BRINGING EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE TO THE FORE
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IGNITING WORKFORCE TRANSFORMATION WITH SAP’S SUCCESSFACTORS PLATFORM WRIT TEN BY
L AUR A MULL AN PRODUCED BY
MIK E SADR
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WITH ITS TRAILBLAZING HUMAN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT PLATFORM SUCCESSFACTORS, SAP IS HERALDING A NEW ERA OF WORKFORCE TRANSFORMATION
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echnology has kept up its blistering pace and transformed the way we work forever. It’s created jobs we
never imagined could have existed, enabled more flexible working conditions and disrupt04
ed the monotonous nine to five with a steady rise of gig workers. By all accounts, technology has upended the norm when it comes to the world of work – but how can we make sure people aren’t left behind? In many ways, it seems it’s time for a human revolution with HR at its core. Equipped with its latest platform SuccessFactors, SAP is leading the charge when it comes to workforce transformations. The end-to-end cloud-based platform isn’t like the other HR systems you may be familiar with. “Old HR systems were a back-office system by definition: they were about automating processes and risk management,” recalls Marc Havercroft, COO & Vice President of Strategy, HCM Cloud & Digital Strategy and
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PROVIDING CLOUD HR AND PAYROLL SOLUTIONS AND SERVICES TO LOCAL, REGIONAL AND GLOBAL ORGANISATIONS. LEARN MORE HERE
Synchrony Global is a Leading Provider of Cloud HR and Payroll Solutions and Services including SAP SuccessFactors Synchrony Global, a Rizing HCM Company, is the trusted partner of choice for all aspects of HCM services and solutions, optimising HR delivery through innovative technology and robust high-quality operational cloud services. Its service delivery framework caters for the entire employee lifecycle from attract to hire to retire.
Since its establishment in 2015, Synchrony Global has tripled in size, expanding its reach to offices in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Malaysia. The company has offices in Singapore, Sydney, and Wellington, with global delivery centres in Kuala Lumpur and the Philippines.
Synchrony’s focus on pure HR and capability in delivering services and solutions for companies ranging from 10 Employees to 200,000 employees has been key to them being considered a trusted partner for over 50 organizations across the globe.
“By leveraging the broader organization, we can accelerate the growth of the organisation both in the region and globally and provide tremendous value for our customers,”
The company was awarded SAP Partner of the Year for SuccessFactors in Asia-Pacific Japan in 2017, SAP Partner of the Year for SuccessFactors in ANZ for 2018, and Partner-Managed Cloud Excellence Award in 2019 thanks to its successful Synchrony People packaged cloud HR Solution. Synchrony People, an innovative, fully-integrated human resources information system aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises and powered by SAP SuccessFactors, is built using preconfigured business processes and offers the latest simplifications and innovations for the human resources line of business. It covers the entire end-to-end employee lifecycle, from attract to hire to retire. Synchrony People can be deployed in weeks, ensuring companies fast track their HR journey. It is suitable for business of all sizes, from small business to large enterprises and the solution grows with you, providing flexibility to add functionality as an organisation’s needs change.
said Luc Hédou, CEO of Rizing HCM.
The completion of the Synchrony acquisition further strengthened Rizing HCM’s global position in the SAP SuccessFactors Cloud Software services market. The combination of firms provides a robust platform of depth and expertise to service customers and provides the foundation for significant expansion of services, technology and geographies. “At Synchrony, we set the goal to be a leader and bring world class Human Capital solutions across the Asia Pacific Region,” said Darcy Lalonde, Chairman and CEO of Synchrony Global and Rizing HCM President for Asia-Pacific. “With Synchrony joining Rizing HCM, we are excited to deliver Synchrony’s award-winning solutions on a global scale to organisations of all sizes, while providing clients worldwide our implementation capabilities, product and industry expertise, and a full suite of support and continuous improvement services.”
