Case Study: KontractOne Drives €2.3 Million in Workday Renewal Savings for European Manufacturing Giant

Case Study: KontractOne Drives €2.3 Million in Workday Renewal Savings for European Manufacturing Giant

Client Overview

A leading European manufacturing company with 9,200 employees across multiple sites faced a critical juncture in its digital transformation journey. Having implemented Workday as its Human Capital Management (HCM) platform years prior, the company was approaching its Workday subscription renewal. With a workforce spread across diverse locations and a growing need for advanced HR functionalities, the organization sought to optimize costs while expanding its Workday footprint to include new SKUs—Benefits, Time Tracking, and Learning. The challenge was clear: achieve significant savings on the renewal without compromising on scalability or employee experience.

The Challenge

The manufacturing company’s existing Workday deployment had served as a foundational HR system, managing core HCM processes such as payroll, recruiting, and talent management. However, rising operational costs, an upcoming renewal negotiation, and the need to integrate additional modules posed a dual challenge. The company aimed to:

  • Reduce the total cost of ownership for its Workday ecosystem.
  • Seamlessly incorporate Benefits, Time Tracking, and Learning SKUs to enhance workforce management and employee development.
  • Maintain operational continuity across its European facilities during the transition.

With a renewal deadline looming, the company turned to KontractOne, a trusted partner known for its expertise in Workday optimization and cost management, to navigate this complex process.

The KontractOne Solution

KontractOne partnered closely with the manufacturing company’s HR and IT leadership to develop a tailored strategy that balanced cost efficiency with strategic expansion. The approach included three key phases:

  1. Renewal Cost Optimization
    KontractOne conducted a comprehensive audit of the company’s existing Workday usage, identifying underutilized features and redundant configurations. Leveraging its deep knowledge of Workday’s pricing structure and negotiation expertise, KontractOne renegotiated the renewal terms with Workday, securing a €2.3 million reduction in subscription costs over the contract term.
  2. Expansion of Workday SKUs
    To meet the company’s evolving needs, KontractOne facilitated the integration of three new SKUs:

    • Benefits: Streamlined benefits administration across European jurisdictions, ensuring compliance with local regulations and improving employee access to personalized offerings.
    • Time Tracking: Enhanced workforce visibility by replacing manual timekeeping processes with automated, real-time tracking, reducing payroll errors by 15%.
    • Learning: Introduced a robust learning management system to upskill employees, aligning training programs with the company’s innovation goals in a competitive manufacturing landscape.
      KontractOne’s implementation team ensured these modules were deployed with minimal disruption, leveraging a hybrid onsite-remote rollout plan tailored to the company’s decentralized structure.
  3. Change Management and Adoption
    Recognizing the importance of employee buy-in, KontractOne developed a change management framework that included customized training materials in multiple languages, virtual workshops, and ongoing support. This ensured a smooth transition for the 9,200 employees adopting the expanded Workday platform.

Results

The partnership with KontractOne delivered transformative outcomes for the manufacturing company:

  • €2.3 Million in Cost Savings: The optimized Workday renewal reduced annual subscription costs, freeing up capital for other strategic initiatives.
  • Enhanced Functionality: The addition of Benefits, Time Tracking, and Learning SKUs modernized HR operations, improving employee satisfaction and operational efficiency.
  • Scalable Foundation: The reconfigured Workday platform positioned the company for future growth, with a flexible architecture to support additional modules as needed.
  • Rapid Deployment: The project was completed within six months, ahead of the renewal deadline, with no downtime reported across European operations.

CHRO Testimonial

“KontractOne’s expertise was a game-changer for us. Not only did they secure €2.3 million in savings on our Workday renewal, but they also guided us through the seamless addition of Benefits, Time Tracking, and Learning modules. This has transformed how we manage our workforce—our employees now have access to better tools, and our HR team has the insights to drive smarter decisions. KontractOne didn’t just save us money; they elevated our entire HR strategy.”

Conclusion

By partnering with KontractOne, this European manufacturing company turned a routine Workday renewal into an opportunity for cost savings and innovation. The €2.3 million reduction in renewal costs, paired with the successful deployment of new SKUs, underscores KontractOne’s ability to deliver measurable value while advancing its clients’ digital HR capabilities. As the manufacturing sector continues to evolve, this company is now better equipped to attract talent, optimize operations, and compete on a global scale—all thanks to KontractOne’s strategic vision and execution.