Digital Innovation in HR Driven by Data | SAP Innovation Forum 2017

The pace of digitalization in HR is increasing and bringing HR to the forefront of digital HR service delivery. Some say the digital disruption of HR is here now. This may be true or just behind the corner, the truth is still that we are able to deliver a large part of HR processes and employee interaction with digitalized processes, using modern cloud (SaaS) solutions and apps.

The ability to use modern, consumerized tools to reach out and engage the employees has become a new shift in HR technology. Moving from HR systems of record to HR systems of engagement is a significant step for the impact of HR, bringing unprecedented ease of use, reachability (mobile tools) and employee experience to drive engagement of the workforce.

We must, however, remember that all this is driven by correct and updated HR data. There will be no functioning processes, no people analytics nor continuous performance management without correct data and a process that ensures data is managed correctly. The value of HR data goes beyond the HR function, as people data is widely used in Business processes and can power the whole organization (we talk about CRM, ERP, Finance, etc.) to make better business decisions.

We therefore argue that the first step to the modern, disrupted HR is to manage your data. HR needs to become familiar with the HR data and processes that are used to manage the data. This means paying close attention to get the basics right first, that is payroll, time and master data. These processes and solutions are the core for HR data and managing these areas efficiently will enable HR to start providing correct and believable data to the organization and also to build a foundation for other processes and people analytics.

Digital innovation will need HR to reinvent some of its current practices and understanding the possibilities of the digital world. But you should not disrupt your core foundation (master data), but seek to optimize it to harness the possibilities provided by Cloud solutions. 

Christian Slöör

Blog post's writer Christian Slöör works as a Principal Consultant at EPI-USE.

EPI-USE is one of the event partners in SAP Innovation Forum 2017. #SAPForum

With payroll experience in over 100 countries, EPI-USE is the world’s largest and most experienced independent SAP HCM specialist and has emerged as a leader in designing, building and implementing SuccessFactors Cloud-based, hybrid and on-premises HR/Payroll systems for large, complex multinational corporations. With a suite covering 34 countries, EPI-USE is the world’s leading independent purveyor of SAP country versions for regions in which SAP does not offer a standard payroll solution. EPI-USE is a groupelephant.com company.