Mersen is a global expert in electrical specialities and advanced materials, offering high value-added technological solutions to manufacturers primarily in the high-tech sector. The group has a solid infrastructure—21 R&D centres and more than 50 industrial sites—enabling it to design and produce tailor-made solutions for its customers. Its high-tech products are used in a wide range of sectors, including wind power, solar energy, electronics, electric mobility, aeronautics and space. In 2024, Mersen achieved record sales of €1.244 billion, 55% of which came from sustainable development markets. The group is present in 33 countries, where it employs a total of nearly 7,500 people.
Mersen is in a unique position: it is a medium-sized group, but with a strong international presence.
"To this end, in 2010, our senior management expressed the need to equip ourselves with a global HRIS system that would, first and foremost, provide a clear overview of our workforce around the world, but also enable us to effectively deploy key processes, particularly those related to employee performance and remuneration," explains Jean-Baptiste de Clermont-Tonnerre, HRIS Manager for the Mersen Group.
Thanks to this tool, the human resources department has been able to strengthen its HR culture and processes for nearly twelve years.
Over the years, our HR processes have become increasingly sophisticated, to the point where our HRIS was beginning to show its limitations. Despite its qualities, it was unable to meet the new ambitions of our 2021-2025 HR roadmap, which was based on three main pillars: strengthening Mersen's identity; making Mersen a learning organisation; and enriching the employee experience. We therefore needed to opt for a new HRIS offering broader functional coverage. A rich, modern, ergonomic offering that was also more accessible, so that all our employees, including workshop staff, could access it directly."
"As part of our Themis project to overhaul Mersen's HRIS, we consulted with the leading players in the sector," continues Jean-Baptiste de Clermont-Tonnerre. "In 2010, we were able to implement a tailor-made solution. But today's solutions offer far fewer customisation options, and standardisation is often the norm. We were therefore concerned that we would encounter a certain rigidity and that it would be difficult to adapt the tool to our specific needs. Arago convinced us by assuring us that it could implement SAP SuccessFactors in line with our requirements, which was subsequently confirmed."
Following its tender process, Mersen opted for the SAP SuccessFactors solution, implemented by Arago (a premium SAP SuccessFactors partner with over 1,000 projects to its credit).
The Themis project will start at the end of March 2022, with the various modules of the solution being rolled out in waves. The first go-live will take place in January 2023, based on a reduced HR Core, but sufficient to conduct the annual review campaign in SAP SuccessFactors.
"This launch of SAP SuccessFactors based on a 'mini HR Core' enabled us to quickly activate an initial module, performance, while relaxing the schedule for the rest, in order to adapt to our teams' workload. Arago demonstrated its agility here."
Deployments then continue throughout the year. An important milestone is reached in July 2023 with the launch of the final Core HR system, which involves migrating data from the old HRIS, interfacing with payroll and integrating with the group's new LMS, Cornerstone. "We sometimes had to tweak our processes to make them fit the tool. However, whenever we encountered seemingly insurmountable difficulties, Arago rolled up its sleeves to find the best compromise. It was together, in partnership, that we were able to find solutions."
The Mersen Group's SAP SuccessFactors HRIS now covers a wide range of functions, with the deployment of numerous modules: Employee Central (with Core HR), Performance & Goals, Recruiting, Onboarding, Compensation, Succession & Development, etc. "This project was an opportunity for us to adapt and modernize some of our HR processes," notes Jean-Baptiste de Clermont-Tonnerre. "It also enabled us to improve our organization, notably through the implementation of a process for reporting needs and identifying BPO, which played a decisive role during the project."
Today, the HRIS is fully operational, with Arago providing application maintenance services. At the end of each campaign, feedback is collected from the various departments to determine what worked well, what was lacking, and what needs to be improved. The solution is then adapted accordingly. The Themis project teams are also putting the finishing touches to the deployment of the Recruiting module, which is one of the new features introduced in their new HRIS.
Finally, discussions have begun on innovative topics such as artificial intelligence.
"We are very pragmatic here. We are currently mapping out potential use cases that could be of practical interest to our HR department, with the support of BPOs, who are familiar with business needs, and Arago, who presented the features of the Joule co-pilot to us. We will present the interesting use cases to the committee at the end of the year, with possible implementation in 2026. "