Ocean Network Express: Harmonizing HR processes to enable efficient and compliant HR management
Supporting a diverse global workforce with a unified HRIS
To ensure global competitiveness, three shipping companies merged their container businesses to form Ocean Network Express (ONE). Operating one of the world’s largest fleets, ONE required a global HRIS system to replace its existing legacy systems. SAP SuccessFactors was chosen with its next-generation solutions across the employee lifecycle.
| Industry | Region | Company Size | Partner |
| Travel and transportation | Singapore | 10,000 employees | EPI-USE, a member of Group Elephant Limited |
operational savings.
year to achieve ROI.
days added to the payroll cutoff, providing increased flexibility.
Global HRIS Manager, Ocean Network Express Pte. Ltd. (ONE)
Supporting effective global HR operations
As one of the world’s largest liner shipping companies, ONE operates a fleet of more than 260 vessels with a cargo capacity of approximately 2 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units). Established through the merger of three shipping companies’ container businesses, ONE provides reliable and eco-friendly shipping services to 120 countries, with agency offices in over 60 countries managing its global operations.
To support its workforce management, ONE sought to implement a unified company-wide HRIS that would enable it to support digitalized and compliant HR processes. A key project was to implement centralized payroll, time off, and time tracking to support its digitalization goals by automating time management and moving payroll processing in-house.
Global HRIS Manager, Ocean Network Express Pte. Ltd. (ONE)
Meeting international standards with a next-generation HRIS
ONE based its new next-generation HRIS on SAP SuccessFactors solutions. Key factors in this decision included the strong integration capabilities with SAP and third-party systems through APIs, middleware, and native connectors, enabling seamless data flow across HR, payroll, and business tools. The ability to meet international regulatory standards was also crucial.
For selected countries in Asia, ONE deployed the SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central Payroll solution, bringing payroll in-house. In parallel, ONE also deployed the SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central solution and SAP SuccessFactors Time Tracking solution for these countries to support streamlining time management, automating overtime calculations, and integrating with SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central Payroll.
A successful example of the multi-solutions parallel deployment (SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central Payroll, SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central for time off, and SAP SuccessFactors Time Tracking, including integration with third-party systems) was in Indonesia, where it enabled cost efficiency and reduced manual administrative work for HR.
ONE implemented SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central Payroll with SAP partner EPI-USE as an implementation partner. In parallel, ONE’s internal Global HRIS team implemented SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central and SAP SuccessFactors Time Tracking in addition to creating custom integration with an existing third-party clock-in system to enable automatic calculation and payment of overtime (formerly a manual process). Additionally, compliance functionality in SAP SuccessFactors helps ensure adherence to local labor laws regarding working hours and overtime pay.
The close working relationship among the team for the SAP Advisory Services portfolio, the ONE HR team, the Global HRIS team, and EPI-USE was key to the successful management of simultaneous multiple deployments, ensuring a smooth transition to the new HRIS solutions.
Streamlining payroll processes and improving employee experiences
Having HR and payroll data in a single location has improved data accuracy. Automated time tracking and payroll processes have reduced the workload of HR administrators, freeing them to focus on higher-value tasks.
Bringing payroll in-house also increases flexibility. For example, some countries have moved the payroll cutoff date to 10 days later than before, with no reduction in payroll service quality. ONE can also provide better employee experiences by enabling employees to check their pay statements or the status of their leave requests directly from SAP SuccessFactors.
As the countries in scope are no longer outsourcing their payroll management, ONE achieved a significant 40% average cost reduction. For maintenance, EPI-USE manages any updates required to keep the solutions in line with local legislation changes as part of their regulatory application management support arrangement.
Furthermore, SAP SuccessFactors solutions help ONE meet stringent governance standards required for international regulations like the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation. This is achieved through role-based permissions to control data access and robust audit capabilities that provide visibility into who can access what information, what changes are made, and by whom.
Growing a global workforce with confidence
ONE’s internal Global HRIS team constantly reviews new developments in SAP SuccessFactors from the biannual releases. Planned workshops explore the adoption of new capabilities, and insights are gained into how the solutions address evolving compliance challenges from ever-increasing regulatory requirements and continuous improvements in using SAP SuccessFactors.
As ONE continues to expand its international operations, the latest innovations in SAP SuccessFactors will enable the company to effectively manage an expanding global workforce. By ensuring accurate and legally compliant payroll management and delivering outstanding employee experiences, the solutions provide a modern and robust HRIS that is the foundation for confident business growth.
Featured partner
EPI-USE is one of the world’s largest SAP software–based HRIS specialists, with a presence in more than 40 countries and extensive experience in managing multi-country implementation programs. Using its Variance Monitor, Client Central, and Data Sync Manager tools, the SAP partner collaborated closely with the ONE IT team and business users to implement the payroll transformation program within agreed timelines and on budget.