For this project the client in question was embarking on the first stage of a strategic cloud transformation journey. The first phase in 2022 assessed and developed the options and costs for a global core HR technology platform across three separate businesses which comprised of approximately 9,000 people in 60 countries. The current core HR systems tended to vary by line of business and geography and the client wanted a more integrated and unified approach. 

The challenge

The client had multiple HR systems resulting in a fragmented systems and data landscape. There were no efficient mechanism for employees and managers to contact HR, meaning the business had to rely on personal relationships to raise HR queries; far from the unified and efficient process the client was looking for. Manual processes led to duplication of effort, ‘double-keying’ and extended the time to deliver HR services. 

The HR team lacked the capability to run global reports or generate global views of head count and HR functions were decentralised with different service delivery models and systems based on the local countries. The client was a complex matrix organisation which comprised of multiple business units within the same country; that complexity added to inefficient approaches to delivering HR services. 

The approach

LACE Partners’ approach provided the core methodology, tools, and key project roles to provide capacity and experience to lead and deliver the first stage of the cloud transformation journey. We validated the “as is” HR technology landscape across 60 countries to provide an understanding of the number of integrations required. The LACE team developed the product Request for proposal (RFP) based on more than 1,500 requirements, facilitating the selection of the new platform through a competitive RFP. 

We defined the global HR technology vision and ambition for a global HR cloud software across 60 countries and 17 languages. We also defined the future “business as usual” cloud support model, which led to the culmination of deliverables to inform an investment case, to be used to gain board approval to embark on their global cloud HR software implementation. 

The outcome

The team defined a HR technology vision and roadmap which, when completed, brought the following outcomes: 

• Greater access to HR data across the organisation facilitating the creation of a single source of truth. 
• Reassessment of the ‘colleague experience’ with personalised, tailored content and self-sufficient employees and managers. 
• Improvements of HR processes with a focus on making them smarter and easier, reducing duplications of effort globally 

• Greater levels of governance and compliance with the ability to quantify against group level commitment and policies 
• The ability to make data informed decisions, allowing data to be used in a proactive and predictive manner with real-time data insights. 

Critical Success Factors

It was vital to have a capability-driven approach for the client requirements. That meant flexibility to work as a single team, with shared input to deliverables, whilst maintaining clear accountability. A supplier agnostic approach is essential with these projects (which is one of LACE Partners’ key guiding principles as a business) ensuring LACE can act objectively on behalf of the client. 

LACE’s deep industry relationships and product knowledge were also important. An employee centric product selection approach to drive employee value. Increased speed to value through use of ‘LACE accelerators’. 

If you would like to talk to a member of the team about how we can support your organisation, get in touch via the form below. 

To learn more about the services that supported this project visit our Digitise your workforce and  People strategy pages.