Jackie Tribbe – Bringing HR teams into the 21st century with smart systems
TLWR? Here’s a quick summary:
About Jackie
After 30+ years in the thick of busy HR life, Jackie Tribbe became an independent HR consultant, launching her own consultancy LuumHR specialising in HR system implementations. Having worked with major platforms like Oracle and Cezanne, she brings deep practical insight into helping businesses modernise their people processes.
The Challenge
Most of Jackie’s clients face similar issues: mainly, outdated or unsupported legacy systems. Many are still reliant on manual or paper-based HR processes and struggle with resource constraints that make change difficult.
– “HR’s always under-resourced – they just don’t have the time to take a step back.”
She often finds organisations “just swapping one system for another” without understanding what they truly need – a mistake that leads to poor adoption and wasted investment.
The Solution
Jackie’s approach is personal and pragmatic. She works closely with clients to understand their business, identify inefficiencies, and introduce the right system – often Cezanne – based on genuine need, not sales pressure.
– “I’m independent, so I tailor everything around their specific business needs.”
For example, for a client in the oil and gas industry, Jackie transformed a completely paper-based HR setup into a digital powerhouse using Cezanne. She started small; automating holiday forms and key processes, and built up to launching their LMS, which revolutionised their compliance training.
The results
The transformation has been dramatic. Their HR processes are now streamlined, compliant, and far more efficient. The LMS rollout has empowered the team to create their own bespoke e-learning content using Cezanne’s built-in authoring tools – a feature Jackie loves.
– “They’re absolutely over the moon… seeing their ideas come to life has been one of the best parts of the job.”
She’s also trialling Cezanne’s new AI-driven features, which she sees as a future game changer for HR teams swamped by repetitive queries.
Why Cezanne?
Jackie praises Cezanne’s flexibility, value, and genuinely supportive partnership. And, she highlights the modular design, affordability, and constant innovation as key reasons she confidently recommends Cezanne to clients.
– “They’re responsive, consistent, and it never feels like you’re talking to a call centre… I get quite excited when I see the banner saying an update is being launched!”
Looking ahead
With labour shortages driving demand for efficiency, Jackie believes consultants have a big role to play in educating SMEs about how accessible and affordable HR tech has become.
– “It’s not just big companies anymore; this technology is accessible to SMEs too.”
And, her advice to others considering partnering with Cezanne?
– “Just do it! I’ve had nothing but positive experiences.”
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After 30+ years in fast-paced HR operations, Jackie Tribbe launched her own consultancy specialising in HR system implementations.
Having worked with major platforms like Oracle and Cezanne, she brings deep practical insight into helping businesses modernise their people processes. Here, we talk to her about the main challenges and opportunities both her and her clients face, and her experiences implementing HR systems like Cezanne.
Hey Jackie, thanks for talking to us today. So, what motivated you to become an independent HR consultant?
Well, I was in HR for probably over 30-plus years, and I’d always been in quite heavy, fast-paced operational roles. Ultimately, I just really wanted a change, and the one thing I really enjoyed was working with HR systems.
I was lucky enough to do a few implementations over my career, including some big ones with Oracle, and Cezanne when I was still in a corporate role, and I just loved it – system implementations are challenges I really enjoy. So, I made the decision to set up on my own as an independent consultant just doing system implementations.
It was a brilliant opportunity to become my own boss, and also have a bit of a better work life balance… plus it was something I really enjoyed doing!
Do you have a particular type of client you like to work with, or are they all very varied?
Being an independent HR consultant, I work with quite a varied mix of clients. For example, I’ve been collaborating closely for about a year with an oil and gas company based in Scotland.
I introduced them to Cezanne, which was a big improvement because their old HR systems were so cumbersome and time consuming. I’ve also worked with manufacturing companies and more recently a non-profit organisation, so there’s definitely a nice mix of industries I get to work with regularly.
What are the challenges your clients are facing when they approach you? Is there a common theme or are they all different?
You know, the majority of them are actually quite similar, and it ultimately comes down to outdated technology.
Many organisations are still using legacy systems that aren’t even supported anymore. One client, for instance, were still running v1 of Oracle! But, because those enterprise-level systems cost millions to implement, especially for global rollouts across HR, finance, and purchasing, businesses are reluctant to replace them. They just build endless workarounds instead.
This particular client has around 800 staff and despite having that system in place, they were still using paper holiday forms – it just wasn’t sustainable anymore. HR teams are usually stretched so thin that they often don’t have the time to step back and rethink processes. So, a lot of what I do involves educating people about what modern systems can actually offer.
A lot of people professionals don’t realise what today’s systems can actually do and how they could help them. Cloud-based software has completely changed the game – it’s made HR tech so much more accessible. Costs have come down massively, so even smaller businesses can now get real value from introducing proper HR systems.
What do you think clients value most about working with an independent consultant like yourself?
What clients value most, I think, is the personal attention and partnership they get when working with me. Because I’m independent, I’m not tied to a single system – I can tailor recommendations around their exact needs. It’s about understanding their business, their processes, and what matters most to them. I bring my HR operational experience and perhaps more of a mentoring approach, to help them find a solution that really fits rather than forcing a one-size-fits-all way of doing things.
