When one of SuccessDay’s clients in the telecommunications sector started an international HR and Payroll transformation, they were facing a challenge that many organisations eventually encounter. The programme would impact multiple countries, teams, business processes, and stakeholders, while day-to-day operations still needed to continue as usual.
As Adrianne points out, an HR transformation implementation of this scale is a major milestones that most organisations only experience a few times in their history. While the client had a strong internal team with extensive knowledge of the business, they did not necessarily have the specific experience required to lead a transformation of this scale. That was where Adrianne van den Oetelaar, Senior Project Manager at SuccessDay, joined the program.
Managing an HR Transformation
A project like this involves far more than managing timelines and milestones. Multiple workstreams need to move forward simultaneously, decisions need to be made at the right time, and stakeholders across different countries need to remain aligned throughout the programme. As Senior Project Manager, Adrianne was responsible for providing the structure needed to keep the programme moving. This included coordinating teams, ensuring clear communication between all parties, and helping the organisation reach key milestones throughout the implementation.
On a day-to-day basis, she guided the project through its international phases and acted as the main point of contact for the software provider, ensuring the solution delivered aligned with the client’s requirements. According to Adrianne, stakeholder management often becomes one of the most important parts of the role. “Keeping everyone informed and aligned across different countries and teams” is often what prevents issues from impacting the timeline. In international programmes, priorities can differ between countries, departments, and project teams, making alignment just as important as the technology itself.
The Value of Shared Knowledge
While Adrianne led the programme, she was never working in isolation. One of the advantages of working with SuccessDay is the support structure behind every consultant. Whenever challenges arose, Adrianne could rely on colleagues with experience across HR technology, payroll, Workday, project management, and change initiatives.
As she explains, “the client doesn’t just hire one person.” While she led the programme, the client also benefited from the wider expertise, best practices, and lessons learned across the broader SuccessDay team. This also creates stability throughout longer programmes. Business priorities can change, project phases can become more demanding, and additional expertise may be required along the way. Having access to a wider team provides both flexibility and continuity when it matters most.
Working as One Team
Like many large transformation programmes, the implementation demanded a significant amount of time and energy from everyone involved. The client’s internal team remained heavily involved throughout the programme, balancing project responsibilities alongside their day-to-day roles. Their knowledge of the organisation, local requirements, and business priorities was critical to the success of the implementation.
According to Adrianne, one of the reasons the collaboration worked so well was that it never felt like a traditional client-consultant relationship.
“The lines of communication are short, and I truly feel like part of their team.” That level of trust and cooperation proved particularly valuable during the busiest phases of the programme. Success was a joint effort, requiring close collaboration between the internal team, the software provider, and the wider project team to keep the programme moving forward.
Why Organisations Bring in Senior Project Leadership
Bringing in an experienced project manager is not about replacing internal teams. It is about strengthening them. Organisations know their people, processes, and business better than anyone else. What they often need during a major transformation is someone who has managed similar programmes before and can help navigate the complexity that comes with them.
Large HR transformations create dependencies across multiple areas of the organisation. Decisions made in one workstream can have implications for payroll, reporting, integrations, compliance, testing, or local processes elsewhere. Keeping track of those connections while maintaining momentum across the programme requires both experience and a clear overview of the bigger picture. Having someone who has been through similar projects before helps teams identify risks earlier, make informed decisions, and stay focused on delivery.
Managing Complexity
For Adrianne, senior project leadership is ultimately about providing the structure and HRIT project management expertise organisations need to successfully navigate complex transformations. While internal teams remain closely involved, experienced project leadership helps ensure the journey towards a new system remains focused, organised, and aligned with the wider goals of the business.
Successful HR transformations rarely depend on a single factor. Technology, people, processes, timelines, vendors, and business priorities all need to come together at the right moment. Keeping those elements aligned while maintaining momentum is often what determines whether a programme stays on track. That is where experienced project leadership can make the difference.
Interested in learning more about how SuccessDay supports organisations through HR transformations? Get in touch with our team to continue the conversation.
