Boosting the Efficiency of HR Operations With a Side-by-Side BTP-based Extension for SAP SuccessFactors

The LeverX team developed the SAP BTP Side-by-Side Extension for SAP SuccessFactors, helping Girteka, a company with over 23,000 employees, simplify the mass management of HR-related tasks.

Project Background

Girteka – a powerhouse in European logistics – operates an expansive fleet of over 6,000 trucks, handling 600,000 full truckloads annually. The successful implementation of SAP SuccessFactors laid a strong foundation for their HR processes, but the complexity of managing mass tasks for thousands of drivers necessitated the development of a custom solution. The company was looking for a way to ensure a mass data management interface in SAP SuccessFactors, and this is where the second part of its collaboration with LeverX started.

Challenges

Girteka encountered a number of significant challenges as it kept growing and modernizing its operations. These challenges compelled the company to start seeking solutions that would increase the speed of HR processes and ensure efficient task management:

• One of the issues was centered around HR teams, who faced the daunting task of managing the mass creation, modification, and deletion of a large number of driver tasks. To keep the organizational productivity at the required levels, the team needed a solution that would allow them to efficiently handle the extensive workload.
• Frequent updates on changes in driver fleet manager assignments required a solution capable of rapidly processing thousands of entries. Timely and accurate management of these changes is essential to ensure smooth operations and prevent delays.

Rationale for Side-by-Side Development

To overcome these obstacles, our team proposed a side-by-side development approach, building custom solutions that worked in tandem with SAP SuccessFactors instead of altering the core system. This strategy offered the client several significant advantages.

Pic 1. Solution Architecture

• Faster development and deployment of new features. Girteka could roll out custom applications more swiftly than if they had to wait for core system updates. Such an approach allowed them to meet the company’s need for timely solutions like task management and driver reassignment.
• This method also provided additional flexibility. We designed and tweaked applications specifically for Girteka's unique requirements without being constrained by the limitations of standard system functionalities. This flexibility makes it easier for the client to adapt the solutions over time as their needs evolve, whether by adding new features or making adjustments based on user feedback.
• User experience also saw significant improvements. With custom-built applications, Girteka could craft intuitive SAP Fiori interfaces that make handling large datasets simpler and more efficient for their HR team. The applications were tailored to fit seamlessly into their existing workflows, enhancing usability and productivity.
• Integration was another area where the side-by-side approach was beneficial. Custom applications were developed to integrate smoothly with SAP SuccessFactors, ensuring that all systems communicated effectively without causing disruptions. This seamless integration meant data flowed effortlessly between the systems, maintaining consistency and accuracy in HR operations.
• This approach provided benefits in scalability and maintenance. The custom solutions can be scaled up as Girteka's operations grow. Maintaining these applications is easier, since they operate independently of the core system. This independence allows for updates and maintenance, without affecting the overall system stability.

Why SAP BTP?

SAP BTP was chosen for this project due to its robust capabilities and strategic advantages:

Rollout time (implementation estimation)
One of the key reasons was the rapid development and deployment guaranteed by SAP BTP. This allowed the company to minimize the time before System Integration Testing (SIT).

Integration with SAP solutions
Investment in SAP solutions ensured that the company could continue reaping the benefits of seamless integration and advanced functionality offered by the SAP ecosystem.

Real-time data access
With SAP BTP, the client can establish seamless connectivity with SuccessFactors without complex data integrations, in this way ensuring real-time data access.

Flexibility & extensibility
SAP BTP offers extensive flexibility, accommodating a wide range of use cases and providing the opportunity for future extensions and customizations for the client.

Innovation
The use of the platform opens up space for innovative services and provides a future-proof platform for continuous improvement and scalability.

User experience
With SAP BTP, the client can enhance user satisfaction by increasing productivity with intuitive SAP Fiori design, improving overall efficiency and usability.

Project Implementation

The project to enhance Girteka's HR processes was executed through a series of well-defined phases. All the phases, with each one having a significant impact on the overall project success, took the team just eight months to complete. Let’s take a look at these stages:

Stage 1: Design and development

The project started with an intensive design and development phase. One of the essential tasks our team was responsible for was to understand the specific needs of Girteka's HR and Transportation departments. To complete this task, our specialists performed a thorough requirement analysis, which involved discussions and workshops with key stakeholders from both departments. After gathering requirements, the team of architects at LeverX BTP Enterprise Evolution Center designed a solution architecture that included  BTP services.

Armed with a detailed understanding of how to meet the client’s needs in the most efficient way, the development team started to create a solution using the Agile methodology.
Thanks to the Agile approach, we were able to facilitate rapid prototyping and iterative development, while making efforts to incorporate feedback and refine the solution. It enabled the creation of a custom extension that was precisely aligned with Girteka's operational requirements.

In four months, we delivered a working prototype, which underwent several phases of improvements through the development sprints, placing a sharp focus on usability, performance, and integration capabilities.

