HCM Consultant Group – HR & IT Transformation Project Success Stories

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Building Independence: A Digital HR Transformation Journey

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The Project and Project Objectives

Our customer, a listed engineering company with a focus on electrochemical plants, set out to transform its HR landscape by implementing a modern HR suite. Since they need to run a carve-out initiative from the corporate IT infrastructure. The primary aim was to achieve digital independence from legacy group-wide IT tools, streamline payroll through outsourcing, and introduce a fresh user experience with SuccessFactors.

The project’s objectives focused on establishing an independent HR platform to manage core HR data, payroll, and time management. A central goal was to achieve full autonomy from the parent company’s systems, supporting the company’s strategy for digital transformation and operational self-sufficiency.

To meet these aims, the project set an ambitious timeline for a rapid go-live in Germany targeting completion within a year by deploying SuccessFactors Employee Central (EC), EC Time (Time Off and Time Sheet), Employee Central Payroll (ECP), Concur, a project time tracking tool, and an electronic file (e-file) solution, ensuring a smooth transition from legacy systems for their German entity.
How HCM Supported

The HCM team played a central role in driving the digital HR transformation project, taking on full project management (PM) and project management office (PMO) responsibilities, as well as complete technical ownership of both Employee Central and Time Management modules. In addition to overseeing these core areas, the team provided vital support on the integration side, leveraging dedicated integration experts and a solution architect to ensure seamless connectivity between systems.

Their leadership, technical expertise, and collaborative approach facilitated a smooth payroll transition and effective integration, while teamwork, adaptability, and knowledge sharing kept the project aligned with both the schedule and budget. The team’s diverse backgrounds further strengthened collaboration and contributed significantly to the achievement of project objectives
Challenges Faced and Added Value
Key challenges included:
- Managing the transition of responsibilities from a prior vendor following the departure of essential personnel during the project.
- Initial cost and effort estimate that did not fully reflect the customer’s requirements, necessitating replanning and adjustments.
- Delays in several parallel initiatives, requiring the rapid development of workarounds and interim integration solutions
- Unforeseen challenges, including budget discrepancies and resource shortages, lead to the need for adjusting of the customers timelines, conducting renegotiations, and allocating further efforts to fulfil emerging requirements.
Since go-live, the project has delivered:
- An enhanced user experience with unified access to HR applications.
- Reduced total-cost-of-ownership – through outsourced Assisted Maintenance Services (AMS) and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) services.
- Digital access to personal data for all employees, significantly reducing manual effort within the HR team.
- Improved internal training and knowledge exchange.
- The establishment of a strong, agile, and flexible HR organization.
Lessons Learned and Conclusion

The HR-Suite Project highlighted the importance of robust resource planning and comprehensive early requirements gathering in successful digital HR transformation initiatives. The project demonstrated that relying on a single expert introduces significant risk, while providing realistic effort estimates is vital to prevent unexpected challenges.

Pro-active client engagement, prompt data provisioning, and well-defined stakeholder responsibilities were identified as critical project success factors. Effective cross-functional collaboration, transparent communication, and integrated data validation enhanced overall project outcomes.

Furthermore, streamlined change management processes and mentoring of junior team members contributed positively to team performance. These insights will inform our approach to future projects, ensuring that we continue to deliver high-quality results for our clients.

Key achievements were marked by the successful implementation of all the modules, culminating in the inaugural payroll run and payout for all employees. Despite scope changes and customer timeline delays, the team’s dedication and collaborative approach facilitated a timely and effective deployment. The project presented significant challenges; however, steadfast teamwork and productive client partnership led to the establishment of a future-ready HR platform, serving as a model for transformation moving forward.

Payroll and Time Management Transformation

The Project and Project Goals

A global heating and cooling solutions provider partnered with HCM Consultant Group to modernise their payroll and time management systems across multiple regions. The initiative included migrating from a legacy payroll system to SAP’s on-premises Payroll (PY) solution in the UK and implementing SAP Time Management in Japan to comply with new labour regulations. Both projects aimed to enhance efficiency, ensure compliance, and support the company’s broader digital transformation strategy.

For the UK, the primary objective was to transition payroll operations for a diverse workforce of 400 employees, plant workers, and pensioners from an outdated system before its end-of-support deadline. The project sought to improve payroll accuracy, automate calculations, and align with UK statutory regulations while integrating seamlessly into the organisation’s global SAP roadmap.

In Japan, the focus was on compliance-driven efforts. Recent labour law changes necessitated a robust time management solution to ensure proper tracking of working hours, leave entitlements, and overtime calculations. Additionally, improving HR processes and reporting capabilities was a key priority.
How HCM Supported & Challenges Faced
HCM Consultant Group played a crucial role in both projects by providing expert guidance, technical implementation, and change management support. In the UK, HCM led the payroll system migration, managing data integrity, system integrations, and training payroll administrators for a smooth transition. In Japan, the team supported the SAP Time Management implementation, ensuring compliance with the new regulations and optimising HR processes for better efficiency.

