Global Defense Leader Modernizes PeopleSoft HCM with Innovation-First Approach
Executive Summary
A global leader in defense, security, and aerospace technology partnered with Gideon Taylor to transform their PeopleSoft environment from a maintenance burden into an innovation platform. Through strategic de-customization, an upgrade to HCM 9.2, and deployment of advanced analytics capabilities, they’ve positioned themselves as a PeopleSoft innovation leader in their industry.
For many organizations, “PeopleSoft” and “innovation” don’t naturally go together. But Oracle’s continued investment in the platform has introduced capabilities that are changing that perception – and one of Gideon Taylor’s defense industry clients is proving it.This global leader in defense, security, and aerospace technology has made innovation a cornerstone of how they approach PeopleSoft. Rather than treating their HCM system as legacy infrastructure to maintain, they’ve embraced it as a platform for driving operational efficiency and improving user experience. Their journey reflects the type of strategic thinking that defines modern PeopleSoft consulting.
The Transformation
The organization’s journey centered on their upgrade to PeopleSoft HCM 9.2, but the real story is how they approached it. This wasn’t just a version upgrade – it was a fundamental rethinking of how they use PeopleSoft. Organizations considering similar upgrades benefit from experienced PeopleSoft implementation partners who understand both technical and strategic requirements.
De-Customization as Strategy
One of their most significant achievements was an extensive de-customization effort during the HCM 9.2 upgrade. They understood that years of customizations, while solving business problems at the time, had created complexity that slowed future progress.
Working with Gideon Taylor’s PeopleSoft consulting services, they took a strategic approach. Using advanced PeopleSoft features like Event Mapping, Application Engine Plug-Ins, and Drop Zones, they isolated remaining customizations from core PeopleSoft code. This approach simplified maintenance and reduced upgrade complexity while still meeting their unique business requirements.
The result is a PeopleSoft environment that’s both more maintainable and better aligned with Oracle’s product roadmap.
Real-Time Analytics and Self-Service Reporting
The implementation of Payroll Dashboards and Analytics within PeopleSoft gave the organization something they’d been missing: real-time insights into payroll data. This enabled more informed decision-making and proactive management of payroll processes, significantly enhancing operational efficiency and transparency.
They also deployed pivot grids, revolutionizing how users access and analyze data within their HCM system. This gave business users intuitive, self-service reporting capabilities, facilitating real-time insights into critical HR metrics and improving decision-making processes across the organization.
Supporting a Distributed Workforce
The successful implementation of Remote Worker functionality addressed the challenges of managing a geographically distributed workforce. By leveraging PeopleSoft’s capabilities, they ensured employees remained connected and productive regardless of location – crucial for a global organization with operations worldwide. This capability is increasingly important for organizations evaluating PeopleSoft migration to OCI to support distributed operations.
Accelerating Feature Adoption
To maximize the return on their PeopleSoft investments, the organization deployed Oracle Guided Learning. This provides interactive, context-sensitive guidance within the application interface, helping users quickly familiarize themselves with new functionalities. The result is faster adoption of innovation and better utilization of PeopleSoft’s capabilities.
Configurable Deployment Model
The HCM 9.2 upgrade delivered a configurable deployment model across multiple modules, including Talent Management, ePerformance, eCompensation, North American Payroll, Benefits, and Workforce Administration. This approach maximized agility and scalability, allowing the organization to adapt quickly to changing business needs.
The Impact
The transformation positioned this organization as a frontrunner in how defense and aerospace companies can leverage PeopleSoft technology. They’ve demonstrated that with the right approach, PeopleSoft can be a platform for innovation rather than a legacy system to tolerate.
The strategic de-customization efforts created a cleaner, more maintainable environment that’s better positioned for future upgrades. The analytics capabilities transformed how the organization understands and manages its workforce data. And the Remote Worker implementation provided the flexibility their global operations required.
Perhaps most importantly, they’ve established a template for ongoing innovation. The configurable approach and reduced customization footprint mean they can adopt new Oracle capabilities as they emerge, without the friction that previously slowed progress.
A Partnership Built on Innovation
Gideon Taylor’s collaboration with this organization reflects a shared commitment to pushing what’s possible with PeopleSoft. Rather than simply implementing technology, the partnership focuses on strategic thinking about how PeopleSoft can best serve the business.
The organization’s transformative efforts have set a benchmark for excellence within the broader PeopleSoft community, demonstrating that innovation and PeopleSoft are not mutually exclusive – they’re complementary when approached thoughtfully. Learn more about how we help organizations through our strategic advisory services.
Client name withheld at their request to maintain confidentiality.