Left to Right: Kirsten Allegri Williams (CMO), Stephen Spears (CRO), Greg Tomb (President) and Amy Wilson (EVP of Product) at SuccessConnect
Left to Right: Kirsten Allegri Williams (CMO), Stephen Spears (CRO), Greg Tomb (President) and Amy Wilson (EVP of Product) at SuccessConnect

SAP’s Cloud platform and integration strategy is gathering momentum as the enterprise software heavyweight is pushing its stack beyond the boundaries of its applications, all in the hopes of gaining wallet shares among its key accounts.

Nowhere is that more apparent than at SAP SuccessFactors, the HCM software operations that are already spreading the use of SAP HANA – its flagship database – across its 3,400 Employee Central customers including the likes of Wal-Mart (Latin America and Europe), Ball Corporation and HSBC. A year ago, SAP was the first large enterprise to run SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central on SAP HANA.

At SuccessConnect conference last week, Executive Vice President of Products & Applications Engineering, Amy Wilson unveiled that SuccessFactors will identify and close the employee experience gap with SuccessFactors HXM, a AI/ML powered platform that will combine the O-Data, the operational data from SuccessFactors and X-Data, the experience data from Qualtrics, SAP’s recent $8 billion acquisition.

The voice of the employee should be loud and clear in any organization and that will put employees in the driver’s seat. The HR trailblazers who take HXM (Human Experience Management) seriously will have a competitive edge, not only in talent management but in business performance as well.

After all, SAP SuccessFactors is now being led by Greg Tomb, who became its president in July 2017 after a 19-year career at SAP running different parts of its sales operations. Unlike his predecessors with limited exposure to SAP prior to their appointments at SAP SuccessFactors, Tomb is a consummate SAP insider with a firm belief in the integrated value of SAP’s vast technology portfolio.

During SuccessConnect, Greg pointed out that the number of SuccessFactors customers reached 6,800 unique logos with 125 million end-users and he expects that number to hit 7,000 by the end of the year. In the second quarter of 2019, SuccessFactors saw a 20% growth with its mounting Net New Name and Accel2Sell Customer Acquisition campaign. For the quarter, 25 customers moved from Workday to SuccessFactors, Tomb said. APJ, which is led by SVP and Head of APAC Jill Popelka, was the fastest-growing region for SuccessFactors with 35% increase in new users. 

Product No. of Customers No. of Users
SAP SuccessFactors Performance & Goals 5,000 55.6 million
SAP SuccessFactors Learning 4,000 38.0 million
SAP SuccessFactors Recruiting 3,100 26.9 million
SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central 3,400 26.5 million
SAP SuccessFactors Succession & Development 2,500 21.9 million
SAP SuccessFactors Onboarding 2,300 20.3 million
SAP SuccessFactors Compensation 2,200 20.3 million
SAP SuccessFactors Workforce Analytics & Planning 1,500 12.2 million

Source: Apps Run The World, September 2019

SAP SuccessFactors Performance & Goals solution has surpassed 5,000 customers. Over 300 new clients chose the solution in the first half of 2019 to help keep their workforces passionate, performing and focused on the right objectives. These customers include Arrocera Los Corrales S.A. (ALCSA), CLAAS Group, Constructora EBCO S.A., Compartamos Banco and TÜV Rheinland Group.

With customers’ growing use of SuccessFactors for everything from analytics, performance management to recruiting and core HR, Wilson said SuccessFactors wants to place People at the Center of the business, including Individuals, Teams and Organizations, rather than just a cost item on the balance sheet anymore. The new SuccessFactors HXM platform, which is going to run on SAP HANA is expected to be generally available in 2020, along with the enhanced UI and easy to use mobile app.

Furthermore, SAP SuccessFactors People Analytics, which also runs on SAP HANA and leverages SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC), will deliver business intelligence, advanced planning, and predictive capabilities within one product, according to Rob Wood, Principal Product Manager for SuccessFactors People Analytics. The umbrella names include:
– SAP SuccessFactors People Analytics, embedded edition (formerly Reporting)
– SAP SuccessFactors People Analytics, advanced edition (formerly Workforce Analytics)
– SAP SuccessFactors People Analytics, planning edition (formerly Workforce Planning)

The vendor’s roadmap also calls for extending SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) to other applications like SAP Concur, Ariba and Fieldglass, not to mention incorporating the analytics engine into its next-generation ERP product S/4 HANA.

