Dayforce has announced the ten thousand employees of WHSmith have expanded its use of the HCM platform it first started using in 2017. WHSmith has now implemented HR, Managed Pay, Advanced Scheduling, Performance Management, Succession Planning, and Analytics. Later this year, it will also implement Compensation, Recruiting, and Onboarding.
The move to Dayforce sees WHSmith consolidate its personnel data into a single data architecture. Transitioning to Dayforce was likely seen to improve security following breaches of a previous Payroll system. In 2023 Unleash.ai reported that SD Worx experienced a data breach of WHSmith data.
The move will also enable WHSmith to benefit from simplicity at scale. It will automate processes for a frequently changing workforce across its 500 stores. With the data held in a single location, Dayforce will enable WHSmith to extract insights using its analytics tools. It will also use the software to enhance the self-service features for employees.
Helen Webb, CBE, Chief People Officer, WHSmith, commented, “Data is the driving force behind our business. Working with Dayforce allows us to gather and analyse real-time information to improve our strategic decision-making. It has also improved the experience for our colleagues, the vast majority who work in stores, who can access payslips, check their schedules, or book a holiday from their mobile device, without having to log in to multiple systems.”
Steve Holdridge, President of Dayforce, Inc., said, “Dayforce drives quantifiable value for our customers, and they are increasingly choosing our single, full-suite platform to deliver simplicity at scale for large enterprise organisations. We’re honoured that an historic brand like WHSmith trusts us to unlock the full potential of their workforce and make work life better for their thousands of employees.”
Enterprise Times: What does this mean
The announcement cements the Dayforce position in WHSmith within the UK. WHSmith is a marquee brand they can point to. That will help cement their position and compete effectively in the UK.
It is perhaps surprising that WHSmith did not mention security as one of the reasons for selecting Dayforce. It seems likely that the consolidation of a single data platform would have helped reduce vulnerabilities. Moving forward, the firm is also looking to invest further in the solution to provide an end-to-end solution for its talent needs. This should simplify the HR operations of the firm, enabling administrators to learn fewer solutions and work within one system. It will be interesting to see what impact this has on the HR team’s efficiency over time.
