Gaining insight into your SAP HCM & SuccessFactors Data – The Webcast Recap

Hosted by: AFSUG (African SAP User Group)
Guest Speaker: Danielle Larocca, SVP HCM Solutions, EPI-USE Labs.

The Evolution of HR Reporting
In this recap of the recent Human Experience Management (HXM) session, “Gaining Insight into your SAP HCM & SuccessFactors Data Webcast,” we dive deep into the world of HR reporting and analytics. Guided by Expert Danielle Larocca, we recap some of the valuable insights from this enlightening session.

With over two decades of SAP HR experience, Danielle reflects on her journey, highlighting the challenges of a time when online documentation and support were limited.

The Three Pillars: Reporting, Analytics, Planning

Danielle outlines the core pillars of HR and payroll reporting: Reporting, Analytics and Planning. “You need data or intelligence that serves multiple purposes” she highlights. Operational data, for example, is used to make decisions for today. This is accomplished through reporting analytical data, which helps you analyse that data combined with other information, enabling you to make better business decisions for tomorrow. Analytics is a focus on planning for tomorrow and Planning with a focus for beyond tomorrow for the future of the enterprise.  Each has their own definition and value proposition as defined below.

• Reporting: The process of organising data into informational summaries in order to monitor how different areas of a business are performing. Every company needs a reporting solution and it’s probably the most important piece of the intelligent enterprise.
• Analytics: The process of exploring data in reports to extract meaningful insights that can be used to better understand and improve business performance. This differs from Reporting as it does not only look at your current data but rather analysing the data to predict future business requirements or objectives.
• Planning: Workforce planning is a systemic process that aligns business and HR needs to ensure organisations have the right people, with the right skills, at the right time and cost to execute efficiently and successfully.

Danielle underscores that planning is core to being prepared for the future and is achieved by minimising the risks that are associated with executing business strategy. She provides an example illustrating that, while it’s relatively straightforward to calculate your current headcount, the real challenge lies in forecasting what that headcount might look like five years into the future. This entails not only predicting the numbers but also making sure you have the necessary infrastructure to accommodate this growth and a target audience ready to engage with your expanded workforce.

Through its acquisition of various companies, such as SuccessFactors over 10 Years ago, SAP has now transformed HR into Human Capital Management (HCM).  “Now virtually all of these on-premise SAP systems have a counterpart in SuccessFactors and Customers are at varying stages of transferring from the old school to the cloud,” Danielle explains. During this HCM discussion, she sheds light on the transformation of HR into Human Capital Management (HCM) in today’s cloud-centric era.

Unveiling People Analytics
Although the naming conventions for People Analytics may have evolved since its 2019 launch, the core strategy remains constant. It revolves around three vital components for an Intelligent Enterprise: Reporting, Analytics, and Planning within HCM.  These three areas have a solution associated with it.  These three solutions together make up SAP SuccessFactors People Analytics.    People Analytics is the umbrella name for the three solutions defined below.

Navigating the SAP Certified Solutions Directory
At present, real-time payroll data is not integrated into stories within SAP SuccessFactors People Analytics. As a result, customers rely on third-party solutions to access this data. Danielle sheds light on SAP SuccessFactors’ approach to ensure comprehensive functionality, emphasizing their collaboration with partners for this purpose. Danielle guides participants in exploring third-party solutions via the SAP Certified Solutions Directory while highlighting the significance of SAP Certification in ensuring smooth integration.

A Bright Future Ahead
In summary, we discuss how we are currently witnessing an incredibly exciting phase in the realm of reporting. For those who, have been deeply ingrained in this field for quite some time, it’s truly invigorating to see the substantial investments that SAP is making. These investments are not only addressing our immediate reporting needs but also laying the groundwork for future planning and growth.

In today’s rapidly changing tech landscape, staying well-informed about the latest developments is paramount. As Danielle highlighted, you wouldn’t want to expend your valuable time and resources on a tool that may not align with your evolving business needs.

In closing, this session leaves us on an optimistic note. It underscores the exciting advancements brought forth by SAP and SuccessFactors. We encourage you to remain engaged and keep an eye out for future developments. Embrace these innovative reporting solutions within people analytics and continue your journey towards a future illuminated by data-driven insights. SAP also offers a free course via OPENSAP for anyone interested in learning more about SAP SuccessFactors People Analytics, check it out here: https://open.sap.com/courses/pa1-tl

Recording & Presentation
Exclusive to AFSUG Members: Log in to view the recording and presentation here.

Connect With Danielle Larocca
SVP HCM Solutions, EPI-USE Labs
LinkedIn | Let’s Talk HCM Blog