Implementing SAP SuccessFactors Across 200+ Legal Entities: A Comprehensive Solution for Global Operations
In today’s fast-paced business environment, it is crucial for organizations to have a robust Human Resources (HR) management system that aligns with global operations, supports local compliance, and enhances employee experience. As part of our strategic transformation, we successfully implemented SAP SuccessFactors (SF) for over 200 legal entities, utilizing a unified SAP SuccessFactors instance that extends across all affiliates. This integration is a game-changer for our global HR operations and is increasingly becoming a trend among SAP SF customers.
One SAP SuccessFactors Instance for All Affiliates
A significant advantage of our implementation is the use of a single SAP SuccessFactors instance that serves all 200+ affiliates. This is a relatively rare approach among SAP SF customers and sets a high benchmark for global HR management. By using one unified system, we align all affiliates under a common HR platform, ensuring consistent processes, unified data management, and seamless reporting. This structure not only streamlines HR operations but also offers centralized control while maintaining flexibility for local customization.
Aligning with Group Affiliates, Company Policies, and Procedures
Our implementation is designed to align with the corporate structure of the group, ensuring compliance with group-wide policies and procedures while still catering to the unique needs of each affiliate. The SAP SuccessFactors platform provides the flexibility to create global templates and country-specific configurations, making it easier to manage diverse HR practices across regions. This ensures that all legal entities adhere to the same standards, with room for local adaptations, ensuring a balance between global consistency and local compliance.
Diversity and Regional Customization: NA, EMEA, APAC, Japan, China
Given the global nature of our business, the diversity of regions such as North America (NA), Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), Asia Pacific (APAC), Japan, and China presents unique challenges and opportunities. SAP SuccessFactors allows us to address regional and cultural differences by customizing the system to meet the specific needs of each region, whether it's language preferences, legal requirements, or country-specific HR practices.
- Global Template: The global template provides the foundation for all affiliates, ensuring consistency in HR processes such as employee management, talent acquisition, performance evaluation, and learning & development.
- Country-Specific Templates: To address local legal requirements and cultural differences, we have implemented country-specific templates for each affiliate. This ensures compliance with country-specific labor laws, taxation rules, and employment regulations, while maintaining global process consistency.
Single Sign-On (SSO) for All Affiliates with 15 IDPs
To simplify access for all users across 200+ affiliates, we’ve implemented Single Sign-On (SSO) for all users across the organization. With SSO integrated with 15 Identity Providers (IDPs), employees can access the SAP SuccessFactors platform using their corporate credentials. This enhances security, reduces login friction, and provides a seamless user experience. The integration with SAP Identity Authentication Service (IAS) ensures centralized user management and security policies.
Role-Based Permissions (RBP): Global and Company-Specific Configurations
Role-Based Permissions (RBP) is critical to ensuring that the right individuals have the appropriate access to HR data, based on their roles within the organization. In our SAP SuccessFactors instance, RBP is configured both globally and for specific affiliates to ensure compliance with company policies and data privacy regulations.
- Global RBP: Global role-based access controls ensure that HR data can be managed centrally while adhering to global HR policies.
- Company-Specific RBP: Specific configurations allow for tailored permissions, ensuring that data access is aligned with local roles, business units, and organizational hierarchies.
Data Privacy Compliance: GDPR and PIPL Laws
Compliance with data privacy regulations is one of the most significant challenges when managing a global workforce. With employees spread across the globe, our SAP SuccessFactors implementation ensures adherence to critical regulations like GDPR and China's Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL).
- GDPR Compliance for EMEA: In line with GDPR regulations, we have implemented specific restrictions for affiliates in the EMEA region, ensuring that personal data is handled according to local data privacy laws. SAP SuccessFactors provides robust data protection features, allowing us to restrict data access, implement consent management, and manage data retention policies to meet GDPR requirements.
- China PIPL Compliance: Similarly, for our affiliates in China, we have configured the system to ensure compliance with the China PIPL law. This includes the proper handling of sensitive data and ensuring that employees' personal information is stored and processed in accordance with Chinese data protection laws.
Integration with SAP HCM for 10 Affiliates
Our integration with SAP Human Capital Management (HCM) is a critical aspect of the system, allowing us to synchronize data between SAP SuccessFactors and other legacy systems. This integration ensures a seamless flow of HR data, including employee information, compensation details, and organizational structure, across various SAP HCM modules. Currently, we have integrated SAP SuccessFactors with SAP HCM for 10 affiliates, enabling smooth data exchange and enhancing the accuracy of HR data across the organization.
Interfaces for 100+ Affiliates
In addition to the integration with SAP HCM, we have established interfaces for more than 100 affiliates, ensuring that data from these entities is synchronized with the global SAP SuccessFactors platform. These interfaces support various HR processes such as payroll, performance reviews, and training records, ensuring that all affiliates remain aligned with the global HR strategy.
Integration with SAP SuccessFactors Submodules
We have also integrated various SAP SuccessFactors submodules with our global HR platform, including:
- Recruiting: For seamless talent acquisition and candidate management.
- Learning: For tracking and managing employee learning and development.
- Performance & Goals: To streamline performance evaluations and goal setting across affiliates.
- Compensation: For managing compensation structures and ensuring pay equity across regions.
These integrations provide a holistic view of employee data and streamline HR processes, enhancing the overall HR experience for both employees and managers.
Reporting: ADHOC, CANVAS, and Story Reports
To support decision-making and performance tracking, we have implemented various reporting tools within SAP SuccessFactors:
- ADHOC Reports: These allow HR leaders to generate custom reports based on real-time data, empowering them to make informed decisions.
- CANVAS Reports: SAP SuccessFactors’ CANVAS reporting tool allows for visually rich, interactive reports that are easily customizable to meet the needs of different stakeholders.
- Story Reports: Story reports offer a dynamic and narrative-driven way to analyze HR data, providing insights that help guide strategic planning and performance evaluations.
Conclusion
By implementing SAP SuccessFactors across 200+ legal entities, we have established a global HR platform that is flexible, compliant with regional regulations, and fully aligned with our organizational goals. This comprehensive system supports everything from global talent management to country-specific HR practices, making it a powerful tool for enhancing collaboration, streamlining workflows, and driving organizational success. The integration of advanced features like SSO, RBP, GDPR, and PIPL compliance, along with robust reporting tools, positions our organization to manage HR operations efficiently and in full compliance with global data privacy standards. As we continue to evolve and expand, SAP SuccessFactors remains a key enabler of our HR transformation journey.
