The Problem

# Rescuing a Halted Workforce Management Tech Implementation Project

A retail client with global operations faced issues with labor spend visibility worth $1 billion. The client was struggling to optimize workforce productivity while minimizing compliance risk. They launched a workforce management solution, UKG, in 460 North American stores, which led to significant improvements. Encouraged by the results, the client aimed to scale the solution worldwide, which would affect 25,000 employees in 740 stores across 22 countries. However, the project encountered several roadblocks, such as leadership turnover, poor team communications, lack of sign-off from critical stakeholder groups, and a missed compliance requirement that forced them to halt implementation. As a result, the client sought external support to stabilize the project and achieve its intended outcomes.

Our Approach

# A Long-Term Partner for a Global Launch

With low team morale and high turnover, Propeller quickly identified the need to rebuild the project team and roles and responsibilities across client and vendor stakeholders. We involved a cross-functional set of individual contributors in engineering, quality control, and user research in focus groups to help team members gain a renewed sense of purpose. During these focus groups, we heard directly from store employees about how the workforce management product would improve their daily lives. Propeller remodeled UAT to be dual-purpose, not only tackling design issues at the moment but also leveraging the opportunity for localized retail operations to observe other countries' builds and inform each final set of country requirements. Additionally, we adjusted training design and delivery to meet the unique needs of each country and culture. Last, we addressed stakeholder engagement frustrations from European leaders experiencing the six-month ripple effect of launch postponement. Through our change management efforts, consultants brought broader transparency to the workforce management vision through regular corporate communications. Ultimately, Propeller provided full-time project leadership for four years, seeing successful rollouts across every global launch.

# Services Provided

  • Change + Project Management
  • Training Design + Delivery
  • Actionable Recommendations
  • ERP
  • Vendor Assessment and Selection
  • Tech Implementation and Integration
  • Agile Training + Coaching
  • Cloud Technology

Value Delivered

# Unlocking $1 Billion In Labor Spend

Propeller successfully converted and supported 1,200 retail stores and 45,000 employees on six continents, unlocking $1 billion in labor spend for the client. In addition, the corporate-wide implementation provided a much-needed mitigation of compliance risk and increased productivity and satisfaction levels across a wide employee base. Continued enhancements were prioritized and implemented once the solution was in production. Propeller consultants coached the client on agile methodologies to further increase speed to market and leverage newly accessible data to make informed strategic decisions. Trust and collaboration increased amongst the diverse project teams, which allowed for open conversations to revisit requirements, experiment with new ways of working, and take learnings from each launch into each subsequent phase.