Client Challenge

Creating a modern HR system across an enormous enterprise

With hundreds of thousands of employees at hundreds of sites across many states, thousands of contingent workers, and a mix of union and non-union labor, replacing the HR solution was going to be a huge undertaking. The objectives were clear—implement an enterprise-wide system that would support sustainable growth; increase agility and profitability; standardize business functions; and create a differentiated workforce experience. And so were the challenges. The majority of HR transactions were managed regionally and many processes lacked up-to-date documentation. Policies and procedures were in play for dozens of different unions with more than 50 active contracts in place. Employee data was analyzed through more than 1,000 separate reports. A large proportion of HR transactions required customization. Connecting the organization’s HR computer systems required hundreds of different interfaces. The transformation journey was going to be long and complex.

Approach:

Transforming HR with an Oracle Cloud transformation

A large project calls for a big vision and an expansive team. We had helped the client with a few smaller projects and were ready to explore together how our HR solution could help the organization achieve its goals for an HR transformation. More than a dozen PwC professionals with expertise in HR solutions, the healthcare industry, digital technologies, audit, tax and people analytics met with a large, diverse client team. Through a dynamic BXT (Business-Experience-Technology) interactive presentation, we shared our perspective on the client’s unique challenges and were invited to manage the overall business transformation program (five projects in all) and to help design and implement replacement of the HR solution—the talent management program and Oracle Cloud transformation—from strategy through execution. 

Working closely with the organization’s Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO), and the Senior Vice Presidents of HR and IT on the HR replacement solution, we began by refining the business objectives. We established guiding principles with specific targets against which to track and measure success. PwC specialists in labor relations helped identify opportunities to standardize and harmonize disparate policies and to redesign third-party labor contract management process. Our assurance process and security control teams assisted in configuring the digital systems to enable compliance. Leveraging PwC’s experience with Oracle Cloud, we worked closely with Oracle teams to co-develop customized components for the solution to meet the organization’s complex needs. An organizational readiness assessment allowed us to develop and implement a comprehensive change management strategy, complete with a communications plan and training activities, to support new ways of working with the transition to the Oracle Cloud solution.

Impact:

HR transformation expected to save hundreds of millions of dollars over five years

The new HR solution will create simplified interactions and transactions for employees, productivity gains for managers, and a scalable, sustainable solution for absence management, employee self-service, payroll, and reporting.

• Replaced 40 disparate systems with a single, unified global human capital management system
• 95% of the organization’s policies and procedures have been standardized across nearly a dozen regions and more than 1,000 sites
• 95% of transactions are employee self-service (ESS) with anytime/anywhere/any device access. Transaction customization has been reduced to just 3% of HR’s work effort
• Integrated, up-to-date information is readily available throughout the employee lifecycle
• HR has achieved increased agility, while lowering operating costs and boosting shared services productivity with 75% of transactions managed through shared services

To learn more about how PwC can help you realize predictable value through your HR transformation, visit www.pwc.com/us/oracle