Issue

The HR Contract solution within Syensqo is presently supported by OpenText, augmented by PowerDocs and xECM for document generation and document management and DocuSign for digital signatures. While all countries currently use OpenText for storing documents (employee personnel files), the document generation solution is being used by 9 countries (primarily for HR contracts but also for other HR documents).

With SyWay implementing the Icertis Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) solution across the enterprise for functions such as Sales, Procurement, and Legal, it is being assessed whether OpenText or Icertis offers the most effective capabilities for managing HR contract lifecycle processes.

While Icertis offers robust capabilities for complex and multi-stakeholder contracting, OpenText's strengths directly align with the simpler and more standardized processes associated with HR contracts.

It is important to recognize that the primary objective is to identify a solution specifically suited for generating HR employment contracts. These contracts are generally less complex and less bespoke than commercial agreements. As such, the selected solution should prioritize usability, efficiency, and consistency over advanced customization capabilities typically required for commercial contracting.

By clearly understanding the complexity of Commercial contracts and standard HR Employment contracts, we can make an informed decision on the most suitable approach.

Our key design question is Should Syensqo continue to use OpenText -PowerDocs and Content Management for SAP SF and expand it to be a global solution (with exceptions) for generating HR contracts OR adopt Icertis for HR Contract Management as the enterprise wide tool for generating contracts, replacing OpenText?

What benefit/value will the change of tool from OpenText to Icertis bring?

There are 3 options to consider:

1. Keep existing HR Contract solution using OpenText and DocuSign, expand scope to make it a global solution for Tier 1 & Tier 2 countries
2. Hybrid approach, using Icertis together with OpenText
3. Make Icertis the global solution for HR Contracts (and other HR documents eventually)

Recommendation

Option 1), Keep existing HR Contract solution using OpenText and DocuSign, expand scope to make it a global solution for Tier 1 & Tier 2 countries

OpenText solutions (PowerDocs and xECM) are currently used by Syensqo for new hire contract generation and document storage in 9 countries. The recommendation is to expand this solution for other countries based on the following classification:

1) OpenText solutions to be expanded for all Tier1 and Tier 2 countries. The additional Tier 1 and 2 countries that require new templates to be created and deployed will be part of SyWay Release 1. Tier 3 countries (headcount <50) to be excluded from scope of SyWay
2) As part of SyWay Release 1, OpenText solutions to be deployed for new hire contract generation only (excluding other HR documents)
3) For other HR related documents that are required to be generated by a few countries, a further assessment still needs to be done, after which it can be addressed together with OpenText experts in terms of feasibility and timelines. These requirements might form part of a BAU initiative

Our recommendation is based on the following:

• Leverage existing best-in class solution for HR contract generation, expanding it to all major countries
• Leverage existing integrations and expand to major countries instead of building new integrations from scratch
• Manage SyWay R1 scope by a) excluding countries from scope that have contract generation outsourced already or have too less headcount to justify cost of implementation and b) excluding other HR documents as these require to be gathered and validated before determining scope

• HR employment contracts are often relatively standardized (template-based), so strong template management in OpenText is very valuable.

• OpenText has a long history of strong document governance which makes it a reliable and secure choice.

• OpenText is especially good for standardized, predictable workflows whereas Icertis excels in complex multi-party negotiations, not simple HR flows.

• The HR use cases are to generate employment contracts and related annexures, OpenText meets the requirement and works well for the countries that are using it currently.

• Open Text is currently integrated with SuccessFactors allowing for seamless and user-friendly document generation, as well as access to contract and other HR document storage via SuccessFactors.  There is no evidence of a standard, out-of-the-box integration between Icertis and SAP SuccessFactors. There is one indicated on the roadmap but no timeline has been confirmed. 
• Presently, GBS People Services has access to generate contracts.  In the future, Open Text integrated with SuccessFactors can be further expanded to include other documents - such as certificates, declarations, and statements - and made accessible to employees through Employee Self Service. Icertis has limited capability for Employee Self Service.

