Ipsos
Deploying Oracle HCM across 80 countries isn’t the hard part. Making it work is. See how Ipsos leveraged integration to succeed.
From acquisition-driven fragmentation to global HR control
Grown largely through acquisition, Ipsos inherited a disparate HCM and payroll system landscape. Implementing a global HRIS as a single source of truth relied on data synchronisation across the board, and stable integrations would determine whether it delivered control…or complexity.
Programme at a Glance
Ipsos, leaders in the market research & analytics industry, expanded to 20,000+ employees across 80+ countries through acquisition.
The result:
- A patchwork of inherited HR and payroll systems
- Country-specific processes with little standardisation
- Increasing difficulty in managing data, integration and governance globally
At the same time, Ipsos wanted to establish Oracle Cloud HCM as a global system of record.
The key to success was integration. Ipsos partnered with Epicenter to deploy 100+ bi-directional interfaces to keep their HR ecosystem in sync.
119
Interfaces
80+
countries
99%+
success rate
The Challenge
Fragmented global payroll landscape
Dozens of inherited payroll providers, each with different capabilities and standards, created a highly fragmented operating model across 80+ countries.
Integration complexity and control risk
Managing a high volume of country-specific integrations introduced significant challenges around security, governance, maintainability, and internal capability to scale.
Global visibility and audit need
Ensuring accurate, auditable payroll outcomes required bi-directional data flows and consistent insight across all systems — something the existing landscape couldn’t deliver.
The Solution
A single integration layer to unify a fragmented global landscape
Ipsos didn’t try to standardise payroll systems globally.
Instead, they focused on standardising how those systems connect. Working with Epicenter, Ipsos implemented a central integration layer powered by FIT4Cloud, connecting Oracle Cloud HCM to all in-country payroll systems, delivering:
- A coherent integration strategy
- A single, consistent integration architecture across all countries
- Bi-directional data flows to validate and reconcile payroll data
- Centralised monitoring and control of all payroll data exchanges
The result was a model where global HR operates as a system of record, while local payroll systems remain in place, fully connected, controlled and scalable.
The Results
Trusted payroll data
Standardised, bi-directional integrations improved data quality and ensured payroll outputs could be trusted globally.
Scalable by Design
A repeatable integration model enabling global scale without standardising payroll systems.
Global Audit Control
Payroll data is now centrally visible and auditable within Oracle Cloud HCM, giving leadership clear insight into workforce costs.
Epicenter's integration solution gave us the confidence that Oracle HCM could function as a true global system of record. It enabled the visibility, control and auditability we needed across our HCM and payroll landscape.
Joël Günter, SVP HCM & Payroll Systems
Why it matters
Most global organisations don’t struggle with payroll systems. They struggle with how those systems work together.
As complexity grows – through acquisitions, expansion, or local requirements – control doesn’t scale naturally.
Without a structured integration model:
- Payroll risk increases
- Compliance becomes harder to demonstrate
- Manual effort and cost continue to grow
Ipsos took a different approach. Instead of trying to standardise systems, they standardised control, creating a model where payroll remains reliable, auditable and scalable, regardless of how many systems sit behind it.
You don’t need a single global payroll system. You need control over the ones you already have.
