Q2 2018 Release Highlights: SuccessFactors Performance and Goals

SAP SuccessFactors has delivered enhancements and updates across the SAP SuccessFactors® HCM Suite as part of their Q2 2018 product release. Here are a few key updates you should consider for SuccessFactors Performance and Goals, 360, Continuous Performance Management and Mobile.

GM UI v11 – End of Maintenance planned for Q1 2018, End of Life planned for second half of 2018
Goal Execution – End of Maintenance planned for end of 2018, End of Life planned for second half of 2019
PM v11 and PM v12 – End of Maintenance planned for Q2 2018 release cycle, End of Life planned for Q2 2019 release cycle 

SFTP Retention Policy Change

All files stored in SuccessFactors SFTP account(s) will be purged 14 days after the time of creation. This will include all datacenters, all customers, and all SFTP accounts.

Exemptions:

• In-Progress customer implementation accounts
• DC to DC migration accounts
• Learning Management System (LMS) iContent accounts

Why is it important? If you are currently using your SuccessFactors SFTP account to store historical data files, you will permanently lose those files unless you move them to a different location.

Performance Management: Change Logging (Audit Reporting)

• Report on any changes to the personal data as part of Performance Management Reviews.
  1. Rating and Comments changes
  2. Ask for feedback responses received from internal users as well as form external users
  3. Attachment uploaded/deleted

• Audit logs are only generated when the form is routed to the next step.
• Changes made to Custom fields or Custom sections are not logged.
• Audit logs only supports up to 4,000 characters for text fields.
• The date range for change log reports is limited to three days.
• Change logging for external users is now supported in this release.

Why is it important? If your company is required to adhere to GDPR regulations, this enhancement will enable you to be compliant with those regulations.

Mobile: Continuous Feedback (iOS & Android)

• Provide ad hoc feedback.
• Request ad hoc feedback.
• Request feedback on Continuous Performance Management activities.
• Link ad hoc feedback to Continuous Performance Management activities and/or achievements.
• Employees’ can now delete feedback which will be visible to the manager.
• Managers’ can now request feedback on a direct report.

Why is it important? Mobile users can now provide and request feedback at any place or time.

Mobile: Talent/Learning: Create Achievement and Activities Based on Learning Courses (iOS)

• Allows users to create Continuous Performance Management achievements for successfully completed Learning items on the history details screen.
• Allows users to create Continuous Performance Management activities from Learning items added to My Assignments on the item details screen.
• Marks Continuous Performance Management activities as completed when they are successfully created on the Learning History screen.

Why is it important? This feature provides a better integrated experience between Learning and Continuous Performance Management without having to navigate between tabs.

Goals Management: Notification on Goal Feedback

• Email notifications can be sent when feedback is entered on a goal plan.
• Requires:
  1. GM v12
  2. Threaded Feedback switch must be set to On in the Goal Plan template XML.
  3. Goal Comment Notification must be enabled in Email Notification Template Settings.

Why is it important? Allows the manager and employee to receive real-time notifications when feedback is added to a goal.

Goals Management: User Experience Improvement to Goal Plan

• Add New button has been changed to Add Goal on the Goal Plan.
• Other buttons have been consolidated to a new action dropdown menu.
• End users will receive a warning message to save feedback if they are idle for 30 seconds.
• Requires:
  1. GM v12
  2. Warning message for feedback is only for “thread feedback” must be enabled.

Why is it important? Allows user to easily identify where and how to add a goal and provides a neat list of action options.

Continuous Performance Management: Notify Employees When Manager Adds an Activity Update

• Allows administrators to enable email notifications to be sent to employees when their manager adds an update to one of their Continuous Performance Management activities.
• Requires:
  1. Homepage v3 only.
  2. Email notifications functionality requires enabling a provisioning switch.
  3. Intelligent services must be enabled.

Why is it important? Eliminates the need for employees to check their Continuous Performance Management activities for updates by the manager.

Minor but Helpful Enhancements:

• Performance Management - PM v12A: Manager can no longer enter comments at signature via Team Overview when set to disabled in the form.
• Mobile – Goal Management: The goal visibility field will now follow the permissions and default value configuration set in the template for iOS and Android. (June 2018).
• Continuous Performance Management: Shows the job title of employees when searching for someone to give feedback or request to provide feedback. 

For the full list of updates in the Performance & Goals solution, visit the SAP SuccessFactors Community.

Need help implementing these updates? We've got you covered! Click here to get support from our team now.