I n Jan uar y, R iz ing, L LC , a p ri v a t e l y - h el d mu l t i n a ti ona l c ompa ny provi di ng l ea di ng S AP func ti ona l a nd technical ser vice s t o it s cu s t o mers , a c q u i re d Sy n c h ro ny Gl oba l . H ea dqua rtered i n S ta mford, Conn., U S A, R izing is a priv a t e l-he ld m ulti n a t i o n a l c o mp a ny p rov i d i n g l ea di ng S AP func ti ona l a nd tec hni c a l c onsul ti ng serv ices to its customers. Rizing is the parent company of Vesta Partners, a leading SAP EAM services firm (www.vestapartners.com), /N SP RO, a t op S A P H C M , SA P Su c c e s s F a c t o rs a nd S AP for R eta i l servi c es fi rm ( www.n- spro.c om) , Aas onn, a p rom ine nt S AP Su c c e s s F a c t o rs Serv i c e s F i rm ( www.a a sonn.c om) , 3D R esul ts, a S AP S uc c essF a c tor s Gold Pa r t ne r (www. 3 d re s u l t s . c o m) a n d Sy n c h ro ny Gl oba l ( www.sync hronyg l oba l .c om) . /N S PRO, Aa sonn and Sy n c h ro ny t o g e t h er f orm R i zi ng H CM ( www.ri zi ng hc m.c om). w w w.s a p . com
“ SuccessFactors is built as a front-office system for individuals to use – not just HR but all employees” — Marc Havercroft, COO & Vice President Strategy, HCM cloud & Digital Strategy and Transformation at SAP
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CLICK TO WATCH : ‘DESIGNING TO SOLVE FUTURE PROBLEMS – CHUCK AMES, AMAZON BUSINESS’ 09 Transformation at SAP. “Instead,
Havercroft says the platform is redefin-
SuccessFactors is built as a front-of-
ing the role of HR and “taking away
fice system for individuals to use – not
a lot of the administrative burden so that
just HR but all employees.” This brings
you can focus on managing an individu-
about another stark difference: a new
al’s entire career from being recruited
way of thinking about the workforce.
all the way to being paid or promoted”.
“Old HR systems perceived people as
Uniquely, SuccessFactors isn’t
risks and, I don’t know about you, but
a standalone or individual application
I don’t go to work trying to bring the
– it’s an end-to-end platform which
company down,” laughs Havercroft.
allows data to float seamlessly from one
“Every day, I try and do a good job and
point to another. By realising the power
come up with new ideas. SuccessFac-
of data at every given chance, the
tors is about changing that dynamic of
opportunities are endless. It means that
risk and saying ‘We believe our people
if you’re hired and fill in an application
are an asset not a liability’.” In this way,
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re-fill out forms with the same informa-
Factors can tell you about the past but
tion because it’s already in the firm’s
what it can predict in the future. “We
core records. “We get data from every
can take historic data and see what will
aspect of a person’s interactions with
happen if you do the same thing going
the system,” Havercroft explains. “The
forward but, more importantly, we can
other beautiful thing is that, as part of
also run scenarios.” In order to tackle
SAP, we can also pull data from other
the ever-growing data mountain, the
applications and areas of your business.”
firm sifts through data and zeroes in on
This allows you to identify trends: for
delivering true business outcomes.
instance, you might historically see
“The first thing I always ask my customers
a notable spike in resignations in the
before we get to the analytics is: what
first quarter that you want to remedy.
questions do you want to answer? This
However, the characteristic that excites
allows us to see what is irrelevant or
Havercroft most isn’t what Success-
quality data. It saves our customers
a lot of time and returns greater insights
pace of technology in recent years
more quickly and efficiently.” Working
then you know that innovation is going
shoulder to shoulder with the customer
to be critical to the survival of your
is an essential part of SAP’s service. As
business. Humbly I have to say when
a cloud based software-as-a-service
you look at SAP’s credentials and
(SaaS) platform, Havercroft highlights:
compare that to what businesses are
“You’re getting a service on an ongoing
looking for in a partner, SAP sits pretty
basis which drives innovation.”
well in that checklist.”
“We have a very strong history of
With a native app, SAP SuccessFac-
being the technology partner of choice,”
tors solutions make it easy to engage
he adds. “SAP has been around for 50
with the workforce and complete
years; we’re one of the biggest software
HR tasks. People can access their
companies in Europe and one of the
SuccessFactors applications on the
most valued brands. If you’ve seen the
go and stay connected to their business
E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E
Marc Havercroft Marc Havercroft brings more than 20 years of experience within the future workforce strategy and transformation, helping clients adapt their HR strategy to meet the opportunities of the new digital world and the future workforce needed. His expertise includes advisory and strategy and workforce design for organisations going through major change as well as new entrants into EMEA, North America, and APJ & Greater China regions from both green field to M&A structures. Havercroft not only provides clients with high level visibility on current and global trends, but is able to turn this into meaningful workforce strategies that deliver. He has worked across industries from financial services, telco, energy, media and digital social to public sector – with many of his solutions honored with industry awards.
