Distributor & Supply Chain Solution Provider

Client Background

This HRchitect client is a leading North American distributor of production materials and provider of integrated supply chain solutions. They are the North American branch of a global company with North American headquarters in Michigan. The client represents over 4,000 employees in North America with over 75 service centers across 10 divisions. Their existing HR technology consisted of TalentLink (a Cornerstone product) for Recruiting, SAP SuccessFactors for Onboarding, Performance Management, Compensation Management, and Learning Management, SAP  On-Premise for Payroll, ADP eTime for Time & Attendance, and several local and global systems supplementing these tools.

The Challenge

The Client’s HR technology environment had become highly fragmented, with multiple systems, including SAP SuccessFactors, ADP eTime, and other regional tools, supporting different functions across recruiting, onboarding, performance, compensation, payroll, and time & attendance. This decentralized landscape created inefficiencies, inconsistent processes, and limited visibility into workforce data across more than 75 service centers and 10 divisions. At the same time, the Client needed to modernize its HCM capabilities while remaining cost-neutral, requiring a careful balance between improving technology and controlling costs. Without a unified strategy and clear alignment on future needs, the organization faced ongoing operational challenges and difficulty identifying the right path forward for its HR technology transformation.

Client Profile

• A top North American distributor of production materials and trusted provider of end-to-end supply chain solutions
• Headquartered in Troy, MI
• 4,000+ employees
• Utilized HRchitect’s HCM Advisory Services to align business needs and lead the client through a successful selection process

The Project

With a business need to improve HCM technology capability while remaining cost-neutral, the client engaged HRchitect to lead an HCM Technology Strategy project using HRchitect’s Secure Selection Methodology. All HR functions and systems were in scope for this engagement. The client’s objective was to gain an overall consensus on their HCM technology needs and priorities across entities and geographies. We asked them to consider what success would look like within their organization with the right HCM technology implemented. They envisioned the utilization of an intuitive system rich in mobile technology and self-service functionality to streamline workflows. It was decided that a full-suite HCM system would be preferred if it met their requirements and decision drivers, which were: usability and technology, followed by support, configurability, and vendor services.

The HRchitect team initiated the project with the core client-side project team, which included the HR Operations Strategic Leader, HR Systems Program Manager, and the IT PMO Manager, who had previously supported the implementation of their current systems. HRchitect’s consultants designed and launched surveys representing each functional area to understand and prioritize the client’s objectives related to HR technology. Simultaneously, the client-side project team outlined the project objectives, what success would look like, and their prioritized criteria for selecting a vendor.

The Solution Selection

After analyzing the survey results, HRchitect conducted discovery sessions with the project team to document requirements for the organization’s future state. The client also completed a workbook identifying their current costs for completing key HR initiatives, including people and application costs. Using this information, as well as the requirements documented from discovery sessions, HRchitect presented the client with a review of the HCM market with a focus on how choosing a new HCM product suite could reduce their costs and manual efforts. Recommended vendors were introduced to the client for their consideration.

Key Benefits

• Clear, data-driven HCM strategy aligned across the organization
  HRchitect facilitated cross-functional alignment on HR technology priorities, ensuring consensus across business units, geographies, and leadership stakeholders.

• Defined future-state vision for HR technology
  Through structured discovery and stakeholder engagement, the Client established a clear vision for a modern, intuitive, and mobile-enabled HCM environment with enhanced self-service capabilities.

• Comprehensive requirements and vendor evaluation framework
  HRchitect’s Secure Selection Methodology enabled the Client to document detailed functional and technical requirements, evaluate vendors against key decision drivers, and confidently assess full-suite HCM solutions.

• Identification of cost-saving and efficiency opportunities
  By analyzing current systems and associated costs, HRchitect demonstrated how consolidating into a unified HCM platform could reduce manual effort and overall technology spend while improving functionality.

• Executive alignment and approved business case for transformation
  The Client successfully built and presented a compelling business case to senior leadership, securing approval to move forward with HCM transformation and continuing their partnership with HRchitect for the next phase of vendor selection.

The Results

By utilizing HRchitect’s HCM Advisory Services, the client built a strong business case to present for approval with their senior leadership. As a result, they have received approval and will continue utilizing HRchitect as a trusted partner to lead their subsequent HCM evaluation and selection process.