《人力资本管理》专访SAP高级副总裁、全球化服务负责人 Ferose V R
创新之光，开启企业全球化本地化的快捷键
SAP全球化服务（SAP Globalization Services）部门是SAP在全球分布最广的一个团队，在50个国家拥有1 300多名成员，主要负责为全球市场提供符合当地法律规范及市场需求的解决方案。作为国际领先的企业应用软件公司，SAP在全球范围内有着广泛的影响力，而据 Ferose先生介绍，全球化服务部门相当于“SAP中的SAP”，从部门人员构成、成员分布、集中化角度来说，SAP Globalization Services部门都称得上是一支国际化团队。作为SAP高级副总裁、SAP Globalization Services部门负责人， Ferose V R先生远道而来，在SAP中国研究院将SAP助力企业全球化与本地化发展之路娓娓道来。
全球化本地化之路
首先是跨国企业来到中国的例子。一家美国消费品公司在全球化扩张过程中，发现中国市场逐渐发展成为其业务亮点，成为该公司发展速度最快的海外市场，因此，该公司逐渐开始加大对中国市场的投资。由于绝大多数员工都集中在门店，随着公司在中国门店数量的持续增加，在中国的员工招聘数量也在不断扩大，但规模扩大的背后，该公司也面临着人事管理体量大、效率低、流程断点等一系列难题，如何将管理流程简化，提高业务运营效率成为该公司在中国发展的一个关键问题。
虽然该公司自身具备完善的人才培训体系，但是由于中国与美国的国情、政策法规的不同，管理方式的差异给企业在华发展带来了巨大挑战。该公司选择与SAP合作，有效地规避了在中国市场经营中的法律风险、解决员工体量过大带来的培训、管理难题。
SAP Globalization Services中国团队的200多位成员扎根本土，根据中国的法律法规，对在人力资源系统、物流、财务等多个领域系统进行产品本地化支持，融合时下如火如荼的人工智能、机器学习、区块链等技术，为该公司带来了合规、高效的产品服务。
此外，由于该公司所处的行业特质，员工上岗速度及流转率相对较高，针对员工的培训方式也要简单易执行。SAP根据中国市场趋势以及员工使用习惯，计划推出基于微信平台的员工培训系统，支持员工随时随地访问所需的培训内容，直接在移动端自主安排学习，以保证员工的培训效果，节省员工时间，同时提高门店运营效率，助力公司在中国市场持续健康发展。
全球企业都在角逐中国广阔的消费市场，而在中国，无论是在国内市场上占据一定量的市场份额，拥有足够利润保障的传统企业；还是借助技术的创新发展，迅速积累资本的年轻一代创业者，在“一带一路”的倡议以及其他政策的推动下，也先后开始进行全球投资以发展企业的持续增长目标。
但是，中国企业的全球化发展具体到执行层面是一个庞大而复杂的过程，在本土市场上的成功经验并不能完全复制到国外市场。谈及中国企业在走向世界的过程中需要重视的地方，Ferose先生提到三点：
首先，企业应当视为基石的要求就是，符合当地的政策法规。近年来，一些中国企业在推进全球化战略过程中由于对当地法律法规的重视不足导致企业遭受巨大损失的经历也在给同样进行全球化战略布局的企业警示：合规化的经营是企业稳健发展的基础。不同国家地区有不同的市场体系、法律规范、政治环境、文化背景等，企业在当地对人才的管理方式必须要符合当地法规，针对当地市场投放的产品也必须是合规的。
SAP的Globalization Services部门作为SAP在全球分布最广的一个团队，在全球120个国家为企业提供符合当地法律规范及市场需求的解决方案，帮助企业避免在不熟悉当地市场上的法律风险，同时，在SAP成熟的产品支持下，企业可以将更多精力投入到核心业务中去。
其次，语言上的无障碍交流。Ferose先生认为，语言是人与人之间交流最直接的表达方式，中国企业在走向外国市场时，首先要达到这种直接交流，才能进一步在文化层面上进行深入沟通。对SAP来说，帮助客户进行本地化语言的支持是极为重要的，SAP也是为数不多的可以提供40多种语言支持本地化服务的公司，在SAP Globalization Services部门的1 300多名员工中，语言服务部门的200多位员工通过为客户提供增值服务，保证SAP的产品从界面及后台设置，或者产品内部运转上都能够支持当地语言。
最后也是最重要的一点：对当地文化的敏感程度。企业是否能够真正理解当地文化，对企业能否洞察市场需求，制定“正中靶心”的战略发展目标有着很大的影响。“中国的‘一带一路’政策覆盖了65个国家，为中国企业走出去带来很大便利，技术与经济上的连接相对简单，但是对于文化上的连接，与‘人’的接近对于‘走出去’的企业是一个不小的挑战。”
SAP为“走出去”客户提供的支持就是，提供配置+可扩展的解决方案，构建一个开放的平台，让客户在平台上开发个性化的应用，以简单的方式将复杂的产品或服务传递给客户。Ferose先生拿财务系统举例说道：“一些企业‘走出去’如果只走向少数指定国家，他们只需要订阅这些国家的税务服务的（API）应用程序编程接口就可以快速适应当地税务需求。”
作为企业管理和协同化商务解决方案供应商，SAP致力于为在不同国家地区的不同客户提供业务效率与商业洞见的解决方案，为其开发适合本地市场的专属产品，这些解决方案的背后，是SAP实现企业卓越运营的创新。
卓越企业的创新文化
在人力资源行业整体向数字化智能化方向转型过程中，职场人士会看到或体验到：招聘时，系统利用机器学习、人工智能技术会根据员工的工作经历、技能掌握等相关情况将最适合的候选人推荐给招聘人员；员工利用聊天机器人进行交互式员工自助服务，享受更为便利的培训申请、休假申请等相关服务。这些便捷高效的服务便是现今时代技术下的创新。
高科技产业云集的硅谷以创意创新闻名全球，创意在这里自由生长，形成文化。这种创新文化让Ferose先生深有感触，他认为，创新的发展离不开外界整体市场环境，在外界氛围的影响下，它常常发生在多种事物产生交互的时候。在硅谷，有来自世界顶级院校教育背景的优秀人才、有活跃的风险投资资金、有全球化的市场需求......人才、资本、市场需求，多个因素发生交互，创新产生。
对于组织来说，想要鼓励创新，首先要创造这种交互的环境。但是，并不是具备这些交互的机会，创新就一定产生，“创意不是流水线的产物，它是多种要素交互下灵感的迸发。”Ferose先生以其领导的部门举例，作为一个国际化团队，SAP Globalization Services团队面临世界各地不同的市场需求，负责支持SAP的核心业务线，在这种多元化的环境下，会产生许多交互的机会。
“SAP Globalization Services中国团队站在市场技术的前沿，创造出不可思议的结果，除了人才自身的优秀，也与中国面临的市场机遇相关，市场给了他们机会去进行创新，将产品与最新技术创造性的结合，从而服务于客户实际需求。”Ferose先生十分看好中国的创新发展，他认为，中国在未来的5到10年将会成为全球创新最为活跃的国家。
另外，鼓励团队创新，赋能也是一个重要手段。在硅谷，由于坚持以解决问题为导向，领导者敢于将权力下放，所以硅谷员工能够在激烈的竞争中抓住机会，大胆创新。 在成为SAP Globalization Services部门负责人之前，Ferose先生担任SAP(印度)软件系统有限公司常务董事，在担任常务董事的五年多时间内，他成功地将SAP(印度)软件系统有限公司转变为SAP全球最为活跃的创新中心之一。
