As the demands placed on human capital management (HCM) functions have evolved and advanced, leveraging technology effectively has become a crucial element of success. Choosing and implementing the right technology solution can increase the depth of capabilities in those critical areas, while enhancing overall efficiency and employee satisfaction.
Tredegar Corporation, a plastic films and aluminum extrusions manufacturer, has long understood the importance of technology within human resources, payroll and benefits, and recently decided to implement the Dayforce HCM platform to elevate their people processes.
“Adding the Dayforce platform adds much value to our employees because of the self-service options that are there,” says Becky Seckora, Tredegar’s director of payroll and benefits. “It alleviates the administrative burden on our staff, and we can make more progress on other priorities.”
Tredegar initiated the Dayforce implementation internally, but 12 months into the process realized additional resources and support were necessary. RSM US LLP had implemented and maintained the company’s previous HR and workforce management technology and was already working on transitioning data to the new Dayforce solution, so turning to RSM for implementation guidance was a natural fit.
RSM’s Dayforce team quickly stepped in and seamlessly integrated key resources to jump-start the implementation process. Leveraging their years of experience and best practices, RSM advisors met with Tredegar to define their vision for the Dayforce solution and then talk about system requirements, breaking them down based on employee type, module and other criteria to streamline the process.
“[My team is] focused and very specific on the details,” says Jennifer Southworth, principal at RSM. “And they bring the experience, they bring the translation of requirements, they bring the culture into it, and they really work with clients as if they were in their shoes.”
If I could have done anything different as far as the Dayforce project, it would've been to engage RSM early in the process and in the planning to make sure that we were set up to get through the implementation the best that we could the first time.
Ultimately, the process was a significant success, as the Dayforce HCM platform was implemented to Tredegar’s specifications, introducing new capabilities to provide a stronger employee experience moving forward. In addition, bringing RSM in to support Tredegar’s previous implementation efforts saved $500,000 because of the multiple efficiencies that resulted.
Tredegar Payroll Coordinator Chris Westphalen feels that the teamwork and trust between the two companies were critical to the implementation’s success. “The [RSM] consultants we work with daily are so pleasant, accommodating and professional,” she says. “They really do feel like part of our team. Even though they're not Tredegar employees, we talk to them as if they were our own coworkers, and that's important in the relationship and the things we need to accomplish.”
“Switching payroll systems is a large task,” she adds. “Before we switched to the RSM support, we all weren't 100% comfortable with how things were proceeding. But when the consultants came in from RSM—they were phenomenal.”
Following the successful Dayforce implementation, RSM initiated a comprehensive training campaign to get employees comfortable and up to speed with the new platform. Beyond providing training to the corporate office, RSM conducted sessions with payroll staff at Tredegar’s individual locations, continuing to build relationships with users and taking a significant burden off of management. With the depth of training RSM provided, Tredegar users have the knowledge and tools to perform many tasks on their own.
“We talk a lot with clients, when they're looking at Dayforce, about their path to independence,” says Southworth. “We are there to make sure they're independent, not relying on the vendor for every need, and we are there to support them and teach them throughout the implementation so that when they are live, they've got the tools they need to be successful.”
Any new technology implementation is a challenge, but especially one that manages the data and regulatory demands necessary for HCM, payroll and benefits. Many companies do not have the resources or bandwidth to complete the process in-house, so getting the right advice and support is absolutely critical.
“If I could have done anything different as far as the Dayforce project, it would've been to engage RSM early in the process and in the planning to make sure that we were set up to get through the implementation the best that we could the first time,” says Seckora. “We did have to handle a lot of mistakes or reprogramming in the first year because RSM was not involved at that planning stage, and thankfully they helped right the ship for us.”
