SAP® SuccessFactors® uses its SuccessConnect events to unveil its most important new features and roadmap plans. SuccessConnect Las Vegas is the biggest of them all with the most impactful announcements, intriguing product demonstrations, and inspiring customer stories.
In preparation for the event, we tapped into our community to find out what they most want to see discussed and demonstrated at SuccessConnect next month.
We collected this information via a survey of employees, customers, and those who follow our social media accounts. The questions asked about specific products as well as broad content types.
The SuccessFactors Core Is…Core
SuccessFactors Employee Central is the heart of the SuccessFactors HCM suite. Given that, it comes as no surprise that more than half of respondents (56%) indicated that they wanted to hear announcements around features and upgrades in Employee Central at SuccessConnect—the most of any product.
When asked to expand on their answers, several respondents mentioned a new payroll solution, as well as Employee Central benefits functionality. One of those surveyed specifically pointed to how compensation increases are published to Employee Central. They expressed the desire for increase types such as merit, adjustment or promotions to be recorded separately for better reporting.
SAP Cloud Platform and New Technologies
Nearly half (49%) of respondents wanted to hear announcements about the SAP Cloud Platform at SuccessConnect. The development and integration platform gives SuccessFactors customers and partners the ability to extend the product via add-on applications. It’s also the basis for SAP Leonardo, SAP’s collection of products and services aimed at adopting the latest technologies.
Those technologies were on the minds of some of the respondents. One called out Leonardo specifically, and wanted SuccessFactors to show how it can be applied to Human Capital Management. Another surveyed wanted to hear about how artificial intelligence is being used in developing SuccessFactors applications.
On the partner side specifically, one respondent would like to see SAP train its premier partners on SAP Cloud Platform, SAP Cloud Platform Integration, and other new technologies that are critical to a SuccessFactors implementation and development business.
Along that line of thinking, a significant portion (36%) of respondents cited technical integrations as a key topic for SuccessConnect.
Finding the Right People
Identifying new talent was also a highlight of our survey results. Talent Acquisition and Total Workforce Management/Fieldglass were both mentioned by 27% of respondents. One respondent wanted to hear about Fieldglass integrations with Employee Central.
On the other side of recruiting is onboarding, and several respondents indicated their desire to hear about new developments in SuccessFactors’ onboarding capability.
More Products, More Best Practices
The main stage at SuccessConnect often features a mix of customer success stories, new product innovations, partnership announcements, HR best practices, and inspirational speakers. Our survey asked respondents to rate those categories from most important to least important.
The majority of those surveyed cited new product innovations as the most important thing on the SuccessConnect keynote stage. Best practices for HR was the second most important, while customer success stories were close behind.
SAP does seem to understand that, as the keynote from SuccessFactors president Greg Tomb kicks off SuccessConnect, which will certainly include new product innovations. Attendees will want to stick around for the end of the last day, as Michael J. Fox will be closing the event with what is sure to be an inspirational keynote that also has direct application for HR professionals.