Then, there is the use of APIs to help extend the SAP Cloud platform and integration strategy. In many respects, the HXM umbrella is a manifestation of how API integration is propelling SAP to reach beyond the four walls. Hundreds of microservices from over 200 HR-specific apps from Ingentis org.manager, Workforce Software, IBM and many other partners like Paradox, gnowbe, RallyBright and Censia from SAP.io, the investment arm of SAP, are already accessible by SuccessFactors customers.

Brian Ellison, SuccessFactors CTO, said among its 6,800 customers and 125 million users that are generating 1.2 billion transactions like leave request per day, 60% of API traffic is done outside of SuccessFactors apps.

At this week’s Tech-Ed event, SAP said more than 1,400 partners are building on SAP Cloud Platform, with more than 750 SAP Cloud Platform–based apps available on SAP App Center. The SuccessFactors Partner App ecosystem grew significantly this quarter to 235 unique apps in the SAP App Center, up from 180 in the previous quarter.

SuccessFactors customers are able to enhance and extend their enterprise and line-of-business and to drive innovation thanks to start-ups such as SafetyFactors for EH&S, Semos Cloud for employee engagement, and eightfold.ai for AI-powered Talent Intelligence. Underscoring the importance of employee recognition, SAP has selected Semos Cloud JobPts Employee Recognition from the SAP App Center for its 96,000 employees. A partnership with ServiceNow was also announced at SuccessConnect, where ServiceNow HR Service Delivery will be available on SAP App Center.

With the help of these partners, Scott Lietzke, VP of Product Design of SuccessFactors, said the result of a more robust Cloud platform is that it will enable SuccessFactors better answer employee questions, and get employees more engaged with SAP Conversational AI, SAP Leonardo Machine Learning and Indexed Search. Furthermore, the embedded Qualtrics survey and feedback capabilities, with both qualitative and quantitative being collected, will help managers improve employee engagement and productivity. 

The Cloud platform is also benefiting its implementation partners. According to Bruce Hiller, a GVP of Partner Delivery Management, Successfactors has 13 Global Strategic Service Partners, 84 additional implementations and 500+ VARs globally, which account for 80% of the Net New Names. The top 25% VARs deliver 98% of the Channel business.

The enlarged SuccessFactors ecosystem, covering key partners such as Deloitte, Infosys, Capgemini, and Accenture, which together have thousands of consultants specializing in SuccessFactors, are reporting tremendous progress. Tak Kusano, VP of Global Strategic Services Partners of SuccessFactors, reaffirms SuccessFactors commitment to the channel by giving system Integrators access to expert knowledge and enforcing minimum requirements including at least three consultants and one Customer Success Manager.  

Kirsten Allegri Williams, SuccessFactors CMO, showcased Purolator, one of Canada’s biggest transportation and logistics companies that are embracing SAP’s Cloud platform along with a host of SAP on-prem and Cloud applications.

Purolator adopted SAP SuccessFactors solutions several years ago to replace its disparate legacy applications and has been systematically implementing the suite. Purolator is working hard to upskill and prepare its employees for the autonomous vehicle era. The Purolator use of SAP platform has resulted in significant wallet share for the vendor.

Purolator Enterprise Application Landscape

Purolator
SAP Products Non SAP Products
ERP, Financial, Back Office HCM CRM, Front Office
SAP ERP ECC 6.0 SAP Successfactors Learning (2018) Salesforce CRM
SAP Transportation Management Systems SAP Successfactors Recruiting (2019) Salesforce Marketing Cloud
SAP Procurement SAP Successfactors Onboarding (2019) IBM Watson Marketing (ex SilverPop)
SAP BPC SAP SuccessFactors Performance and Goals (2019) QlikView
SAP BI SAP SuccessFactors Succession and Development (2019) UltiPro (Payroll)
SAP BW SAP Successfactors Recruiting (2019) Sterling
SAP Travel and Expense Management SAP Qualtrics (2019)  
SAP Concur SAP Successfactors Employee Central (2020)  
  SAP SuccessFactors Compensation (2020)  

Source: Apps Run The World, September 2019

One of the latest SAP SuccessFactors customers wins is Ball Corporation with 17,500 employees, which is currently in the process of implementing SuccessFactors Learning as one component of an overall SuccessFactors implementation.

Still, the challenge for SAP is the conversion of its 9,000 large SAP HCM on-prem install base to SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central Payroll, which supports localized payroll processes for 45+ countries, and at the same time providing the insight and flexibility companies need to globally manage payroll. The move from SAP HCM on Prem to SuccessFactors Employee Central Cloud Payroll is not going to be easy since it is not a simple migration, it is a re-implementation. Additionally, certain sub-hr-processes such as Workforce Management (moving to Kronos or Workforce) and Benefits Management (moving to BenefitFocus) will require the customers to rethink their HR roadmap.

