Global HR Transformation with SAP SuccessFactors
Client Profile
Industry: Electrical and optical connectivity solutions
Location: Switzerland (Global operations)
Employees: 4,000+
The Challenge:
A global manufacturing and technology company headquartered in Switzerland provides connectivity solutions for industry, communication, and transportation markets. With operations across multiple continents and a diverse workforce, the organization required a modern HR platform capable of supporting global HR processes while maintaining regional flexibility.
The organization’s HR landscape had evolved over time with multiple local systems and manual processes. Employee data was managed across different tools and spreadsheets, creating fragmented master data and limited transparency.
This decentralized environment resulted in duplicated data maintenance, inconsistent reporting structures, and increased administrative workload for HR teams. Interfaces between systems were complex and often required manual intervention.
At the same time, the company faced the upcoming end of enterprise support for its on-premise SAP HCM environment. This created the need to transition to a modern, cloud-based HR platform that could simplify HR operations and provide a scalable foundation for future digital initiatives.
The organization aimed to establish a global HR system that would centralize employee data, improve process transparency, and enable a consistent employee lifecycle across regions.
The Solution:
Technology: SAP SuccessFactors
Services: Software Evaluation | Project Management | Digital Transformation | Change Management | Data Protection
Fishtank Consultancy partnered with the organization to drive the transition toward a modern cloud-based HR platform.
SAP SuccessFactors was selected as the next generation HR platform, with Employee Central implemented as the global HR master data system. By establishing a centralized HR platform, the organization created a single source of truth for employee information and laid the foundation for a unified global HR architecture.
Employee Central successfully went live and now serves as the core HR system across the organization. The transformation continues with additional phases expanding the SuccessFactors landscape to further strengthen digital HR capabilities.
The Approach
Implementation Partner Evaluation
Before starting the implementation, the organization conducted a structured selection process to identify the most suitable implementation partner for the global SuccessFactors rollout.
Fishtank Consultancy designed and managed the evaluation process, including the preparation of the request for proposal, coordination of vendor interactions, evaluation of partner capabilities, and facilitation of decision making with key stakeholders.
The evaluation focused on implementation experience, global delivery capabilities, industry expertise, and alignment with the organization’s project governance structure. This process ensured the selection of an implementation partner capable of delivering a complex global HR transformation.
Global Project Leadership
Fishtank Consultancy acted as the global project lead and primary driver of the HR transformation initiative.
Fishtank established the project governance structure, coordinated international stakeholders, and managed the overall implementation delivery. The engagement involved close coordination between HR, IT, implementation partners, and regional teams.
Through structured project management, risk oversight, and milestone tracking, the implementation progressed consistently across multiple countries while maintaining transparency and control.
Building the Digital HR Foundation
The implementation of Employee Central created a centralized HR data platform for the organization.
Employee data was consolidated into a single global system, improving consistency, reporting capabilities, and process transparency. This transformation reduced manual HR administration and eliminated fragmented master data structures.
The platform now forms the foundation for future HR capabilities such as talent management, performance management, and learning.
Change Management and Adoption
Introducing a global HR platform required careful attention to organizational adoption.
Fishtank Consultancy coordinated communication activities, stakeholder engagement, and training initiatives to help HR teams and employees transition to the new digital environment.
These activities helped integrate the platform into daily operations and encouraged consistent usage across the organization.
Data Protection and Governance
Operating across multiple regions required clear governance and data protection standards.
Fishtank Consultancy helped define data governance principles and privacy aligned processes to ensure employee information is handled responsibly and in compliance with international data protection requirements.
Key Results
Successful go live of SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central as the global HR foundation
Centralized employee master data across the organization
Improved transparency and consistency of HR data
Reduced manual HR administration and duplicated data maintenance
Established a scalable platform for the next phases of the HR transformation
Improved governance and protection of employee data
“Fishtank Consultancy brought strong project management expertise, combined with deep IT and HR knowledge. The team planned the project thoroughly and managed it with close coordination across stakeholders. Throughout the project, Fishtank consistently asked the right questions, compared target and actual states, and ensured necessary adjustments were made. Communication was always clear, structured, and transparent. Fishtank successfully led the project to completion with excellent quality.”
