Client and Project
FrieslandCampina is a global dairy cooperative operating in countries around the world. The organisation engaged Quintop to support a strategic programme aimed at further globalising its HR function. In addition to harmonising HR processes, the programme focused on the global implementation of ServiceNow and SAP SuccessFactors.
The Problem
Across the different countries, HR teams worked with their own processes and systems. The Global Finder programme was established to harmonise these processes and technologies, creating one consistent global HR approach.
After the HR processes had been designed and configured in the new systems, the programme entered the next critical phase: User Acceptance Testing (UAT).
Read more about User Acceptance Testing in the knowledge article on our website.
It quickly became clear that the program team needed a coordinator to take ownership of this responsibility spanning multiple workstreams. UAT affected all three workstreams within the program – Technology, Process and Change – without clearly falling within any one of these domains.
FrieslandCampina therefore engaged Quintop consultant Jorim Jager to take ownership of the UAT coordination and act as the link between the different workstreams, stakeholders and countries.
The Challenges
The scale and complexity of the programme presented the biggest challenge. The HR landscape had been divided into multiple process clusters, each consisting of several sub-clusters. Every sub-cluster involved different stakeholders, each with their own expertise, priorities and dependencies. As a result, coordinating the overall UAT quickly became a highly complex undertaking.
At the same time, testing had to be carried out simultaneously across ten countries. This introduced not only logistical challenges but also required continuous alignment between local teams, time zones and different ways of working.
The Solution
The Quintop UAT Coordinator designed and managed the User Acceptance Testing approach step by step by:
- creating a central overview of all processes, roles and responsibilities;
- developing a structured UAT plan and test schedule for the different process clusters;
- supporting Business Process Experts in developing test scenarios and test scripts;
- coordinating the registration, monitoring and resolution of findings and defects;
- actively managing progress and dependencies across countries, workstreams and stakeholders.
During both the testing and defect resolution phases, the Quintop UAT Coordinator also facilitated daily stand-up meetings with stakeholders from the various workstreams and countries. These sessions enabled rapid decision-making, clear prioritisation and efficient follow-up of findings and defects.
The Result
Over the course of the programme, four UAT cycles were successfully completed across the different process clusters. More than 400 defects were resolved before the global go-live, making a significant contribution to a smooth and successful implementation.
The UAT process also generated valuable feedback from end users. In addition to identifying issues that needed to be addressed before go-live, it produced a comprehensive backlog of optimisation opportunities and quick wins that FrieslandCampina could use to further enhance its HR processes and systems after implementation.
Thanks to the central coordination of User Acceptance Testing and the close collaboration between countries, workstreams and stakeholders, FrieslandCampina was able to move towards a successful global go-live with confidence.