At the event, Rizing Solution introduced Synchrony Payroll, an offering that makes Employee Central Payroll accessible to small and medium enterprises and is an excellent turnkey solution for large enterprises that have smaller locations or acquired companies for whom a payroll solution is needed.

In the burgeoning SuccessFactors ecosystem, the philosophy to tackle such challenges is to think out of the box. For example, Eva Woo, Global VP Product Marketing at SuccessFactors, gave an update on the SAP’s Autism at Work program, launched in 2013, which leverages the unique abilities and perspectives of people with autism to foster innovation. The program taps into an underutilized talent source, reducing barriers of entry so qualified individuals can fully develop their potential. Autism at Work employs over 500 colleagues and in 20 countries and the goal is to reach 650 by 2020. 

SAP SuccessFactors Customers Around The World

Company Employees Revenue Country Industry Product
Kroger 453000 121162 USA Retail SAP SuccessFactors Recruiting Management
Sberbank 270000 15373 Russia Banking and Financial Services SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central
Rostelecom 170000 5230 Russia Communications SAP SuccessFactors Learning
Rostelecom 170000 5230 Russia Communications SAP SuccessFactors Succession and Development Solutions
Rostelecom 170000 5230 Russia Communications SAP SuccessFactors Performance and Goals
Rostelecom 170000 5230 Russia Communications SAP SuccessFactors Onboarding
Rostelecom 170000 5230 Russia Communications SAP SuccessFactors Recruiting Management
Rostelecom 170000 5230 Russia Communications SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central
thyssenkrupp 158000 47539 Germany Manufacturing SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central
Microsoft 131300 110000 USA Professional Services SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central
Telefónica 125000 11950 Spain Communications SAP SuccessFactors Performance and Goals
Telefónica 125000 11950 Spain Communications SAP SuccessFactors Learning
Telefónica 125000 11950 Spain Communications SAP SuccessFactors Recruiting Management
Telefónica 125000 11950 Spain Communications SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central
Danone 102400 20900 France Consumer Packaged Goods SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central
AECOM 100000 17989 USA Construction and Real Estate SAP SuccessFactors Talent Management
Intesa Sanpaolo S.p.A. 96892 7354 Italy Banking and Financial Services SAP SuccessFactors Compensation
Intesa Sanpaolo S.p.A. 96892 7354 Italy Banking and Financial Services SAP SuccessFactors Succession and Development Solutions
Intesa Sanpaolo S.p.A. 96892 7354 Italy Banking and Financial Services SAP SuccessFactors Performance and Goals
Intesa Sanpaolo S.p.A. 96892 7354 Italy Banking and Financial Services SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central
Luxottica Retail 85000 10367 USA Retail SAP SuccessFactors Recruiting Management
Heineken 81000 19260 Netherlands Consumer Packaged Goods SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central
Mars, Incorporated 80000 35000 USA Consumer Packaged Goods SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central
Omnicom Group Inc. 77300 15273 USA Media SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central
BP 74500 240200 USA Oil, Gas and Chemicals SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central
Delta Air Lines 73430 40704 USA Transportation SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central
Coca-Cola Enterprises 61800 17000 United States Consumer Packaged Goods SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central
Thomson Reuters 59400 12607 USA Media SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central
Sitel 58000 1500 USA Professional Services SAP SuccessFactors Recruiting Management
Sitel 58000 1500 USA Professional Services SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central
British American Tobacco 57000 26381 UK Consumer Packaged Goods SAP SuccessFactors Learning
British American Tobacco 57000 26381 UK Consumer Packaged Goods SAP SuccessFactors Performance and Goals
British American Tobacco 57000 26381 UK Consumer Packaged Goods SAP SuccessFactors Recruiting Management
British American Tobacco 57000 26381 UK Consumer Packaged Goods SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central
Morgan Sindall Plc 57000 3070 United Kingdom Manufacturing SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central
Teva Pharmaceuticals 57000 22385 Israel Life Sciences SAP SuccessFactors Talent Management
Teva Pharmaceuticals 57000 22385 Israel Life Sciences SAP SuccessFactors Performance and Goals
Teva Pharmaceuticals 57000 22385 Israel Life Sciences SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central

Source: Apps Run The World, Customer Database, September 2019