Case Study Background
Saudi Unified Power Company (SUPCO), headquartered in Riyadh, is one of the Middle East's largest utility providers, serving over 9 million customers across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. With 42,000 employees and an installed capacity of 85GW, SUPCO operates as a vertically integrated utility responsible for generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity.
Eng. Abdullah Al-Quraishi, CEO of SUPCO, recently unveiled "Vision 2035: Powering Saudi Transformation" – an ambitious strategic roadmap focusing on sustainable energy transition, operational excellence, and digital transformation. "The utility sector faces unprecedented challenges," emphasizes Eng. Al-Quraishi. "With electricity demand projected to grow at 7% annually until 2032 and peak demand expected to reach 120GW, we need to transform how we develop and deploy talent to meet these challenges while improving efficiency."
Dr. Fatima Al-Otaibi, CHRO at SUPCO, has identified several critical talent management challenges:
- Aging workforce with 30% of technical specialists eligible for retirement within five years
- Significant skills gaps in emerging areas such as renewable energy, smart grid technologies, and digital customer engagement
- Difficulty attracting and retaining technical talent in competition with global technology companies
- Limited visibility into workforce capabilities across operational divisions
- Inconsistent performance levels across similar roles in different regions
- Need to nationalize the workforce while maintaining operational excellence
"The energy transition demands a fundamental shift in our capability framework," explains Dr. Al-Otaibi. "We're moving from a traditional utility model to becoming an integrated energy solutions provider. Our current HR systems can't provide the insights we need to identify, develop, and deploy talent strategically for this transformation."
To address these challenges, SUPCO has decided to implement SAP SuccessFactors Talent Intelligence Hub as the cornerstone of its talent transformation journey.
Implementation Challenge
As the implementation consultant engaged to support this strategic initiative, you must address the following questions that incorporate both technical and organizational considerations specific to the utility sector in Saudi Arabia.
Case Study Questions
- Skills Ontology Development
SUPCO needs a comprehensive skills framework that bridges traditional power utility capabilities with emerging clean energy and digital competencies. How would you design a skills ontology within the Talent Intelligence Hub's Attributes Library that addresses both current operational needs and future capabilities required by "Vision 2035: Powering Saudi Transformation"? Include specific utility skill categories and explain how you would structure relationships between skills, roles, and business outcomes14.
- Data Migration and Integration Strategy
SUPCO currently stores employee competency information across multiple legacy systems, including their HR information system, Excel spreadsheets, and training management databases. What approach would you recommend for migrating and standardizing this data into the Job Profile Builder (JPB) as a prerequisite for enabling the Talent Intelligence Hub? Include considerations for data quality and adherence to industry standards8.
- Growth Portfolio Implementation
How would you configure the Growth Portfolio feature to empower SUPCO employees to track and prioritize their skills development? Detail how employees would engage with the system to manage their proficiency levels and how AI-driven recommendations would suggest relevant skills based on career aspirations48.
- Learning Integration Strategy
SUPCO has invested significantly in technical training programs but struggles with connecting identified skill gaps to appropriate development resources. How would you integrate the Talent Intelligence Hub with SAP SuccessFactors Learning to create personalized development journeys for employees across different functions, from field technicians to control center operators?78
- Competency Framework Alignment
Dr. Al-Otaibi believes the current competency framework doesn't adequately reflect the capabilities needed for energy transition and digital transformation. How would you evolve SUPCO's competency framework using TIH to incorporate future-focused capabilities while ensuring alignment with Saudi Vision 2030 and the company's strategic objectives?16
- Workforce Analytics and Reporting
- Opportunity Marketplace Design
SUPCO wants to improve internal mobility to enhance employee development and retention. How would you design and implement the Opportunity Marketplace within TIH to facilitate movement across different business units, including generation, transmission, and distribution? Explain how you would integrate it with the Growth Portfolio to match employees with appropriate development opportunities4.
- AI-Driven Talent Insights for Knowledge Preservation
With many veteran power plant operators and engineers approaching retirement, SUPCO risks losing critical operational knowledge. How would you leverage the AI capabilities within TIH to identify critical knowledge transfer needs and facilitate succession planning for specialized technical roles? Include specific use cases for predictive analytics17.
- Change Management and Adoption Strategy
Previous technology implementations at SUPCO have faced user adoption challenges, particularly among field personnel and long-tenured employees. Develop a comprehensive change management approach for the TIH implementation, addressing communication, training, and engagement strategies for different stakeholder groups18.
- Nationalization and Talent Development
Eng. Al-Quraishi has set an ambitious target of 85% Saudization across all technical roles by 2030, up from the current 65%. How would you utilize the Talent Intelligence Hub to support this strategic workforce objective? Explain how the system could help identify high-potential Saudi nationals for accelerated development while ensuring knowledge transfer from expatriate specialists69.
Implementation Context
When developing your responses, consider these additional factors:
- SUPCO faces significant cost pressures due to electricity tariff reforms aimed at reducing consumption
- The company is in the midst of a restructuring initiative to improve efficiency and performance
- Recent government initiatives emphasize renewable energy development with targets of 41GW from solar by 2032
- The company operates in a regulated environment with oversight from the Electricity & Cogeneration Regulatory Authority (Ecra)
- Digitalization initiatives include smart grid implementation and advanced customer engagement platforms
- Knowledge transfer from aging workforce to new generation is critical for maintaining operational reliability
Your implementation approach should balance technical excellence with organizational change requirements, ensuring that the Talent Intelligence Hub delivers both immediate improvements and sustainable long-term value in addressing the critical talent challenges facing Saudi Unified Power Company.
Evaluation Criteria
Students will be evaluated on:
- Understanding of SAP SuccessFactors Talent Intelligence Hub capabilities
- Ability to align technical implementation with utility business needs
- Practical approaches to data migration and system integration
- Creative solutions to user adoption challenges
- Appreciation of Saudi utility industry context and challenges
- Integration of AI and advanced analytics to drive strategic talent decisions
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