From a Local HR System to the Cloud

The transition from SAP HCM to SAP SuccessFactors also entailed a change of the data model. It was not possible to keep both structures in the new system. For that reason, a comprehensive modification of the data structure was necessary. As most processes in the company are controlled by the functional structure, Heraeus decided to focus on this one. Even though SAP SuccessFactors implies a standard solution for the visualization of this kind of structure, it did not lead to the desired outcome with regards to the display of department structures as well as to adaptations of the presentation to corporate design guidelines.

The successful migration to the cloud was, however, not only a technical challenge. At the same time, it was necessary to get all employees on board and convince them of the benefits the new systems had to offer. In doing so, it was particularly important not to take known and proven tools away from employees and to maintain the transparency that has already been created at this point. Ingentis org.manager for SAP SuccessFactors turned out to be of significant support in meeting both these challenges.

The success story of Ingentis org.manager at Heraeus started already in 2015. That was when the portfolio company decided to build a global master data system. Shortly after its local SAP HCM system had been implemented, the on-premises version of Ingentis org.manager followed. The functionalities of the org charting software enabled the organization to put its comprehensive requirements into action with the visualization of both a legal and a functional organizational structure being the focus of this project.

In the case of Heraeus the legal structure displayed the company according to regions, countries, and their respective entities, while the functional structure of the organization showed its Global Business Units and their corporate functions regardless of regions. Both could easily be visualized with Ingentis org.manager. The possibility to also perform modeling activities with the software completely convinced Heraeus of Ingentis.

It was, therefore, quickly decided that Ingentis’ org charting solution was to remain part of the system landscape at Heraeus in the form of Ingentis org.manager for SAP SuccessFactors.

As a testing system, the software was already available during the migration of the data visualizing the organizational structures. This allowed for an immediate evaluation of the quality of the migrated data. Consequently, it could quickly be determined whether the structures were transferred correctly.

Even though the functional structure is now the main one in SAP SuccessFactors, it is still possible to view legal relations within the company with Ingentis org.manager for SAP SuccessFactors. On the one hand, the legal view is possible via a search function. On the other, the big data visualization in form of the newly implemented world map plays an important part in this. Controllers, for instance, make use of it to quickly identify how many fulltime equivalents are part of a certain local entity. Additionally, the world map serves as navigation to the entities of the respective country.

The implementation of Ingentis org.manager for SAP SuccessFactors also means that employees do not have to do without a software with which they have been familiar and very satisfied for several years. Despite the modified data model, the visualization of the organizational structures remains similar to the former display. The well-known environment in which, for example, data quality is verified stays the same. This way, the tool creates a certain form of support for the workforce. The slightly modernized user interface is another convincing aspect for the employees. All this in combination helped employees find their way around in the cloud at the beginning and, thus, significantly contributed to the acceptance of the new systems in general.

Ingentis org.manager for SAP SuccessFactors is, however, not only used by the HR department or by controllers to understand employee data or full-time equivalents. The tool is popular with all personnel of the company and is applied for various scenarios. The simple access to organizational structures provides a quick overview of the corporation. At the same time, it is possible to easily determine who reports to whom which facilitates communication throughout the entire organization. Even the accounting department uses the org chart for their daily business. For example, every employee has a so-called authorization profile which indicates the maximum billing amount they are allowed to release.

After the successful migration from on-premises to the cloud Heraeus plans on using the extensive functionalities of Ingentis org.manager for SAP SuccessFactors in a broader scope. As a next step, the implementation of the org.simulator has been decided. This additional tool allows for reorganizations and workforce modeling directly within the org chart as well as for the manual or semi automatic transfer of the performed modifications back to SAP SuccessFactors.

Currently all employees globally access the same org chart and included data. However, there are stakeholders such as HR controllers and business partners, which are entitled to see much more information (e.g. salaries or criticality of positions). In the future, this is also to be done with Ingentis org.manager for SAP SuccessFactors. For that reason, different views, accessible only by the respective stakeholders, will be created. In this context, access control which is currently used only to a small extent will play a major role to prevent unauthorized employees from seeing this sensitive data.

The technology group Heraeus, headquartered in Hanau, is a globally leading, family-owned portfolio company. The company’s roots go back to a pharmacy operated by the family since 1660. Today, Heraeus bundles a variety of businesses in the areas of environment, electronics, healthcare, and industrial applications.

Customers benefit from innovative technologies and solutions based on a diverse expertise in materials and technology leadership.

In the fiscal year 2019, Heraeus generated a total revenue of €22.4 billion and employs around 14,900 people in 40 countries. Today, Heraeus is one of the top 10 family-owned companies in Germany and holds a leading position in its global sales markets.