Following the recent merger between Tieto and EVRY, the enlarged organisation’s HR team was using separate core HR systems, recruiting solutions, portals and workflows. This impacted the ability to manage a 24,000-strong workforce from different backgrounds, with different ways of working and different organisational cultures. It was a barrier to achieving the increased business agility and scale advantage that were essential to the newly formed company’s success.
Unified data core and enhanced business agility.
According to Matthew Hanwell, TietoEVRY’s Head of HR Technology, “Above all, we wanted four things. First, we were looking for a single common HR system that would enable us to operate efficiently as one company. Second, we needed common global processes, streamlined and smooth decision-making, workflows and approvals. Third came an effective, Nordic graduate-recruitment process. And, of course, we wanted data and insights to be readily available to managers. We have achieved all these goals and more.”
Workday had been successfully implemented across the Tieto business prior to the merger, and as a result, the change-management team knew it could build on this and deliver unified source of people information and the rapid deployment required. The team was also confident it could deliver the training to the former EVRY employees in the tight timescales required.
96% of managers coming from xEVRY accessed Workday in the first month, even though it was the peak holiday season in the Nordics…
Head of HR Technology
Deployment delivered in just five months despite COVID-19.
Training and communication during the deployment were complicated by the fact that more than half the workforce was familiar with Workday, while the other half had never seen it. It was important to get the balance right for both groups. In addition, the two companies had different histories in their approach to systems. The pandemic meant the delivery project had to be fully remote, requiring a different approach with greater personal attention from those involved. Despite these challenges and the sheer scale of the operation, the tight five-month deployment schedule was achieved, followed by a period of stabilisation to ensure the synergy benefits from optimised technology could be tracked, understood and maximised.
We saw literally thousands of people log in and successfully complete their tasks on that first day.
Head of HR Technology
Gaining the support of key stakeholder groups.
Overall, Workday has helped the newly merged TietoEVRY join forces. Managers have gained effective and streamlined access to their teams, enabling efficient service and transactions. Other stakeholders such as Finance now receive data from a common source. Common governance and controls have been implemented for example approvals and workflows such as job requisition approvals. And having a common system means we are better able to quickly react to the changing environment when needed.
While headcount grew by 66% after the merger, we haven’t needed to increase the Workday global support team.
Head of HR Technology
Bringing TietoEVRY to life as a single organisation.
Workday going live across the merged organisation was a fundamental step in bringing TietoEVRY together as a fully integrated entity. Until that point, the company had existed in principle more than in fact – in organisational charts and PowerPoint presentations. Go-live represented the first time that people could see where they belonged in the organisation, who their team members were and who they were reporting to. Managers likewise could see information about their people, regardless of where the employee originated. Overall, as a result, TietoEVRY is able to thrive as a unified company with a consolidated view of their people.