests, given the extra resources needed for cloud software upgrades. Positive testimonials from internal stakeholders were shared to help build buy-in for the new system.
Empowering Saskatoon’s transformation: How the City of Saskatoon overcame challenges with Sodales
One of the most significant value-driven results of implementing the Sodales solution in the City of Saskatoon has been the standardization of health, safety and labor relations processes. Again, prior to the implementation, these processes were disparate and decentralized across different business units, leading to inconsistencies and inefficiencies in managing and reporting incidents and addressing other concerns.
With Sodales, the city has achieved a standardized, clear and centralized approach to health, safety and labor processes. This standardization has not only streamlined procedures but has also ensured accurate data collection and management. The centralized system has enabled the city’s leadership team to run reports and gain insights into the health, safety and labor relations performance of various business units, facilitating informed decision-making and proactive management of potential risks.
Furthermore, the standardized processes have improved compliance with health, safety and labor relations regulations, reducing the risk of penalties and legal issues. This has also contributed to a safer working environment for city employees, fostering a culture of safety and wellbeing.
Overall, the standardization of health, safety and labor processes through the Sodales solution has brought about a more efficient, transparent and effective approach to managing health, safety and labor relations for the City of Saskatoon, benefiting management and employees alike.
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By modernizing and standardizing its health, safety and labor relations processes, the City of Saskatoon has not only improved interactions with residents but has also created a healthier and more engaging workplace for its employees. The strategic implementation of Sodales’ software and the value-driven results achieved serve as a testament to Saskatoon’s commitment to innovation and excellence in urban development and employee well-being.
To learn how Sodales can help take your health, safety, employee and labor relations processes to the next level, book your free industry-specific demo here.
