Uniting to save and sustain lives. That is the mission of the international organisation Baxter. With branches across the globe, Baxter is committed to helping improve and personalise healthcare. Baxter Belgium employs around 1,600 people, including Jean-Philippe Ferette, HR Operations Manager. Communication between the corporate HR system and the local payroll system is often a challenge for such large companies. Jean-Philippe explains why he and his co-workers have thoroughly enjoyed working with Popay for years.

Years ago, Baxter’s head office in America switched from the PeopleSoft HR system to Workday.  ‘All countries had to switch to that system, so also Belgium. And the question was, how are we going to ensure that all current data remains available to our payroll system?’ explains Jean-Philippe. Classic interfaces have two-way traffic; sending and receiving information. That was not the case with Baxter. Jean-Philippe explains, ‘The new system came with technical constraints we had to take into account. As an example, data from Workday could be sent to our systems, but not vice versa. That meant we couldn’t integrate data in Workday. That was when we started looking for a reliable, specialist partner that could help us with properly automating that.’ 

‘Popay saves our organisation time and energy in the payroll process.
They not only supply the system, but also stay involved.’

The ideal interface
The assignment was clear: two systems that must communicate effectively with each other. That’s the kind of challenge that Popay specialists love getting their teeth into. ‘Popay built and extensively tested a bespoke connector. Their vast experience with this meant they managed it in a short lead time. This connector runs every day, checks whether the data in the basic system has changed and forwards the changes to the payroll system,’ says Jean-Philippe. ‘This piece of automation saves us a considerable amount of time and we always have current data to work with. We have closed a service contract with Popay, so they ensure that the interface always works properly. The experts are ready to help even with changes or other questions. They don’t just deliver a system and leave you to it. They stay involved. Even if we are short-handed, they pick up the slack. They know our organisation and systems, so it works well. They save us time and energy in our payroll process.’

‘Working with Popay has been a revelation. They provide input, are transparent and
always search for feasible solutions.’

Silent, reliable force
The team at Baxter Belgium is extremely pleased to be working with the Popay team. And that’s with good reason. ‘The specialists at Popay really know their stuff. That was obvious to us from the first introductory meeting,’ explains Jean-Philippe. ‘They arrived composed and without any fuss. I work with plenty of suppliers, but Popay is certainly one of our best. Their in-house expertise is excellent, they are extremely willing to give the client input and they are transparent. But most importantly, they always search for feasible solutions. And that’s what makes all the difference with other suppliers. There are times when suppliers present solutions without highlighting the downsides. Then you are confronted with the disadvantages later on. If you would have known, maybe you would have made a different choice. Popay isn’t like that. When they present a solution, they consistently say ‘these are the pros and these are the cons.’ And even if they are not absolutely certain, they are honest about it. They will test it first and come back to us later. Working with them is a real revelation. And I am not the only one who thinks that, everyone here internally who works with Popay says the same. You may not talk to the people at Popay for a year because everything is running smoothly, but as soon as you send them a mail you get an answer straight away that you can do something with. Without fail!’ concludes Jean-Philippe.   

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