SAP SuccessFactors at Ampleon: smooth go-live on 3 continents, with stellar results
When, in 2015, Dutch semiconductor manufacturer Ampleon started sailing their own course, they had to build an entirely new IT infrastructure. As digital HR was not the most pressing need, HR processes were mainly manual, with a touch of Microsoft Access – quite a challenge for a global player with 1,600 employees across 16 locations and three continents. Yet that was then. Today, SuccessFactors does the job, after a successful implementation by Ampleon and Flexso.
Masts for mobile traffic, and radio and television, MRI systems, microwaves or plasma lighting: chances are high that they feature Ampleon radio frequency (RF) technology. Ampleon’s technology is rooted in over 50 years’ experience and expertise, under first the Philips and later the NXP Semiconductors flag. Since 2015, the RF expert has been standing on its own feet. Headquartered in Nijmegen, it has manufacturing and R&D sites in France, the US, the Philippines and China.
Wanted: one version of the HR truth
A company split-off does does require a lot of effort, experienced Frans van Heesbeen, VP Human Resources at Ampleon:
In 2017, our ERP system went live, but there was no budget to introduce a full-fledged HR information system. So, we managed all HR-related data in a Microsoft Access database and most processes were still manual. That did bring some challenges, of course. Privacy and security were hardly up to standard. But more importantly, we lacked real-time insights, as well as cross-company reporting capabilities.
In 2022, Ampleon decided they really needed a platform to manage, unify, centralize, and automate all their core HR processes. Frans and his colleagues sat at the table together with IT and Finance to draw up a list of requirements, goals, and challenges, to then scrutinize the features of three different platforms.
Speed dating to find the right implementation partner
To select the most suitable implementation partner and solution, Ampleon organised a speed date with potential implementation partners. SAP SuccessFactors quickly proved to be the best platform choice, due to its broad scope and smooth integration with existing SAP Finance and payroll applications.
In terms of partner, Flexso ticked all the boxes. Frans explains why:
Local yet international
We wanted a local partner, with Dutch-speaking consultants, and a branch close to our Nijmegen headquarters. At the same time, international experience was a must, because our French, US, Philippine and Chinese colleagues would use the HRIS as well.
Tons of knowledge and experience
Flexso has a great track record of successful SAP SuccessFactors projects in companies similar to Ampleon.
Stable company
We noticed that the churn at Flexso was very low. That was a sign to us that employees love working there, and that Flexso is a solid, stable company.
Open to collaboration
Flexso promised to implement SAP SuccessFactors together, and make our project a success. In fact, this pledge was what won us over.
Accelerators for SAP SuccessFactors
We were looking for a platform with a broad scope, and manageable costs. In addition, we wanted to go live quickly to ensure the continuity of our HR organization. The Accelerator for SAP SuccessFactors would help us gain speed.
The high expectations were met. ‘My HR’, as the platform is called, went live on time and on budget. "Quite exceptional for an IT implementation," says Frans. Ampleon now uses the Performance and Goals module, in addition to the Employee Central core. And soon – much sooner than initially estimated – Ampleon will be ready to embrace the ‘Compensation’ module too.
The 4 biggest wins, according to Ampleon
1. Empowerment and time savings, thanks to employee self-service
The employee portal offers Ampleon’s people access to their own
personal data, both via their desktop and mobile devices. They can easily change
personal details, including leave requests. That saves Ampleon time and fosters
engagement.
2. Faster management decisions through real-time insights from HR data
Managers get real-time insight into the competencies, knowledge areas, training, compensation, and attendance of every employee, at every Ampleon site, which fosters decision-making.
3. Higher efficiency, thanks to automation and centralization
Ampleon now has one central HR database, which is always up to date. Duplicate data, missing details, or other inaccuracies are a thing of the past.
4.Tighter and, at the same time, more dynamic performance management
While Ampleon’s HR team summarized employee objectives in Word documents, they now rely on an online system. As employee and manager can access the data at any time, they can easily track their progress and update objectives throughout the year.
Meticulous preparation, great internal commitment
Ampleon is delighted with both the benefits of SAP SuccessFactors, and the implementation itself. Frans sees a few clear keys to implementation success: meticulous preparation, an HRIS coordinator, and great involvement of the key users.
We took the time to define the requirements and processes and select the software and implementation partner. Once our choice was made, we appointed a dedicated HRIS coordinator who could fully focus on the project, in close cooperation with key users from different sites. As the key users were closely involved in the implementation and testing, and even provided training in their branches, they became true ambassadors.
Flexso as a long-term partner
Last but not least, Frans praises the expertise and openness of the Flexso team, which will ensure second-line support after the go-live. “We entered this project together, with the goal of becoming long-term partners. The Flexso consultants provided excellent support, throughout every step of the project. They talk both IT and HR, communicate transparently and listen to our views, concerns and questions. We had a common purpose: to make our HR project a success – an objective we managed to achieve with flying colors.”
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The experts behind all that HR experience? Flexso for People: the Flexso team with specialist knowledge of the HR world.
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