A clearer view of HR for the team at Shaw Pipeline with Staffology HR

Founded in the 1970s, Shaw Pipeline Services is a global leader in non-destructive testing (NDT) and pipeline inspection services, with a long-standing reputation for technical innovation, quality, and safety. Today, Shaw Pipeline Services operates internationally, continually evolving its technology and processes to support complex pipeline projects while maintaining a strong focus on accuracy, efficiency, and environmental responsibility. 

Stuck in spreadsheets  

Before implementing Staffology HR, Shaw Pipeline was managing HR information across spreadsheets, paper files, and disconnected documents. For the HR team, this meant jumping between multiple systems and tabs to find information, manually tracking qualifications and compliance, and spending significant time chasing employees and managers for updates. 

Nicola Adams, HR Assistant at Shaw Pipeline, tells us, “Two years ago, we didn’t have a dedicated HR system in place. We were relying on spreadsheets and documents to manage our information.” 

With qualifications, medical documents, and driver licence checks needing regular renewal, the lack of a central system made it easy for important updates to be missed and became time‑consuming for the HR team and managers to stay on top of. They knew they needed a system that would support them to run more efficiently. 

Reducing admin and improving visibility  

Shaw Pipeline recognised the need for a single, centralised HR system that would streamline employee records, reduce manual administration and move the business away from spreadsheets. Nicola tells us, “We knew we needed better visibility and compliance across the business, as well as the ability to control access for different teams. Staffology HR fitted our criteria perfectly - it was straightforward, met all our needs, and great value.” 

The initial rollout of Staffology HR was straightforward, with most employee data uploaded during implementation. Nicola explains, “You always expect a bit of short‑term disruption when introducing a new system, but we managed it well. Each team had an administrator responsible for adding their information, and the process worked smoothly. Having everything in one place made it completely worth it.” 

Over time, the HR team also refined how documents were named and organised to ensure everything was consistent and easy to find. 

No regrets!  

For Nicola and the HR team, the biggest benefit of Staffology HR is having everything in one place. “Having that visibility of our employees makes a huge difference. I can go straight into someone’s record, find what I need, and it’s so much quicker and easier than sorting through lots of separate documents. The time we save each week on administration alone is significant.” 

One standout feature for Shaw Pipeline is automated notifications, which alert HR and employees when qualifications, documents, or checks are due for renewal. Nicola tells us, “The notifications have been a real stand out for me. They remind employees before anything expires, instead of things being left and forgotten. It used to be my job to chase those documents, and that’s something people naturally forget. Knowing the system stays on top of it all takes a real weight off my mind.” 

Supporting managers without losing oversight 

Managers continue to manage their own teams, particularly around holidays and performance reviews. Previously managed across emails and spreadsheets, holiday requests and performance reviews are now handled digitally in one place. 

Holiday requests are submitted and approved within Staffology HR, giving HR an overview of absences without needing to manually track them. Performance reviews, which were previously paper‑based, are now managed digitally and stored centrally. 

Nicola says, “It’s all about being more central and efficient. Staffology HR really supports that. We’ve just completed our performance reviews, and it’s given us much better control and visibility in HR, which has been a huge benefit.” 

Data at the click of a button  

Staffology HR’s reporting tools have also proved valuable, especially for compliance‑driven queries. 

“If I’m asked, for example, whether employees hold a particular qualification, I can just run a report and get the answer instantly.” Nicola says. “When this information was stored across different folders, it was a time-consuming process to manage and took far longer to pull together. Having everything in Staffology means anyone who needs visibility has it, and I can access the data in seconds, which again, is a big time-saver!”  

This instant access to accurate data has replaced time‑consuming manual checks and spreadsheet reviews. 

Staffology HR is now used throughout the day by the HR team. While some managers initially found the transition from Excel challenging, adoption has continued to improve. 

Nicola describes the system as straightforward, clear, and easy to use, with a layout that makes it approachable for users across the business. “Staffology HR has made my role far more efficient. I would highly recommend it to other businesses. The short‑term pain really is for the long‑term gain!” 

Shaw Pipeline is looking forward to the future with Staffology Ultimate HR as its central HR platform and the team is exploring further opportunities to extend its use, including deeper integration with recruitment and payroll.