在Ferose先生看来，一家国际化公司不仅仅是公司在全球范围内进行的人员布置，更重要的是在各个国家地区的员工有权力根据所在地市场实际情况进行自主决策。但是，很多跨国公司的领导者并没有意识到这一点，虽然公司分布全球，依然以其总部所在地为中心进行权力集中化管理，这种集中化的管理模式导致的后果就是对远离总部的市场反应迟缓，错过最佳反应时间，产品无法融入当地市场。因此，Ferose先生认为，全球化的公司更应当大胆下放权力和赋能员工。
SAP也如Ferose先生所说，在建立人力资源组织架构过程中，尊重每个国家和地区独特的文化价值观、业务目标、市场定位和全球策略，为员工创新赋能。但是在权力下移的过程中，传递的通道遇到堵塞，同样无法有效赋能，对此，Ferose先生说到：“要使赋能到位，首先要建立相同的价值观，培养普通员工像管理者一样思考，让员工了解到公司想做什么、在做什么。我在为团队进行招聘时，最看重的是候选人是否能与我们的团队文化相契合。”共同的价值观是成员间互相信任的基础。当公司上下思维理念处于相同的高度，朝着同一个目标前进时，才会上行下效，将赋能落到实处，激励成员主动创新。
Ferose V R先生简介
Ferose为SAP高级副总裁、全球化服务（SAP Globalization Services）部门负责人，办公地址在美国帕罗奥多，负责针对不同国家和地区的市场提供针对性的解决方案以确保在全球范围内采用SAP产品。Ferose带领的团队提供多个国家的功能本土化、翻译、产品合规和产品支持，使SAP的足迹遍布全球。
在成为SAP Globalization Services部门负责人之前，Ferose担任SAP(印度)软件系统有限公司常务董事。他于33岁开始担任该职务，在Ferose担任常务董事的五年多时间内，他成功地将SAP(印度)软件系统有限公司转变为一个创新中心。2012年，SAP(印度)获得"印度最佳职场"称号。Ferose于1999年加入SAP，至今已有超过17年的从业经验。
关于SAP
SAP，全球最大的企业应用软件提供商。作为全球领先的企业应用软件解决方案提供商，SAP可以帮助各种规模和各行业领域的企业实现更加卓越的运营。从后台到公司管理层、从工厂仓库到商铺店面、从电脑桌面到移动终端—SAP助力用户和企业更加高效地协作，同时更加有效地获取商业洞见，在竞争中保持领先地位。SAP应用和服务帮助客户实现运营盈利、不断调整和稳步增长。
An Interview with Mr. Ferose V R, Senior Vice President and Head of Globalization Services at SAP SE
SAP Globalization Services is the most widely distributed global team with more than 1,300 members scattered all over 50 countries. It enables legal compliance for customers, delivers local best practices according to country needs and provides multi language capabilities for SAP solutions. As one of the market leaders in enterprise software, SAP has a wide influence around the world. According to Mr. Ferose, as a global team, SAP Globalization Services is "an SAP within an SAP", in terms of its diversity, distribution, and level of decentralization. As Senior Vice President and Head of SAP Globalization Services, Mr. Ferose comes all the way to SAP Labs China and shares with us how SAP empowers enterprises with globalization and localization services.
Globalization and Localization
In the beginning, Mr. Ferose gave an example of how a global company expanded into Chinese market with the help of SAP. When pursuing global expansion, a US consumer goods company realized that China had developed into its fastest growing overseas market. It began to increase its investment in the Chinese market. As most of its employees work in stores, and the number of stores in China grows continuously, the company needs to recruit more people. However, it faced difficulties in human resources management, including the large volume, low efficiency, and incomplete processes. Therefore, how to simplify the management process and improve operational efficiency has become the company’s key concern for better development in China.
Though the company has its own well-formed talent development system, the differences in national conditions, local policies, as well as management methods between China and the US still pose challenges to the company. The company decided to cooperate with SAP, which helps it avoid legal risks in China and solve the problems regarding training and management brought by the large number of employees.