Background & Context

The current end to end Lead to HR Contracts Management process includes different tools and stakeholders to support the process:

• Templates are created in PowerDocs by People Services
• Once the Onboarding process is completed, SAP SuccessFactors triggers an email to People Services queue in Helix
• People Services start the process by reviewing new hire data and request additional data to Site HR, via google forms
• With this additional information completed, People Service generates the contract under PowerDocs, and send it back to Site HR via DocuSign
• Site HR reviews and, in agreement, signs the contract within DocuSign
• Contract is sent to the new hire, via DocuSign
• Storage of signed contract is done within OpenText

There are some exceptions to this process, as per legal constraints in the US (Offer Letter is used as the official Contract) and China (eSignature is not legal, contract generated via OpenText, but send for manual signing locally)

The current OpentText solution primarily serves the HR department for managing and storing all HR and employee documentation - created by PowerDocs, issued manually or provided by employees. Open Text also ensures self service to employees to view all their HR documentation via SuccessFactors.  Today for HR document (mainly contract) generation Power docs is used for the scope below:

While the present system supports the required capabilities, it still poses a number of challenges, including:

• This process is more local than global currently. Despite 9 countries using OpenText solutions for document generation, it is still governed by local HR sites
• Limitations and inefficiencies on Contract template creation within OpenText
• Lack of system driven insights prevents timely contract generation and enhances potential of missing data
• Limited HR Contracts historical tracking and reporting

A more comprehensive contract lifecycle management solution offering modern and advanced features, Gen AI capabilities and out of the box integrations could be interesting to leverage in a long run for our HR Document management processes.

Icertis is typically recommended for Contract Management and considered Leading Practice when

• You are already using SAP SuccessFactors,
• You have a high volume of HR/legal agreements
• You need global, multi-jurisdictional HR compliance
• You want cross-department visibility (e.g., HR ↔ Legal ↔ Finance)
• You plan to automate workflows (e.g., triggered by SuccessFactors events)

Assumptions

• The decision to review and analyze the validity of the Icertis tool for HR Contracts is based on the decision by Sales, Purchasing and Legal teams to use the same tool. The scope of this KDD is focused on the validity of Icertis as an integrated enterprise CLM solution aligned with Syensqo's overall HR needs or staying with OpenText as currently is a better approach
• SAP SuccessFactors will serve as core for HRIS (SuccessFactors Employee Central).
• Recruitment and Onboarding/Offboarding processes will be conducted within SAP SuccessFactors. Some actions can be done within existing external platform
• HR Contract Trigger points from SuccessFactors require collaboration from Recruiting, Onboarding and Employee Central technical teams

Constraints

• Limited global governance for usage of OpenText as a contract generation tool hence each country uses it for specific purposes.

Impacts

• Gaining buy-in from stakeholders who may be see the existing solution as adequate.
• Effective governance is essential for implementing standard contract templates across GBU's and the relevant ownership will be required to support this governance

Business Rules

Proposed business rules include:

• All HR Contracts must be triggered from SuccessFactors and issued from OpenText to ensure consistency and compliance
• Known exceptions for Italy or China, as well as any other exceptions must be reviewed from a Legal point of view.
• Process for HR Sites where volume of hires is small (rule must be defined), must be discussed
• Syensqo Country / Site HR is accountable for the content, ensuring their compliance with legal and local requirements. Therefore, Site/Country HR must provide timely updates to the People Services team whenever local requirements change. People Services is responsible for implementing these updates, maintaining the documents, and ensuring they are correctly stored and published on the appropriate platform.
• Only new contract generation for additional Tier 1 and tier 2 countries (those not implemented currently) will be part of SyWay R1. Contract generation for Tier 3 countries is either outsourced currently or doesn't have enough volume to justify the implementation effort. 
• Other HR documents that require a document generation platform should also use OpenText in the future, however this initiative will be outside SyWay's scope.

