Five Demanding Factors to Integrating SAP SuccessFactors with SAP HCM

SAP SuccessFactors is a global provider of the cloud-based human capital management (HCM) software. Transferring or the integration of data, as it may be called, between the SAP ERP HCM and SAP SuccessFactors is a complicated activity that is fundamental to the operation of the processes across the wider ERP and HRIS landscape.

A number of criteria have to be kept in mind before the processes of designing or integration is started, which includes the understanding of the data and the processes that influence the final design. A longstanding cloud roadmap helps in the planning of approach integration and that saves cost, time and energy.

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Factors to Consider for Integrating SAP SuccessFactors with SAP HCM:

1. Business Processes:

In case of the SAP-SuccessFactors Talent Hybrid integration scenario, that uses the SAP SuccessFactors for one or more of its talent management processes and the SAP HCM, that uses core HR, it is important to realize that it is absolutely necessary to transfer the data created or used in a process between the two systems. In some talent processes, it is essential to transfer data like compensation increase from the SuccessFactors Compensation to the SAP HCM for payroll.

2. The System of Record:

The SuccessFactors becomes the record of the talent system in the Talent Hybrid model and it is crucial to decide as to what data should be stored there. This is crucial when using the HR or the talent analytics solution like the Workforce Analytics, SAP SuccessFactors etc. If the SuccessFactors Employee Central has to be implemented, then another important decision has to be taken, like whether the SAP HCM remains as the system of record or whether it is replaced by Employee Central as the system of record. The integration that is required to be designed or built is influenced by these choices.

3. Designing a Long-term SuccessFactors Strategy and Landscape Architecture:

By designing of the landscape architecture and the long-term strategy for Success Factors, an understating of the level of integration that is to be built is achieved. Decisions should be taken wisely, as investing in integration middleware licenses for cheap technology or complex integrations in the short term could be wastage of money when other long term options could be more cost-effective. Moving towards the cloud, piece by piece is a perfect adoption strategy of the SuccessFactors but it is obvious that instead of the piece by piece method, moving with a bang would lower the cost and complexity for integration. Knowing which systems are required to be integrated with the Employee Central would influence the selection of the middleware platform.

4. Middleware Technology:

There is a host of middleware technology choices, that depend on which SuccessFactors applications you would be integrating and  which systems would you be integrating them with and each have their share of demerits and merits.

SAP provides two technologies for integration, which can be employed with the Talent Hybrid iFlows that is the SAP HANA Cloud Integration (HCI) and the SAP NetWeaver Process Integration (PI). The PI is part of the base NetWeaver license and only needs the cost for the implementation of PI and the price of HCI is 7.5% of the subscription of the Success Factors. This could be expensive when using multiple applications. For the Employee Central, the Dell BoomiAtomsphere middleware platform is available, bundled with the Employee Central subscription. This could be expensive for the Talent Hybrid scenario.

PI cannot be utilized to integrate the Employee Central with the third-party cloud apps, such as the Workforce Software EmpCenter and the Kronos but HCI does have this capability.

5. Study SAP's Roadmap and Reach Out to Product Management

SAP also has a long-term roadmap for Employee Central and Talent hybrid integration that is constantly evolving to include additional content. This covers the core process integration and saves appreciable time on creating and maintaining the customer integration. Understanding the planning of SAP, would help in aligning the integration needs with the offerings of SAP and would also influence the decision made for a suitable solution.

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