Building a Unified HR Function Through HCM Transformation

Client Background

Our client is a nationally recognized law firm formed through the merger of two large organizations. With offices across the United States, the firm serves clients in industries including healthcare, real estate, finance, technology, and manufacturing. They are recognized for their capabilities in corporate law, litigation, intellectual property, and regulatory matters, supported by a client-service approach rooted in deep industry expertise.

The Challenge

The merger brought together two established firms with different histories, operating models, and HR practices. While both firms were successful independently, the combined organization faced the challenge of supporting a unified workforce with consistent processes and shared employee experience.

Following the merger, the newly unified HR department encountered several obstacles that limited efficiency and consistency across the firm:

• Two legacy organizations operating on different HR systems and processes
• Manual and fragmented workflows across payroll, recruiting, onboarding, and performance management
• Limited employee and manager self-service, increasing administrative burden on HR
• Minimal mobile access, reducing flexibility and user engagement
• Existing technology that could not adequately support the size, complexity, and integration needs of the combined firm

Our client determined that incremental process improvements would not be sufficient. Addressing these challenges required both operational alignment and a technology platform capable of supporting standardization, automation, and a modern employee experience.

They engaged HRchitect to conduct a People, Processes, and Operations Assessment (PPOA) and facilitate a Human Capital Management (HCM) evaluation and vendor selection. The goal was not only to evaluate systems but to use the merger as an opportunity to align HR teams, standardize operations, and establish a scalable foundation for the firm’s future.

Client Profile

• Nationally recognized law firm formed through the merger of two large firms.
• Based in Washington, D.C. with offices throughout the United States.
• Works with clients, including corporations and nonprofit organizations, to achieve their commercial goals.

The Project

HRchitect partnered closely with our client’s HR leadership to deliver a structured, two-phase engagement that combined assessment, strategy, and execution.

Phase 1: People, Processes, and Operations Assessment and Marketplace Review
HRchitect conducted a comprehensive PPOA that included stakeholder interviews, surveys, and working sessions across HR functions. The team evaluated current-state processes and systems spanning payroll, recruiting, onboarding, performance management, learning, and reporting.

Based on these findings, HRchitect developed future-state workflow and RACI recommendations and delivered a marketplace assessment outlining potential HCM solutions. This phase provided clear recommendations on where process changes were needed, where automation would deliver value, and which technology capabilities were critical to support the firm’s goals.

Phase 2: HCM Vendor RFP Evaluation and Selection
Building on the PPOA outcomes, HRchitect designed and managed an RFP process grounded in approved functional and technical requirements. This phase included vendor demonstrations, structured scoring, and stakeholder feedback sessions.

HRchitect delivered a detailed Fit Report assessing each vendor’s alignment with our client’s requirements, strengths and limitations, and overall suitability. The team also supported due diligence to ensure leadership had a clear understanding of risks, trade-offs, and implementation considerations prior to final selection.

Key Benefits

Phase 1: People, Processes, and Operations Assessment and Market Assessment

• Aligned HR leaders from both legacy firms around a shared post-merger vision
• Identified specific gaps in process efficiency, automation, and employee experience
• Developed clear workflow and RACI recommendations to improve accountability and consistency
• Delivered practical recommendations to guide both process improvements and technology decisions

Phase 2: HCM Vendor Evaluation and RFP

• Executed a structured, objective evaluation of HCM vendors
• Provided a Fit Report with clear guidance on functional alignment and vendor trade-offs
• Assisted due diligence, enabling informed decision-making resulting in the selection of Workday as the platform best suited to meet our client’s needs

The Results

The engagement gave our client a clear, actionable roadmap for modernizing HR operations and technology. As a result, the firm achieved:

• Strong alignment across HR teams on strategy, priorities, and future direction
• Clear recommendations to improve process efficiency, automation, and employee experience
• A disciplined, data-driven approach to HCM vendor evaluation and selection
• Selection of Workday as a scalable platform to support the merged workforce, with informed guidance on configuration and adoption considerations

With these outcomes, our client is positioned to operate HR as a unified function, better support employees and managers, and build a foundation that can scale with the firm’s continued growth.

“The partnership with you and HRchitect was meaningful and supported our requirement building needs so well. You assisted us in building a strong foundation for this project and helped clarify our needs and goals. You were a pleasure to work with and provided terrific leadership on this initiative for us.”

          – CHRO

“Our consultant was very attuned to needs and was very empathetic towards decisioning, what it took to do that and the value and sometimes not the value of consensus for everything. I learned a lot from her balance of ownership and partnership. She pushed us but without judgement, but with enough drive towards timeline.”

          – Senior HRIS Manager