The rise of mobile threats and new security issues related to the Internet of Things made it more important than ever for AVAST Software s.r.o., a developer of security software, to create new solutions. As part of the fast-moving technology industry, and with its business growing rapidly, AVAST wanted to become more agile and flexible to attract talent. SAP SuccessFactors solutions helped it achieve these goals.
The Paradigm Shift in Computing
How many times in the last year have you read about some new malware or virus that managed to damage or shut down the systems of governments and of some of the world’s biggest companies? And let’s be frank: most security breaches never even make it to the news.
In our highly connected world, cyber-crime is on the rise, and protecting yourself is a must. AVAST Software s.r.o. is a Czech provider of antivirus and security software for individuals and companies. In the last few years, it more than tripled its workforce from 200 to 650 through acquisitions and organic growth. This sudden increase made it hard to maintain a good overview of its enlarged workforce, the roles and responsibilities in the acquired companies, and overlaps with the parent company.
“We were growing so fast, it was difficult to put together a simple headcount report for the senior managers and CEO,” says Martin Petrtyl, HR project lead at AVAST.
In addition to the challenge of integrating the new companies worldwide, AVAST had to shift its business focus. Traditionally, its products were designed for PC users. But most of its new users want security for their mobile devices and their home network, which poses new security challenges.
“We were standing at a crossroads,” explains Petrtyl. “Securing people’s data and privacy on mobile devices and the home network, which is the gateway to the new Internet of Things, is a new area of future growth. We need new skill sets to help us with this challenge.”
AVAST needed a new modern HR solution that could give it a unified view of its expanded organization. It also sought to get rid of as many manual processes as possible to increase efficiency.
A Fully Integrated, Comprehensive Solution
AVAST knew from the outset that it wanted a cloud solution. “It was clear to us that if you have to be flexible and agile, only the cloud can enable that,” says Petrtyl. AVAST chose SAP SuccessFactors solutions for their sophisticated design and the fact that they included all the modules AVAST might need in the future.
AVAST merged its core HR data from the parent company and the acquired companies into the SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central solution, producing one view of its global workforce.
The SAP SuccessFactors Onboarding solution and the SAP SuccessFactors Recruiting Management solution supported comprehensive processes, from advertising a job to conducting the new hire’s first day. “We couldn’t imagine having someone in HR typing something from a recruiting management system into other systems,” notes Petrtyl. “Now a hiring manager simply clicks on a job position, which lets the recruiter know that there’s a need for a new employee.” Back-and-forth e-mails are a thing of the past.
All information collected during recruiting and selection is integrated into SAP SuccessFactors Onboarding. New hires may provide additional information, which is fed back into the software.
For AVAST, the integrated solution is what today’s digital natives expect. “New employees don’t want to fill out 40 different papers. They expect a digital experience,” observes Petrtyl.
AVAST implemented the SAP SuccessFactors Compensation solution to put more structure around pay and bonus discussions and the SAP SuccessFactors Learning solution.
Thanks to the best-practice sharing model provided by SAP Consulting, every implementation went smoothly.
Sudden Market Shifts Requiring Real-time Decisions
Today AVAST can respond faster to sudden shifts in its market. With all workforce data in one place, HR doesn’t have to call five people when senior management wants a headcount report. The information is ready in minutes.
AVAST can even make live business decisions based on what it sees happening in the market. And it has the data to form more diverse teams – a must in order to stay at the forefront of innovation. Many new products require a multidisciplinary approach, with people who are skilled in marketing, quality assurance, and customer interfaces, for example. Because all talent information is in one solution, HR can easily determine whether the company has the needed skills.
And if it doesn’t? AVAST doesn’t have to spend lots of time searching externally, because information from previous recruiting efforts has already been captured and saved. HR can see who was on previous short lists and contact them again. “In many cases, the preselection is already done. That’s how SAP SuccessFactors Recruiting Management is helping us: by not just being a database, but a quality database.” It’s one more example how AVAST has become more agile as a result of its SAP SuccessFactors solutions.
The SAP SuccessFactors Compensation solution has made pay and bonuses fairer by basing decisions on a broader survey of opinions. Also, HR proactively advises management on this issue, instead of the other way around.
Payroll on SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central
After laying a strong foundation with SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central and implementing six solutions on top of it, AVAST is focused on using the software to create a common vision and understanding about its talent.
AVAST plans to use the SAP SuccessFactors Succession & Development solution to pinpoint critical roles and the talent that could fill them. As the competition for IT talent intensifies, this solution can help AVAST provide competitive compensation.
Finally, AVAST is considering running all its payroll on SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central. “Our goal is to make all other systems dependent on SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central, so we have one system we can rely on,” concludes Petrtyl.
