NTT DATA is embarking on a major transformation of its global people and culture operations, selecting SAP SuccessFactors solutions and SAP Business Data Cloud, integrated with Joule, SAP’s AI orchestrator, to create a more unified and intelligent approach to managing its global workforce. The move comes as large multinational organisations grapple with increasingly complex workforces, dispersed across countries, business units and technology environments. For NTT DATA, the challenge is particularly significant: the technology services group operates on a global scale, serving 75% of the Fortune Global 100 and generating more than $30 billion in revenue. Rather than simply replacing ageing software, the company is positioning the project as a broader transformation of its People and Culture function, one designed to make workforce information more accessible, improve planning and give employees a more connected experience.
From fragmented systems to a unified workforce platform
At the heart of the initiative is the decision to replace multiple legacy HR systems with a more unified platform for people data and processes. SAP SuccessFactors will become NTT DATA’s central system of record for people and talent information. It will work alongside the company’s existing employee service platform and specialist workforce planning tools, while SAP Business Data Cloud will connect workforce information with insights from other areas of the business. That architecture is intended to give NTT DATA a clearer and more consistent picture of its global workforce, something increasingly valuable as companies seek to align talent decisions with broader business strategy.
AI moves closer to the employee experience
Artificial intelligence is a central element of the transformation. By integrating Joule into the broader SAP environment, NTT DATA is looking to embed AI capabilities more deeply into its enterprise operations rather than treating artificial intelligence as a separate technology initiative. The approach reflects a growing view among large organisations that AI will have its greatest impact when it is incorporated into everyday business processes including the way employees access services, managers make workforce decisions and organisations plan for future skills.
For NTT DATA, that thinking is closely linked to the strategic importance it places on talent. “The initiative reflects NTT DATA’s view of talent as a strategic differentiator and AI as a capability that should be embedded across enterprise organisations,” said Stijn Nauwelaerts, Chief People Officer at NTT DATA, Inc. “Ultimately, this is about creating an environment where our people feel empowered to do their best work, wherever they are in the world.”
A 36-year partnership enters a new phase
The project also marks another chapter in a relationship between SAP and NTT DATA that stretches back more than three decades.The companies have worked together for more than 36 years, with NTT DATA operating as an SAP platinum partner, global service partner and global reseller. That longstanding relationship gives the latest agreement an added dimension: NTT DATA is not approaching the implementation solely as a customer, but as a company with deep experience in SAP technology and enterprise transformation. The relationship expanded further in 2025, when NTT DATA adopted SAP Cloud ERP Private solutions as part of an effort to modernise its core systems.
Putting its own expertise to the test
NTT DATA plans to deploy SAP SuccessFactors internally over a 12-month period, designing and rolling out the platform using its own implementation expertise. That decision could prove valuable beyond the immediate HR transformation. By becoming an internal user of the technology, NTT DATA will gain first-hand insight into the practical realities of implementing AI-enabled HR systems at global scale. The experience could, in turn, inform the advice and services it provides to clients pursuing similar transformations. In an industry where technology providers frequently advise customers on digital change, there is an obvious advantage to having lived through the process themselves.
Building a foundation for a more connected workforce
SAP sees the project as part of a wider evolution in how businesses approach the employee experience.“With a unified, intelligent HR platform, the company will unlock new levels of productivity and scale a people strategy that supports a connected workforce worldwide,” said Thomas Saueressig, Chief Customer Officer and Member of the Executive Board of SAP SE. For NTT DATA, the immediate priority is to establish a single, authoritative foundation for people data and HR processes. The longer-term ambition is broader: to use that foundation to support more agile workforce planning, better-informed decisions and a more consistent employee experience across its global operations.
