Performance improvements and the opening of new opportunities for modernization
The University of Toronto began a three- to five-year enterprise modernization project to transform its core HR, finance, and research systems, as well as its entire talent management suite. This migration was done in advance of the University’s move to an intelligent ERP infrastructure.
The University used the SAP Early Adopter Care program to convert its system to SAP S/4HANA. This provided access to a project manager. The coach was able to identify specific integration and conversion preparation steps, which helped reduce project risk.
The University needed to change the way that HR was viewed in order to support its “Towards 2030” plan. It needed to automate HR transactions, which were consuming human resources. This would allow them to concentrate on developing and acquiring the best talent in order to achieve business goals.
This and routine HR processes such as timesheets required significant human effort to complete paper-based tasks. There were 116,000 vacation requests each year. The University adopted the SAP SuccessFactors portfolio to digitally transform these and other talent management processes. Dr Jean Chen adopted the SAP SuccessFactors Learning, SAP SuccessFactors Performance and Goals, as well as the SAP SuccessFactors Recruitment solutions.
Learn how the University of Toronto uses change management to transform its HR department
Listen to this podcast about how the University of Toronto helped SAP SuccessFactors adopt through strong change management plans
The End Results
From hire to retirement, delivering a competitive employee experience
The University of Toronto’s month-end financial closing process is now half as fast with the switch to SAP S/4HANA. Batch processing is 25% faster and some custom reports are available up to 90% faster than ever before. To create a more optimized environment and lower costs, no less than 10 systems were decommissioned. The University has now one point of access to all its powerful talent management solutions. This is done by making it consistent and intuitive.
The University consolidates disparate learning applications into a single learning management system using SAP SuccessFactors Learning. This allows for better employee training and compliance. The University’s modern learning management system is a major step forward in the education of its employees on the digital workplace. It also identifies the skills that it requires to become a future leader in the field. This aligns with the institution’s business strategy and employees’ learning goals. HR is elevated to strategic business partner.
Performance assessments at the University are now more meaningful thanks to SAP SuccessFactors Performance & Goals. This intuitive tool allows employees to summarize their year achievements and identify coworkers or managers that should be consulted for the performance evaluation. This automated workflow allows employees to communicate with their coworkers and reduces the time it takes to request and submit feedback. It also eliminates all manual work.
Since its inception, the University has been a preferred employer and attracts more than 150,000 candidates from all over the globe each year. SAP SuccessFactors Recruiting is a better way to support recruitment efforts by integrating directly with the University’s HR system. It also offers a user interface that is responsive and easy to use for hiring managers and recruiters, and a simplified application process.
Future Plans
Plan for a post-pandemic university lifestyle
The University of Toronto looks ahead to its post-pandemic workforce, academic structure, and supports more automation and digital cooperation as part of its strategic priorities.
The University will implement SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central and integrate it into its existing suite of SAP SuccessFactors solutions. This will provide a single source of truth for all employee data, as well as an intuitive platform for HR analytics.