SAP ConsultingHuman resources
SAP SuccessFactors
SAP SuccessFactors is SAP's cloud HR suite: the core record lives in Employee Central, payroll runs in EC Payroll or in S/4HANA, and recruiting, performance, compensation and learning each have their own module. It can also run side by side with an existing SAP HCM system.
Part of these processes
Process
From hiring to payroll in SAP SuccessFactors
With Employee Central in place, every module reads employee data from it, and the record sent to payroll starts there too.
- 01RecruitingJob requisition · posting
SmartRecruiters is an option
- 02OnboardingNew hire tasks
New Onboarding, not 1.0
- 03Employee CentralJob Info · Position
Master record starts here
- 04Performance & GoalsGoal plan · form
Period-end review
- 05CompensationCompensation worksheet
Written to EC pay data
- 06Payroll replicationECP or S/4HANA PY-TR
Tracked in the monitor
Layers
Core Hybrid: EC with S/4HANA payroll
Core HR lives in EC while Turkish payroll stays in S/4HANA; the two systems talk through SAP Integration Suite packages.
- 01
SuccessFactors EC
- Employee and job data
- Positions, org assignments
- Turkish ID and fields
- 02
SAP Integration Suite
- Core Hybrid packages
- Cost centers flow back
- Time: point-to-point
- 03
S/4HANA (H4S4)
- BIB → PA/OM infotypes
- Employee BP sync
- PY-TR payroll run
- FI/CO posting
Scope
What our SAP SuccessFactors projects cover
Employee Central for Türkiye
Data model, Turkish localization blocks, address and ID fields and dependents, set up in Manage Business Configuration.
Positions and role-based access
Position Management and reporting lines; an RBP role matrix, permission groups and a permission test after each release.
Core Hybrid integration
Integration Suite packages, BIB field and event reason mapping, and cost center replication with ODTF_REPL_CC.
Employee Central Payroll
Replication through the Compound Employee API, Payroll Control Center and payroll postings to S/4HANA FI/CO.
Talent modules
Performance & Goals, Compensation, Succession & Development and Learning; pay decisions are written back to EC.
Recruiting and Onboarding
Rebuilding Onboarding 1.0 in the new Onboarding, and a decision note on Recruiting versus SmartRecruiters.
Current state
SAP SuccessFactors: releases, Onboarding and S/4HANA
- SuccessFactors is a separate SaaS product, not part of S/4HANA. New features arrive in two main releases a year (1H and 2H); plan permission and integration regression tests before each one.
- Maintenance for Onboarding 1.0 ended on 14 May 2026; SAP says it stays temporarily accessible after that date. There is no automatic migration; the process is rebuilt in the new Onboarding.
- SAP acquired SmartRecruiters in September 2025 and announced SmartRecruiters for SAP SuccessFactors on 4 March 2026. Existing Recruiting customers need not migrate.
- For Core Hybrid on the S/4HANA side, SAP has a separate H4S4 integration guide. In Public Edition, the preferred way to connect SuccessFactors is SAP Master Data Integration.
Localization
Türkiye: localization, payroll, KVKK
Employee Central for Türkiye
SAP Best Practices (1H 2026) include Employee Central Core, Time Off and dependents blocks for Türkiye, and the content is also available in Turkish.
Payroll and statutory filing
SSI notifications and the MUHSGK return come from the payroll system, not from EC. EC Payroll's country guide has a Türkiye section; confirm its legal scope first.
Data centers and KVKK
Türkiye is not on SuccessFactors' data center list. Transfers abroad need one of the KVKK article 9 routes; standard contracts go to the Authority within 5 business days.
From the field
Recurring issues in SAP SuccessFactors projects
- Records fail on unmapped code values. If a picklist value in EC has no counterpart in the S/4HANA code table, replication drops the record. We design BIB field and event reason mapping as a whole and check the replication monitor every day.
- Turkish fields are only half configured. When the Turkish ID number or dependents data is incomplete, the payroll side cannot be finished. Switch on the localization block and compare the fields with ECP's Türkiye mappings for 0021 and 0770.
- Permission roles multiply unchecked. A new role for every request leads to target population errors, and nobody can say who sees what. Design the role matrix and permission groups up front, and repeat the permission test after every release.
- The Onboarding 1.0 exit keeps slipping. With no automatic migration, the process is built again in the new Onboarding. Version 1.0 is out of maintenance and only temporarily accessible, so we scope the exit in a short analysis and plan it on Best Practices templates.
FAQ
SAP SuccessFactors: common questions
What is SAP SuccessFactors?
SAP's cloud HR suite. Employee Central covers core HR and Employee Central Payroll covers payroll, while recruiting, onboarding, performance, compensation, succession and learning modules share a common platform. New features arrive in two main releases a year.
Is SuccessFactors built on top of an existing SAP HCM system?
No. SuccessFactors is a separate SaaS product. It either replaces HCM or runs alongside it: core HR moves to EC, payroll stays in H4S4 on S/4HANA, and the two are linked through Core Hybrid packages.
Is Employee Central localized for Türkiye?
Yes. SAP's EC Best Practices content (1H 2026) includes core HR, Time Off and dependents configuration for Türkiye. Employee Central Payroll's Türkiye guide also defines how the Turkish ID number (0770) and dependents data (0021) are mapped from EC.
How is Turkish payroll handled with SuccessFactors?
There are two common models. In Core Hybrid, payroll is calculated in S/4HANA with SAP's Turkish localization (PY-TR) and EC data is replicated there. The other route is Employee Central Payroll: its country guide has a Türkiye section, but the social security and tax scope should be confirmed before the project starts.
What does KVKK require when using SuccessFactors?
KVKK compliance is the company's duty as data controller; no software delivers it on its own. SuccessFactors data sits in a data center outside Türkiye, so a transfer mechanism under article 9 has to be chosen, and a standard contract must be notified to the Authority within 5 business days of signing. We help with the technical documentation.
How does SuccessFactors integrate with S/4HANA?
Core Hybrid packages in SAP Integration Suite move employee and organizational data from EC to S/4HANA and cost centers the other way; on the S/4HANA side, BIB writes them into PA/OM infotypes. Time data goes point-to-point. In Public Edition the preferred link is SAP Master Data Integration.
Sources12 sourcesSAP Help Portal, SAP News Center, Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi
SAP Help Portal
- Localizations - Solution Scope: SAP Best Practices for SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central help.sap.com (opens in a new tab)
- Türkiye - Solution Scope: SAP Best Practices for SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central help.sap.com (opens in a new tab)
- Identifier (Infotype 0770) - Turkey (Employee Central Payroll) help.sap.com (opens in a new tab)
- Overview of the Core Hybrid Deployment Option help.sap.com (opens in a new tab)
- Packaged Integrations for Different Core Hybrid Scenarios help.sap.com (opens in a new tab)
- Overview of Integration Between Employee Central Payroll and SAP S/4HANA Finance help.sap.com (opens in a new tab)
- Replacement of Onboarding 1.0 with Onboarding help.sap.com (opens in a new tab)
- The Default Value of Version Indicates When New Release Notes Are Available help.sap.com (opens in a new tab)
- IT Landscape Requirements for SAP SuccessFactors help.sap.com (opens in a new tab)
- Dependents Information (Infotype 0021) - Turkey (Employee Central Payroll) help.sap.com (opens in a new tab)
SAP News Center
Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi
Sources checked as of October 2026.
SAP Consulting
Connect SAP SuccessFactors to S/4HANA
Hybrid or full cloud, and where should Turkish payroll run? We'll answer both against your current setup.