When implementing SAP SuccessFactors, you must decide how to manage the use of internal and external resources. It’s highly unlikely that an organization will have all the expertise to implement SAP SuccessFactors with internal support alone, so outside help will be needed from a partner. The key to maximizing your investment will be finding the right balance of internal and external resources.
In deciding how to allocate resources for your technology roadmap, you need to determine which skillsets are required, then determine how many people with those skillsets you will need. You’ll need to know when, where, and how they will be needed.
That will help you decide whether you have the people available internally to complete your roadmap. From there, you must figure out team governance for proper accountability, optimal team dynamic, and integration management. The list of tasks doesn’t end there, and that stresses the importance of properly structuring your SAP SuccessFactors team to maximize resources.
Diligence is important. Take the example of cosmetics retailer Sephora, they were very detailed in their project approach and how it worked with partners for their first ever Global HR implementation. Sephora relied on us, but their commitment also helped drive the project’s success.
Much like any part of an SAP SuccessFactors implementation, thorough analysis is required to build your team correctly. First and foremost, it goes back to identifying the skillsets required, including temporary vs. permanent skillsets.
The Skills You Have and the Skills You Need
There are likely many areas in your business where you pull in an external worker or contractor to do an odd job that doesn’t need a full-time employee. This is also true in an SAP SuccessFactors project. These particular skills for defined periods are most likely to be fulfilled by an SAP SuccessFactors partner, in order to avoid ramping up permanent staff to fill a short-term need.
That need could be something like a technical integration. You probably don’t have someone on your staff that knows SAP SuccessFactors well enough to build that integration, but an experienced partner would have that knowledge and they may have already built something similar in the past. It makes sense to bring in external help in this scenario, as the work can be done more efficiently.
There are a number of considerations for bringing on a partner to do SAP SuccessFactors project work. A partner must ensure that risk is mitigated in bringing in specialized skills. They must be confident that there is a transition path for after the defined period to ensure key positions are held by responsible and accountable people.
Your SAP SuccessFactors partner must help you ensure that key roles have backups and a succession plan, as well as competent support.
Find the Balance, Maximizing Your SAP SuccessFactors Investment
Identifying the key processes and related roles that bring value to your business will help you decide when to bring in a partner, and when to establish career development paths to fill that role within your organization. The goal should always be to find opportunities for low cost delivery and ongoing management of the SAP SuccessFactors system without adding risk to your company.
Determining the right balance of internal and external resources on your SAP SuccessFactors project will go a long way in maximizing your investment in the system. Working with an experienced partner can help you identify that balance and provide the external resources where you need them.