SAP HCM vs SAP SuccessFactors vs Workday comparison

SAP HCM is a benefits administration solution that has a comprehensive set of tools and features for managing and optimizing all aspects of human resources. SAP HCM covers various HR functions including payroll, time and attendance management, talent management, succession planning, and employee performance evaluation.

The goal of SAP HCM is to help organizations streamline HR processes, improve workforce productivity and efficiency, and support strategic HR decision-making. With SAP HCM, HR departments can manage employee data, track and analyze key HR metrics, and automate various HR processes to save time and resources. It is widely used by large organizations across various industries.

SAP HCM Features

SAP HCM has many valuable key features. Some of the most useful ones include:

• Personnel administration: With SAP HCM, users can manage employee master data, such as personal details, employment contracts, and job information.

• Payroll: The solution provides automation of payroll processes, including tax calculation, payment generation, and reporting.

• Time and attendance management: Automated tracking and management of employee time and attendance help users streamline HR processes. 

• Talent management: SAP HCM includes tools for recruiting, onboarding, training, and development of employees.

• Succession planning: With this feature, users can plan and manage employee career development and succession within the organization.

• Performance and goal management: SAP HCM is designed with performance evaluation, goal setting, and development planning for employees.

• Compliance management: SAP HCM offers management of legal and regulatory requirements related to HR processes.

• Reporting and analytics: Generation of reports and analysis of key HR metrics help support decision-making.

• Integrations: The solution has integration with other SAP modules, such as SAP Finance and SAP Supply Chain, that provide a comprehensive solution for HR management.

SAP HCM Benefits

There are many benefits to implementing SAP HCM. Some of the biggest advantages the solution offers include:

• Improved HR processes: The solution’s automation of HR processes, helps reduce manual effort and increases efficiency.

• Better data management: SAP HCM provides centralized management of employee data, improving data accuracy and reducing the risk of errors.

• Increased productivity: Because the solution streamlines HR processes, it frees up HR staff to focus on other strategic tasks.

• Improved compliance: SAP HCM helps businesses reduce the risk of non-compliance by making legal and regulatory requirements related to HR processes easy and manageable. 

• Better decision-making: Access to real-time HR data and analytics enables data-driven decision-making.

• Increased transparency: SAP HCM improves visibility into HR processes, enabling HR departments to monitor performance and identify areas for improvement.

• Better employee engagement: The solution’s provision of self-service options for employees improves employee satisfaction and engagement.

• Cost control: SAP HCM’s automation of HR processes reduces costs associated with manual HR processes.

• Talent management: The solution’s tools for attracting, retaining, and developing employees increase overall workforce productivity and effectiveness.

Reviews from Real Users

SAP HCM is a solution that stands out when compared to many of its competitors. Some of its major advantages are that it has good payroll and personnel administration, it’s a powerful tool for maintaining company data, and has valuable SuccessFactors talent modules. 

According to Dave D., Project Manager at Telecom Namibia, “[SAP HCM] allows us to do all of our HR management processes, including payroll and personnel administration.” He also adds, “Technical support is excellent."

“I think that it's a very powerful tool for maintaining your company data. When you maintain your data in SAP, you can generate any kind of HR report with one click,” says Sameer Y., Team Leader at Fauji Meat Limited.

Another PeerSpot reviewer, Arsala A., SAP HCM / SF Consultant at a computer software company, explains what she likes most about SAP HCM: "Payroll processing is my favorite HCM feature, and I like all the SuccessFactors talent modules also. SAP is making good progress on enhancements to the features in the SF modules."

SAP SuccessFactors is an AI-powered, cloud-based HR suite supporting over 100 countries, providing real-time insights and integrated solutions across core HR, payroll, talent, learning, analytics, and employee experience.

Trusted by over 10,000 organizations, SAP SuccessFactors elevates people processes, decisions, and experiences by empowering employees. It offers AI-driven tools enhancing self-service, learning, performance, and development, unifying people and skills data to align talents with business goals. The platform ensures compliance with legal updates and speeds up results using HR best practices and a robust partner network. Its modular design, seamless integration, and mobile access stand out, supporting global accessibility and talent management. Role-based permissions and automated compliance offer flexibility and security, catering to diverse industries.

• Performance and Goal Management: Facilitates setting and tracking employee objectives.
• Employee Lifecycle Management: Streamlines employee processes from recruitment to exit.
• Learning Management: Promotes continuous learning and development.
• Real-Time Reporting: Provides instant insights into HR data.

• Increased Productivity: AI-driven tools enhance workforce agility.
• Talent Alignment: Unifying skills data aligns workforce with business priorities.
• Compliance Assurance: Regular updates ensure legal and regulatory adherence.
• Global Accessibility: Cloud-based platform supports cross-geography management.

Organizations implement SAP SuccessFactors for Performance Management, Talent Acquisition, Learning, and HR core functions, streamlining recruitment, onboarding, records management, goal setting, and performance evaluation. It extends to time management, compensation, and talent development, integrating across geographies for centralized data management, reporting, and analytics, enhancing HR operations and employee engagement.

Workday is a cloud-based software solution that specializes in developing applications for capital and finance management applications. The system is built to work in global workforces and is adaptable. The global system ensures that users are up to date and can manage internal career-related information, and everyday business problems like timesheets, payrolls, and time off.

“A Pioneer in Software-as-a-Service”

Workday Human Capital Management tool is designed to simplify and streamline your work. It leverages machine learning to adapt capital management to a changing environment.

The Workday model is based on delivering a single system that uses a single source of data and a single security model to deliver a unique user experience. The system is user-friendly and ensures that employees and management can use it from any and all devices. Workday HCM integrates into a central system that includes financial management, payroll, recruiting, learning, and planning. Managers and employees can provide feedback to one another, too.

Workday’s features include:

• Flexible framework that lets you organize your staff according to different criteria. You can group employees by function, hierarchy, or department.
• Personalized career guidance: Knowledge management and career guidance that can be easily customized for each staff member and also done at scale.
• Augmented reporting and analytics: Configure, change, update, and publish reports, scorecards, and dashboards. The system centralizes the transactional and analytical data so you can act on the data from anywhere.
• Compensation tools: Compensatio, payroll, and time tracking are automated and simplified.
• Workforce planning allows you to uncover and address talent gaps and get visibility of your staff.
• Mobile-first ensign approach: Users can access all resources from any device, and they are always in sync.
• Machine learning capabilities enable personalized enterprise experiences and faster business processes.

Workday smart platform consists of the following modules:

• Human resource management
• Business process management
• Reporting and analytics
• Benefits administration
• Compensation management
• Talent management
• Survey framework
• Employee and management self-service
  

Reviews from Real Users

Many organizations choose Workday because it provides an all-in-one modular solution for human capital and finance management. Our users say they like the ease of use for time-off requests, career and development segments, and overall HR management. The records and reporting capabilities are another popular feature.

"The solution was very good at reconfiguration and customization of their software. It helped us to meet federal regulations," said one user. Another said that the best feature is the optimization of the work day experience with a unified platform that can be applied across different business units. “You will never find a use case that cannot be covered," said a third.