UK Project:
- Time Constraints: The legacy payroll system’s end-of-support deadline required a swift transition without compromising accuracy.
- Complex Workforce Requirements: The payroll system had to accommodate different employee classifications, statutory obligations, and pension schemes.
- Data Migration: Historical and retroactive payroll data required careful migration to maintain accuracy and integrity.
- System Integration: Payroll needed to integrate seamlessly with SAP’s Finance Module and BACS for payment processing.
- Change Management: Training payroll administrators and overcoming resistance to new processes were key hurdles to overcome.
Japan Project:
- Lack of a Proper Kickoff: The absence of a structured kickoff meant that change management was not prioritised early on.
- Compliance Complexity: Adapting to evolving labour regulations required careful alignment with legal requirements.
- No Clear Measurables: The project’s success relied on customer satisfaction rather than predefined key performance indicators (KPIs), making progress tracking more challenging.
Added Value & Lessons Learned
HCM Consultant Group provided significant benefits through both projects:
- Enhanced Efficiency: Automating payroll processes and time tracking reduced manual effort and improved processing speed.
- Regulatory Compliance: The new solutions ensured full adherence to UK payroll laws and Japanese labour regulations.
- Data Accuracy & Security: Streamlined data migration and improved reporting capabilities, enhanced transparency and decision-making.
- Scalability: The systems were designed to support future growth and further process automation.
- Customer Trust: The successful completion of these projects led to an ongoing payroll support agreement, reflecting confidence in HCM’s expertise.
Lessons Learned:
- Collaborative Planning is Key: Early alignment with stakeholders minimises delays and ensures smooth execution.
- Data Integrity Matters: Meticulous data cleansing and migration processes prevent issues post-go-live.
- Flexibility is Crucial: Adapting to unexpected challenges, such as tight deadlines and evolving compliance needs, is essential for success.
- Training Drives Adoption: Hands-on training sessions help administrators and HR teams confidently adopt new systems.
Conclusion

This success story highlights HCM Consultant Group’s ability to deliver complex HR and payroll transformations under strict deadlines. By addressing immediate operational needs while ensuring long-term scalability, HCM reinforced its reputation as a trusted partner in digital transformation. The ongoing support agreements further validate the customer’s confidence in HCM’s capabilities, paving the way for future collaboration and innovation.

Seamless Payroll Consolidation: From Legacy Systems to Modern SAP ECP

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The Project and Project Goals
A leading multinational telecommunications company faced the challenge of modernising and consolidating its payroll systems. With three outdated SAP HCM payroll systems operating independently, the integration and consolidation of data into a unified and modern system became necessary. The company chose SAP ECP (Employee Central Payroll), which must seamlessly integrate with the existing SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central Core HR system. Our team analysed, processed, and migrated employee master data, including payroll-relevant data.

For years, the company had used three separate SAP HCM systems for payroll across different business units and departments. These decentralised systems led to inefficiencies, redundancies, and increased operational costs. Moreover, maintaining and managing the data in these systems was cumbersome and prone to errors.

The project’s main goal was to consolidate payroll data from the three existing SAP HCM systems into the new SAP ECP system. The goals included:
- Data Analysis and Processing: Detailed analysis of existing data, cleansing, and harmonisation.
- Data Consolidation and Mapping: Merging data from various systems and adapting it to the structure of the new SAP ECP system.
- Data Migration: Several input techniques, such as Legacy System Migration Workbench (LSMW), to ensure smooth data transfer to the SAP ECP system.
- Validation and Testing: Thorough verification of migrated data and extensive testing to ensure accuracy and completeness.
How HCM Supported

Data Analysis and Processing

Our team began by analysing the existing data in the three SAP HCM systems. This analysis involved identifying data inconsistencies, duplicates, and obsolete records. Using advanced data analytics software, primarily the Knime Analytics Platform, we cleansed and harmonised the data to create a solid foundation for the migration.

Data Consolidation and Mapping

After cleansing, we consolidated the data from the various systems. Our team developed a detailed mapping schema for the new SAP ECP system’s data structure. We carefully mapped each data unit to ensure accurate migration to the new system.

Migration and Integration

The most critical phase was during the productive migration, where we began importing data into the productive system and performing spot checks and controls to ensure the process ran smoothly; we had to make some on-the-fly changes in Production because the Production and Test systems were completely different. We locked down the data to ensure no bad actors could change or manipulate it after extraction. We also built automatic validation into the process to ensure the tool did not accidentally alter data.

We conducted the data migration in multiple phases to minimise the risk of data loss or corruption. Our team used proven migration tools and methodologies, such as the Knime, as mentioned earlier, Analytics Platform and the standard SAP LSMW to securely and efficiently transfer data into the SAP ECP system. Simultaneously, we configured point-to-point integration with the existing SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central Core HR system to ensure seamless data flows between the systems.

Validation and Testing

Post-migration, we conducted extensive testing to verify the accuracy and integrity of the migrated data. This testing included automated tests and manual reviews by our expert team and the customer’s payroll team. We promptly addressed discrepancies to ensure the data migration met the highest quality standards.

We conducted the test/validation phase using a test system that differed from the production system regarding data volume and age. We were able to catch many problems, but not all of them.
Challenges Faced and Added Value to the Customer
The main challenge was adapting to changes in the process and design. We remained highly flexible when designing the migration, as last-minute decisions were made about the destination of specific data. These decisions impacted the tools and processes we were using. Therefore, we had to be flexible in our approach and design the solution modularly and adaptable to complete the migration successfully. Harmonisation proved to be a challenge during the project. This challenge highlights the importance of change and communication in informing relevant stakeholders about changes in systems and processes. Communication can be particularly challenging in online projects, as it limits the amount of collaboration possible.

