Digital Talent Management: How Martin Bauer successfully links performance reviews and job profiles
Standardized processes, integrated job profiles, and a future-proof skill architecture with SAP SuccessFactors
Company / Industry
the nature network / Food and Beverage Industry
Service Portfolio
MartinBauer is part of the corporate group the nature network, which is now in its fourth generation of family leadership. As one of four business divisions, MartinBauer develops and produces plant-based solutions built on high-quality botanicals for the tea, beverage, and food industries, as well as for the dietary supplements and animal nutrition sectors. The corporate group employs around 4,500 people worldwide, approximately 2,300 of them at MartinBauer.
Website
https://www.martin-bauer.com
To standardize the performance review process and closely link it with job profiles, MartinBauer decided to implement an integrated solution based on SAP SuccessFactors Performance & Goals. The result: end-to-end digital processes, a future-proof skill architecture, and the foundation for the continuous development of talent management.
The starting point of the project was the desire to connect two central HR instruments: job profiles and performance reviews. Until then, both processes had only been partially established, were handled inconsistently, and had not been digitalized. The goal was to create a uniform and transparent process that takes both salaried employees and industrial/blue-collar employees into account and makes optimal use of the strengths of SAP SuccessFactors.
Together with p78, MartinBauer developed a solution that intelligently links job profiles, skills, and performance reviews. Key aspects of the project were a well-thought-out skill architecture, a high level of user-friendliness, and a consistent user experience. The application was complemented by reports and dashboards, as well as a digital acknowledgment process for job profiles.
With the go-live, a fully digitalized platform for performance reviews was introduced that is directly linked to the job profiles in SAP SuccessFactors. The new system is very positively received by managers and employees alike, reduces the training effort, and at the same time forms the basis for further expansion stages.
Why MartinBauer rethought performance reviews
Before the project began, performance reviews and job profiles were only partially established at MartinBauer and were implemented differently across the individual business areas. The decisive factor was to standardize both processes in SAP SuccessFactors and map them consistently company-wide.
One challenge was to make the new process usable for the industrial/blue-collar area as well. Many employees in production, warehousing, or logistics do not have a traditional computer-based workplace. At the same time, the new process was intended to remain as consistent as possible for all employee groups and to integrate seamlessly into the existing HR processes.
Alongside digitalization, the main focus was on the intelligent linking of job profiles, skills, and performance reviews. In addition, the solution was to be designed so that future developments within SAP SuccessFactors – for example in the area of Learning or AI-supported functions – can be integrated without fundamental adjustments.
From idea to go-live: step by step to an integrated solution
The implementation started in March 2025 with a joint kick-off workshop. In this first project phase, the business requirements were captured and the foundation for the subsequent implementation was laid. The focus was on two closely interlinked topics: the performance review process, as well as the job profiles including the skill architecture. Both areas were developed in parallel from the outset so that they interact optimally in SAP SuccessFactors.
Based on the requirements, p78 first developed a prototype, which was refined iteratively together with MartinBauer. After an initial feedback round, a second implementation phase followed, in which the feedback was incorporated and the system further refined. The task was not only to map the business requirements, but also to ensure a high level of user-friendliness for employees and managers.
A key component of the project was the User Acceptance Test. Managers and employees from different business areas tested the solution early in the system and contributed their experiences from day-to-day work. The feedback from the industrial/blue-collar area in particular provided valuable insights for developing the process in a practical way and adapting it to the different working conditions.
After further fine-tuning, the resolution of minor errors, and the preparation for productive operation, the successful go-live took place in mid-February 2026. The implementation was based on the SAP Activate methodology.
The result: end-to-end talent processes with SAP SuccessFactors
With the go-live, a fully digitalized performance review process was introduced that is directly linked to the job profiles in SAP SuccessFactors. Employees, managers, and HR can access the stored job profiles at any time and use them directly in the reviews. In addition, a digital acknowledgment process was established that documents that employees have read and confirmed their job profile – both at the initial rollout and in the event of later changes.
To meet the different requirements within the company, two coordinated workflows were developed: one for salaried employees and one for the industrial/blue-collar area. The solution is complemented by reports and dashboards that give HR and managers a transparent overview of the status of the processes.
