Sonova: Managing the Global Workforce with SAP SuccessFactors Solutions Delivers Benefits Loud and Clear

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1 additional logo here additional logo here Sonova: Managing the Global Workforce with SAP SuccessFactors Solutions Delivers Benefits Loud and Clear Around 1 billion people cannot hear well. Fortunately, for most there s a solution. Sonova AG produces hearing aids and cochlear implants that help people experience their surroundings with all five senses. It s a high-tech business. With SAP SuccessFactors solutions, Sonova can analyze its workforce in depth to determine the kind of specialists it needs in each market.

2 Company Sonova AG Headquarters Stäfa, Switzerland Industry Healthcare hearing care solutions Products and Services Hearing aids, cochlear implants, wireless communications solutions Employees 10,000 Revenue SFr 2 billion ( 1.9 billion) (2014) Web Site BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION Objectives Create global HR processes for managing core workforce data, performance succession planning, and learning Establish a single system for all HR information Comply with company s legal and voluntary reporting requirements faster Seven SAP SuccessFactors solutions in 10 languages, connected to the financial reporting system Detailed workforce analytics, easy to generate and consume, for all 35 countries where Sonova operates High usage among employees due to user-friendliness Benefits Flexibility to analyze the workforce from every angle, enabling rapid fulfillment of company key performance indicators Identification of emerging talent and potential internal successors for key positions Better training compliance, with the ability to verify the completion of required courses for ISO certification of the quality-management system Read more 90 Legal entities managed in one global HR system 52% Internal leadership recruitment rate ( ) 7,000 Courses on the SAP SuccessFactors Learning solution for medical staff additional logo here SAP SuccessFactors solutions are so versatile. We can do all kinds of analysis on our workforce, covering all our companies depending on the issues that are important to us. Oliver Appelshäuser, HR Systems Manager, Corporate HRM, Sonova AG 2 / 6

3 Wanted: fast, in-depth reporting about the global workforce Imagine never hearing your child speak. Or never listening to your favorite music again. Sonova believes it doesn t have to be that way. Since 1947, this Swiss company has been developing hearing aids and cochlear (inner ear) implants designed to solve every sort of hearing loss. As a publicly held company, Sonova must report regularly on various aspects of its workforce, including headcount, number of FTEs, and the percentage of employees at different hierarchical levels. Some reporting requirements are driven by other Swiss legislation. For example, following a referendum to control the influx of foreigners into the Swiss labor market, companies are now gathering more information on their employees nationalities. Previously, Sonova could not collect this information easily, because every country used different applications and therefore had to be approached separately. Aside from its legal requirements, Sonova wanted to obtain better-quality information on its workforce for employer branding and recruiting purposes. For example, to apply for the well-known top employer and recruiting prizes, companies must back up their claims about being a great place to work with robust data. So Sonova set out to find a single, integrated platform that could capture its core workforce data in the same way across the entire company and generate global reports that satisfy the needs of its diverse internal and external stakeholders. In the past we had to ask every country for information on headcount, number of line managers, nationalities, women in management, age structure, and more. Now we have one global system for all HR data. Oliver Appelshäuser, HR Systems Manager, Corporate HRM, Sonova AG 3 / 6

4 One-click, full view of the entire workforce Sonova implemented the SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central solution for core HR, along with solutions for performance and goals, succession and development, learning, and recruiting management. Later, the SAP SuccessFactors Workforce Analytics solution was added, followed by the SAP Jam social software platform, which supports learning for small groups. These solutions are accessible in 10 languages at Sonova and integrated with the financial accounting system. SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central allowed Sonova to collect core HR information for the first time in the same format. All 10,000 employees can access this solution, so they can easily change their basic personal information. SAP SuccessFactors Workforce Analytics produces rich analysis and customized reports based on the combination of core HR data and talent information. Sonova s HR department delivers workforce reports annually for social responsibility reporting, monthly for senior management, and ad hoc in response to other requests from the business. SAP SuccessFactors software was the only solution that allowed us to design global HR processes and offer them regionally, says Oliver Appelshäuser, HR systems manager for corporate HRM at Sonova. Countries that had unsophisticated analytic tools can now deliver three to four key performance indicators (KPIs), such as female percentage in management or termination rate, based on guidelines we set at the corporate level. This analytic strength extends to the SAP SuccessFactors Succession & Development solution. Sonova can see the total number of key positions or zoom in for more details, such as specific individuals in key positions, roles, or business-unit breakdowns. We re able to search to fill a key position in a very focused way, says Appelshäuser. 4 / 6

5 Staying innovative by keeping the experts in-house Hearing aids are no longer clunky devices that stick out of the ears of old people. They are discreet; they win design prizes and are technically sophisticated. Sonova s hearing aids contain intelligent algorithms that can capture and analyze sound to create an optimal listening experience. Digital integration and wireless communication are major trends, and Sonova already has devices that connect to Bluetooth-enabled smartphones or tablets and stream a conversation to the hearing aid. To stay at the cutting edge of innovation, Sonova needs lots of highly skilled personnel, including audiologists, medical staff, software specialists, and designers. No wonder the company s most important KPIs in HR are a low voluntary termination rate and a high internal leadership recruitment rate. Retaining specialists and recruiting internally for key positions help keep its competitive know-how and experience inside the company. Since it began using SAP SuccessFactors solutions, Sonova s staffing fluctuation rate has declined from 15% to 9% globally. Instead of scrambling to fill vacant positions, the company spends more time nurturing internal talent and planning succession. The quality of the business has improved too, thanks to the functionalities in SAP SuccessFactors Learning. To maintain ISO certification, a quality-management system for companies that provide medical devices and related services, Sonova s employees have to complete many courses. We have to verify their training, which is why the reporting functions are so important, says Appelshäuser. 5 / 6

6 Sonova Entering new markets with the right people on the ground Sonova is expanding into new countries. As it does, SAP SuccessFactors software will deliver precise, in-depth data and analytics that can support strategic workforce planning. Succession planning is extremely important in new markets, says Appelshäuser. To know how fast we can recruit for a certain market, we need a clear overview of our workforce. SAP SuccessFactors solutions help Sonova put together the right mix of management, experience, skills, and experts (16/03) As Sonova enters new markets, it will also be able to use data from SAP SuccessFactors Recruiting Management. We want to become a more attractive employer. With SAP SuccessFactors solutions, we ll know which recruiting channels are most successful in each country, Appelshäuser says. When new employees come on board, the HR solutions will make an immediate positive impact thanks to their modern look and feel. We want to be seen as an innovative company, explains Appelshäuser. You can t do that with solutions that look like they re out of the 1990s. First impressions count. 6 / 6

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