Thanks to the successful execution of the project, the company achieved significant improvements in its payroll and data management. The key benefits include:
- Increased Efficiency: Due to consolidating payroll systems, processes are streamlined, and operational costs are reduced.
- Data Integrity: Thorough cleansing and harmonisation of data led to higher accuracy and reliability of payroll data.
- Improved Integration: Seamless integration with the existing SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central Core HR system ensured consistent and up-to-date data across all HR processes.
- Future-proofing: The modern SAP ECP system has equipped the company to handle future payroll and HR data management challenges.
The client now has one payroll system instead of three, which is a massive improvement in terms of operational efficiency. They do not need to maintain and update three systems; now, they have only one.
Lessons Learned & Conclusion
- Ensure that the proper tooling is available right from the beginning, considering the scope and volume of data
- Ensure junior developers work with senior developers to ensure a smooth handover.
- Ensure that roles and responsibilities are clarified upfront before starting. We had to fill in many customer resources because they needed help completing specific tasks.
- Meeting in person as a project team is critical to creating a good team culture and allows for a different level of collaboration.
- Change and communication are vital when integrating multiple systems within a company to ensure that every stakeholder is well-informed.
The successful migration of payroll data from three legacy SAP HCM systems to SAP Employee Central Payroll (ECP) marks a pivotal moment in the company’s digital transformation. Through meticulous planning, extensive data analysis, and expert execution, our team overcame significant challenges to achieve a seamless transition. A unified payroll system enhances operational efficiency, improves data integrity, and ensures seamless integration with existing HR processes. This modernised infrastructure positions the company for future growth, enabling it to navigate upcoming payroll and HR data management challenges effectively.

A SuccessFactors Full-Suite Implementation

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The Project

Our customer is a globally operating company with over 30 legal entities in 18 countries. This diverse global presence also comes with a unique set of challenges. Varying cultures, personalities, and perspectives led to inconsistencies in handling processes, resulting in different approaches to HR Leadership and the absence of a uniform platform. Because of this, the company was missing reporting capabilities across the group, making it difficult to extract, analyse and report people data such as headcount, FTE, and turnover volumes – information critical for organisational control.

To address these challenges, a unified HR System Landscape was introduced – a single global software instance with employee and manager self-service capabilities (ESS and MSS) designed to support best-practice business processes:

– The foundation of the implementation was to roll out SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central for managing employee core data of all business units.

– Several additional SAP SuccessFactors Talent Suite modules were implemented, including Recruiting, Onboarding, Learning, Performance and Goals, Succession and Development, and Compensation.

– On a global level, available to all countries, PeopleDoc was introduced – an intelligent cloud filing system to host the personnel files for all employees across the group.

In collaboration with our partner company Nagarro, we closely supported the customer during the global and local introduction of these software modules in the workstreams Project Management, SuccessFactors System Architecture, Business and System Support, Data Migration, Software-Testing, and Change & Communication.
How HCM Supported The Customer

Project Management

The team supported the customer’s project management activities, including the strategic planning and monitoring of timelines and milestones, resource allocation, risk mitigation and budget controlling. Acting as the interface between the project sponsor, the internal stakeholders, the software service provider, and the local HR responsible, the team strongly fostered collaboration among the stakeholders and ensured the project’s quality standards.

SuccessFactors System Architecture

The workstream established a cohesive and unified HR Core system with Employee and Manager Self-Service functionalities (ESS and MSS). Additionally, they seamlessly integrated all SuccessFactors Talent Modules into the system, enabling the customer to run global talent processes efficiently, supported by real-time reporting and trend analysis capabilities, which provide valuable insights into critical HR metrics.

Business and System Support

Through a thorough analysis of the client’s HR operations, the project team provided expert guidance on optimising HR business processes using SuccessFactors. They identified opportunities to streamline workflows, enhance efficiency, and improve overall HR effectiveness. The project involved workshops and consultations with key stakeholders to gather requirements and align SuccessFactors with the client’s unique HR needs. The team then provided strategic recommendations on configuring SuccessFactors modules to align with best practices and industry standards.

Data Migration

In the Data Migration workstream, the team supported the customer with exporting the core and compensation data from the legacy systems. It worked with the raw data and additional transformations to prepare the data for import into Employee Central. With the expertise in handling diverse data requirements, the team was also able to deal with complex setups and data sets of specific countries.

Software-Testing

The team meticulously tested the SuccessFactors Suite on global and country-specific levels for all 18 countries involved. In addition to developing the test cases, the team orchestrated essential test phases, including data migration testing, iteration testing and user acceptance testing. Coordinating with 40 local testers worldwide, the team overcame challenges such as short timeframes per country by running test phases in parallel for multiple countries and providing vital support to local HR during testing.

Change & Communication

A comprehensive change approach was developed to support the customer in managing change effectively, creating and coordinating the distribution of Go-Live communication and transformation material for all countries. Based on best practice approaches and proven change management methods (e.g., change impact analysis), the team ensured seamless alignment and successful change management.

PeopleDoc

Implementing PeopleDoc as a cloud-based personnel file for all employees presented unique challenges, particularly concerning document retention in compliance with local legal requirements. The team adeptly streamlined various local legal approaches, following best practices and legal advice to ensure a smooth implementation of the PeopleDoc solution.
Added Value For The Customer

The successful implementation of Employee Central, several talent modules and PeopleDoc brought significant value to the customer and transformed their HR landscape in the following ways:

Streamlined HR Processes:

With the unified HR-core system, the company achieved standardised and efficient HR processes across global operations, better aligning with strategic objectives.