In your experience, what do you think is the first thing HR teams usually get wrong when they try to tackle an implementation of a new HR system?
I think it’s underestimating the amount of prep work that’s needed. You’ve got to get all the data together, make sure it’s accurate, and really review your processes. What I always say to clients is: you don’t just want to move the same piece of work into a shiny new system. Take the opportunity to look at what’s working, what’s not, and what could be automated or improved. And then there’s the change management side, which is a big one.
People often get excited about a new system and just rush in without thinking through the change process. I’ve done that myself in corporate roles before! So, preparation and change management are absolutely key, and involve end users early on. If you don’t bring them in from the start, you risk hitting blockers from people who don’t understand or accept the need for change.
And beyond implementations, is there anything you believe organisations struggle to get right when adopting new technology?
I often see organisations approach new technology as a straight replacement exercise… basically “we’ll just swap one system for another.” But that mindset rarely delivers what they actually need.
Too often, companies spend a lot of money on systems that aren’t fit for purpose or that don’t get used properly. That usually happens because they haven’t taken the time to define what they really want the system to do. Every business has its own quirks, and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution.
Are there any success stories that you’re that you’re really proud of at all?
All of it really! But the one project I’m really proud of is with the oil and gas company I mentioned before. When we started working together, despite their legacy system, everything people-related was based on paper forms. We started with some quick wins to digitise those basic processes, and it made an instant impact.
More recently, we’ve just launched their LMS with Cezanne, which has been transformational for them. Because they work in oil and gas – a highly regulated industry – their training requirements are huge. They’re thrilled with how it’s gone, and I’ve even been helping them design and build their own e-learning content using the LMS’s built-in authoring tools.
It’s been fantastic to see them move from clunky, paper-heavy admin to creating their own bespoke learning content. Seeing their excitement and pride in what they’ve built has been one of the best parts of the job… I love it!
Speaking of Cezanne, what’s your experience of working alongside our implementation team?
Really good, both from a client and partner perspective. They’re very responsive, and the implementation support has been excellent. I’ve also been trying out the AI help, which has been pretty good too! One of the things I really appreciate about Cezanne is the consistency – you get to know the team. When I raise a ticket, it’s often the same couple of people who reply, so it doesn’t feel like you’re dealing with some random call centre. I don’t partner with many systems, but with Cezanne I’m always confident telling clients they’ll get great support.
When it comes to recommending an HR software platform to your clients, what do you look for?
When I recommend HR software, I always start from the client’s perspective – so, what do they actually need? Size, budget, and processes all come into it, but it’s about understanding how they work and what will genuinely help them.
I’ve chosen to work closely with just a few systems that I can get to know inside out because that’s where I can bring real value. It means I can confidently match the right solution to the right business and give honest advice. If I don’t think a platform is the right fit, I’ll always say so.
You’ve obviously worked a lot with us, but what are the main reasons for you choosing to partner with and recommend Cezanne to your clients?
Basically, Cezanne is just a fantastic product; flexible, functional, and really user-friendly.
I love that it’s modular, so clients can choose what they need rather than paying for things they won’t use. The pricing is excellent too; it offers great value for money. On top of that, I genuinely enjoy working with the team. There’s a positive ethos, and it feels like a company that really listens to its customers. The product’s constantly evolving, which is exciting – I always look forward to the new updates! That ongoing improvement and customer focus are a big part of why I continue to recommend Cezanne.
What module or functionality in Cezanne do you see your clients get the most value from?
Well, I think the core People Management software module is brilliant – you get an awful lot from it. I really like the workflows, their configuration options and having all the processes in one place, plus the e-signing for documents. I’ve really enjoyed working with the LMS (Learning Management System) module too; I must admit, I’ve had a lot of fun developing that. The courses are genuinely good, and the built-in content authoring is a big plus… it’s not something you see in many other systems.
I’ve also been doing some beta testing for a client on the AI functionality, which is quite exciting. We’ve been testing it by uploading company documents and asking it random questions – it’s doing pretty well, actually! I think that’ll be a real game changer for HR teams who are constantly overloaded with repetitive queries.
What do you think the biggest opportunities for HR consultants like yourself in the next few years?
I think the biggest opportunities for consultants like me are around helping businesses deal with the ongoing resourcing and recruitment challenges. Companies are struggling to find people, so they’re having to look seriously at efficiency; reorganising workforces and automating whatever they can. I’m part of the FSB, and there’s a lot of talk about this shift towards investing in automation and smarter systems.
There’s still a big education piece, though. Many smaller businesses don’t realise how affordable and powerful cloud-based HR systems have become. As that awareness grows, we’ll see more uptake across SMEs, not just big corporates.
And finally, what advice would you give to another HR consultant considering working with us? Is there anything you’d say to look out for?
My advice would be simple – just do it! Cezanne’s a fantastic business to work with. I’ve had nothing but positive experiences, and the partnership has been brilliant from start to finish.
