SuccessFactors Implementation Team Structure for Success

[prasannapatilhcm]

Like any ERP implementation, SuccessFactors deployments are not without challenges and conflicts due to deficiencies in the team, roles, and responsibilities required to be laid out. Many implementations wobble to the finish line as they don’t understand the roles required or the team structure format needed to be set up prior to beginning the Implementation.

Getting the team structure right and getting the roles in place to manage the SuccessFactors Implementation is critical to success. My attempt here is to provide a simple to follow structure for customers doing this for the first time. It’s not practicable to put out strict signposts this is just a rule of thumb that customers can use for understanding.

Any SuccessFactors implementation has primarily two teams needing to work collaboratively.

A) Partner Implementation team and B) Customer Implementation team

Both teams have roles, accountability and responsibility assigned to them to complete tasks and tasks are shared between teams. The roles are not limited to the below but these are required.

A) Partner (SI) Implementation team

1. SuccessFactors Project Manager
2. Project Coordinator [optional]
3. SuccessFactors Solution Architect (Professional certified in several SF modules)
4. Sr SuccessFactors Consultant (Professional certified)
5. Jr SuccessFactors Consultant (Associate certified)
6. Integration Consultant (if you have interfaces) [optional]

B) Customer Implementation team

1. HRIT Project Manager (recommendation - with prior SF implementation experience)
2. Project Coordinator [optional]
3. HR process owners
4. HR analysts
5. Testers/ Trainers
6. System Administrators
7. IT Resources
   
   
   
   1. SuccessFactors Project Manager: effective project leader who has successfully deployed several SuccessFactors implementations. Will be responsible for all partner deliverables and monitors /addresses project constraints.
   2. Project Coordinator: only required for complex large scale projects for assisting the project manager on a day to day activities.
   3. SuccessFactors Solution Architect: a SuccessFactors expert who is professionally certified in at least EC and a few other modules who can guide the customer and regulate team members on module touch points and verify the big picture
   4. Sr SuccessFactors Consultant: a professionally certified consultant who leads all the workshops and works on the configuration
   5. Jr SuccessFactors Consultant: an associate certified consultant who will assist as a shadow resource under Sr consultant guidance.
   6. Integration Consultant: responsible for technical areas such as integration and data migration to work on sending data to and from external sources.
   7. HRIT Project Manager: Will be accountable for all customer tasks and monitors /addresses project constraints. A mistake made by most customers is not filling this position or just having a generic IT project manager play this role, ideally, someone who understands SuccessFactors implementation process is different or has prior experience with cloud HR deployments must be hired.
   8. Project Coordinator: only required for complex large-scale projects for assisting the project manager on a day to day activities.
   9. HR process owners: provides business processes, requirements, and decisions on workbooks
   10. HR analysts: assists process owner in ensuring the configuration is meeting customer day to day process and involved in the data aspect of the implementation, sometimes wears the hat of system admin after go-live
   11. Testers/ Trainers: prepare and participate in testing, develop end-user guides, change management
   12. System Administrators: supporting, and maintaining the deployed SuccessFactors solution post go live
   13. IT Resources: assist with all technical tasks such as interfaces, sftp, access etc.

There might be various other roles depending on the project's size and requirements, which may not involve direct participation or deep involvement. Here are some possible positions and Organizations.

• Project Management Office (PMO) or Project Control Office (PCO)
• Executive Committee or Steering Committee
• Executive Sponsors
• Executive Stakeholder
• Delivery Executives
• Enterprise Architects
• Data Architects
• Marketing Executive
• Branding Executives
• Finance Executives
• Corporate Executives
• Legal Executives