Implementing SAP SuccessFactors is a strategic endeavor that requires careful planning, efficient execution, and expert guidance to ensure a smooth transition and effective integration with existing systems. This article outlines the main steps in a SuccessFactors implementation, from initial planning and requirement analysis to configuration, testing, and deployment.
Additionally, it highlights the pivotal role that senior-level SuccessFactors consultants (like our team at Surety Systems) play in supporting these critical initiatives. Their extensive expertise and industry insights provide invaluable support in navigating challenges, optimizing configurations, and aligning the implementation with business objectives.
Why SuccessFactors?
SuccessFactors is an innovative, cloud-based human capital management (HCM) platform designed to help organizations streamline critical HR processes, improve talent management, and enhance the employee experience.
By providing a single platform to track all HR data, manage recruiting and onboarding processes, and optimize workforce planning initiatives, SAP SuccessFactors empowers better performance, engagement, and productivity across teams.
Here are a few key SAP SuccessFactors modules included in the comprehensive suite:
- SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central
- SAP SuccessFactors Time Tracking
- SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central Payroll
- SAP SuccessFactors Work Zone
- SAP SuccessFactors Onboarding and Recruiting
- SAP SuccessFactors Learning
- SAP SuccessFactors Opportunity Marketplace
- SAP SuccessFactors Workforce Analytics
- SAP SuccessFactors Sales Performance Management
Key Steps for an Effective SuccessFactors Implementation
When it comes to ensuring a successful implementation process for any new SAP SuccessFactors solution, there are a few key steps and best practices to consider. Here’s a closer look:
1) Build a dedicated implementation team
Any successful SAP SuccessFactors implementation requires adequate buy-in from key stakeholders and a well-defined project team.
By combining the knowledge, skills, and potential of employees from both HR and IT teams and the experience of key executives, companies can avoid resistance to change and ensure the right people are in the right roles to execute critical implementation tasks.
2) Assess current processes and key requirements
On the one hand, current processes and integrations should be assessed to identify gaps that could be filled with intuitive SAP SuccessFactors capabilities.
On the other hand, project teams should also examine the key capabilities of the SAP SuccessFactors platform, determining which ones will adequately support their human resources and human experience management initiatives.
3) Create an implementation project plan
While SuccessFactors implementation projects typically require a significant time investment, creating a comprehensive project timeline, proactively coordinating with external resources, and including IT and HR leaders in the planning process can help adhere to the plan.
Organizations can also reduce overall resistance to change and reliance on legacy system operations by enrolling teams in SAP SuccessFactors training before it’s actually time to deploy the new system. By exposing teams to critical capabilities and operations within the new SuccessFactors system as part of their project preparation plan, companies can ensure better user adoption and understanding of the system.
4) Establish milestones and goals for success
Implementing a system like SAP SuccessFactors, with recruiting, onboarding, payroll, talent management, and other workforce planning and performance modules, requires effective process structures and collaboration across project teams.
Establishing key project milestones and clearly communicating success metrics gives users purpose and direction, empowering them to complete tasks efficiently and stay on track with key project initiatives.
5) Ensure a clean, robust data foundation
Before deploying a new SuccessFactors system, existing HR data should be assessed for cleanliness and compatibility, and project teams should ensure that all relevant information is formatted correctly.
Once a clean data infrastructure has been established, users should move smaller data groups to the testing environment to assess how information from the legacy system moves into the new SAP SuccessFactors system.
6) Identify necessary integrations and customizations
Whether you plan to leverage SuccessFactors for all your HCM/HXM needs or only a few modules, you must ensure all SuccessFactors solutions are compatible with the rest of your technology stack and operate efficiently in your existing HR landscape.
Users can leverage the SAP SuccessFactors Integration Center to enable seamless integrations and test other module customizations, ensuring all solutions are adjusted to meet the requirements of existing process flows.
7) Facilitate effective change management and user adoption
As employees often resist change that arises with the implementation of new systems or tools, creating an effective change management strategy and ensuring proper user adoption is critical.
Additionally, project teams and system administrators must also maintain consistent and transparent communication with users to keep everyone on the same page.
8) Establish a plan for continuous improvement
By establishing clear goals and defining what success looks like for your unique SuccessFactors setup, you can assess performance after your system has been implemented and ensure effective operations over time.
Careful planning and consideration of performance goals and system requirements also empower organizations to maintain up-to-date data, facilitate seamless data migration for additional tools and systems, and optimize critical HR processes, even as employees are hired, moved to new roles, or terminated over time.
Additional SuccessFactors Support with Surety Systems
Our team of senior-level SAP consultants at Surety Systems doesn’t operate like other SAP implementation partners or managed service firms that follow a set implementation methodology designed to meet their own bottom line.
Instead of just finding the most convenient option to meet your SuccessFactors project needs, we are committed to finding a best-fit consultant whose skills and experience align with your SAP consulting needs. This way, you can rest assured that your implementation, integration, migration, and customization needs are met, no matter what your project’s scope, scale, or complexity looks like.
Quick Turnaround Times
Our SAP consulting team understands that you don’t always have the time, money, or internal personnel to fill urgent project support needs, hire full-time employees, or wait for a permanent consulting option. We offer on-demand consulting support for critical project needs, ensuring your SAP SuccessFactors implementation stays on track.
Without skimping on the quality of the consultant or the timeliness of the project need, our team at Surety Systems works quickly and efficiently to find the best-fit consultants to augment your internal team and achieve key project objectives.
Time-and-Materials Services
Whether you need a project manager with the bandwidth to support a complete SuccessFactors implementation or just a consultant who can contribute 10 hours of weekly work to support ongoing data migration and conversion initiatives, our team of expert consultants has what it takes.
Our consultants also work on a time-and-materials basis, ensuring you only pay for actual hours worked without additional project management fees or overhead costs tacked on at the end of the project.
Personalized Support for Your Needs
From leading a comprehensive implementation project to navigating complex integrations and customizations within a new SAP SuccessFactors landscape, our SAP consulting team keeps your needs at the top of our priority list.
By augmenting and working with your internal team, our SAP consultants work to understand your existing processes and systems and execute critical project objectives — your way.
Getting Started with Our Team
Whether you need help outlining plans to implement new SAP SuccessFactors solutions into your existing technology landscape or just an extra hand navigating complex integrations between SAP and non-SAP solutions, our senior-level SAP consultants have you covered.
For more information about our SAP SuccessFactors consulting services or to get started on a project with our team of expert consultants, contact us today.
