Configuring HRIS synchronization during implementation

Objectives

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
  • Define HRIS synchronization
  • Determine how synchronization is triggered
  • Identify field mappings

HRIS Synchronization

Human Resource Information System (HRIS) synchronization is the sync of data from Employee Central to User Data Tables and the Employee Profile. HRIS Sync is a one-way (unidirectional) sync of Employee Central data to populate the talent data to support the other modules of SAP SuccessFactors.

Some areas of the system store data in legacy data tables, so the HRIS sync populates these tables with Employee Central data ensuring employee data is accurate across the entire SAP SuccessFactors Suite.

The synchronization process is called an HRIS Sync Job. HRIS sync is a background job that periodically looks for data that has been changed in Employee Central and updates the legacy user tables with data from Employee Central. The job itself should be configured to run on a schedule. For data updated using the UI, the synchronization process is triggered automatically at the end of the update for current and past-dated records.

User Tables feed data to other modules like Performance, Goals, Compensation, and Recruiting.

Warning: To avoid future data inconsistency between Employee Central tables and legacy tables, do not use the Basic Import to update data in the legacy tables directly.

Note

Additional configuration in Employee Central may be required to utilize integration features between Employee Central and other SAP SuccessFactors solutions.

Why is HRIS sync important?

Employee Central is the core HR system and contains relevant information to manage the employee lifecycle. Employee Profile serves as the platform for talent management activities, and it requires a mini-master of core employee data for the talent processes to launch and run successfully.

Employee Central stores employees’ personal and employment information. For example, Job Information includes fields such as the employee’s department, company, or location. Employee Central data is robust and connected to the supporting Foundation Object record data in the system, making it more valuable and accurate than the standard element data used by the User Data Tables.

When configuring HRIS Sync fields, you connect the Employee Central data fields to Standard Elements in Succession Data Model with an HRIS Synchronization Mapping. When there is a change in Employee Central information, it flows to Employee Profile fields and is consumed by talent solutions that cannot directly leverage Employee Central data.

For customers WITHOUT Employee Central, their talent process relies solely on imported data using the User Data File (UDF), which is displayed in Employee Profile blocks in People Profile. These fields allow the standard Org Chart to populate correctly, provide filter criteria for dashboards and reports, create the route maps used for Performance Management and Compensation, and more.

For customers WITH Employee Central, some talent modules continue to refer to User Data File to run the talent processes in the system because they can't leverage person and employment information directly from Employee Central. However, with HRIS Sync, customers do not need to upload this information manually.

Some fields are critical to keeping the sync between Employee Central and the UDF. If using Employee Central, do not make user data changes by importing the User Data File (UDF) either from the UI or through a scheduled job. Doing so can overwrite data coming from Employee Central and cause data inconsistencies.

HRIS Sync Jobs

HRIS Synchronization job is created either in Provisioning or Scheduled Job Manager in the Admin Center.

When is HRIS Sync triggered?

Use the interaction below to know how HRIS Sync is triggered.

Synchronization Job Types

Use the interaction below to know the types of synchronization jobs.

Synchronization Mappings

The data synchronized from Employee Central to basic user data tables are either hard-coded (designed by default) or configured in the Succession Data model (custom-designed).

Hard-coded sync means that the system will sync some HRIS elements and HRIS fields into user directory tables without any configuration based on hard-coded rules, such as syncing Job Information: job-code to Standard element: jobCode.

However, you can also customize sync mappings, which means you can configure the syncing of Employment Details: Eligible for Stock to Standard Element: Customizable Field 9 in Succession Data Model.

You can define HRIS Sync mappings for standard elements, user info elements, and user info record key elements. With these mappings, you can establish a relationship between these elements and HRIS fields (predefined and custom fields). HRIS Sync considers these mappings when propagating Employee Central to other SAP SuccessFactors products.

Hard-Coded Sync Mapping

Certain mappings are hard-coded into the system, meaning you MUST NOT configure these in the Succession Data Model. Configuring an HRIS-sync mapping in the data model for these fields can cause undesired results.

The system prevents anyone from adding duplicate sync mappings to the sync-mappings section of the Succession Data Model. Duplicate sync mappings lead to data not syncing to Employee Profile correctly. Manage Business Configuration (BCUI) has a validation that prevents creating an HRIS sync mapping for hard-coded fields.

These are some of the HRIS fields that are hard-coded to standard elements:

Hard-coded Fields

HRIS ElementHRIS FieldStandard Element
employmentInfostart-datehireDate
jobInfoemplStatusstatus
 manager-idmanagerId
 job-codejobCode
 departmentdepartment
 divisiondivision
 locationlocation
jobRelationsInforel-user-id (using picklist external code hr manager, matrix manager, second manager, and custom manager) 

Note

Please refer to Implementing Employee Central Core guide in the Help Portal for the complete list and other sync logic.

Custom Sync Mapping

You can create custom sync mapping by adding additional XML into your Succession Data Model or through BCUI. The separate section in your XML document uses the tag <hris-sync-mappings>.

The attribute entity-type is mandatory for HRIS-sync mapping of address, email, phone, and global info. Entity type specifies the type of information. For example, emailInfo can either be business or personal. The picklist center can verify the external code used for each type.

The following steps describe the custom mapping process in Succession Data Model.

