The Challenge
Centralising and Standardising Temporary Staffing Management
Initial discussions between L’Oréal and Pixid began in 2010, when L’Oréal issued a call for tenders to implement a tool for managing its temporary staffing activities. An in-depth audit at a site in the Oise region enabled L’Oréal to identify and analyse its specific needs.
Temporary staffing practices varied across different sites, with limited standardisation in management. There was a clear need to centralise activities to gain a comprehensive overview of the temporary staffing process. As the use of temporary workers was included in the company’s public data, consolidated monitoring was essential. Additionally, as a large group, L’Oréal had a responsibility to minimise legal risks by ensuring strict compliance with labour regulations (e.g., adherence to waiting periods, number of renewals, flexibility periods).
“L’Oréal needed a solution to manage temporary staffing, leading the group to centralise digital tool management within an HR tech department. The goal was to have all steps on a single platform to obtain a global view of a temporary worker’s journey and to ensure the reliability of temporary staffing figures in official reports,” explains Angélique Marais, Interim and Working Time Manager for France at L’Oréal.
Approach: A Gradual and Structured Roll-Out
A Large-Scale Deployment for Maximum Utilisation
L’Oréal ultimately selected Pixid’s solution, impressed by its relevance and the quality of support provided. In 2012, the Pixid tool was deployed for the first time at L’Oréal within just a few months.
Since then, numerous projects and scope extensions have been initiated to structure temporary staffing management and enhance HR administrative efficiency across the entire Group, as part of a continuous improvement process.
“The deployment process continued in stages. Initially, sites began using Pixid mainly for order and contract management. Then, more advanced sites integrated the management of Activity Reports (RA) and Valued Customer Activity Reports (RCV). Gradually, additional steps were taken in response to internal needs and to fully leverage the software’s features,” adds Angélique Marais.
Today, Pixid is deployed across 16 sites within the Group in France, covering a wide range of business areas (marketing, production, quality, chefs, etc.). The solution is used daily by 254 users, including a central HR team and on-site managers.
L’Oréal utilises all modules of the Pixid solution: HR modules (for managing requirements, receiving applications, and placing orders with suppliers), the management module (for handling timesheets and invoicing), Business Intelligence (for reporting), and Single Sign-On (SSO) technology, which simplifies user login.
An Internal Reorganisation Dedicated to Temporary Staffing, Supported by Pixid
In 2022, L’Oréal undertook a reorganisation to create the ‘BEST’ unit, including a service dedicated to temporary staffing composed of a 19-person operational team based in factories/plants and at the French headquarters to manage temporary staffing across France, with the Pixid solution at the heart of this new structure.
“Within our team, we now manage all stages from the expression of a need to invoicing on the same Pixid platform. This provides us with a comprehensive view of a temporary worker’s journey once they start at L’Oréal,” explains Angélique Marais.
The BEST team, supported by the HR Tech teams, manages the platform’s settings, deployments, and adjustments. The team has a thorough understanding of the Pixid solution, despite its extensive features, including the creation of new SIRET numbers, training, and communication with suppliers. When an improvement idea is identified, the team uses a ticketing system to communicate with Pixid support. “We believe this approach helps us develop the solution from both operational and technical perspectives,” explains Angélique Marais.
Integrations for Enhanced Performance
The latest project undertaken with the Pixid team involved implementing an interface between the Horoquartz time management system and Pixid, facilitating the accurate tracking and reporting of temporary staff working hours for the CAP entity (L’Oréal Cosmétique Active Production factories), which includes the Vichy and La Roche-Posay brands.
“This deployment went smoothly because both sites prepared comprehensive specifications following extensive upstream preparation. On the business side, we encountered no significant issues and received regular support from our project manager up to the launch. Thanks to the support and experience of the project teams, our local IT teams resolved minor internal issues and successfully implemented the system.”
Results: Enhanced Performance and User Autonomy
Shared Trust
The overall success of the project is attributed to the collaborative efforts of the Pixid and L’Oréal teams. The monitoring and support provided by the project managers ensured efficient deployment and optimal utilisation. “The training provided by the Pixid teams is always of high quality. We never have any unanswered questions, and the solution is effectively communicated to everyone.”
According to Angélique Marais, ease of use is a valuable asset for promoting the solution internally:
“Pixid is easy to access and understand because everything is well explained. We conduct extensive internal communication, and our legal department is heavily involved with the HR community to establish the rules to follow. We also reinforce these messages to ensure optimal tool usage. We can engage all sites because, ultimately, the solution is straightforward.”
Satisfied and Autonomous Users in the Field
The successful deployment of such a business solution also depends on user adoption, i.e., the managers who request and benefit from temporary resources, both in offices and production sites. “The platform is intuitive and very easy to use. It suits both factory workers and head office managers. User feedback has been positive. Moreover, users are 100% autonomous and train new users themselves!” says Angélique Marais.
Collaboration for Performance
Previously, numerous employees managed temporary staffing with minimal standardisation, leading to confusion. Today, the process is structured and entirely managed through Pixid. “We’ve observed improved invoicing reliability! This is evident through our internal reporting based on Pixid data. Such monitoring was impossible before!”
L’Oréal’s use of temporary staff has become more efficient since the implementation of Pixid. “Most entities have recognised the benefits of reliable reporting, enabling better management of temporary staff and improved control over temporary staffing costs. Now, contracts are assigned to the correct cost centres, properly signed and centralised, and RCVs are published, demonstrating the effectiveness of the process!” says Angélique Marais.
“Our objective was to deploy Pixid on a large scale to fully leverage its comprehensive features. Today, we are very satisfied with the platform. The results are highly positive.”