Enhanced Collaboration:

The new system landscape facilitated improved collaboration among business units, fostering knowledge sharing and best practice adoption.

Transparency and Data Accessibility:

The implemented solution offered enhanced data transparency, providing real-time insights into critical HR metrics such as headcount, FTE, and turnover volumes. Managers and employees gained self-service capabilities, empowering them to access relevant information at their fingertips.

Improved Reporting Capabilities:

With a robust reporting framework, the company achieved seamless cross-corporate reporting, enabling data-driven decision-making at all levels of the organisation.

Global Standardisation:

The successful implementation of the HR Suite introduced a standardised approach to HR processes and practices globally, creating a cohesive experience for all employees and supporting the company’s efforts in cultivating a strong employer brand.

In conclusion, the successful implementation of SAP SuccessFactors marked a milestone in the company’s journey of weaving tradition with innovation. Enhanced efficiency, collaboration, and data-driven decision-making formed the basis of the successful Go-Lives for more than 30 Legal Entities in 18 countries within 18 months. This sets the stage for a dynamic future strengthened by the power of a unified HR ecosystem.

Information Security

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The Project
As an essential part of a global Group program, the project to increase information security with Group-wide implementation was approved.

The main objectives of the project are:
- Identification of all information in need of protection throughout the Group
- Determination of the need for protection of the identified information
- Ensuring adequate protection with the help of behavioural, organisational, and technical protective measures
- Creation of a strong awareness of responsible handling of sensitive information among
all employees
- Preparation of the transfer to the line organisation
How HCM has supported the group's customers

As a long-standing consulting partner, the consultants of the HCM Consultant Group took over several international sub-projects in national subsidiaries in the USA, Asia, as well as in various countries of the EU. Furthermore, our consultants realised sub-projects in Germany, e.g. in the national sales organisation, at several production sites as well as in central functions in the holding company.

The respective sub-projects comprised the development of the individual project structure with the aim of collecting all information of the organisation(s) concerned in the countries. This section of the functions required for the complete coverage of the respective companies was decisively influenced by the consultants of the HCM Consultant Group. To this end, our consultants were able to successfully contribute their many years of experience in globally active companies.

Furthermore, our consultants identified the sub-project managers and experts on site, developed the respective project plans as well as onboarding and ongoing support of the project teams in the respective national and international companies.

Where necessary, the consultants of the HCM Consultant Group conducted their own workshops with experts for the identification, classification and evaluation of current and future protective measures for the relevant information. This made it possible to ensure for the client that all sub-projects were carried out in a targeted manner in accordance with the global project approach.

In the final stage of the project, the consultants of the HCM Consultant Group designed and implemented essential activities for the transfer to line operation. This included, on the one hand, consulting services for national companies or central functions for staffing the resources required there and, on the other hand, central further developments of the available project results with the aim of an efficient continuation by the future line organisation. In addition, the HCM Consultant Group was able to effectively support project communication, e.g. in the development of a global info package.

In addition to the technical challenges related to identifying and securing valuable information within all processes of the Group, intercultural diversity in combination with the often very different boundary conditions for implementing the global project in the various countries posed a particular challenge. Nevertheless, it was possible to deliver the required quality results in all sub-projects and, through the direct and personal commitment of our consultants, to increase awareness of the topic of information security in the respective local units.

The result of the two-year global project is reflected in a significantly increased awareness of the topic of information security among employees in the company’s business area.

The support of the consultants of the HCM Consultant Group has made visible the crown jewels that need increased information protection.

The action points concerning risk minimisation in the handling and storage of information were developed together with the customer and the implementation was accompanied by the HCM Consultant Group.

At the end of an intensive two-year global project, the participating consultants of the HCMConsultant Group are very pleased to have significantly supported the customer in securing their competitive advantages.

Global LMS Implementation

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The task

The original task was to make it much easier for a subgroup to use the various training systems for its users and to reduce the complexity of the associated system landscape. A standardized global learning management process was to be newly developed and implemented on an innovative system platform. The expectations placed on usability, flexibility and efficiency should be met as well as the special requirements on data security and IT operation in a GxP-regulated environment.

In connection with a restructuring of the Group, a program was set up with the aim of redesigning, optimising and centrally providing the business support processes previously distributed throughout the Group. This led to an adaptation of the original task to the conception of a new HR-IT strategy.

A cloud/SaaS solution emerged early on as a future scenario, particularly for talent management. Based on its experience and expertise in this field, HCM Consultant Group GmbH was commissioned to actively and independently support the Learning Management program in the pilot phase as well as in the worldwide rollout in the following subtasks:

•Preliminary study and provider selection

•Project Management and PMO

•Change & Communication Management

•Technical specification and configuration

•Rollout
The Project

In the project, which was aligned to the specifications and boundary conditions of the subgroup, the expectations and requirements for a new learning IT management strategy with a globally uniform process and system were first determined in a preliminary study and solution and change scenarios were derived.

When it became clear that a sustainable strategy for talent management as a whole was being pursued at the Group level, the two initiatives came together, the learning management issue became part of the overall Group program and the results of the preliminary study were seamlessly incorporated into the extended overall strategy. The results included, in particular, the Cloud/SaaS solution and its providers, which was determined according to a dedicated evaluation procedure involving all key stakeholders.