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anytime, anywhere. To keep up to date with the latest innovations, the team at SAP have developed a new app store where other technologies and startups in HR can build apps. Similar to the apps that can be added to an iPhone or Android device, these new apps offer a personalised experience. This not only keeps the spotlight on the employee experience, it also slashes the cost of integrating new third-party systems. “It depends on scale and complexity but typically integration is expensive and it
1972
Year founded
96,000
Approximate number of employees
takes time,” Havercroft observes. “With SuccessFactors you go to the app store, download and pay for the app – the integration cost is low and it’s as instantaneous as it is with your phone.” “Rather than being that closed, historic technology company, SuccessFactors is an open API system – above all else we encourage innovation and app
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Innovation and development centres
development,” he adds. “I’m really excited that we’ve created this community of really innovative people that aren’t just fixing a problem and a process, they’re coming up with new ways to measure culture.” One of the significant partnerships SAP has at the moment is with Thrive Global, a business founded by co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Huffington Post, Arianna Huffington. Under the strain of long work hours, Huffington collapsed due to sleep deprivation and exhaustion, and quickly recognised that many workers like her were facing a stress and burnout epidemic. Bringing corporate welfare to the fore, she created an app which is now available on the SuccessFactors platform. “It’s an example where businesses are putting the focus on people,” says Havercroft, noting that, w w w.s a p . com
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“SuccessFactors is about changing that dynamic of risk and saying ‘We believe our people are an asset not a liability” — Marc Havercroft, COO & Vice President Strategy, HCM cloud & Digital Strategy and Transformation at SAP
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for him, this is one of the most rewarding
our jobs. Instead it’s helping us learn
aspects of his job.
and follow passions. We’ve really
“It’s a great example of where we’re
concentrated on using the employee
using software and technology to treat
experience and turning that person
people as assets,” he adds. “What I’m
into an asset, not as a corporate
most happy about is that I truly think
headcount, but as a productive,
it’s helping people’s lives in a changing
creative individual. And I think that’s
world. It’s helping them to not fear
what we’re most proud of.”
technology, but rather see it as an
Supporting objective decision making
opportunity. It’s helping people realise
at every stage of the HR lifecycle from
that technology isn’t going to remove
recruiting to talent management,
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SuccessFactors is also helping business-
application process so that in effect,
es move beyond bias. Using powerful
they’re only looking at a person’s skills
machine learning and analytics, the
and abilities.” In addition, the firm can
platform helps to detect mitigate bias
also offer reports on diversity and pay
across the talent management lifecycle,
differences whilst giving advice on
providing a catalyst for change. “Whether
activities or actions. Diversity matters:
we realise it or not, sometimes uncon-
it offers a spectrum of ideas and
scious bias exists within organisations,
opinions and it can also deliver real
so to counter this we give our custom-
business outcomes too. A 2017 report
ers the option to remove identifiers like
by McKinsey found that companies
names, addresses, genders from the
in the top quartile for gender diversity w w w.s a p . com
425,000 Customers in more than 180 countries
18,000+ SAP partner companies globally
186mn
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Subscribers in its cloud user base
on their executive teams were 15% more likely to experience above-average profitability than companies in the fourth quartile. “If you have a better, more diverse workforce you better reflect your customer base and you’ll be more commercial,” Havencroft adds. At the beginning of this year SAP completed its acquisition of US software firm Qualtrics for US$8bn. It’s a momentous deal for the firm which will allow SAP to combine its operational data with Qualtric’s customer experience data and, in turn, will enable clients to include real-time feedback into their strategies. “It will provide what we call employee experience, those moments that matter,” Havencroft explains. “So how was your first day at work? How was your experience around the induction? To be able to get that real time experience data and then overlay that with operational data, it’s going to be phenomenal. “I think the addition of Qualtrics and employee experience data is going to give a layer of personalisation for the individual and then, in turn, the employer. It’s really going to take that principle of people not as a risk but an asset to the next level.”
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SAP SE headquarters Dietmar-Hopp-Allee 16 69190, Walldorf www.sap.com