Explore Volkswagen’s road to future-ready HR
Volkswagen Group—a global leader in automotive and home to iconic brands such as Volkswagen, Audi, Škoda, SEAT, Bentley, Ducati, and Lamborghini—is harmonizing its HR processes with SAP SuccessFactors solutions.
companies within the Volkswagen Group on one instance with one global template.
countries to be supported with localized core HR and compliance.
employees supported in their employee lifecycle with SAP SuccessFactors.
Director of HR Digital—SAP SuccessFactors, Volkswagen Group
Tackling a fragmented HR landscape to drive growth
Historically, each brand within the Volkswagen Group operated with its own HR systems, tailored to local needs. While this decentralized structure allowed for regional nuances, it also led to numerous individual solutions varying by country and brand. This diversity led to complex processes, making it difficult to fully leverage the global team’s potential.
To meet the dynamic challenges of global mobility and evolve as a forward-thinking organization, Volkswagen Group set out to harmonize and standardize HR processes, data, and roles across more than 40 countries. A unified platform enables the company to streamline best practices, foster closer collaboration, and drive greater operational efficiency throughout the organization.
Complementing this vision, Volkswagen’s IT leadership underscores the necessity of a dynamic global HR infrastructure. Ulrich Petri, director of Group IT HR Products at Volkswagen AG, explains, “The company requires a scalable, unified, and secure solution to drive efficiencies and support strategic goals.”
Together, these dual perspectives highlight how SAP SuccessFactors solutions are not only reshaping the company’s HR services but also laying the foundation for a connected and agile global team.
Standardizing to benefit the collective through collaborative transformation
The Volkswagen Group is in the midst of a major HR transformation, progressively rolling out SAP SuccessFactors solutions across its global regions.
The rollout of SAP SuccessFactors solutions goes beyond a system upgrade; it lays the groundwork for enhanced collaboration, operational excellence, and a new benchmark in international teamwork. A strong focus on harmonizing data, roles, and processes enables the group to deliver a consistent framework across all brands while respecting the local expertise that has always been part of its DNA.
Marco Klein, director of HR Digital—SAP SuccessFactors at Volkswagen Group, sums up this approach: “Guided by the principle of ‘Power to the Regions,’ our global standard is being deployed by local brands—supported by strong governance from the headquarters to help ensure consistent standards worldwide.”
A key success element in this transformation is the close collaboration between the group’s HR and IT teams. By leveraging an agile methodology, these teams quickly adapt to regional feedback, helping ensure the solutions meet users’ needs worldwide.
Moreover, a strong partnership with SAP enables ongoing communication with SAP experts, providing targeted insights and strategic alignment. By integrating best practices and forward-looking innovations supported by SAP, Volkswagen Group helps ensure the successful implementation, adoption, and continuous enhancement of SAP SuccessFactors solutions.
Looking ahead to driving innovation forward
While the global rollout of SAP SuccessFactors solutions is still underway, early indications suggest significant benefits ahead. The new platform is set to replace hundreds of legacy applications with a streamlined, scalable solution that supports Volkswagen’s current needs and future innovations. As this transformation continues, Volkswagen Group is poised to integrate advanced AI capabilities to further enhance the user experience and drive greater operational efficiency while meeting ethical guidelines for AI in HR.
“We’re replacing hundreds of legacy applications with a flexible, unified platform that adapts to future innovations and is continuously enhanced by SAP,” notes Ulrich Petri, director of Group IT HR Products at Volkswagen AG. “This project is more than just a software implementation—it marks a pivotal milestone in our digital transformation journey.”
By transitioning to a unified, cloud-based HR system, Volkswagen Group is enhancing operational efficiency and building a future-ready infrastructure that empowers every brand within the group to meet the challenges of a rapidly evolving industry with confidence.
The success of this project lies in its ability to bring together the diverse strengths of every brand within the Volkswagen Group. By fostering collaboration, enhancing operational efficiency, and empowering employees, the transformation of the HR landscape serves as a powerful example of how a global organization can innovate from within. This unified approach is a cornerstone of the company’s commitment to a cohesive, forward-thinking future in the rapidly evolving world of mobility and beyond.