Explore NZR’s HR transformation journey with SAP
New Zealand Rugby Union Incorporated (NZR), the governing body for the sport in New Zealand, faced significant HR operational challenges with disconnected systems and inefficient processes. To unify and streamline its HR functions and align them with its cultural values, NZR implemented SAP SuccessFactors solutions, setting it on a path to continue its storied legacy of success.
| Industry | Region | Company Size | Partner |
| Media, sports, and entertainment | Wellington, New Zealand | 800 employees | Rizing, a Wipro Company |
of physical forms for recruiting and onboarding eliminated.
manually maintained spreadsheets replaced with live reports.
utilisation of employee self-service, reducing HR effort.
People and Capability Manager, New Zealand Rugby Union Incorporated
Streamlining complex HR operations to unify a national passion
Affectionately known as ‘the Team behind the Teams in Black,’ NZR is not just the governing body for rugby in New Zealand – it’s the heart of a national obsession. With rugby woven into the cultural fabric of the nation, NZR shoulders the immense responsibility of promoting and developing the game from grass roots to the international stage. With a total workforce of 800, including 180 corporate personnel, NZR is the largest sporting organisation in the country. It aims to inspire and unify through the sport, leveraging the fame and success of the All Blacks and Black Ferns to make a meaningful difference in the lives of New Zealanders.
However, behind the scenes, NZR faced significant operational challenges. Its HR systems were antiquated and disjointed, relying on manual processes that were not only time consuming but also prone to errors. Essential HR tasks such as payroll management, recruitment, and onboarding were handled through separate systems, with critical employee information spread across different tools. This setup was far from efficient, requiring hours of manual labour each week just to update organisational charts and employee records. The lack of integration meant that onboarding a new employee required multiple steps and coordination across different departments, hindering NZR’s ability to respond swiftly to the dynamic needs of its teams and staff.
The organisation’s wide-reaching impact on the community and its role in international sports meant that any delays or inefficiencies in HR processes could have broader implications, affecting everything from team preparations to player welfare. Recognising the need for a transformative solution, NZR sought a system that could unify its HR operations, enhance efficiency, and support ambitious goals for growth and community engagement.
People and Capability Coordinator, New Zealand Rugby Union Incorporated
Modernising HR with an integrated talent management suite
With the challenges laid out, NZR embarked on a transformational journey using the SAP SuccessFactors portfolio, facilitated by its strategic partnership with Rizing, a Wipro Company. This collaboration was born out of NZR’s existing relationship with SAP and provided an opportunity to comprehensively overhaul its HR systems.
NZR chose the SAP SuccessFactors portfolio for its robust capability to centralise and streamline HR operations within a single framework, adopting the SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central solution to use for core HR processes. It also implemented the SAP SuccessFactors Recruiting and SAP SuccessFactors Onboarding solutions. As well as integrating HR and talent management disciplines, the portfolio was chosen for its customisation capabilities. This allowed NZR to personalise the system to reflect NZR’s high-performance culture, naming it ‘Pātaka’ – the Māori word for storehouse. This name signifies its role as a central repository for employee-related information, aligning perfectly with NZR’s cultural ideals.
From initial discussions that set the project’s foundation, to the rigorous testing and iteration phases, Rizing’s team was instrumental. The partner provided expertise and became an extension of NZR’s internal team, tailoring an enterprise system to fit a smaller, culturally unique environment. Rizing also supported the NZR team as it faced numerous challenges during the implementation. This included balancing the system’s extensive capabilities with the organisation’s specific needs and adapting the software foundation to real-world operations.
Rizing’s role went beyond mere technical support, acting as a partner in every sense and being involved from system introduction to testing, go-live, and ongoing operations. This close collaboration helped NZR not only implement the SAP SuccessFactors portfolio effectively but also dynamically adapt it to its current needs.
Through this partnership, NZR transformed its HR operations, setting a new standard in how sports organisations can use technology to support their teams and corporate staff. The solution provided by the SAP SuccessFactors portfolio and Rizing was not just a technological upgrade, it was a cultural fit that helped propel NZR into a new era of HR excellence.
People and Capability Advisor, New Zealand Rugby Union Incorporated
Empowering stronger connections across all parts of NZR
The implementation of SAP SuccessFactors solutions at NZR has delivered transformative results, redefining how the organisation manages its HR processes and complies with regulatory requirements. The centralised system has enabled a single view of employee information, significantly improving NZR’s confidence in compliance, particularly concerning employment regulations in New Zealand. And in stark contrast to the manual processes of the past, the efficiency of reporting has also increased considerably, with live data on remuneration, demographics, and organisational structure now instantly available to management.
One of the most notable changes has been in the day-to-day operations for NZR employees and people leaders. Employees now enjoy greater control over their personal data, with the ability to maintain and update their profiles directly. This autonomy is complemented by enhanced connectivity and an improved employee experience from an intuitive interface, allowing NZR’s team to link with colleagues and manage leave on their mobile devices. And with 100% utilisation of employee self-service, there’s been a significant reduction in the HR effort required to support transactional HR tasks.
For people leaders, the new system provides real-time, accurate insights into the finer details of team dynamics, exposing data that was previously difficult to access and often outdated. Streamlined recruitment and onboarding processes now allow for more effective and engaging methods of assessing candidates, such as side-by-side CV comparisons and interactive organisational charts. These tools not only simplify hiring but also encourage a deeper involvement and ownership among managers, aligning them more closely with HR processes.
Ultimately, the shift to SAP SuccessFactors solutions has enhanced NZR’s agility, making it future ready and equipped to adapt to the dynamic demands of both the international and national sporting landscape.
Continuously refining HR capabilities for future growth and success
NZR aims to continuously evolve its HR capabilities through SAP SuccessFactors solutions and is planning to incorporate employee surveys for onboarding. The goal is to simplify the process for HR staff and eliminate manual reminders.
The organisation is also considering streamlining performance management and employee learning by adopting the SAP SuccessFactors Performance & Goals and SAP SuccessFactors Learning solutions.
As part of its ongoing evolution, NZR is evaluating how to implement a learning management solution tailored to its needs that would empower the corporate team and provide training for provincial rugby union staff.
Additionally, NZR is exploring integrating performance management workflows into the corporate side of its operations to align goal setting and review processes throughout the year. Through these initiatives, NZR plans to maximise its use of SAP SuccessFactors solutions to deliver future successes.
Featured partner
Rizing, a Wipro Company, helped NZR to implement a modern, integrated HR system through SAP SuccessFactors solutions. Aligning its approach with NZR’s strategic goals, Rizing tailored the system configuration to meet NZR’s unique needs, creating ‘Pātaka’ – a culturally and strategically aligned storehouse of essential employee data. Rizing guided NZR through planning, testing, training, and knowledge transfer to deliver a streamlined solution.