Extend SuccessFactors system standards individually

SAP HCM customers with many years of experience from the classic modules want the greatest possible flexibility for individual system configurations and therefore also decide against software-as-a-service solutions such as SuccessFactors. Because instead of the motto "There's no such thing as can't", new guard rails apply with the switch to cloud technologies, such as standard processes out of the box or access only for certified consultants in the back-end system.

Customizing is also changing, with no programming, customization or defined integration scenarios. However, the SAP Cloud Platform offers SuccessFactors customers opportunities to integrate extensive individualizations into the SuccessFactors standard world through their own processes and new features. Processes and forms, customer-specific infotypes or fields, and own applications are available in so-called extensions and can be set up individually.

Practical examples

With SuccessFactors Recruiting, SAP wants to make it easier to find the best talent in times of a shortage of skilled workers and demographic change, and then convince them to join the company. SuccessFactors Recruiting offers a great opportunity to set up an external and an internal career site using Career Site Builder to target candidates and motivate them to apply.

Unfortunately, however, the application process often fails because it is often too time-consuming from the user's point of view. In addition, no application can be started without an active user account. This hurdle is a deterrent, but can be removed with an extension via the SAP Cloud Platform. The extension enables a quick application without a candidate account and thus increases the acceptance of the application.

In SAP SuccessFactors Learning Management, on the other hand, the system standard offers only rudimentary and, in terms of usability, unconvincing options for employees to request participation in external training courses. Follow-up and tracking by managers and training management is also not available in the standard.

In this scenario, too, individual SCP extensions help to directly increase the performance and acceptance of SuccessFactors, because blanket references to SAP's roadmap and the semi-annual release cycle, including possible software add-ons, do not help in the ongoing project.

The possibility of SCP extension means that acceptance of the new system by employees and candidates (an elementary success factor) can be achieved immediately. SuccessFactors, with a wealth of oData APIs and in combination with the SAP cloud integration development environment, offers a contemporary and forward-looking orientation of SAP towards digital HR.

For this to succeed, concrete planning and conceptual design should form the basis, followed by prototyping and implementation in an iterative approach. The individual applications can then be integrated and accessed in SuccessFactors. In this context, the Identity Authentication Service (IAS) helps as a new central tool for user authorization (identity management system) across the different system worlds.

Whether logging in via Azure AD, Google Identity and others or directly via IAS - in terms of corporate identity, IAS identifies users centrally across all SAP applications (Concur, Qualtrics, People Analytics, etc.) and enables a consistent user experience.

With this approach, SuccessFactors quickly becomes a fully comprehensive human experience management suite without additional logins and with coherent user guidance through the system environment in combination with individual extensions and SCP extensions.