A leading global life sciences company embarked on a transformative journey to revamp its Human Resources (HR) function through an ambitious HR Transformation Programme. This programme aimed to redefine its HR operating model, streamline business processes, and modernise HR technology systems. Central to this transformation was the implementation of a global single instance of Workday Human Capital Management (HCM) to replace a patchwork of over 100 local HR systems.
The Challenge
The initial plan was to manage this transformation internally, leveraging the company’s permanent HR staff with additional support from IT contractors. However, several factors necessitated a change in strategy:
- IR35 Legislation Concerns in the UK: Compliance risks and uncertainties surrounding IR35 led to a revaluation of contractor use.
- Skills Gaps and Resource Constraints: The in-house team lacked specific skills needed to drive the transformation at scale.
- Rising Global Labour Costs: Cost pressures in the global labour market made the existing model less feasible.
To address these challenges, the company needed a more structured, agile, and cost-effective approach. As a result, they partnered with Impellam Project Services to deliver the program via a fixed price Statement of Work (SoW).
The Solution
Impellam Project Services worked closely with the client’s internal HR and technology teams, alongside multiple third-party providers and the HCM vendor, to manage the HR transformation. The goal was to ensure that the implementation was completed on time, within budget, and met all business objectives.
Key elements of the solution included:
- Comprehensive Program Management: Impellam provided the interface between the client’s HR and Technology divisions, the HCM vendor, and over 30 third-party providers.
- Flexible Resource Deployment: A scalable team of up to 25 experts was flexed in skill and size to meet the evolving demands of the transformation.
- Structured Delivery Approach: The delivery was managed through a series of well-defined stages including design, build, testing, and implementation.
The Process
Impellam led the project through a structured methodology:
Design: Collaborating with internal stakeholders and third-party providers to ensure the solution was tailored to the company’s unique requirements.
Build: Developing and configuring the Workday system and integrating it with 140 different data sources from the client’s existing HR systems.
Test: Conducting thorough testing across the entire HR ecosystem to ensure system reliability and data integrity.
Implementation: Seamlessly migrating data for 14,000 employees across 42 countries, with zero data loss or disruption to ongoing operations.
The Outcome
The program concluded with a successful deployment of Workday, integrating 140 systems from 30 different suppliers and consolidating data across 42 countries. This resulted in a unified, global HR system that enhanced operational efficiency and reduced complexity. Complete data migration for 14,000 employees without any loss or significant issues. We achieved all project milestones within the agreed timeline and budget.
The client’s feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Stakeholders praised Impellam Project Services for their technical expertise, rigorous program management, and ability to execute a highly complex global rollout with minimal issues post-deployment. The program not only met all desired outcomes but also set a new benchmark for how large-scale HR transformations should be delivered.
By partnering with Impellam Project Services, the global life sciences company successfully navigated its HR Transformation Programme, overcoming significant regulatory and technical challenges to achieve a seamless transition to a unified, efficient HR operating model powered by Workday.