A key criterion for this selection, and thus a requirement for the project, was the replacement of the three largest legacy systems, including the processes implemented on them for learning management within the Group. As a result, the new Cloud/SaaS software was to be aimed at all employees (approx. 100,000) of the company. Further criteria were the consideration of special data protection guidelines and regulatory requirements.

The migration and rollout strategy adopted followed a system-based approach, in which, after the order of the legacy systems to be replaced had been determined, the first was converted for a pilot group to better master the complexity on a small scale and gain experience for all subsequent rollouts (different countries, languages, systems, etc.).

In the project methodology, a hybrid approach was successfully pursued with the aim of taking classic and agile project management principles into account and applying them in a targeted manner.

At the beginning of 2018, after more than 2 years of project duration, the last of the three largest legacy systems for learning management was successfully replaced on schedule and, like all the others before it, by the new cloud solution.
This is how HCM supported the customer in their project
HCM Consultant Group GmbH and its team supported the project from the preliminary study onwards and were thus able to make a significant contribution to the success of the project. The following consulting services were provided for the customer, among others:

Preliminary study and provider selection
- Collection, consolidation and prioritisation of business requirements.
- Selection of Cloud/Saas software and providers.
Project Management and PMO
- Definition of project framework, project organisation, project goals and milestones.
- Conception and implementation of an effective and efficient project infrastructure.
- Creation of templates for the project team.
- Regular exchange and status report appointments with all working groups.
- Preparation of reports and presentations for the programme and steering committee.
- Quality, cost and risk management.
- Preparation and monitoring of internal and external audits.
- Preparation, management and follow-up of regular full-day workshops.
- Coordination of parallel rollouts in cooperation with the rollout strategy team.
- Regular exchanges with the other projects of the programme.
- To create and promote a culture of strong team spirit.
Change & Communication Management
- Creation of regular newsletters for all stakeholders.
- Regular question & answer sessions and documentation in the FAQs.
- Preparation, implementation and follow-up of early business walkthroughs.
- Creation of informative targeted presentations for stakeholder meetings.
- Presentation of the project in programme and company events.
- Central coordination of communication activities across all countries.
Technical specification and configuration
- Mediation between customer and cloud provider for the purpose of a tailor-made implementation.
- Coordination with the other projects in the programme on technical topics
- Creation and updating of technical documents such as the Configuration Workbook.
- Preparation and implementation of the release upgrade with the internal technical team.
Rollout
- Development of a system-based rollout strategy.
- Creation and maintenance of rollout plan and rollout suitcase (best practice toolbox).
- Planning, implementation and follow-up of rollout workshops.
- Collection of old systems as a planning basis for their subsequent replacement.
- Close coordination with tangent document mgmt. project beyond the program.
- Further development of rollout strategy and rollout suitcase for third-party LM systems.
Added value for the customer
With the globally unified learning management process and cloud system, the project has achieved the following main benefits for the customer:
- A high degree of standardization, scalability, and calculable maintenance effort.
- Fast implementation of innovations and reaction to changes.
- Cost reduction by harmonising the process and system landscape.
- Availability of consistent global reporting.
- Increased user-friendliness through uniform availability of the training offer.
- Access to training information at any time and from any location.
Looking to the future, customers will also be able to use the implemented cloud solution via mobile devices.

HR Cloud Provider Selection

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The customer

Covestro is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of high-tech polymer materials. As an innovative company, Covestro works on the production of environmentally friendly materials and manufacturing processes. With 16,200 employees in more than 30 locations worldwide, the company generated sales of 14.1 billion euros in fiscal 2017. Covestro has been listed on the stock exchange since October 2015 and has been listed on the DAX since March 2018.
The task

From a strategic point of view, Covestro opted for a highly standardised HR cloud solution that was not very personnel-intensive in terms of support, as a replacement for the previous On-Premise SAP HR system. Based on its expertise and experience in this field, HCM Consultant Group GmbH was commissioned to advise Covestro on the selection of a suitable cloud provider and to actively accompany the selection process.
The Project

The first step in the “HR Cloud Provider Selection” project was to develop the criteria for evaluating the new HR Cloud solution and its providers. The “Longlist” pre-selection of possible providers based on market analyses formed the basis for the actual selection process:

Request for Proposal (RfP). The HR Cloud Providers of the Longlist were asked for details about their service within the scope of an RfP procedure. For this purpose, the project team designed an evaluation catalogue with detailed professional and technical requirements. In addition, information on the price model and support model was also requested.

Workshops at process level: Expert teams from Covestro and the offering cloud providers deepened the exchange on crucial sub-areas of the business and technical requirements from the RfP. The knowledge gained from this was incorporated into the “Evaluation Score Card” developed during the project. Other key criteria were the pricing model of the providers, their behaviour during the RfP process and their financial stability and willingness to invest in the ongoing development of your cloud solution.

System presentation and usability: In the course of a live demonstration, the cloud was able to present the functionality of its systems using HR processes selected by Covestro. Different groups of employees evaluated the usability of the HR cloud solutions offered. The result was a shortlist of the favoured 3 HR Cloud/SaaS providers.

