Klosterfrau: Revolutionizing HR in a highly regulated industry with innovative HR technology
Creating effective digital HR services across the HR lifecycle
A lack of integration between core HR systems meant that HR teams at Klosterfrau Group spent an inordinate amount of time on administrative tasks. To address this, the healthcare and well-being company deployed SAP SuccessFactors HCM, automating reporting and improving global HR transparency while meeting increasingly complex compliance requirements.
| Industries | Region | Company Size | Partner |
| Life sciences and healthcare | Cologne, Germany | 1,700 employees | Strada |
of the workforce supported by digital HR processes and experiences using SAP SuccessFactors HCM.
hours for HR reporting that used to take one week.
payroll integration issues (Germany payroll only).
CHRO and Managing Director, Klosterfrau Group
Addressing rising administration requirements with digital, harmonized HR processes
It was at the heart of Cologne in 1826 when Maria Clementine Martin first set up her Klosterfrau manufactory. The mission of this nurse-nun was to harness the power of plants to heal people. For almost 200 years, tradition and sensitivity to the zeitgeist have reliably defined the way of working at Klosterfrau. All Klosterfrau Group companies are well established in the consumer healthcare and well-being sector.
To meet growing business needs and address accelerating industry and overall regulations, Klosterfrau needed to streamline and integrate its HR processes to run more efficiently. However, a scattered IT landscape of disparate HR systems for different business units and geographies meant that HR teams were under considerable strain, spending much of their time with manually intense processes and reporting. Meanwhile, it was difficult to ensure robust delivery of HR services across the group of companies as well as obtain an adequate overview of personnel data, making workforce analysis and planning a challenge.
The company wanted a cloud-based solution that would help it modernize HR, digitalizing and harmonizing processes across more than 30 Klosterfrau sites worldwide. Without the involvement of IT, Klosterfrau initially moved from the SAP ERP Human Capital Management solution to another vendor’s cloud-based HR solution, with the aim of creating a single source of truth for its global HR operations. However, challenges connecting the solution with the company’s other business applications and with third-party payroll software (for Germany only) prompted it to look for an alternative.
Head of HR Operations, Klosterfrau Group
Collaborating closely to achieve a swift and smooth deployment
Following a detailed vendor review process, Klosterfrau selected SAP SuccessFactors HCM as its digital HR solution. A key factor in the decision was the predelivered integration with other SAP applications as well as the ease in connecting with third-party solutions.
With help from SAP partner Strada, the company deployed the SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central and SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central Payroll solutions (in Germany only). In addition, it implemented the SAP SuccessFactors Performance & Goals, SAP SuccessFactors Compensation, SAP SuccessFactors Recruiting, and SAP SuccessFactors Succession & Development solutions.
Klosterfrau set itself an ambitious timescale for the implementation, and the project was further complicated by the fact that it took place at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the deployment went smoothly and was completed on schedule and within budget.
Crucial to this success was close internal collaboration between the HR and IT teams, with all internal stakeholders consulted and updated throughout. In addition, SAP partner Strada and experts from SAP provided invaluable expertise, guiding the teams through the different phases of the journey and helping them overcome any obstacles that arose. According to Kristian Wolff, head of HR operations at Klosterfrau: “Our collaboration with experts from Strada and SAP was exemplary and pivotal to the success of the project. Everyone worked together to solve any problems that arose, and the ‘can do’ attitude of the team really helped us achieve our goals.”
CHRO and Managing Director, Klosterfrau Group
Increasing HR transparency and navigating an evolving regulatory landscape
With the new HR solutions in place, Klosterfrau has standardized HR processes across its EU operations, increasing data robustness and transparency. Detailed staffing reports now take minutes rather than days, meaning that HR personnel can quickly access accurate and up-to-date information about the company’s workforce to support better-informed and more-agile decision-making.
SAP SuccessFactors HCM is also helping Klosterfrau manage the rising administrative burden brought by audit and certification requirements specific to the pharmaceuticals sector, as well as new workforce regulations and taxation rules. With consistent data and automated reporting, Klosterfrau can now show its compliance and share information with regulatory authorities in just a few clicks. What’s more, the HR department is keeping pace with increased compliance requirements without having to take on new staff.
SAP SuccessFactors HCM has also had a very positive effect on the reputation of HR across the company, with the department being seen as a trailblazer for innovation within Klosterfrau. Feedback from management, especially on SAP SuccessFactors Compensation, has been enthusiastic, with comments including “HR, welcome to the 21st century. That’s awesome!”
CHRO and Managing Director, Klosterfrau Group
Building a more agile and future-ready HR function
Klosterfrau’s deployment of SAP SuccessFactors HCM has provided the company with a robust IT infrastructure to enable it to manage efficient HR operations in a changing market landscape. By helping the HR department respond quickly to the evolving needs of the business, the software allows the company to stay agile and continuously adjust its operating model to meet new business challenges. In addition, streamlined, self-service HR processes and access to career insights make Klosterfrau a more attractive place to work.
And Klosterfrau’s HR department is not stopping there. As a trailblazer for innovation within the company, it’s leading the way in using cloud technology to refine and streamline processes. The HR team is currently considering deploying the SAP Analytics Cloud solution to help it plan and forecast staffing requirements. The team is also looking into how artificial intelligence technology from SAP can make the HR function more efficient and agile.
Featured partner
Helping some of the world’s most influential companies manage their people more effectively, SAP partner Strada offers in-depth HR technology expertise. It provided Klosterfrau with guidance and implementation support during its deployment of SAP SuccessFactors solutions.