At the end of 2015, Carina Lundström, who works as an economist at S:t Johannes congregation came in contact with Flex Lön on a trade fair. A woman working for GAS, the common administrative support used by the Church of Sweden, introduced Flex, the system they had decided to invest in.
– When I heard about Flex, I thought that was the system for us! I talked to my manager, and then a decision was made in the church committee. It felt great, we really needed a new and modern payroll system.
At that time, S: the Johannes congregation used Crona Lön, a functional yet old and rather limited system.
– Flex Lön is easy to learn and easy to overview. Basically, you know what to do.
Like other congregations, S:t Johannes has many types of time groups with varying working times. Carina explains that the church cannot be compared to the profit-driven companies has previously worked at.
However, I have gotten a lot of help from my Flex consultants, who have experience with church implementations. I have been able to discuss questions with them, which has been very helpful. I have also been able to ask other congregations how they have solved different issues, and I have gotten the help to get it in place in the best way possible.
When Flex Lön was underway, it was time for the next step: Flex HRM. In August 2017, the implementation of time, travel, and HR started. The congregation has taken things slowly, which is mainly due to the fact that Carina has had many other tasks parallel to the implementation of the new system. Since March 2018, they have been using Flex HRM in the entire organization.
– It took more time than we first anticipated, but in retrospect, I believe this was a good thing. We haven’t rushed the process, and the employees have had time to test it and get used to the new routines.
Previously, Excel sheets were used for time registration. Some senior employees who were not comfortable with Excel printed the sheet on paper and made notes by hand. Carina had to sit and count hours manually, which was time-consuming and entailed a substantial risk of errors.
A well-planned implementation
At Flex, a detailed project model has been developed, which is used for the implementation process. This clearly lays down what should be done and by whom at every stage of the process. I asked Carina about her experience of the implementation.
I am so pleased. Flex consultants made me feel confident. All my questions were answered immediately. We have had a really good dialogue. It has been very exciting to get this started!
When it was time for the last step before the operation started, the test phase, a few persons from each work group were picked out. A priest, a musician, a deacon, a person employed by the hour – all with different working hours. The test group got to report their times and use the punching function in the cell phone and on the computer.
– And, actually, everyone was very positive! Normally, there are some people who find changes quite hard, but actually – the person who was one the main opponents to begin with was the one who said ”Ah, how convenient, I just press the phone when I have arrived and when I go home. And I need no papers when applying for leave, I just have to fill it out on the phone”.
At Flex, of course, we find this very encouraging, as we are keen to make sure customers get off to a good start with the system. That is why the implementation project is so important.
Linda Wente, project manager at Flex Applications: 
– Working with Carina and S:t Johannes congregation has been very nice. This implementation project is proof of the fact that a firmly anchored decision between management and the organization gives a successful outcome. From the customer’s side, one has considered all stages – from timely and clear information to the employees – to a well-planned implementation and start of operation. That is the key to a successful project!
Finally, the mandatory question for Carina is, would you recommend Flex to others in the same field?
– I would definitely recommend Flex to other congregations, Carina says.
