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SAP deepens HR integration to improve workforce analytics
An integration between SAP SuccessFactors and the SAP Analytics Cloud could put richer workforce analytics into the hands of HR departments.
SAP has upgraded HR's ability to plan workforce needs by integrating SuccessFactors with its main planning tool, the SAP Analytics Cloud.
The SAP Analytics Cloud is an analytical layer that enables ERP users to link financial and operational plans, such as supply chain and procurement, to improve workforce analytics and planning. Users have had methods to link HR data with planning, but it wasn't a completely seamless integration until now, according to SAP.
With this change, data from SuccessFactors, SAP's human capital management platform, as well from SAP's S/4HANA ERP suite will be added to enterprise-wide planning processes.
Integration enables better planning
The integration between SuccessFactors and SAP Analytics Cloud will enable customers to take financial data, such as where sales and growth of a company are the highest and strongest, and provide visibility into where hiring and retention are needed, said Jill Popelka, president of SAP SuccessFactors.
A goal is to provide "additional insights really across the enterprise so that you can make those decisions for your people and align them with your business growth," Popelka said.
Robert Kugel, research director at Ventana Research, said he will tie workforce analytics more closely to financial data. "One of the advantages of integrating HR and financial planning is that it allows managers to plan their headcount and translate those plans into a line-item budget for headcount,'' he said.
Kugel added that the integration also "allows HR to automatically have a view into every manager's hiring plans over the planning period, which might be 12 or 18 months, that enables them to operate more effectively in planning for hiring and onboarding of new employees."
Availability of this new workforce analytics and planning capability is expected in the third quarter of this year, which begins July 1.
Rise with SAP for HR
A second announcement from SAP, made at the start of its annual Sapphire Now conference this week, included the extension of its Rise with SAP program for its Human Experience Management (HXM) platform, a rebranding of HCM it announced last year.
For HR, the Rise program provides a concierge-type service to help with three broad areas: connecting HR data with financial data, reskilling projects and operations planning help, including upgrading payroll and time tracking.
Patrick Thibodeau covers HCM and ERP technologies. He's worked for more than two decades as an enterprise IT reporter.