Options considered

Option A: Keep existing HR Contract solution, using OpenText and DocuSign, expand scope to make it a global solution for Tier 1 & Tier 2 countries

Objective: This solution means that SyWay Release 1 will additionally implement existing solution to remaining Tier 1 and Tier 2 countries for contract generation only. The process designed by SyWay for offer letter to contract generation and signature should be rolled out to additional countries specified below. 

There are 2 variants of this process - 1) countries that allow digital signature will use DocuSign for automated process 2) countries that require wet signature or consider offer letter as the contract will follow a slightly varied process

Key Advantages

• Implementation Effort: Minimal disruption to existing process. Maintains continuity by keeping existing processes in place, rolling out to additional countries
• Avoids additional costs and disruptions associated with system changes or integration efforts
• Security & Privacy: OpenText is SAP-integrated and well-proven for HR file security. Role-based permissions aligned with SuccessFactors roles ensure sensitive employee data is protected
• Native / Out-of-the-box Integration with SuccessFactors: The tight integration makes employee document handling (contracts, letters, performance reviews, etc.) much more seamless for HR — fewer custom integration points, less friction.
• Strong Document Management Capabilities: OpenText's HR document-management solution supports versioning, audit trails, role-based permissions, and more
• Continuous Innovation: OpenText is actively developing its SuccessFactors integration: newer features include smart document types, better reporting, enhanced compliance, etc.

Key Challenges

• Limited ability to leverage AI compared to Icertis (to be explored further)
• Missed opportunity to use an enterprise wide platform like Icertis across all functions (noting that Icertis is not primarily a HR specific platform and has limited integration possibilities currently)

Option B: Keep existing HR Contract tools OpenText and DocuSign, implementing Icertis into HR Contract Management as well

Objective: This option promotes the implementation of the Icertis Contract Management HR capabilities, integrating it with SuccessFactors and OpenText to enhance cross-functional collaboration, information accuracy, greater compliance and enhanced operational efficiency. This is considered to be a short-term hybrid approach to minimize disruption and accelerate value, bringing potential scalability in long-term. OpenText is kept for HR Document archives while Icertis would be added for HR contracts generation

Key Advantages

• Leading Practice: Hybrid is a widely accepted transition model in large enterprises. HR contracts can stay archived in OpenText though generated and managed via Icertis.
• Solution Architecture: Mature approach. You keep robust archiving and intelligent CLM, especially if you integrate Icertis → OpenText post-signature. Keeps file retention policies intact
• Costs: Lower incremental cost: No need to fully re-engineer HR storage; avoid migrating all legacy contracts to Icertis.
• Implementation Effort: Less disruptive. Continue using OpenText for simple storage while gradually standing up Icertis for HR workflows.

Key Challenges:

• Leading Practice: Hybrid is often transitional, not a long-term ideal. You may end up with dual sources of truth if governance isn't tight.
• Solution Architecture: Risk of fragmentation: Contracts "live" in Icertis but also stored in OpenText. Needs clean API-based sync or middleware.
• Costs: Maintaining two systems may incur ongoing support, integration, and compliance costs — even if capex is lower now.
• Implementation Effort: Requires effort for discussions to ensure cross country alignment (HR and IT) and to build and test integrations between Icertis, OpenText, and SuccessFactors
• Security & Privacy: More systems = more complexity in managing access rights, audits, and data handling policies. Risk of duplication or inconsistent controls.

Option C: Replace existing HR Contract solution by Icertis for Contract Lifecycle Management

This option promotes the implementation of the Icertis Contract Management HR capabilities for end-to-end HR contract lifecycle. It integrates it with SuccessFactors and DocuSign for eSignature, aiming to standardize all contract workflows in Icertis. OpenText is decommissioned in a phased-out approach. This means that Icertis will be used as the central HR repository for all employee records, requiring migration, configuration, access setup, training, adoption effort and integration with SuccessFactors. This is considered to be a long-term approach.