Decision and selection: Contract negotiations have started with the remaining 3 HR Cloud/SaaS providers. Their results, combined with the findings of the Evaluation Score Card and strategic considerations about the HR IT orientation of Covestro, led to the decision.
This is how HCM supported Covestro in its project

HCM Consultant Group GmbH was already Covestro’s HR/IT consulting partner for the 2015 carve-out from the Bayer Group. It was thus able to contribute the in-house know-how acquired there together with its best practice expertise from other cloud provider selection projects in the best possible way to the advantage of the customer. The consulting spectrum included the conception of the RfP, the creation of the Evaluation Score Card including the applicable evaluation system and usability criteria as well as the creation of the business case for the implementation project of the future HR Cloud Solution.
Added value for Covestro
The HR cloud provider selection was a core component of the overall project to replace the HR system landscape at Covestro which was taken over by Bayer in 2015. On its basis, the provider selection could be made reliably and the migration to the new HR Cloud solution could be successfully carried out in the meantime.

The HCM Consultant Group made a significant contribution to the success of the project with the following results:
- Selection process, selection criteria.
- Conception and execution of the RfP.
- Development and creation of the Evaluation Score Card and its evaluation system.
- Preparation of the business case for the subsequent HR Cloud implementation project.
- Preparation and execution of workshops with providers including evaluation.
- Decision preparation.

Signature Authorisation Process Standardisation

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Introduction

Since August 2012, the approximately 110,000 employees at Bayer worldwide have been able to apply for and obtain authorisation to sign signatures via a completely digitalised and standardised process. The process was implemented as a self-service process in the global Bayer SAP HR system. The process throughput time could be reduced from several weeks to an average of 1-2 days. The HCM Consultant Group accompanied the entire project as a consulting partner and assumed overall project management during the implementation phase.

“Thanks to the technical expertise, methodical approach and comprehensive project management know-how of the HCM Consultant Group, we have succeeded in redesigning the “Signing Authorisations at Bayer” process worldwide and introducing it on schedule. I would like to express my sincere thanks to the HCM Consultant Group for the excellent cooperation”.

Thomas Beyer, Head of Holding Services in the Corporate Office of Bayer AG
The customer

Bayer is a global company with core competencies in health care, agriculture, and high-tech materials. In fiscal 2012, Bayer generated sales of EUR 39.8 billion with around 110,000 employees. Three subgroups and three service companies operate independently under the management of the management holding company, Bayer AG. It defines the common goals, strategies, and processes of the Bayer Group as a whole. This also includes the signature authorisation process.
The task

Whether it was a matter of power of attorney, signing authority for purchasing or signing incoming invoices, the process from application to approval of such signing rights often took several weeks at Bayer in the past and was characterised in some cases by unclear organisational responsibilities, procedural breaks, isolated technical solutions and high operating costs. In short, it needs improvement for a global company that values flexibility and efficiency. For this reason, Bayer AG launched a project in 2011 with the aim of significantly improving the existing process, i.e. making it uniform, simpler and faster. The main idea was to integrate the signature authorisation process as a self-service into the existing HR process and system landscape.
HCM has supported Bayer AG in its project

The HCM Consultant Group has been Bayer’s consulting partner for many years and has supported the project right from the start. The range of consulting services included both content support in the preliminary study and planning phase of the project as well as the co-design of the overall project management and the coordination of cross-departmental and interdisciplinary teams. HCM was assigned overall project management for the implementation phase.
Added value for Bayer
Since August 2012, Bayer has had a globally standardised and completely digitalised signature authorisation process that can be used by around 110,000 employees in over 154 companies worldwide. For this purpose, 13 different signature authorisation categories are available. The authorisations stored here are delivered to the corresponding order and release processes. While in the past the process lead time was sometimes several weeks, the new self-service solution reduced it to an average of 1-2 days. This leads to annual savings of several hundred thousand euros in running costs.

The main benefits of the new solution include the following points:
- Fully electronic paperless application and approval process
- High standardisation and process transparency
- Clear responsibilities and responsibilities throughout the process
- Significantly shortened process runtime
- Increased user-friendliness
- Clear authorisation concept
- Reduction of running costs
- Integration into the existing process and system landscape

Project Management Audit Consulting

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The task

Under the heading “Excellence in Learning”, the implementation of a uniform learning strategy with a harmonised learning management process on a uniform cloud-based system platform was initiated for the customer. The associated project was part of a multi-year strategic corporate program for all HR processes.

To best prepare the learning management project team for the planned internal follow-up audits, the HCM Consultant Group was commissioned because of its expertise in this area to make the necessary preparations and to provide assistance in an initial internal audit.
The pilot audit
The pilot audit for the Learning Management project (LM project for short) was carried out according to the usual timetable in the following phases:
- Initialisation and preparation of the audit,
- Carrying out the audit,
- Reconciliation of results and audit report.
The processes described in the customer’s own QM system and their specific characteristics carried out by the program formed the test basis for the scheduled audits. The following main topics were identified for the pilot audit:
- Project Management,
- Risk Management,
- Controlling,
- Change Management/Communication/Lessons Learned.
All participants rated the pilot audit for the LM project as successful. The summary of the audit report highlights:
- The project is impressively structured and follows the project instructions of the program,
- The auditors received a very good impression of the project management,
- The implementation of the programme rules is adequate and efficient.
In addition, the Decision Log used in the LM project attracted positive attention and was recommended as a template for use in other projects.