The SAP Globalization Services China team, with more than 200 employees working on providing localization services in multiple areas, including Human Resource, Finance, and Logistics, and powered by technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and blockchain, provide compliant and efficient solutions to the company. In addition, because of the industrial characteristics of Fast-moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) – quick onboarding and high turnover, the company needs a product to carry out employee training in a simpler and easier way. Based on Chinese employees' preference and the trends of the Chinese market, SAP is working on a training system on the platform of WeChat. The system allows users to access the training content anytime, anywhere, and to arrange their learning schedule on their mobile phones. It will ensure improved training effectiveness and higher operation efficiency in stores, contributing to the company's better development in China.
Companies around the globe are competing for China's vast consumer market. Encouraged by the Belt and Road Initiative and other policies, not only traditional companies that have quite an amount of domestic market share and considerable profits, but also startup companies that are rapidly accumulating capital through technological innovation, have started to make a global investment and seek sustainable growth.
However, for Chinese companies, it’s a huge and complex process to execute globalization. Their successful experiences and practices in the domestic market usually cannot be replicated to foreign markets. When talking about what Chinese companies should pay attention to in the process of going global, Mr. Ferose mentioned three points:
First of all, companies must comply with local laws and regulations. Different countries and regions have different market systems, legal norms, political environments, and cultural backgrounds, and therefore the human resource management of a company must comply with these conditions, so do the products launched into the local markets. The SAP Globalization Services team provides legal compliance for customers and delivers local best practices according to country needs for over 120 countries around the world, helping them avoid legal risks in an unfamiliar market and concentrate on their core business.
Secondly, companies should break the barrier of language. Mr. Ferose believes that language is the most direct channel for communication. If Chinese companies want to develop overseas markets, they must first of all overcome the language barries, and then seek cultural understanding. SAP considers it significant to help customers with multi language support. SAP is one of the few companies that provide more than 40 languages to support localization services. Along with partners, over 200 employees of the total 1,300 employees in SAP Globalization Services team provide language services to our customers, ensuring that our products support the local language both on the user interface and in the backend system.
Last but not least, the sensitivity to local culture is crucial. Only when a company truly understands the local culture of a new market can it have an insightful analysis of market demand and thus formulate a strategic goal to hit the target. The Belt and Road Initiative of China covers 65 countries, bringing great convenience to Chinese companies seeking overseas expansion.
