Empire Southwest

Client Background

Empire Southwest is a third-generation, family-owned Caterpillar and John Deere dealership founded in 1950 and headquartered in Arizona. Over the decades, the company has expanded significantly, now operating across multiple divisions including Machinery, Power Systems, Hydraulic Service, Precision Machining, and Transport.

With more than 1,600 employees across Arizona, southeastern California, and parts of northern Mexico, Empire Southwest has grown into one of the top Caterpillar dealers globally, supported by a strong culture of customer service and operational excellence.

The Challenge

As the organization expanded, its HR technology environment became increasingly fragmented. The client relied on multiple standalone systems and point solutions to support HR functions, many of which were outdated and no longer supported by vendors.

The core HR system lacked integration with payroll, requiring significant manual effort to process payroll and increasing the risk of errors. In addition, six other systems were used to manage functions such as learning, workforce management, and ERP processes, further complicating operations and limiting data visibility.

This disconnected landscape created inefficiencies, reduced data integrity, and made it difficult for the organization to scale effectively. The client needed a comprehensive HCM technology strategy to modernize systems, improve integration, and support continued growth.

Client Profile

• Family-owned equipment dealership

• Headquartered in Arizona

• 1,600+ employees

• Multi-division organization

• Operations across U.S. and Mexico

The Project

The solution to Empire Southwest’s HCM systems issued was addressed in a three phase plan designed by the knowledgeable team at HRchitect.

Phase one of the overall plan began with the creation of an HCM technology road map. A key component of this phase was planning for increased system integration and data integrity. The HCM technology road map identified which systems would be needed to share data effectively and identified new automated processes which, when implemented, would increase data accuracy and reduce the cost per unit of HR transactions company-wide. The end result of phase one was a clearly defined HCM technology strategy including systems structure and a targeted list of vendors who could then be engaged in the RFP process.

Phase two of HRchitect’s solution for Empire Southwest was to assist in identifying and selecting the vendors and HCM systems that would best fit the organization’s needs and support continued growth. Utilizing HRchitect’s secure selection process, the HRchitect consulting team worked with Empire Southwest to construct RFPs, arranged and oversaw vendor demonstrations, aided in the demo script preparation, and provided scoring criteria for each vendor demonstration. HRchitect’s vendor neutral selection processed ensured that Empire Southwest would be selecting between only those systems that were capable of best supporting the company’s key HCM processes. After vendor evaluations had been completed and the system selections made, Empire Southwest engaged with HRchitect for the next phase of the project.

During phase three, HRchitect project managed the implementation process for Empire Southwest’s new systems, ensuring that the project remained on time and within budget.

Key Benefits

• Improved system integration and data accuracy

• Reduced manual processes and administrative effort

• Lower cost per HR transaction

• Streamlined HR operations across divisions

• Enhanced employee experience with modern systems

• Accelerated vendor selection and implementation timelines

• Scalable HCM foundation for future growth

The Results

By utilizing HRchitect’s HCM technology consulting services, Empire Southwest gained vital insight and industry knowledge which was crucial to the overall success of the HCM technology strategy, evaluation and implementation of a new HRMS system. The expert consultants at HRchitect were able to help Empire Southwest to create an HCM technology strategy which detailed the systems and processes necessary to alleviate the inefficiency and pain points caused by the company’s outdated and incompatible HCM systems. The end result was a new HRMS system capable of supporting the needs of this rapidly growing company including increasing system integration, vastly improved data accuracy, and a reduced cost per HR transaction.