One of the best SAP HCM conferences of the year is nearly upon us in one of my favourite cities, Amsterdam. HR2013 Amsterdam promises to be an exciting and informative event and is a great opportunity to get answers to your questions, but also to find out what the latest information is on SAP HCM. There is a lot of confusion right now around on-premise, cloud, UI/UX, and mobile.
From my perspective, the biggest questions and clarity is needed around SuccessFactors integration. Although I know that the answers exist, this information is not feeding down to customers. Recently I’ve had two customers who didn’t know that the first integration package (iFlow) for SAP HCM and SuccessFactors could use SAP NetWeaver PI.
Customers are also confused about the position of on-premise versus Cloud, as well as about HR Renewal versus SuccessFactors. Sam Yen (via Jon Reed on this great blog about Fiori by Graham Robinson) recently specified the overall UX strategy of New, Renew, and Enable. However, this message is fairly new and as of yet hasn’t penetrated customers significantly.
In addition to learning about these topics, HR2013 is also a great opportunity to speak to fellow customers and to consultants about the latest topics and to get informal advice from experienced people who have gone through or are going through similar projects to you.
Top Sessions
There are plenty of demo sessions of SuccessFactors as well as sessions on SAP’s roadmap and strategy for both core HR and Cloud. If you need to know more then you have a number of great sessions to attend. For the pre-conference day on Monday 10th June I would recommend all sessions. I think which ones you choose are down to which topics are of most interest to you.
Tuesday 10th sees the conference “proper” start and prior to the kick-off is the keynote with David Ludlow, Group Vice President, Product Marketing, SAP Cloud and Jessica Kane, Vice President, Global Business Execution Architecture, SuccessFactors. Following this are several sessions that I recommend, in particular Jeremy Masters’ session at 12:15 that received a lot of plaudits when he delivered it at HR2013 Las Vegas. JB’s session at 10:45 will give you an overview of what enhancements are due in both on-premise and cloud, as well as clarify some questions around SAP’s strategy for HCM.
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 10:45 – 12:00 | The 2013 guide to core SAP ERP HCM enhancements: On-premise and cloud by Jean-Bernard Rolland, SAP |
| 10:45 – 12:00 | Best practices for managing your global on-premise talent management implementation by Julius Opstrup, Gavdi Group |
| 12:15 – 13:30 | Guidelines and best practices for deploying ESS and MSS on mobile devices by Jeremy Masters, Worklogix |
| 14:45 – 16:00 | A detailed look at the new user experience for core SAP ERP HCM on-premise by Gertrud Beisel, SAP Labs |
For Wednesday 11th there are a number of interesting sessions, including two panel discussions:
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 09:00 – 10:15 | Social and mobile innovations: Turning HR and talent management solutions into systems of engagement by Prashanth Padmanabhan, SAP |
| 09:00 – 10:15 | An introduction to the integration between SAP and SuccessFactors by Yannick Peterschmitt, SAP AG |
| 10:45 – 12:00 | Panel discussion: The future of SAP ERP HCM – Predictions from the experts moderated by Martin Gillet, Cogilius bvba |
| 12:15 – 13:30 | Panel discussion: Leading experts share insights for successfully integrating SAP and SuccessFactors moderated by Margit Bauer |
Thursday 12th sees the final day of the conference but there are still some great sessions to see:
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 09:00 – 10:15 | Talent management as a driver of business strategy execution by Steve Hunt, SuccessFactors |
| 10:45 – 12:00 | Develop an effective succession planning process using SAP talent management functionality by Venki Krishnamoorthy |
| 13:15 – 14:30 | Proven change management strategies to ensure a successful transition to a global SAP ERP HCM platform by Sven Ringling, iProCon |
| 14:45 – 16:00 | How to prepare for a SuccessFactors implementation by Venki Krishnamoorthy |
Ask The Experts
The Ask The Experts sessions give customers and consultants the possibility to ask their burning questions to SAP employees and SAP HCM experts. This year again sees a great list of experts to speak to, with plenty on offer in terms of SuccessFactors and Talent Management. On Tuesday 11th June you can speak to:
| Speaker | Expertise |
|---|---|
| Venki Krishnamoorthy | Talent Management (SAP HCM and SuccessFactors) and SAP HCM/SuccessFactors integration |
| Luke Marson, Gavdi Group | SuccessFactors, SAP HCM/SuccessFactors integration, Talent Management, and Visualization Solutions by Nakisa |
| Demetris Demetriou, DeltaSoft | Payroll and time management, security and authorizations, and data management and integration |
| Jeremy Masters, WorkLogix | Compensation and Performance Management, Self-Services, and SuccessFactors |
| Mark Brandau, SuccessFactors | SuccessFactors, Performance Management, and Learning |
| Danielle Larocca, SpinifexIT | HCM Reporting, HR Configuration, and Managing Your Consultant |
| Sonja Van Sleeuwen, SuccessFactors | HR processes, Cloud systems, and SAP HCM/SuccessFactors integration |
| Julius Opstrup, Gavdi Group | Global HCM Implementations, SAP HCM Talent Management, Business / Management Consulting |
On Wednesday 12th June you can speak to:
| Speaker | Expertise |
|---|---|
| Sylvia Chaudoir, deloitte | PA, OM and Integration, HR structures and process design, and Global HR transformation |
| Prashanth Padmanabhan, SAP | SAP HCM/SuccessFactors integration and SAP Jam |
| Manimala Kanagavel, DEloitte | Global Implementations, Organizational management, and Personnel administration |
| Jens Ejsing, SAP | SAP HCM mobility, SAP Payroll-on-HANA, and SAP HCM Co-innovation |
| Sven Ringling, iProCon | International rollout projects, Personnel cost planning, and HR authorisations |
| Hartmut Laser, SAP | Travel and expense management, Travel risk and compliance, and End-to-End travel management process |
| Yannick Peterschmitt, SAP | Travel and expense management, Travel risk and compliance, and End-to-End travel management process |
| Michael White, Exaserv | ESS/MSS and SAP Portal, Adobe Forms, and ABAP Development |
Shameless Plug
I will be part of 3 sessions, two which I have already mentioned above. These are all interactive discussions as this is a format that I really enjoy and allows customers and consultants to drive the content of the session.
| Date/Time | Session |
|---|---|
Tuesday 16:15 – 17:30 | Interactive discussion forum: SuccessFactors debunked: Lessons from the trenches |
| Wednesday 10:45 – 12:00 | Panel discussion: The future of SAP ERP HCM – Predictions from the experts moderated by Martin Gillet, Cogilius bvba |
| Wednesday 12:15 – 13:30 | Panel discussion: Leading experts share insights for successfully integrating SAP and SuccessFactors moderated by Margit Bauer |
Summary
This conference, although not as good as its Stateside equivalent, is still the best SAP HCM conference in Europe and I highly recommend it for any customers or consultants who couldn’t make it to Las Vegas this year. There are always plenty of informative sessions and it is also an opportunity to ask your questions of true SAP HCM experts and SAP executives. It is also an opportunity to meet up with other SAP partners and vendors that you deal with.