Dümmen Orange: ‘Teaming-up is essential for HRIT implementation’

Dümmen Orange enlisted the help of SuccessDay for the implementation of a global HRIT system. As the multinational’s data was not yet sufficiently standardized and structured to go straight to a highly advanced system, a hybrid system was chosen. “In 3 to 5 years, once we have properly mastered the basics, will we be able to switch to a more advanced system.”

Author: Ester Schop | Illustration: Studio van Laar | This article appeared in: CHRO Magazine (in Dutch)

According to CHRO Ellen Mackenbach-Lakeman, Dümmen Orange is working hard on the worldwide implementation of the organization structure and culture. The flower and plant cultivation company has grown rapidly in recent years after various acquisitions and is ambitious to remain the world’s largest player in the field of floriculture. Ellen was appointed around three years ago to forge one company from all the acquired businesses that are distributed all over the world. Many of them were family businesses.

Here was an urgent need for standardization and a central HRIT system to realize our ambitions

The German company Dümmen was itself originally a family business and in 2015 it fused with the Dutch company Fides to become Dümmen Orange. The head office is in De Lier, but the company also has various production locations around the equator. A total of over 7500 employees are spread over several locations, including Kenya, Uganda, Taiwan, the United States, Guatemala, Ecuador, Spain, Germany and the Netherlands. The company focuses on the cultivation of cut flowers, pot and bedding plants, and perennial and tropical plants.

Until recently, every location worked in its own way, with its own processes, tools and systems. “For HR, that was sometimes a payroll system, but sometimes nothing more than Excel. If I wanted to make a decision, I had to e-mail 26 locations to ask them to provide specific data in a specific file format. Consolidating this data not only took a long time, but also often went wrong, because the data was not supplied correctly or was subject to variations in local interpretation. So, there was an urgent need for standardization and a central HRIT system in order to realize our ambitions”, Ellen explains.

More than service providing

With her knowledge and experience gained as HR director for various previous employees, she contacted the usual suspects at the companies she already knew. She also looked for parties that could provide support. “My preference was for a party that wasn’t too big. I was mainly looking for extra hands and a partner that could help us look at things pragmatically.”

Dümmen Orange ultimately chose SuccessDay. Ellen: “We clicked. They are experienced and skilled people who aren’t afraid to roll up their sleeves and take a practical approach. They have really become part of our team. I was looking for that teaming-up spirit. SuccessDay is proactive in helping us think about pitfalls and potential solutions. They speak both the language of the supplier and that of the customer. So it really goes a lot further than service providing.”

First learn to drive a mid-class car, and the Rolls Royce will follow

SuccessDay supported the vendor selection process. It quickly became clear that it was too big a step to go straight for the most advanced HCM system. “I see Workday, SuccessFactors and Oracle HCM as the Rolls Royces of systems, but we still first had to learn to drive. Our processes were not yet standardized and our data management needed organizing. So, we first had to take some essential steps”, explains the CHRO.

Hybrid form

That is why Talentsoft was chosen to realize the first step towards the globalization of HR and standards. According to the CHRO, the system was the only one that could deliver the desired hybrid form. This was needed because the HRIT system in some countries is used as primary system, but in other countries their own payroll system will remain in use as the core system for the time being, with Cegid Talentsoft as a shell over it.

“We link the systems together using middleware, so that we at least have the basic data in the global HCM system. All data relating to time management and overtime, for example, is still recorded locally. Otherwise the step would simply be too big”, explains Hassan Shakeri, Business Consultant at SuccessDay.

Ultimately, the intention is to re-evaluate the needs of the organization in 3 to 5 years. Perhaps that will be the right time to switch over to a more advanced HRIT system. The CHRO explains that Dümmen Orange is currently undergoing a digital transition. And she knows from experience that this takes a lot of work. “The success of the implementation, but also of its subsequent adoption by managers and employees depends on more factors than the system alone.”

Resources often underestimated

The first step is to examine whether the organization is ready for the digital transition that is being deployed. How far are they with data and process standards, and what about the IT maturity of the HR department? Which roles are essential for a successful implementation process, and can these roles be filled internally? If so, do these professionals have the right capabilities and enough time? “The resources that you as a customer have to provide yourself are often underestimated”, says Eveline van Bergen, business consultant at SuccessDay.