It is relatively simple for two countries to develop technological and economic ties, but when it comes to the connection to local culture and local people, it may become a challenge. SAP provides customers going global with solutions based on the idea of configurability and scalability, building an open platform for them to develop customized applications. It is dedicated to delivering complex services to customers in a simple way. Mr. Ferose takes financial system as an example: “Some companies only extend their business to a few countries, so they only need to subscribe to the Application Programming Interfaces (API) of the tax service for these countries to quickly meet the local tax requirements.”
As a provider of enterprise management and collaborative business solutions, SAP is committed to providing efficient and insightful solutions for customers in different countries and regions, and developing exclusive products for them to adapt to the local markets. Behind these solutions is SAP's innovation in achieving excellence.
Innovation Culture of Excellent Corporation
As the human resources industry goes into the digital and intelligent transformation, HR will find that the most suitable candidates will be recommended to them with the help of machine learning and artificial intelligence by analyzing the work experience, skills, and other relevant information of candidates; Meanwhile employees can use interactive Chatbot service to submit training applications, leave requests, etc. It is today’s innovation that makes such convenient and efficient services possible.
Silicon Valley is known for its innovation and creativity. Mr. Ferose is quite impressed with its innovation culture. He believes the development of innovation cannot be isolated from the environment. It is often brought by the intersection of multiple factors in the external environment. Silicon Valley has the world's top university graduates, active venture capitals, and global market demands, and it is in the intersection of these factors that innovation happens.
Therefore, if an organization wants to encourage innovation, it must first create an environment with such intersection, although it is not a guarantee. “Innovation is not a process; Innovation is created by a burst of inspiration with the intersection of multiple factors,”said Mr. Ferose. He took the SAP Globalization Services team as an example: as a global team dealing with demands from different markets all over the world, SAP Globalization Services is responsible for supporting SAP's key businesses. So in such a diversified environment, there are many opportunities for intersections. “The SAP Globalization Services China team stands at the forefront of the market and technology. They have made incredible achievements, attributed to not only the team’s excellent talents but also the potential opportunities of Chinese market, which gives them chances to innovate and embed products with the latest innovative technologies to cater to customers' demands." Mr. Ferose is very optimistic about China's innovation and development. He believes that China will become the most active innovative country in the world in the next 5 to 10 years.
Moreover, he believes encouraging innovation within teams and empowering employees are also important. In Silicon Valley, with its problem-solving orientation, employees are able to seize opportunities and innovate boldly in the fierce competition thanks to the decentralized approach to management. Before becoming head of SAP Globalization Services, Mr. Ferose was Managing Director of SAP Lab India. During his five years as Managing Director, he successfully transformed SAP Lab India into one of the most active innovation centers of SAP. In Mr. Ferose's view, an international company not only deploys personnel globally, but more importantly, it empowers its employees in various countries and regions to make independent decisions based on the actual conditions of local markets.
However, many leaders of global companies haven't realized it. Though distributed globally, some companies still centralize its power of management in their headquarters. Because of this centralized management approach, companies will have a slow reaction to markets away from the headquarters and thus miss the best opportunity for products to be integrated into local markets. Therefore, Mr. Ferose believes global companies should adopt the decentralized approach to management and empower employees in order to adapt to the local markets.
SAP, as Mr. Ferose says, respects the unique cultural values, business goals, market positioning, and strategies of local teams in each country and region when determining human resources organizational structure, with a view to empowering employees to innovate. In this regard, Mr. Ferose said: “To enable empowerment, we must first establish the same values, encourage every employee to think like managers, and try to let them know what the company is doing and what it wants to do. When I recruit for the team, what I value most is whether the candidate matches our team culture." Common value is the foundation for mutual trust among team members. Only when the whole company, from top to bottom, holds the same values and the same vision can employees be truly empowered and motivated to innovate.
About Mr. Ferose V R
Based in Palo Alto, Ferose is responsible for the adoption of SAP products worldwide through the delivery of solutions targeted at individual local markets. By providing functional localization, translation, product compliance and product support across several countries, Ferose’s team enables SAP’s global footprint.
Before heading Globalization Services, Ferose was the Managing Director of SAP Labs India. Starting at the age of 33, he held this post for over 5 years during which he transformed SAP Labs India into an innovation hub. In 2012, the company was recognized as one of the “Great place to work” in India.
Ferose brings over 17 years of industry experience with him, and has been with SAP since 1999.
About SAP
SAP, the World's Largest Provider of Enterprise Application Software. As market leader in enterprise application software, SAP (NYSE: SAP) helps companies of all sizes and industries run better. From back office to boardroom, warehouse to storefront, desktop to mobile device – SAP empowers people and organizations to work together more efficiently and use business insight more effectively to stay ahead of the competition. SAP applications and services enable customers to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and grow sustainably.