Following the express wish of the client, not only formalities were checked, but also possible improvement potential for the LM project itself was identified and discussed in the sense of a consulting audit, and appropriate measures were derived and documented.

In conclusion, the auditor confirmed that the audit was conducted in a very positive and constructive atmosphere, that the persons examined were well prepared, that all desired information could be provided immediately and that communication was characterised by cooperation, transparency and openness.
How HCM supported the customer during the pilot audit
The HCM Consultant Group GmbH supported the customer from the beginning of the pilot audit and was able to contribute significantly to its success due to its relevant experience. The following consulting services were provided for the customer, among others:

Initialisation and preparation of the audit
- Description of the scope, objective and approach of the LM project,
- Presentation of the expectations of the contracting division and the auditors,
- Creation of a common understanding between all parties involved,
- Request documentation for the main topics identified,
- Coordination of appointments with contact persons.
Carrying out the audit
- Structuring and inspection of the documents provided,
- Conducting interviews with project management and the project management team,
- Clarification of questions and presentation of the “red thread”,
- Presentation of the documents to the auditors.
Result reconciliation and audit report
- Verification of the results with the LM project,
- Discussion of the auditor’s report,
- Coordination and communication of measures.
Added value for the customer
The pilot internal audit of the Learning Management project provided the following main benefits for the customer:
- Determination of project and project management status through objective external view,
- Valuable recommendations for action and advice on process optimisation,
- Improved positioning and acceptance of internal auditing,
- Gaining routine in dealing with processes and tools of audits,
- Greater willingness on the part of stakeholders to participate constructively in follow-up audits,
- Building trust with external auditors,
- Improved positioning of the LM project in the company (project marketing),
- Sample case of a large internal project with a very high percentage of changes.
Concerning further internal and external audits, the course and results of the pilot audit provided valuable information and templates for the entire program and other projects in the customer group.

Project Management Standardisation

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Introduction

To support the introduction of a framework for the procedural uniform approach in IT projects at a globally operating group – an important task for the customer to ensure a uniform implementation of projects that is nevertheless tailored to the respective conditions.
The customer

The customer is a globally operating and leading company in its industry and is represented by its several thousand employees in over 100 countries around the world. With his wide range of products, he successfully addresses a wide range of customers.
The task

In the past, the customer group acted decentrally and therefore the locations independently. To be able to react to rapidly changing environmental conditions and thus remain competitive, a global IT strategy was required. This included the introduction of a global ERP solution. As part of the strategy implementation, it was also necessary to standardise the approach for implementing global projects and to ensure that the requirements of future audits were met. The HCM Consultant Group was brought in with its experience in this area.
The approach

For the implementation of uniform IT project management standards, a multi-stage procedure has been deﬁned:

In the ﬁrst step, a basic project life cycle was determined, from the initiation, through planning and implementation, to the completion of a project and the relevant documentation requirements identified for the respective project phases. At the same time, criteria for project prioritisation have been determined. The prioritisation, that will be deﬁned when a project is released, results in the minimum requirement for the documentation that a project must meet, i.e. a project with high priority has to meet all documentation requirements identiﬁed in the project life cycle. In contrast, a project with low priority has to fulﬁl them only partly. As a result, the eﬀort for the documentation is lean and appropriate for the respective project.

In the second stage, the ﬁrst document templates for use were created. After their ﬁnal acceptance, they were presented and explained in more detail to the project managers in separate appointments and then introduced. When the ﬁrst templates were introduced, the documentation requirement was initially restricted to the top-priority global and local projects. There were two reasons for this. First, documentation is the most important for projects with the highest priority. Secondly, with the limited introduction and a step-by-step introduction process, it seemed better possible to achieve acceptance for these innovations by the project participants compared to a complete introduction at once, since the project documentation is often perceived as a time-consuming and therefore unpleasant activity that prevents the actual project work.

In addition, the creation of a manual for the deﬁned IT project management standards had been started, which describes the project life cycle in its entirety.

On the one hand, the expansion of a uniform documentation of all important and always the same aspects, at the times speciﬁed in the project cycle, was pushed ahead across all projects. On the other hand, the target-oriented access to these templates enabled the project managers to save time from then on for the creation of documents, since they only had to be ﬁlled in concerning their project. This was advantageous, for example, when a new project had to be applied for. In addition to the usual project description and naming of the project goals for each project, the scope was always clearly delineated and significant milestones were already mentioned at that time.
How HCM supported the customer
The HCM Consultant Group initially supported the customer‘s IT PMO in reviewing the project life cycle and the deﬁned document templates that had already been created. Here she gave tips on useful adjustments and additions. Furthermore, she supported the customer in the creation of a project management manual.

In the further course, during the introduction phase of the document templates, the focus of the tasks changed from the IT PMO to a concrete team of the IT infrastructure department. Here, the HCM Consultant Group specifically supported the project managers in their projects with the highest priority in the implementation of the new IT project management standards and beyond. She supported the team in:
- Creation of decision papers for the management,
- Creation and maintenance of project plans,
- Communication with the IT managers of the countries worldwide,
- Coordination of internal and external project participants and activities,
- Promotion and mapping of project progress,
- Execution of regular status reporting meetings as well
- Ensuring proper project documentation.
Added value for the customer

The HCM Consultant Group was able to incorporate its many years of experience when introducing IT project management standards and thus make an important contribution to the customer on the way to lean and eﬀective IT project management. Thus, the customer is also well prepared for potential audits regarding project documentation in the future.