Eveline worked on this case at Dümmen Orange until last year. She was the project manager during Phase 0 (the phase preceding the actual implementation). She also assisted with the implementation of the core performance management modules of Cegid Talentsoft. Alongside Eveline, five other SuccessDay consultants were also called upon at certain times throughout the process. Ellen: “We either didn’t have enough in-house expertise, or enough time.”

Hassan came on board in April of last year in the role of project support. He later also became involved in setting up the performance management module and worked on several reports and the smoothing out of the data import. “That really helped get things moving. Because it turned out that the biggest bottleneck was getting the data management under control”, says Ellen.

Defining standards and definitions

Within a few weeks, Hassan will hand over the reins to the recently appointed dedicated data specialist at Dümmen Orange. Hassan: “I have every confidence; he understands the game. He knows better than anyone that standardization and data quality are essentially important for a successful HRIT implementation.” The organization has really worked on this recently. Ellen: “To give you a concrete example: we used to have no fewer than fifteen kinds of contracts. That has now been reduced to six.”

Now that we’ve taken significant steps with standardization and data quality, we’ll soon be able to go live with a big bang

During Phase 0, standards are defined and the route towards greater HR Maturity is mapped out. SuccessDay has helped to set up process and data standards according to the desired employee journey. This includes a job catalogue, as well as determining definitions: for example, what does one FTE mean within Dümmen Orange? What is a temporary contract and a permanent one? “This must be brought in line in all countries, otherwise the data analyses will be incorrect”, explains Ellen.

Clear Design Principles were also drawn up in advance. This ensures that everyone stays on the same page and helps avoid decision-making getting bogged down in endless discussions about personal preferences and taste. Ellen: “Right at the top of the list is data accuracy. If HR data is incorrect, all confidence in the system will be lost. The second design principle is that the system must add value for both the organization and the user. And number three is ‘keep it simple’; above all, the system must be intuitive.”

A big bang after all

Furthermore, the Project Fundamentals (Governance, Risk & Issue Log, etc.) have been drawn up to guarantee the smooth start up of the implementation. Due to internal staff changes and the previously mentioned issues with data and process standardization, the system ‘go live’ was postponed several times. But it is now set for 19 June 2023 – half a year later than originally planned.

According to Ellen, this does not mean that six months have actually been lost. “We were initially planning a phased roll-out: starting in Japan and Guatemala, then the Netherlands and Germany, followed by the United States and so on until all countries were live. But now that we have come so far with standardization, and we have made significant strides with data quality, we will soon be able to go live with a big bang.”

This big bang is expected to result in the accelerated acceptation of the system within the whole organization. As the organization has become more integrated, it now has a matrix structure. Hassan: “Some managers have team members in different countries. So, it is handy for them if everyone is already in the system. Dümmen Orange will also be starting a performance campaign immediately after going live, in which the system must be used. So, managers can see directly what they can do with it.”

Future plans

The same is true for succession planning. The organization wants to encourage all employees to upload their CV and add relevant data. Dümmen Orange can then use the system more and more on a global scale, to identify talent. Alongside the aforementioned modules Core and Performance Management, the Compensation module will also be rolled out. “If you set goals, you also want the bonuses to be calculated using a global system”, says Ellen.

To promote adoption of the system, all local HR managers have been involved in the project from the start. Workshops have been given, training courses developed, and instructional videos are being produced. A pilot will start in June. Ellen: “Around 80% of the HR managers already saw major benefits in a global HRIT system in advance. There’s a huge amount of enthusiasm. The system will make their lives easier, and it will give more data-based insight. Everyone also feels increasingly part of a large organization. So, that’s just pure profit.”

About SuccessDay

SuccessDay is a rapidly growing employee journey company in Eindhoven. The company supports organizations in the transformation to a new HRIT system, whether it’s Workday, Oracle HCM, SuccessFactors, Ceridian Dayforce, HiBob or another global HCM player. Its independent advisors are also specialized in Employee Experience and People Analytics.