  1. Identify the Employee Central block, using hris-element-ref refid="jobInfo"
  2. Identify the Employee Central field, usinghris-field-ref refid="business-unit".
  3. Identify the Employee Profile field (standard-element), using standard-element-ref refid="custom01".
  4. Update the XML in your Succession Data Model.
  5. Upload to Provisioning.

The code in the Succession Data Model is as follows:

Code Snippet
12345678
<hris-sync-mappings>
<hris-element-ref refid="jobInfo">
<hris-mapping>
<hris-field-ref refid="business-unit"/>
<standard-element-ref refid="custom01"/>
</hris-mapping>
</hris-element-ref>
</hris-sync-mappings>

Note

You can define multiple sets of hris-mapping within the hris-element-ref tag and multiple sets of hris-element-ref inside the hris-sync-mappings tag.

Alternatively, you can configure the mapping in Manage Business Configuration (BCUI) with these steps:

  1. Go toManage Business Configuration → HRIS Sync Mappings
  2. Select Plus (+)
  3. Select the appropriate HRIS Element ID from the drop-down menu
  4. Select the Field ID
  5. Select the Target Field Type
  6. Select the Target Field ID
  7. Select Entity Type when applicable
  8. Save.

HRIS Sync Mappings in BCUI

You can view all your HRIS sync mappings on a single screen by selecting HRIS Sync Mappings in BCUI. Fields mapped using the HRIS Sync Mappings will also reflect in the details of the Field Element in the individual hris-elements. 

Exercise: Create a Custom Synchronization Map

Business Example

ACE wants the Standard Weekly Hours of an employee to be reportable within Employee Profile reports. You will configure the mapping of Standard Weekly Hours field in Job Information with a standard field in Employee Profile. You can configure the mapping either in the HRIS Sync Mappings section or directly in the hris field in BCUI. 

Note

You must have completed Prepare an Instance (Unit 1) and Prepare the Data Models (Unit 2) exercises before completing this hands-on. This exercise activity is not required for completing succeeding hands-on exercises for this course.

Task 1: Create a Custom Sync Map

Steps

  1. Go to Manage Business Configuration to update custom07 standard field label to Standard Hours.

    1. Login to your instance and go to Business Configuration UI.

    2. Expand the Employee Profile section on the left panel.

    3. Expand Standard section.

    4. Locate the custom07 field.

    5. Update the Label, Default Label, and translations to Standard Hours.

    6. Select Save.

  2. Still in BCUI, go to HRIS Sync Mapping section to map the Standard Weekly Hours field in Job Information to the Standard Hours (custom07) standard field. Alternatively, you can create the mapping directly in the Standard Weekly Hours field in Job Information.

    1. In BCUI, go to HRIS Sync Mapping section

    2. Select Add (+).

    3. For HRIS Element, select Job Information.

    4. For Field, select Standard Weekly Hours.

    5. For Target Field type, select Standard Field.

    6. For Target Field, select Standard Hours (custom07).

    7. Select Save.

  3. Go to Configure People Profile to add the Standard Hours (custom07) field to Talent Profile → Employee Information block.

    1. Log in to your instance and go to Configure People Profile.

    2. Go toTalent Profile and choose Employee Information.

    3. On the right-hand side of the screen, scroll down and choose Add Field .

    4. Replace Middle Name with Standard Hours.

    5. Choose Save.

  4. Trigger real-time synchronization. To avoid the extra steps of approval, test the real-time synch by going to Carla Grant's Job Information history to insert a record change of standard hours effective today. You can use Data Change for event and event reason.

    1. Navigate to Carla Grant's profile. Go to Job Information → History → Insert a New Record block.

    2. Use today's date as the effctive date..

    3. Use Data Change as event and event reason.

    4. Change the standard hours field value.

    5. Save.

    6. Refresh the profile page.

    7. The value in the Talent Profile should reflect the same value as that of Job Information.

Task 2: Create a HRIS Synchronization Job

Business Example

One HR intern in ACE Corp inadvertently uploaded the wrong version of Basic Import (UDF) resulting in data discrepancy between the talent management solutions and Employee Central. You will create a one-time job to synchronize the data from Employee Central.

Steps

  1. Go to Scheduled Job Manager to submit a one-time Sync HRIS Data job request and run the job manually. Use the table to define the job request. Alternatively, you can create the job in Provisioning. Note that the sync job may take sometime to complete depending on the number of jobs queued in the backend.

    FieldValue
    Job NameHRIS SYNC Custom
    Job TypeSync HRIS Data
    Job OwnerEmily Clark
    Sync TypeSync Changes Since the Last Successful HRIS Sync Job
    Job OccurrenceOne-Time
    Start DateTomorrow's date
    Time: Hour / MinuteAny hour or minute
    NotificationsSelect Send Emails When Job Starts

    1. Using Action Search, go to Scheduled Job Manager → Job Scheduler → Create Job Request .

    2. In the Job Definition screen area, enter the appropriate data from the table provided.

    3. Submit the Job.

    4. Go to Job Scheduler tab and locate the job request you created.

    5. In the Actions column, select Run it Now.

    6. Select Ok to confirm.

    7. You will see the job status in the Job Monitor tab. This may take sometime to complete, depending on how many jobs are queued in the system.

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