Stage 2: Integration and testing

The next phase was integrating the extension with SAP SuccessFactors. This was a crucial step, as it ensured the new system worked seamlessly with the existing HR infrastructure. During this phase, the development team, in collaboration with Success Factors consultants, carefully mapped how data would flow between the new extension and SAP SuccessFactors to maintain consistency and integrity.

Extensive testing cycles were then carried out to validate the system's performance and reliability. System Integration Testing (SIT) was conducted to ensure that all solution components worked together correctly and that the integration with SAP SuccessFactors was functioning as intended. Following SIT, User Acceptance Testing (UAT) was performed. This involved business users from Girteka's HR and Transportation departments testing the system under real-world conditions to ensure it met their needs. These tests focused on critical aspects, like processing speeds and the accuracy of mass operations, which were essential for handling large volumes of data efficiently.

The testing phase also included performance tuning to optimize the system for high-speed processing, ensuring that it could handle the mass creation, modification, and deletion of tasks without performance bottlenecks.

Stage 3: Deployment and training (Upcoming)

With the testing phase complete, the next step was the deployment of the solution and user training. The new system will be rolled out to key users, including  HR Administrators, Training center managers, Driver Managers, and Fleet Managers.

Comprehensive training sessions were provided to familiarize key-users with the new system. These sessions covered all aspects of the new extension, from basic navigation to handling complex data tasks. Additionally, detailed user’s documentation was created to serve as a reference guide for users, helping them to understand the system's capabilities and how to leverage them effectively.

The training and support provided during this phase were crucial in facilitating user adoption, ensuring that the HR team can fully utilize the new system's features to improve their efficiency and productivity.

Key Solution Highlights

Mass management for To-Do tasks for drivers
We designed this feature to enable Girteka’s HR team to create, update, and delete tasks on a massive scale. The solution dramatically improves processing speed, allowing up to 10,000 tasks to be handled in less than one minute. This reduces the time and effort required for task management and frees up HR resources to focus on more strategic activities.

Mass manager change
Another critical component is the system's ability to manage mass changes in driver and fleet manager assignments. This feature was designed to efficiently reassign certain managers for large groups of drivers, handling thousands of records per request. This capability is especially valuable in scenarios where fleet reorganization or managerial reassignments are regularly necessary, ensuring that such changes can be executed swiftly and accurately without disrupting operations.

Intuitive and personalizable UI
Our design team also created a user-friendly design tailored to meet Girteka's specific needs. The interface features customizable filters, table layouts, and variant management, allowing users to personalize their view and interaction with the data. This customization capability helps users navigate large datasets more easily and perform their tasks more efficiently, enhancing overall user satisfaction and productivity.

Seamless integration with SAP SuccessFactors
Seamless integration with SAP SuccessFactors is a cornerstone of the solution. Our BTP Enterprise Evolution Center team leveraged SAP BTP's advanced capabilities to ensure that data flows smoothly between the new extension and existing HR systems. This integration maintains data continuity and accuracy, ensuring that the enhanced processes work harmoniously with Girteka's established HR infrastructure. Smooth data flow is crucial for maintaining operational efficiency and avoiding data inconsistencies that could impact HR functions.

Technical Architecture
The SAP BTP Side-by-Side Extension leverages a robust technology stack to ensure high performance and integration fidelity:

Key Achievements and Future Prospects

This project not only addressed Girteka’s current operational challenges but also laid the groundwork for managing their extensive workforce with unprecedented efficiency and ease. 

Enhanced efficiency
One of the most significant achievements of this extension is the dramatic reduction in the time required to manage mass tasks and reassign managers. Tasks that once took hours can now be completed in mere minutes, thanks to the solution's capability to process up to 10,000 tasks in under a minute. This efficiency frees up valuable HR resources, allowing them to focus on strategic initiatives rather than manual, time-consuming processes.

Improved UI
The solution features an intuitive and user-friendly interface that has been tailored to Girteka's specific needs. The customizable UI includes filters, table layouts, and variant management options, which have significantly improved user satisfaction and productivity. This design makes it easier for users to navigate large datasets and perform their tasks more effectively, contributing to a smoother and more engaging user experience.

Seamless integration
LeverX ensured that the extension seamlessly integrates with SAP SuccessFactors, maintaining data integrity and process continuity. This integration ensures that data flows effortlessly between the new extension and Girteka's existing HR systems, supporting consistent and accurate HR operations. The seamless data flow is crucial for minimizing disruptions and enhancing the overall efficiency of HR functions.

Scalability
The extension is designed to handle large volumes of data, which meets Girteka's current needs and also provides scalability for future growth. As Girteka expands and their data needs increase, the solution is equipped to scale alongside them, ensuring continued efficiency and performance.

Positive user feedback
Early feedback from key users has been overwhelmingly positive. Users have noted the extension's significant impact on simplifying complex HR processes and enhancing their ability to manage mass operations quickly and accurately. 

Future prospects

Looking ahead, there are exciting opportunities for further innovation and collaboration:

• LeverX plans to extend the functionalities of the solution to Girteka's offices across Europe, broadening the impact of these enhancements.
• Potential future implementations may include SAP Payroll Cloud and other SAP systems to further enhance HR capabilities and streamline processes.