One HR Platform, Endless Possibilities: Sephora Poland's Digital Workforce Transformation

Local needs; global challenges

There were several reasons behind Sephora’s decision to change its HR systems. First and foremost, we needed a modern and unified working environment due to the global roll-out of the SAP SuccessFactors system, which already included the Employee Central administration module; however, to maximise the benefits of using it, we decided to integrate the EC Payroll module into it,” explains the Sephora Poland project team. 

Furthermore, we decided to optimise our existing HR tools. They no longer met our expectations and were time-consuming to use, as well as being inefficient – for example, in the payroll calculation process. In addition, managers needed a comprehensive and user-friendly reporting solution. We also wanted, wherever possible, to eliminate processes handled manually by staff, thereby reducing the number of errors made”

Sephora needed an HR and payroll system that would support the company’s strategic development objectives and encompass the integration, automation and standardisation of HR processes, thereby reducing the costs of implementing them. Implementation work at the company began in October 2020, and the project was completed exactly one year later.

A wide range of changes

The project at Sephora involved the implementation of the so-called New Core HR. At its core it's an HR Cloud Solution based on SAP SuccessFactors – in the case of Sephora Polska, the Employee Central Payroll module was used. The work also involved implementing the Time Management Platform within the company. This is a set of self-service applications, compatible with SAP, built using the intuitive SAP Fiori technology, which enables Sephora’s administration department to plan absences and approve leave requests, in accordance with the Labour Code and the company’s internal regulations. A client-specific bonus application and a range of proprietary solutions from SD Worx SAP Solutions were also adapted to the company’s needs to streamline various processes.

These included:

1. Generating email notifications and routing them to different recipients based on data stored in the SAP system
2. Quick and easy access for the HR department to employee data from various areas of the SAP system – organisational structure, HR data, working hours, payroll results, payroll accounting, and self-reporting by managers with the option of individual analysis
3. Generating HR and payroll documents based on data from the SAP system and using Microsoft Office tools
4. Bulk preparation, signing, distribution and archiving of PIT-11, PIT-8C, IFT-1/1R, PIT-4R and PIT-8AR documents
5. User-friendly recording of all events and automation of day-to-day management of PPK processes
6. Digitisation of the processes for preparing and distributing payslips and other documents to employees
7. Copying of HR data stored in the SAP system and data migration

Work on New Core HR also included data migration from the existing HR and payroll system and the integration of SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central Payroll with the system used for shift planning and absence management in the perfumeries.

At the same time, a second project was underway at Sephora, co-led by SD Worx SAP Solutions, involving a series of activities to adapt the globally delivered Employee Central module to local requirements relating to the development of its sister module – Employee Central Payroll. The challenge was to minimise interference with global process standardisation whilst maintaining maximum efficiency of the EC Payroll solution and SD Worx products. Additionally, the work also covered areas such as integration with the OKTA system – enabling users without a business email address in the company domain to log in to the system.

Both projects were characterised by a very high level of complexity and scope of functionality, which posed a major challenge for both SD Worx and Sephora teams. However, the early identification of potential risks, coupled with an appropriate and swift response to them, enabled us to carry out the work plan as intended,” says Szymon Ćwik, Project Manager at SD Worx SAP Solutions.

High levels of efficiency
 

Thanks to its integrated HR environment, Sephora has significantly shortened the process of calculating monthly bonuses. This applies to every group of employees, from consultants to regional managers. Before implementation, this process required gathering and consolidating data from multiple sources – working hours, company results and employee data – which was very labour-intensive, notes Szymon Ćwik.

Perfume shop managers and other managers have been provided with effective tools for team management. This covers areas such as promotion requests, HR decisions on hiring or dismissing staff, holiday requests, and access to reports on team data. Meanwhile Sephora staff now have greater access to the HR system – including the ability to enter and amend their own personal details themselves, or to request changes to the system from their line manager or the HR department, as well as access to their payslip – anywhere and from any device with internet access. 

An additional benefit is the reduction in manual work for the HR team achieved, amongst other things, through the digitisation of HR requests and a reduction in paper consumption. Sephora in Poland can also count on SD Worx SAP Solutions to ensure the system is continuously updated to reflect changing conditions and to support the ongoing development of the application.