Key Advantages

• Leading Practice: Aligns with modern enterprise CLM best practices: one platform to manage all contracts across functions, including HR.
• Solution Architecture: Cleaner, centralized architecture. Easier to maintain workflows, version control, and contract intelligence under one system.
• Costs: Since Icertis is already being deployed, and proper licensing has been accommodated, no incremental cost is expected for now. You eliminate OpenText-related license, support, and integration costs for HR.
• Security & Privacy: Single platform means tighter access controls, easier audit trails, and centralized policy enforcement (e.g., data retention, GDPR/CCPA compliance).

Key Challenges

• No standard integration with SuccessFactors available,if done it will be a pilot and can include many risks
• Leading Practice: Some conservative orgs may prefer OpenText for HR docs due to familiarity, especially for employee file storage (non-contractual).
• Implementation Effort: Initial lift is heavier (especially for legacy contract migration), but long-term simplifies maintenance and user training.
• Solution Architecture: You may need to replicate some archival/document management functions from OpenText into Icertis.
• Costs: May involve upfront migration costs, particularly to move historical HR contracts from OpenText into Icertis.
• Implementation Effort: Migrating templates, legacy contracts, and workflows is non-trivial, especially if HR processes are highly customized.
• Security & Privacy: Icertis must be tightly configured to meet HR-specific privacy requirements (PII, role-based access, etc.) — but this is achievable.

Evaluation

	Option A: Keep existing HR Contract solution using OpenText and DocuSign, expand scope to make it a global solution for Tier 1 & Tier 2 countries	Option B: Hybrid approach, using Icertis together with OpenText	Option C:Make Icertis the global solution for HR Contracts
Costs	Lower cost to implement additional Tier 1 and 2 countries, leveraging existing set up	Potential impacts if additional licenses are required in the future (HR, or any other area). Licenses are by volume of licenses, independent of the area. Potential additional costs for maintenance.	Potential impacts if additional licenses are required (HR, or any other area). Licenses are by volume of licenses, independent of the area. Potential additional costs for maintenance. Potential additional costs for document storage volume
Implementation & Maintenance Efforts	Implementation effort minimised leveraging testing and build alongside SyWay R1 No migration needed Standard Integration available Standardised processes available as part of SyWay rollout	There will be efforts on architecture design and Icertis implementation and integration with SuccessFactors, OpenText and DocuSign. Still some systems to maintain. No migration needed as contracts are stored in OpenText	No standard integration with SuccessFactors available, if done it will be a pilot and can include many risks Heavier lift but simplified in future as there is only one enterprise-wide system to maintain. Contract migration to Icertis must be considered
User Adoption and Experience	Minimal additional effort, factored into SyWay r1	Significant change management required for training and user adoption Standard integration capabilities between SuccessFactors and Icertis are limited currently, roadmap unknown	Significant changes management and training effort needed as users must adapt to new platform HR can track in-prog, pending, and executed contracts across ELC with dashboards — not just files in folders
Solution Architecture Leading Practice	OpenText and DocuSign solutions provide seamless integration and automation already, further enhanced by redesigned process. This is leading practice in terms of architecture	Practical short-to-mid-term approach. Keeps some complexity, although already making use of a CLM platform. There is still risk of some operational inefficiency. Key employee data from SuccessFactors can be synchronized with Icertis, ensuring that contract data is always up-to-date	Only short-to-mid-term approach. Keeps complexity, although already making use of a CLM platform. There is risk of some operational inefficiency.
Scalability & Future-Proofing	OpenText can be used for developing and storing all HR document types (not just contracts)  OpenText is actively developing its SuccessFactors integration: newer features include smart document types, better reporting, enhanced compliance, etc.	With Icertis already in place, it brings much possible scalability towards option C. We could already benefit of generation of other HR documents such as Offer Letters or NDAs	Using Advanced Analytics and AI technology adds contract management potential and mitigate risks.
Security, Legal & Compliance	Role-based permissions aligned with SuccessFactors roles ensure sensitive employee data is protected OpenText tracks document changes, access, and versions	Could already take advantage of Icertis capabilities, such as Role-based access control, but would not cover the entire process.  Solid, but more touchpoints to manage	Role-based access control

See also

Reference to the representation of flow per current process:

Change log