SAZABY LEAGUE Transforms Its HR Function with SAP SuccessFactors
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Key Takeaways
⇨ SAZABY LEAGUE adopted SAP SuccessFactors to enhance HR operations and support strategic independence across its diverse business units, shifting from an on-premise system due to aging infrastructure.
⇨ The successful implementation relied on the expertise of DTS Co. Ltd., highlighting the importance of partnering with those who have deep local knowledge and understanding of specific business needs in complex payroll environments.
⇨ The migration to a cloud-based HR solution is framed as a strategic initiative for creation of a scalable, unified HR platform that meets the challenges of a rapidly changing business landscape, thereby facilitating business agility and future expansions.
Japanese creative agency SAZABY LEAGUE Co., Ltd. has officially gone live with the cloud-based HR solution SAP SuccessFactors. The implementation was guided by its long-standing technology partner, DTS Co. Ltd.
According to SAP Japan, SAZABY LEAGUE operates a diverse portfolio of businesses, each with unique personnel systems. This complexity was previously managed by an on-premise SAP ERP HCM solution. However, the company faced challenges with aging hardware and the need for a more agile system infrastructure capable of adapting to a rapidly changing business landscape. The primary goals were to streamline HR operations, improve productivity, and better support the strategic independence of its affiliated companies.
Why SAP SuccessFactors
SAZABY LEAGUE’s selection of SAP SuccessFactors was based on several key factors. They included:
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- Functionality: The platform’s robust ability to manage history was vital for complex payroll calculations, including retroactive accounting and journal entries. Migrating from an existing SAP system also minimised data transition risks.
- Proven track record: The team’s familiarity with similar SAP functions ensured that staff experience could be effectively leveraged, smoothing the operational transition.
- Operational aspects: The company noted that as a long-time partner, DTS was familiar with the rules and characteristics of each business company within the group. Therefore, it could expect appropriate support and proposals for solutions to problems, which will also reduce SAZABY LEAGUE’s own work hours.
- Future prospects: As a cloud solution incorporating best practices, SAP SuccessFactors offers easy access to new functions and system updates. SAZABY LEAGUE also highlighted its potential for future expansion, including using AI to improve business efficiency and talent management.
Finally, by building a more resilient HR infrastructure with SAP SuccessFactors, SAZABY LEAGUE aims to advance its digital transformation, enhance HR strategies, and strengthen talent development across its entire group of companies.
What This Means for Mastering SAP Insiders
The SAZABY LEAGUE implementation offers a valuable blueprint for other organisations in the APAC region considering a move to SAP SuccessFactors:
- Prioritise partners with deep local and business-specific knowledge. The APAC region is a collection of countries with vastly different labor laws, payroll regulations, and reporting requirements. SAZABY LEAGUE’s success was heavily reliant on DTS’s intimate understanding of its diverse business units. For a complex implementation, especially involving payroll, the partner’s expertise in an organisation’s specific country’s statutory rules and business culture is as critical as their technical knowledge of SAP SuccessFactors. Generic implementation approaches often fail to capture these essential local nuances.
- De-risk cloud payroll migration by leveraging the SAP-to-SAP path. Many APAC companies are hesitant to move complex, heavily customised payroll systems to the cloud. However, the migration to SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central Payroll is not a full rip and replace. It utilises a familiar payroll engine, which significantly lowers the risk of transitioning critical functions like retroactive calculations and historical data management. This path ensures business continuity and allows the team to build on its existing expertise.
Frame the cloud transition as a foundation for business agility. The motivation for SAZABY LEAGUE was not just to replace aging hardware but to support the independence of its affiliated business companies. Mastering SAP Insiders must view their move to SAP SuccessFactors as a strategic initiative to create a scalable, unified HR platform. This provides a single source of truth for employee data while allowing for the flexibility needed to manage diverse business units across different geographies. For APAC organisations undergoing rapid growth or M&A activity, this creates a resilient infrastructure ready for future expansion and the efficient deployment of regional HR shared services.