We went live with a digitalized performance review process that is directly linked to the job profiles. From my point of view, we absolutely achieved the project goals. Since then, we have also received a great deal of positive feedback from the departments – even unprompted. That really pleased me.
The acceptance within the company also confirms the project's success. Managers report structured and practical support in conducting the reviews, while the training effort was comparatively low. The new solution combines job profiles, skills, and performance reviews into a standardized talent management process, thereby supporting more efficient HR processes and the sustainable development of talent management.
Challenges in the project
As with many HR transformation projects, the challenge did not lie solely in the technical implementation, but above all in developing a solution that meets the different requirements within the organization. Two topics were at the center: the integration of the industrial/blue-collar area and the development of a skill architecture that is viable in the long term.
- A uniform process for all employee groups
A particular focus was on employees in production, warehousing, and logistics. Since many of them do not have a fixed computer-based workplace, the performance review process had to be designed flexibly. The goal, however, was not to establish different processes for different target groups, but to create a standard that is as uniform as possible. For this reason, the option was created to continue carrying out the self-assessment on paper where needed, while the evaluation by the manager and the final documentation take place digitally in SAP SuccessFactors. In this way, the solution combines the requirements of day-to-day work with the advantages of an end-to-end digital process.
- Skills as a prerequisite for future innovations
Another key focus was the decision on the right architecture within SAP SuccessFactors. Together, the project team opted for a skill-based architecture that supports existing HR processes while at the same time creating room for future extensions. In doing so, MartinBauer laid the foundation during the implementation for the later use of additional SAP functionalities and AI-supported use cases. In parallel, p78 closely supported the introduction of the new Performance interface, fed feedback directly to SAP, and helped to address challenges within the standard solution at an early stage.
Lessons Learned for future implementations
The project showed how important it is to factor strategic decisions in right from the start of an implementation. This includes both the future extensibility of the solution and a well-thought-out skill and job architecture.
Another success factor was the early design of the skill and job architecture. The more clearly roles, skills, and job profiles are defined before the implementation, the easier it is to avoid later adjustments and integrate new functionalities. In addition, an architecture that is as lean as possible is recommended, as it reduces the maintenance effort while still offering enough flexibility for future requirements.
The close involvement of users also proved to be an important part of the project. The User Acceptance Test with managers and employees provided valuable input for the final design of the solution. In addition, short learning videos supported the introduction of the new processes and helped to keep the training effort low and increase acceptance among end users.
Collaborative partnership as a success factor
MartinBauer and p78 already share a long-standing collaboration. The company worked together with p78's HR/IT experts as early as the implementation of SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central, Recruiting, and Onboarding. This existing understanding of the system landscape, the processes, and the business requirements formed an important basis for the successful realization of the project.
Throughout the entire project, MartinBauer was supported by a dedicated p78 contact person. As a result, neither knowledge nor project history was lost, and business-related questions could be clarified quickly and easily. In addition, a structured project organization, short coordination paths, and transparent task tracking ensured that the project could be completed almost on schedule. The shared testing list with all open items, SAP tickets, and test results, as well as a shared Microsoft Teams workspace, particularly supported the close collaboration between the two project teams.
For MartinBauer, p78's cross-module expertise was a decisive added value in particular. Many questions went beyond Performance & Goals and concerned, among other things, Employee Central, Job Profile Builder, and Analytics. Thanks to this holistic understanding, effects on adjacent modules could be taken into account at an early stage, and sustainable decisions could be made for the future HR system landscape.
The next steps: roll-outs, AI, and further SAP SuccessFactors modules
Following the successful go-live, the new performance review process is now being rolled out step by step to further business areas and is continuously developed on the basis of the first practical experiences.
The roadmap is also already clearly defined. In the medium term, MartinBauer plans to introduce SAP SuccessFactors Learning, which was already taken into account during the design of the project. In addition, the company sees further potential to digitalize additional HR processes – for example onboarding plans or feedback meetings – within SAP SuccessFactors and to link them even more closely with one another.
With the existing architecture, MartinBauer can integrate future SAP functionalities and AI-supported use cases into the existing system landscape step by step. At the same time, MartinBauer is pursuing a phased roll-out approach for the further expansion in order to specifically use the experiences from the individual introduction phases for the next expansion stages.