Case Studies
From Chaos to Clarity: Building a Scalable HR Foundation for Growth
Background
The client organization was experiencing rapid growth, doubling in size every three years and expanding to over 700 employees across multiple jurisdictions. Despite this scale, the company had no formal Human Resources Information System (HRIS) in place. Payroll was managed through an outdated version of ADP, and employee data had to be manually extracted for reporting and planning.
HR functions such as recruiting, onboarding, learning, and performance management were underdeveloped or non-existent, leaving the organization exposed to operational inefficiencies, compliance risks, and workforce planning challenges.
The Challenge
The lack of mature HR capabilities was significantly impacting the business:
The implementation was strategically divided into three phases, rolled out over three years, aligning with the criticality and maturity of each HR function:
- Manual processes led to data inconsistencies and delays in payroll and workforce reporting.
- Compliance with regional labor laws was difficult to track and manage.
- Recruiting and onboarding processes were slow, inconsistent, and highly manual.
- HR was unable to support strategic talent development or performance management.
- The company needed to modernize HR operations while maintaining business continuity and supporting continued growth.
This “business-first, system-enabled” approach ensured that the technology was implemented only when the business was fully prepared to leverage it—ultimately driving adoption and sustainability.
Our Approach
A structured, three-year HR transformation program was developed in partnership with HR leadership. Following a market review, Ceridian Dayforce was selected as the enterprise HRIS platform. The implementation was divided into three strategic phases, each aligned with the maturity and criticality of key HR domains:
- Phase 1: Payroll, Benefits Administration, Workforce Management
- Phase 2: Recruiting, Onboarding/Offboarding, Self-Service
- Phase 3: Learning Management, Performance Management, Succession Planning
To ensure success, the project emphasized a business-first approach. Additional resources were hired to develop the necessary business capabilities—including processes, policies, and workflows—in lockstep with the rollout of each system function. This approach ensured strong adoption, minimized disruption, and delivered long-term sustainability.
The Results
The transformation modernized the HR function, improved data integrity, and aligned workforce management with business strategy. Notable results include:
- Improved Accuracy & Efficiency: Centralized data, real-time payroll calculations, and automated workflows reduced errors and increased processing speed.
- Stronger Compliance: Integrated compliance tools ensured adherence to labor laws and internal policies across jurisdictions.
- Faster, Smarter Talent Acquisition: Streamlined recruiting and onboarding processes accelerated time-to-hire and improved candidate experience.
- Optimized Workforce Management: Accurate labor scheduling and attendance tracking reduced costs and improved decision-making.
- Data-Driven HR: Dashboards and analytics empowered leadership with real-time insights for workforce planning and strategic decisions.
- Scalable Foundation: The phased rollout created a sustainable HR platform capable of supporting ongoing growth and organizational complexity.
Why It Matters
This case demonstrates how aligning business readiness with system implementation can de-risk complex transformation initiatives. By building internal capability ahead of technology deployment, the organization avoided the common pitfalls of system-led projects and created a modern, efficient, and future-ready HR function that drives real business value.