Marelli, one of the leading independent players on the world automotive stage, is working to transform the future of mobility to create a safer, greener, better connected world. The company was formed in 2019, bringing together Japanese firm Calsonic Kansei and Italian firm Magneti Marelli to create an internationally recognizable brand, known for manufacturing excellence and innovation.
It’s this capacity for innovation, extending beyond the core of the business to permeate the entire organization, which was recognized with an honorable mention for the company at the SAP Innovation Awards 2021. The recognition was given for the Global HR Transformation project, embarked on with the support of partner company Alight (previously NGA Human Resources, now part of the Alight Solutions group).
This ambitious HR transformation initiative began in March 2020, aiming to unify the management of Marelli’s 60,000 employees across four continents in terms of both processes (administrative and development-related alike) and technological support systems. The starting point was a very varied HR setting, something that’s typical of mergers between two highly structured organization. The HR transformation project also sought to create a new, consolidated corporate culture, one that could transcend the deeply rooted legacies of Magneti Marelli and Calsonic Kansei and incorporate them into a new and unique corporate vision.
Two variables made the planning and, most importantly, the implementation of the project launch more complex: extremely strict timelines and the addition of the pandemic, which made it necessary to manage a project on this scale entirely virtually for the first time.
“Simplifying our complex IT landscape at this speed, 100% remotely, and in constantly changing business conditions, brought challenges that could have been disheartening,” says Dario Castello, Chief Information Officer at MARELLI. “We needed the best cloud technology on the market and had to carefully select a partner capable of laying the foundations for such an ambitious global project in just 15 months. At the end of the day, I’m convinced that SAP and Alight were the right choices.”
Complexity, remote working, and nerve-racking deadlines: these difficulties were tackled successfully thanks to team spirit and practical experience: “Strong synergy between the client and the supplier, combined with the team’s commitment to achieving the target, were vital in allowing us to overcome unprecedented challenges, such as the social distancing required due to COVID. I have no doubt that these factors will be equally vital as we tackle what lies ahead over the next few months,” says Luca Saracino, President of Alight International. “From the very beginning, this project has re-affirmed the value of confidence and governance capability that only substantial experience in international transformation programs can bring.”
The project as a whole involves implementing a global HRIS platform on SAP SuccessFactors technology for standardized management of all Marelli’s administrative processes and talent (Learning, Performance & Goal, Succession Planning, Compensation, Recruiting) worldwide, together with integrated development of Payroll and Time Management processes using Alight’s proprietary solution. SAP Concur was the solution chosen for travel and expense management.
The program also capitalizes on the potential offered by SAP Fiori to create customized functionalities, based on Client needs, and optimize the user experience and automation.
When the program is complete, Marelli will benefit from a single Human Capital Management solution for 24 countries, offering simplified, standardized processes and incentivizing employees to get involved in the transformation that is taking place. Its success when it comes to involving employees is already visible in the 97% adoption rate achieved in five weeks, in the first performance campaign managed using the new solution.
“The Core HR initiative is one of the central pillars of our integration program,” says Monica Mautino, GBS & HRIS Projects & Travel Manager at MARELLI. “With SAP SuccessFactors and Alight, we can increase our employees’ satisfaction levels by creating better, uniform processes for them wherever they are in the world."
We are honored to partner with and support Marelli during this exciting time and in the coming period. We would like to congratulate the leaders of the initiative once again on their ability to stay one step ahead, and for playing an active role in this collective effort to re-imagine the future of Human Resources.
Do you want to know more about the Marelli project?
Download the nomination deck.
