HCM Technology Strategy and Business Case for Canadian City

Client Background

This client, a city outside of Toronto, employs between 21,000 and 25,000 people to service over 170,000 residents, with a seasonal workforce servicing Parks and Recreation in the warmer weather months. The city’s current PeopleSoft system was not meeting its needs for Core HR, Benefits, and Payroll. The client also recognized a need for better Talent Acquisition, Performance, Development, and Succession Planning capabilities.

However, before they could obtain approval to replace PeopleSoft, a detailed business case needed to be created for presentation to, and subsequent approval from, the City Council. Utilizing a two-phase approach, HRchitect worked with this client to identify the future state needs and to create an HCM Technology Strategy, and then to create a business case for that strategy

The Challenge

The Client needed to define a clear path forward for modernizing its HR systems while balancing the complexity of a large, decentralized workforce. Existing systems lacked the flexibility, integration, and functionality required to support evolving HR needs, including talent acquisition, performance management, and succession planning.

Additionally, the City faced challenges related to manual, paper-based processes, limited access to real-time data, and high administrative effort across departments. Before moving forward with a system replacement, the Client needed to build a comprehensive, data-driven business case to justify the investment and gain approval from City leadership.

Client Profile

• City in Ontario, Canada serving a population of over 170,000 residents
• 21,000 employees with 4,000 temporary workers added during summer months
• Seeking a replacement for legacy PeopleSoft platform that was not meeting the needs of the city

The Project

The Client engaged HRchitect to lead a two-phase HCM Technology Strategy and Business Case initiative.

Phase 1 focused on discovery and strategy development. HRchitect conducted extensive stakeholder engagement, including surveys distributed to over 200 individuals across HR and departmental leadership. These insights were supplemented by on-site process mapping sessions, which highlighted the need for flexible workflows and varied approval structures across departments.

Using this information, HRchitect developed multiple HCM technology strategy options, all centered around the goal of achieving a more integrated, efficient, and scalable HR ecosystem. A key priority identified was establishing a single system of record for all HR processes, with potential consideration for a standalone learning management system to meet compliance needs. HRchitect presented four strategic options, and City leadership selected the approach that best aligned with long-term organizational goals.

Phase 2 focused on building a comprehensive business case to support the selected strategy. HRchitect guided the Client through detailed cost analysis, including labor costs associated with current HR processes, technology and infrastructure expenses, and operational costs tied to manual and paper-based workflows. Leveraging HRchitect’s Business Case Builder, the City gathered and validated data across all departments to quantify current inefficiencies and project future savings.

Key Benefits

• Data-Driven Business Case Development: Enabled informed decision-making with validated metrics and projected ROI

• Significant Efficiency Improvements: Identified over 60% reduction in time spent on HR processes

• Reduced Operational Risk: Transition from paper-based processes to secure, cloud-based systems

• Improved Access to HR Data: Enhanced visibility and mobile accessibility for employees and managers

• Strategic Foundation for Transformation: Clear roadmap for implementing a modern, integrated HCM solution

The Results

The Client successfully developed a robust, data-driven business case that clearly demonstrated the value of modernizing its HR technology. The analysis identified substantial opportunities for efficiency gains, including a projected reduction of more than 60% in time spent on HR processes across the organization.

In addition to cost savings, the proposed strategy significantly reduced operational risk by eliminating reliance on paper-based processes and transitioning to a more secure, cloud-based environment. The future-state solution will also enhance the employee experience by providing mobile access to HR information and supporting more efficient, user-friendly processes.

Using this business case, the Client secured approval from City leadership to move forward with its HCM transformation and has since begun the next phase of vendor evaluation and selection.