Summarizing the SAP SuccessFactors History and Modules

Objectives

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
  • Download the Course Files.
  • Provide a brief history of SAP SuccessFactors.
  • Provide an overview of SAP SuccessFactors modules.
  • Describe SAP SuccessFactors Platform architecture.

Course Files

Download the course files. You'll be asked to use these files in various exercises throughout the course.

SAP SuccessFactors History

The History of SAP SuccessFactors

SuccessFactors was founded in 2001 by Lars Dalgaard. It started as an SaaS performance management software, but eventually expanded its offerings by providing business execution software to customers. In February 2012, SAP acquired SuccessFactors, which it renamed to SAP SuccessFactors. The acquisition was largely considered an opportunity to bring existing cloud expertise to SAP’s expanding portfolio and allowed SAP to offer a full, cloud-based HCM suite.

SAP SuccessFactors again expanded its offerings to include recruitment marketing and posting, onboarding, and workforce analytics. As of 2019, the latest release of SAP SuccessFactors included functionality updates for the mobile app, SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central Service Center, and the recruiting solution, just to name a few. Architectural enhancements and a new SAP Fiori-based user interface have also been implemented.

SAP SuccessFactors Modules

The SAP SuccessFactors solution includes core HR and Payroll modules as well as Talent Management modules.

Key Features of SAP SuccessFactors

The SAP SuccessFactors solution includes a variety of talent tools divided into modules. The capabilities included in the solution cover the traditional four pillars of human resource management: recruiting, learning and development, performance management, and compensation management. The solution also has onboarding and time and attendance software as well as modules for workforce planning and people analytics.

Platform Overview

The SAP SuccessFactors Platform is the building block of our application suite.

Platform capabilities are grouped under the main areas of Administration, Technology and, User Experience. These essential platform capabilities aren't module-specific, but can support the operation of one or multiple modules.

Platform Capabilities

AdministrationTechnologyUser Experience
Security
  • Admin Center
  • Identity Management
  • Proxy Management
  • Role-based Permissions
Data Protection and PrivacyUser Interface
  • Action Search
  • Home Page
  • Mobile
  • People Search
  • People Profile
  • Photos
  • Theming
Monitoring
  • Execution Manager
  • Check Tool
Integration/Services
  • Attachment/Document Management
  • Intelligent Services*
  • Intelligent Center*

* Out of the box content is available

 
Upgrade Management

Upgrade Center

Metadata Framework
  • Job Profile Builder
  • Picklist Center
  • Standard MDF Objects
 
 People Analytics
  • Report Center
  • Standard Report Templates
 

Best Practices for Configuration

Throughout this course, you'll learn how to configure important aspects of the SAP SuccessFactors solution. Here are some best practices to help you be successful:

  • Start with pre-configuration in the customer’s testing environment to accelerate customer understanding of the tool.

  • Approach decisions as "fit-to-standard" with gap-fit analysis instead of pure discovery and ground-up business process design.

  • Change only what must be changed to bridge perceived gaps.

  • Leverage iterations which include gap-fit (evaluation), design, documentation, configuration, testing, and validation.

  • Coordinate gap-fit solution design, configuration, and testing across workstreams to identify potential integration impacts within the solution.

  • Create, maintain, and share effective project- and configuration-related documentation.

  • Provide the customer with system administrator training as early in the project as possible and assign the customer the system administrator-level configuration responsibilities to accelerate knowledge transfer.

  • Prepare and distribute highly detailed cutover to production documentation that is customer-specific, assigning customers the responsibility for system administrator-level tasks (resource dependent–consultant may act as staff augmentation during cutover).

  • Save and share all project and configuration documentation on the customer’s Jam site before the project is closed, so that Customer Support will be able to access those documents after go-live (relevant only for SAP internal consultants).

Now that you know the basics of how your project will run, we will dive into the technical aspects of implementing SAP SuccessFactors.

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