Building a cloud-ready personnel file during SAP HCM to SuccessFactors migration

The document challenge hidden inside every SAP HCM landscape

Most SAP HCM customers have decades of documentation stored across multiple locations:

• PA30 attachments with inconsistent structures
• Network drives and shared folders
• Scanned paper archives
• Payroll output directories
• Local business unit folders
• Manager desktops
• Third-party tools

No two departments file documents the same way. No two countries follow the same folder structure. Metadata is often missing, and naming conventions vary by individual.

SuccessFactors replaces many core HR processes, but it does not provide a governed, structured digital personnel file. Without a strategy, organisations risk moving years of inconsistent documentation into their new cloud environment and recreating the same problems. This is why more organisations now treat employee document migration as a standalone workstream, and why PeopleHub eFile for SAP SuccessFactors has become essential in cloud transformation programmes.

What goes wrong without proper document planning

Moving fragmented archives to the cloud creates several critical risks:

Fragmented archives cannot be lifted and shifted

Inconsistent documents moved to the cloud create long-term governance issues that multiply over time.

Missing documents appear during go-live

Compliance gaps around contracts, payroll decisions, and safety documentation often surface during user testing or after go-live.

SuccessFactors attachments lack full personnel file capabilities

SuccessFactors handles transactions well, but does not provide:

• Enterprise-grade archive structures
• Metadata models for sophisticated retrieval
• Retention rules and deletion governance
• Completeness checks
• Detailed audit histories

Regulatory expectations continue to increase

Modern cloud HR must support mandatory retention periods, internal and external auditing, safety and certification governance, EU Pay Transparency evidence trails, payroll documentation, and legal defensibility.

Cloud transformation offers a unique opportunity to establish proper document governance rather than simply migrating problems forward.

How SuccessFactors and eFile work together on SAP BTP

The relationship is straightforward:

• SuccessFactors manages HR data and processes
• PeopleHub eFile manages the documents that support those processes
• Both operate together on SAP Business Technology Platform

SuccessFactors becomes the system of record for data. PeopleHub eFile becomes the system of record for documents. Employees and managers access both seamlessly through the SuccessFactors interface, but behind the scenes, eFile delivers the structure, governance, and long-term archiving that SuccessFactors is not built to provide.

The four-stage transformation from legacy documents to cloud assets

1. Extracting documents from SAP HCM and legacy sources

Documents are collected from:

• SAP HCM archives
• File servers and network drives
• Scanned paper files
• Payroll output directories
• Third-party systems

Using sFTP transfers, bulk upload, drag-and-drop functionality, and APIs. This stage focuses on comprehensive collection rather than organisation.

2. Converting, cleaning, and classifying the files

Before documents reach the cloud archive, they pass through transformation services:

Document Conversion Service converts files to PDF and applies OCR for searchability.

Naming rule processing automatically routes each file to the correct employee and folder.

Classification and metadata enrichment applies tags that enable folder mapping, filtering, and completeness checking.

Retention analysis reviews documents against policies and regulations, identifying files that should not be migrated due to expired retention periods or duplication.

This stage transforms unstructured archives into structured, governed assets.

3. Storing files in a modern, compliant archive on SAP BTP

PeopleHub eFile uses a CMIS-based archive built for long-term storage, auditability, and global governance. The cloud-ready personnel file includes:

• Standard folder structures
• Metadata and tagging
• Audit history
• Document notes
• Retention and deletion rules
• Reminders and completeness checks
• Multilingual support

Each employee file becomes consistent regardless of country, department, or tenure.

4. Accessing everything seamlessly through SuccessFactors

Once migrated, documents are accessible through:

• Employee Self-Service
• Manager Self-Service
• HR document workspaces

Employees get immediate, secure access. Managers gain better visibility. HR gets a single place to store, retrieve, and govern documentation, creating the unified cloud experience users expect.

Why document migration deserves workstream status

Ensures compliance from day one

No missing documents or scattered archives when SuccessFactors goes live.

Enables cleaner HR processes

Document governance becomes part of the new cloud operating model rather than a retrofit.

Reduces audit effort significantly

Standardised structure, metadata, and retention rules make retrieval straightforward.

Supports future regulatory needs

Whether EU Pay Transparency, safety accreditation, or workforce reporting, documentation is ready when required.

Unlocks self-service value

Employees and managers access documents without raising HR tickets.

Prevents legacy problems from returning

Migration becomes an opportunity to start fresh with proper governance.

Documentation as strategic infrastructure

Moving to SuccessFactors represents more than a technology upgrade. It is an opportunity to modernise how HR documents are stored, structured, governed, and accessed. PeopleHub eFile for SAP SuccessFactors provides the foundation organisations need to build a clean, compliant, cloud-ready personnel file while retiring the document chaos that accumulated over decades.

When SuccessFactors handles the data and eFile handles the documents, HR finally gets the complete cloud experience it needs. The missing piece is no longer missing.

Planning your SAP HCM to SuccessFactors migration? Let's talk about your document strategy and how to build a cloud-ready personnel file.