Building a Foundation for the Future: The Heritage Group’s Workday Transformation

Why It Matters

By modernizing HR technology, Heritage Group reduces operational risk, enhances employee experience, and gains data‑driven insights essential for scaling its multi‑industry operations.

Key Takeaways

• Heritage Group replaced legacy systems with Workday to eliminate technical debt.
• Deloitte ensured flawless payroll migration, reducing audit time and errors.
• Phase two added performance, learning, analytics, improving employee self‑service.
• New system provides instant access to organization-wide job data and metrics.
• Cultural shift accompanies technology rollout, driving behavior change and opportunities.

Summary

Heritage Group, a 95‑year‑old, family‑owned conglomerate spanning infrastructure, chemicals and battery recycling, embarked on a comprehensive Workday transformation to replace fragmented legacy systems that had accumulated 25 years of technical debt.

The initiative, led by EVP Betsy McCaw and HR VP Kath Pickering, began with a payroll‑first approach. Partnering with Deloitte, the team migrated payroll to Workday, achieving a flawless first run, cutting audit effort and eliminating manual checks. Phase two introduced talent management modules—performance, learning, People Analytics, Peakon and scheduling—providing real‑time visibility into jobs and metrics across the enterprise.

According to Pickering, employees are now completing performance reviews in Workday for the first time, and queries that once took days are answered instantly. Deloitte’s flexible pacing allowed a three‑month pause to consolidate gains, balancing speed with organizational capacity.

The transformation not only streamlines operations and reduces risk but also drives a cultural shift as staff adapt to new processes, unlocking productivity gains and positioning Heritage Group for future growth in its diversified markets.

Original Description

Discover how Deloitte partnered with The Heritage Group to modernize HR operations and empower employees. In this video, leaders from The Heritage Group share how a new HR platform streamlined processes across their diverse businesses, improved employee experiences, and supported the organization’s deep-rooted family culture. Hear firsthand how collaboration and innovation laid the foundation for future growth.