• Category: Technology

Client Overview

  • Client: GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)
  • Industry: Pharmaceuticals
  • Project: Migration of Legacy Learning Data and HR Records to SAP SuccessFactors

As part of its global HR digital transformation, GSK aimed to centralize learning and compliance data by migrating from fragmented legacy systems into SAP SuccessFactors Learning Management System (LMS). The initiative was crucial to maintain regulatory compliance, ensure accurate learning history, and enable proactive workforce development across GSK’s global operations.

Requirements

GSK’s primary focus was on preserving, validating, and activating legacy learning data to support: management effectively.

1. Complete Learning History Migration:
  • Import historical training records, certifications, SOP completions, and course transcripts.
  • Maintain lineage from multiple legacy LMS platforms and offline training systems.
2. Compliance-Driven Data Accuracy:
  • Ensure alignment with FDA 21 CFR Part 11, GxP, and global audit standards.
  • Preserve timestamps, approver details, and course metadata.
3. Business Logic & Transformation:
  • Apply rules for expired trainings, recurring compliance modules, and mandatory role-based learning.
  • Map legacy course structures to new SuccessFactors curriculum models.
4. Minimal Operational Disruption:
  • Ensure that business units (especially Manufacturing, R&D, and Quality) retain learning continuity.
  • Sync learning data with Workday and Documentum workflows.
5. Future-Ready Integration:
  • Enable automation of learning credit assignment based on document approvals in Documentum.
  • Link learning data to employee profiles for reporting and talent development analytics.

Solution

The solution was designed around a data-first, compliance-ready migration framework, with a specific focus on Learning Data:

1. Learning Data Discovery & Mapping
  • Assessed training data from 5+ legacy LMS and offline systems (e.g., spreadsheets, access logs).
  • Created a centralized learning data model aligned with SuccessFactors LMS structure.
2. Cleanse, Transform & Enrich
  • Applied transformation rules for course equivalencies, compliance expirations, and retraining cycles.
  • Enriched training records with course IDs, learning types, and approver information.
3. SAP SuccessFactors LMS Integration
  • Leveraged SAP CPI for real-time sync with SuccessFactors LMS modules.
  • Validated learning assignments and completion statuses post-migration.
4. Compliance & Audit Focus
  • Embedded full audit trails for each learning record.
  • Designed traceable migration paths with audit-ready logs showing data origination and transformation.
5. Cutover & Testing
  • Ran parallel validation cycles with live users to verify learning history.
  • Final cutover executed with zero data loss and minimal impact to operations.

Benefits

The targeted focus on learning data migration yielded major strategic and operational advantages for GSK:

Category Benefits
Compliance 100% traceability of learning records; audit-ready structure for FDA and EMA
Operational Continuity Seamless training history preservation ensured no rework or retesting for staff
Efficiency Automated mapping of 20,000+ historical courses into SF LMS structure
Data Accuracy Achieved 99.3% accuracy on migrated learning completions
Readiness Enabled role-based learning dashboards and proactive compliance tracking
Risk Mitigation Eliminated learning data silos and reduced audit findings risk

Conclusion

Through the precise and compliance-driven migration of legacy learning data to SAP SuccessFactors LMS, GSK ensured that every employee’s training record remained intact, verifiable, and reportable. The successful migration positioned GSK to streamline workforce development, accelerate readiness, and maintain excellence in regulatory compliance—a mission-critical capability in the pharmaceutical industry.