Beyond, the HCM Consultant Group was able to ensure, for example, in a project that new network components went live at a foreign location, despite diﬃcult conditions in times of Corona pandemic. These consisted of both an announced signiﬁcant delay in delivery of the required hardware due to the lockdown caused by the coronavirus in many countries and the access restrictions to the company. Through close alignment with the customer team and subsequent targeted coordination of activities, the challenges were overcome in collaboration with the team in Germany, the country‘s IT manager and other external service providers. In the end, the hardware could still be delivered two months earlier, relevant IT components could be conﬁgured and then, with an exemption and subject to conditions, the hardware could be installed, tested and successfully went into operation on site, shortly before the Go-Live of the new ERP solution in this country.

Training in Global Innovation Project

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Overview
- Request – creation of training materials for a new process for automatic generation and approval of standard contracts.
- Solution – support in the creation of target group-speciﬁc training documents and a training video. Oﬀer of diﬀerent target group speciﬁc training forms
- Benefit – Rapid understanding of the new process and system functionalities per target group; high acceptance of new solutions by users
The Customer

Bayer HealthCare (BHC) Pharmaceuticals is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. In 2012, it generated sales of more than 10 billion euros with its nearly 38,000 employees.
The Project

To ensure a high level of quality and safety for the company‘s products, BHC Pharmaceuticals attaches great importance to regular cooperation with healthcare professionals (HCPs) and medical institutions (HCOs). The exchange of services and the related payments to HCPs and HCOs must always be based on written agreements. Due to the worldwide increasing strict regulation of the pharmaceutical industry as well as the increasing number of contracts, it became necessary to optimise the process of contract creation.

In December 2012, the ﬁrst contract was drawn up with the help of the new process. After completing an online questionnaire, the user can generate a draft contract as a Word document and then start the electronic approval workﬂow. This innovation is now available to employees worldwide.
The Support of HCM

The introduction of the new process was accompanied by a target group-speciﬁc training concept including e-training. The HCM Consultant Group GmbH (HCM) was commissioned to create the training materials. In successful cooperation with the Bayer project team, HCM was able to make a very valuable contribution to the project and the approximately 200 users. A self-produced video also provided a vivid overview of the new process.

In this way, the users could be comprehensively trained.
The Result

Positive feedback from all over the world shows that the new process has also been successfully introduced thanks to on-schedule training. With the new process, the project team won the Bayer Business Services (BBS) Award 2013 in the „Quality“ category. This prize is awarded annually for outstanding IT projects in the Bayer Group worldwide.

PeopleDoc Implementation

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The customer

The customer is an international company with its headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, and has branches located in 17 countries worldwide. The company’s core focus is on building technology and plant construction. One specialisation is clean room technology for the semiconductor, biopharmaceutical, and life science industries. The company employs over 5,000 people worldwide and has an annual turnover of 3.9 billion euros (2019).
The task

The main objective of the project was the consolidation of various software and data storage solutions with a special focus on compliance in the HR area. Due to the large number of different organisations spread over several countries, new central cloud solutions were introduced which made the working field of HR safer, faster, and more transparent.
The approach

To implement the requirements for compliance, data security and availability, several new software solutions were introduced. A compliance-side focus was, among other things, legal retention periods for employees’ personnel files.

Before the implementation of the project, most of HR’s personnel files were stored on internal SharePoint servers or in SAP Inpuncto. The storage solutions used varied from country to country so that there was no uniform approach. In some countries, most of the documents were kept in paper form. Due to this complex storage system of personnel documents in individual countries, it was hardly possible for HR to destroy the existing documents on time after a retention period had expired.

To optimise the entire document management process across HR departments, the ‘People-Doc’ cloud software was introduced. This solution enables the secure and easy storage of personnel files and creates a high level of overall transparency due to the constant possibility of document inspection by employees and HR.

After the technical implementation of the new cloud solution, most of the project consisted of migrating the existing personnel files from the decentralised legacy systems. Different technical methods were chosen depending on the number of documents and the type of legacy system. In total, the software was rolled out in 17 different countries for over 20 organisations in a total of 8 project waves.
How HCM supported the customer

During the project, HCM’s support consisted of project management for the introduction of the new software solutions and the execution of numerous data migrations. Over the entire duration of the project, a total of over 200,000 documents from various legacy systems were transferred to the new cloud solution. During this time, the focus was on communication with HR and IT to ensure an integral project flow. All project stakeholders were supported, and the project status was regularly communicated to the program management. The project risks were raised and aligned during this process.
Added value for the customer
By consolidating the document storage with PeopleDoc, a comprehensive cloud solution could be established for the customer, which meets the highest security and compliance requirements. The HR workflow has been significantly improved, as all relevant documents can be found and accessed very quickly in the cloud. Documents that are no longer assigned to a retention period are automatically removed from the system. This ensures compliance with the legal retention periods for documents and reduces manual reviews by HR employees.

The HCM Consultant Group made a significant contribution to the success of the project with the following results:
- Applicable custom global template design and roll-out
- Streamlined document migration process
- Best practice functional configuration of Employee File Management and master data in place
- Reliable and functional data cleansing, historical data and document migration concept
- Successful rollout of the software solution in all 17 countries