CASE STUDY

Dentsply International Inc

Employee Central Supports Dentsplys
Growth Strategy

DENTSPLY International Inc. is a leading manufacturer and distributor of dental

and other healthcare products. For over a century, DENTSPLYs commitment to
innovation and professional collaboration has enhanced its portfolio of branded
consumables and small equipment. Headquartered in the United States, the
Company has global operations with sales in more than 120 countries.

The Challenge

Dentsply
York, Pennsylvania
www.dentsply.com
Employees
13,000
Industry:
Medical and Optical Devices
Region:
Global
SuccessFactors solutions:
Employee Central
Performance Management
Recruiting
Compensation
Customer Since:
2010

The companys aggressive growth goals and strategic acquisition strategy

demanded an operationally efficient headquarters. 2011 was a banner year for
DENTSPLY. Company revenues grew by 14.8% and it also completed the largest
acquisition in its history with the purchase of Astra Tech AB. This acquisition
increased DENTSPLYs employee population by approximately 20%. As a result,
the need for a globally integrated, consistent and data-driven approach to
managing its workforce became even more of a priority.
DENTSPLY faced a fundamental gap in preparing for ongoing and targeted growth
with the absence of a Core HR system housing workforce data. Without a
universal Core HR system, the company could not easily obtain a comprehensive
view of its global workforce. For example, operating more than 56 payroll systems
that housed employee data created significant challenges when reporting basic
HR information across the global business. Maintaining more than 56 separate
systems drained valuable resources. Combining employee information from
multiple systems invariably led to errors in data needed to make strategic workforce decisions. To achieve strategic objectives, DENTSPLY management realized
that workforce planning was essential and that existing systems did not provide
insight into the current employee populations and projected supply and demand
for talent by job, skills and capabilities. The company required a system to support
efforts in identifying and filling workforce gaps and to facilitate workforce planning
for future needs.
Like many other multinational companies, each of DENTSPLYs office locations and
legal entities implemented standard HR processes in performance, succession,
recruiting and compensation, but lacked consistent execution. The companys
global processes for performance management, competency, and succession

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Dentsply International Inc

planning were supported by automated systems in some

locations, but the majority of processes were managed
manually. The inconsistent nature of systems and processes
did not lead to easy alignment of company goals and
employee incentives. It was difficult to obtain current data to
make informed succession decisions. Proactive workforce
planning was even more challenging.

We see SuccessFactors as a partner in

meeting our high expectations for
developing an effective global workforce.
Throughout the implementation of Employee
Central, SuccessFactors has demonstrated
the ability to share our vision for DENTSPLYs
future. We look forward to working with
them to meet our workforce management
goals in the years to come.

Paula Caya,
Corporate HR Director

The Solution
DENTSPLY committed to building a strong foundation for
understanding its workforce as the first step in improving its
ability to proactively manage talent. The organization
identified a need for a single system of record that would
no longer rely on payroll systems for employee data.
DENTSPLY would use the improved visibility to define
workforce plans based on skills, geographies, roles and
other essential areas. Sharing information with the employee
population, co-workers can easily find and connect with
each other beyond geographic or functional boundaries,
fostering increased employee collaboration

Essential to its business strategy, DENTSPLY required a

scalable system to provide solid core HR data management with rich functionality to meet complex requirements
as the company continues to grow and expand. DENTSPLYs complex international organization and reporting
structure called for a flexible and highly customizable
system with substantial data security capabilities. A
user-friendly interface that promised to deliver improved management of team
data and allowed employees to connect with their global colleagues was essential
for successful adoption. DENTSPLY sought a best-in-class global Core HR and
talent management system with standardized talent processes and the capability
to accommodate local variations when required by law.
DENTSPLY needed confidence in the systems integration methodology that would
maintain continuity of business processes and requirements. The solution had to
meet global requirements quickly and easily, including language support and
alignment with works council agreements and safe harbor certification. Rolebased permissions were another important consideration, so DENTSPLYs HR
team and People managers could authorize specific employee access to view and
edit data sets across the companys networks. Another requirement was that the
system had to be capable of implementing quick, easy and cost-effective future
integrations of multiple payroll and ERP systems across many geographies.

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Dentsply International Inc

DENTSPLY evaluated several vendors in search of a total HR solution that could

help it meet ambitious growth targets across a complex global footprint. The only
company that demonstrated this capability was SuccessFactors.

The Results
DENTSPLY is in the final stages of implementing Employee Central, Success
Factors global Core HR solution, to create a foundation for its global talent
management and workforce planning strategy. DENTSPLY anticipates substantial
time and cost savings by reallocating resources to focus on value-added management and HR initiatives, leaving behind the administrative strain of manually
managing over 56 disparate HR systems and associated data.
The organization will soon be live on Employee Central in 48 countries for approximately two-thirds of its employee population. With the new system in place,
DENTSPLY will be able to deliver accurate reporting and analytics from a single
global system of record. Leadership will have easy access to a comprehensive
view of the global team. As DENTSPLY grows and prospers, Management can
use the system to make deliberate decisions related to workforce needs. The
system supports accurate real-time and transparent views of the current employee
population and allows for reporting turnover trends and compensation linked to
performance. Employee Central will also dramatically improve adherence to and
consistency in standardized HR processes and workflows. People managers will
also benefit by having real-time access to employee data leading to informed
decision-making relative to their teams.
DENTSPLY appropriately branded its new HR system as DENTSPLY Connections.
We are excited to add DENTSPLY Connections (Employee Central) to our suite of
global IT solutions that helps us work together across time zones and geographies. With global email, phone systems, and video conferencing we are able to
collaborate with each other. Now with DENTSPLY Connections, we get to know
each other, leverage our global knowledge, and better share experiences, stated
Bill Schlageter, Vice President and Chief Information Officer, DENTSPLY.
The company expects employees to quickly recognize DENTSPLY Connections
value. Employees will experience increased transparency regarding globally
standardized employment lifecycle processes. They will learn how to connect and
build relationships with colleagues across divisions, regions and countries.
Together, the global employee population can work toward common goals leading
to DENTSPLYs growth, as well as their individual career growth.

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Dentsply International Inc

DENTSPLY plans to implement additional SuccessFactors technology solutions to

continuously evolve its overall automation of HR processes and focus on business
execution. Future enhancements planned for implementation in 2012 build on the
Core HR system and improve efficiency in managing compensation, recruitment
and goal and performance management. Paula Caya, Corporate HR Director said,
We see SuccessFactors as a partner in meeting our high expectations for
developing an effective global workforce. Throughout the implementation of
Employee Central, SuccessFactors has demonstrated the ability to share our
vision for DENTSPLYs future. We look forward to working with them to meet our
workforce management goals in the years to come.

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