Posted by:
Bryan Myers
Publish Date:
27 Sep, 2022
Implementing a robust Human Capital Management (HCM) platform like SAP SuccessFactors can help public sector organizations hire, manage, develop, and motivate their workforce with automation and efficiency. The cloud-based platform provides essential tools for talent acquisition, core administrative HR, talent management, time management, and payroll – all to enhance the employee experience.
While searching for examples of SAP SuccessFactors implementation success indicators, you will likely find the usual suspects such as: Automation of Manual HR Processes, Expediting the Onboarding Process. Empowering Employees, HR-User System Acceptance, Intuitive Management of Attendance and Absence Hours and, Timely and Accurate Payroll.
However, one success indicator you may not see in the 'bright lights' of an internet search is the goal of making the payroll accountants happy once SAP SuccessFactors and its payroll module (Employee Central Payroll) is live. This goal is especially important for accountants of a public sector entity. While the step of 'Posting Payroll to Finance' is the final piece of the end-to-end SAP SuccessFactors and EC Payroll puzzle, it can only be as accurate as the data the 'Posting Payroll to Finance' is consuming. The incoming data may come from up to five or six integration points, if not more:
1. The Employee's Cost Objects on Their Position in Employee Central
2. The Employee's Cost Objects in Employee Central
3. The Employee's Cost Objects on Hours in Time Management
4. The Employee's Cost Objects in Gross-to-Net Payroll Dollars
5. The Configuration of Gross-to-Net Payroll Earnings and Deductions to General Ledger Accounts
6. Any Cross Walk Tables (i.e., if Finance System is not SAP)
Thus, factoring in the finance component early and often in the implementation process is of utmost importance, particularly for public sector organizations. Continually monitoring the 'Posting Payroll to Finance' design will ease the multiple-point orchestration required not only to build the design but to train on it, as well.
With decades of experience in providing finance-related SAP solutions, invenioLSI has financial expertise embedded in our company's DNA. We can provide a synchronized cost allocation orchestration in the SAP SuccessFactors and EC Payroll implementation. Depending on the customer's requirements, the SuccessFactors EC Payroll project can rely on instructions from the Finance system to assign appropriate Cost Centers, Functional Areas, Internal Orders, WBS Elements, and/or Funds to the correct employees or their positions. Thus, eliminating the need to go to a third party for this essential integration.
It is essential to give ample time to discuss the Cost Object assignment accurately to protect users from making errors. Additionally, focus on structured and 'protective' designs where Cost Object is assigned:
1. To Positions in Employee Central
2. To Employees in Employee Central
3. To Hours in Time Management
4. To Fringe Dollars in Gross-to-Net Payroll
5. To 'Crosswalk Table' Mappings if Posting to a Non-SAP Finance System.
It goes without saying that a project of this scope comes with a set of challenges, but invenioLSI has successfully overcome this complex integration for several public sector clients. And the learnings have been many:
During 'Project Planning', identify points of contact for:
1. EC Payroll Configuration (invenioLSI SuccessFactors)
2. EC Payroll-to-Finance-Object Mappings (invenioLSI Finance)
3. Finance System Stakeholder (Business SME)
4. Finance System Developer for any Extract Needs
2. Ensure the Project Plan and the Cutover Plan have each point of contact clearly identified for related tasks.
3. Test a large employee population's posting to finance as early as feasible. Do not wait until Payroll Comparison Testing.
4. Prototype initial design during the Realization phase and establish recurring 'design-check-point' meetings throughout Quality Assurance Testing and Go-Live Deployment.