From Fragmented Spreadsheets to Strategic HR: How Analytics Transformed a Global Organization
Read full story below
The Challenge
A fragmented HR landscape and uncertain data stood in the way of truly informed decision-making on a global scale.
Following a major organizational transformation in the consumer goods sector, the HR team faced a challenge all too familiar to global enterprises: decision-making was consistently undermined by scattered, unreliable data. Teams operated in silos, with key information lost in endless Excel files and manually compiled reports. Basic tasks required time-consuming data checks and constant reconciliation.
For a workforce numbering in the tens of thousands and operations spanning continents, even everyday HR choices were fraught with risk and wasted effort. Critical issues, like recruitment, workforce planning, attrition tracking, DEI reporting, and employee wellbeing, were managed piecemeal. The stakes went beyond daily efficiency: they touched upon regulatory compliance, talent retention, cost reduction, and building a competitive, people-first organization.
The Solution
A comprehensive end-to-end transformation powered by Microsoft Azure, Power BI, and Clouds On Mars expertise.
Our partnership was more than an implementation; it was a philosophical and technological overhaul.
1. Building the Secure Foundation
We replaced the patchwork of manual, disconnected reporting with a single automated analytics pipeline in Power BI. Importantly, we mirrored advanced security and access controls from source HR systems, ensuring data protection at every layer.
2. Advanced Analytics & Automation
The HR team was equipped with cutting-edge tools for attrition cost modeling, compensation benchmarking, recruitment performance, and always up-to-date metrics, no more synchronizing manual spreadsheets. We embedded ongoing usage monitoring and continuous feedback, so the solution continued to grow with the business.
3. Speed & Reliability via Azure Integration
By connecting Workday with Azure Databricks, we achieved fast and reliable automated data processing. This meant every decision-maker, from HR business partners to executives, now had real-time, role-aware dashboards at their fingertips.
Crucially, by blending Clouds On Mars specialists with the client HR analytics team, every metric and insight was fine-tuned to real-world business needs, not just “technical requirements.”
The Results
Automated HR analytics cut reporting time, slashed attrition costs, and unlocked smarter decisions at every level.
The difference? Gone are the days of outdated spreadsheets and guesswork. Now, HR decisions are driven by a single, reliable source of real-time truth, available securely and tailored to each user’s role.
Key Outcomes:
- 60% reduction in time spent on HR reporting, freeing resources for truly strategic HR work
- 25% savings in attrition costs after leaders pinpointed root causes and acted quickly
- 20% increase in recruitment efficiency, as dashboard insights revealed and resolved process bottlenecks
- Data accuracy jumped to 90%, empowering confident, data-led decisions
- Analytics adoption tripled, HR dashboards became daily essentials, not just “management reports”
- For the first time, the organization had a full, transparent view of diversity, wellbeing, headcount, and retention, fueling a culture of data-driven people management, both day-to-day and strategically.
Looking forward
The new HR analytics platform isn’t just a “project delivery”, it’s the launchpad for next-gen innovation: automatic analysis of employee feedback, AI-driven insights, and continuous data quality upgrades. With flexible, scalable architecture, the organization is ready for ongoing transformation, whatever the future demands.
HR data management has evolved from chaos to a true business partner. This is just the start for digital HR, empowering growth and putting people at the heart of the organization.
Sources:
Looking for simmilar solution?
Let’s explore how we can drive similar success for your business. Leave your email, and our team will reach out
to discuss the possibilities.
