From manual to modern: Samskip’s HR automation journey

Managing HR processes for Samskip in Iceland was challenging. Manual workflows consumed time and resources, limiting the team's ability to focus on strategic initiatives. By partnering with 50skills, Samskip altered its HR operations by automating complex processes, improving efficiency, and preparing for AI-powered HR management.
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“Every time we face a new challenge, someone says, ‘Can’t we use 50skills to solve that?’ and usually the answer is YES.”
Bára Mjöll Ágústsdóttir, Director Human Resources

INTRODUCING SAMSKIP

The client

Samskip is a leading logistics company in Iceland, offering sustainable, multimodal transport solutions across land, sea, rail, and air. With a focus on innovation and environmental responsibility, Samskip provides cost-effective and reliable supply chain services, connecting businesses while reducing carbon emissions.

BUSINESS GAPS

The challenge

With around 500 employees at its headquarters in Iceland, representing four distinct companies, Samskip's HR team had a complex range of employee processes. From onboarding to employee interviews and various staff requests, many workflows were either manual or semi-manual, creating inefficiencies and administrative complexity.

HOW IT WORKS

Integration process

Combining the HR processes of four distinct companies into a single, streamlined workflow was a monumental task. Each company had its own unique set of procedures, systems, and cultural nuances, making the integration process highly complex. The challenge was to create a unified workflow that could accommodate the diverse needs and practices of all four companies while improving overall efficiency and effectiveness.

The first step was to conduct a thorough analysis of the existing HR processes in each company. This involved mapping out every step of their workflows, identifying redundancies and pinpointing areas for improvement. The goal was to create a comprehensive understanding of how each company operated and where their processes could be harmonised.

Next, a centralised workflow was developed that incorporated the best practices from each company. One of the most significant challenges was integrating the various HR systems used by the four companies. It was important to ensure that data could flow seamlessly between these systems, allowing for real-time updates and accurate reporting. This required extensive collaboration between 50skills teams and HR teams to develop custom integrations and ensure data integrity.

Throughout the process, Samskip maintained a focus on improving the employee experience. Streamlining workflows and reducing administrative burdens enabled HR teams to spend more time on strategic initiatives and less on repetitive tasks. The result was a more efficient, cohesive HR operation that could better support the needs of all our companies.

50SKILLS

Our solution

To improve HR operations, Samskip leveraged 50skills to automate its most intricate people processes, starting with new employee onboarding. These automated workflows now handle over 150+ actions, integrating seamlessly with Samskip’s core systems.

The 50skills Form Builder enabled Samskip to collect data efficiently within the workflow process, saving significant time and enhancing the experience for both managers and employees.

Following the success of onboarding automation, Samskip expanded automation to additional HR functions, including:
Hiring requests
Employee interviews
Post-onboarding
Offboarding
Crossboarding
Employee request portal (grant applications, queries, accident reporting, etc.)
Additionally, Samskip has begun integrating AI into its workflows, experimenting with AI-powered assessments of employee queries to prioritise and streamline responses.

“The 50skills platform has so much potential. We started by automating employee onboarding, but have since expanded automation across various HR functions—from employee interviews to new hire requests.” - Bára Mjöll Ágústsdóttir, HR Manager

BUSINESS IMPACT

The results

Automation has allowed Samskip's HR team to focus on supporting employees and driving strategic initiatives. Standardised automated processes have made HR operations smoother, reducing bottlenecks and keeping everything running efficiently across its companies and departments. Employees and managers now follow a clear and structured process for HR requests, making everyday interactions easier and more efficient.
“50skills makes it so simple to automate complex processes, but more importantly, it's easy to adjust and change your processes over time. I am in full control of my processes”
Sólborg Arna Steinþórsdóttir, HR Consultant

BUSINESS BENEFITS

Looking ahead: scaling success and AI innovation

Samskip has already automated hundreds of HR tasks, saving significant time, improving consistency, and creating a better experience for employees and managers. By reducing manual admin, the HR team can now focus on strategic priorities that drive real business value.

Scaling automation even further with 50skills, Samskip is set to expand automation across even more HR processes, increasing efficiency and unlocking greater time savings. AI-powered automation is the next step, with Samskip actively testing AI-driven workflows to streamline decision-making and enhance HR operations.

“50skills has opened up a whole new world of AI-powered automation in our HR processes.” - Bára Mjöll Ágústsdóttir, HR Manager


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