Lockheed Martin Modernises HR Operations with SAP SuccessFactors for Its 123,000-Employee Workforce

Key Takeaways

• Successful cloud deployment: Lockheed Martin has gone live with four SAP SuccessFactors solutions to modernise its human resources operations.
• Four integrated HR modules: The deployment includes Employee Central, Employee Central Payroll, Recruiting and Onboarding.
• Workforce of approximately 123,000: The transformation supports a large, globally distributed workforce, including engineers, scientists and technology specialists.
• Unified workforce data: The platform establishes a more connected source of employee information to support talent management and workforce planning.
• Foundation for AI adoption: The modernised HR environment is expected to help Lockheed Martin expand its applied AI strategy across employee-related processes.

Lockheed Martin Completes a Major HR Technology Milestone

Lockheed Martin has successfully gone live with SAP SuccessFactors solutions, marking a significant milestone in its workforce transformation programme. Announced by SAP on September 8, 2026, the deployment brings together core HR processes on a cloud-based platform designed to improve operational consistency, employee experience and workforce visibility.

The aerospace and defence company is modernising its HR technology landscape by moving from legacy systems to an integrated environment. The deployment covers four key applications: SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central, Employee Central Payroll, Recruiting and Onboarding.

The transformation is intended to provide employees and managers with a more connected experience while helping HR teams manage workforce information and processes more consistently across the enterprise.

Four SAP SuccessFactors Solutions Support the Employee Lifecycle

The implementation covers several essential stages of workforce management.

1. Employee Central

SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central provides a central system for employee information and core HR processes. By consolidating workforce data, it can help organisations improve data consistency, maintain employee records and support more informed workforce decisions.

2. Employee Central Payroll

Employee Central Payroll supports payroll processing and related activities. Integrating payroll with core HR data can help reduce information gaps between employee records and payroll operations, supporting more consistent administration.

3. Recruiting

SAP SuccessFactors Recruiting supports recruitment activities, helping organisations manage candidate information and hiring workflows. For a company requiring highly specialised engineering and technology talent, effective recruitment processes are strategically important.

4. Onboarding

SAP SuccessFactors Onboarding supports the process of bringing new employees into the organisation. A connected onboarding experience can help coordinate administrative tasks and provide new hires with a more structured introduction to their roles.

Together, these applications support a more integrated approach to managing employees from recruitment and onboarding through ongoing employment and payroll administration.

Workforce Data Becomes a Strategic Asset

Lockheed Martin has approximately 123,000 employees, and SAP reports that almost 60% are engineers, scientists and technologists.

At this scale, attracting, developing and retaining highly specialised talent is a significant organisational priority. Consolidating workforce information can help the company obtain clearer insights into employee capabilities, staffing requirements and talent-related decisions.

A more connected HR environment can also help reduce the fragmentation that occurs when employee information is maintained across separate systems. Improved data consistency may support workforce planning, reporting and coordination between HR teams and business leaders.

For an organisation operating in the highly regulated aerospace and defence sector, modernising HR technology must also account for complex operational requirements and the need to manage information appropriately.

Building a Foundation for Workforce AI

SAP says the transformation will help Lockheed Martin accelerate its applied AI strategy across workforce processes.

A unified HR data foundation can support AI initiatives by making relevant employee information easier to access and analyse within authorised workflows. Potential areas for AI assistance across the employee lifecycle include helping employees find HR information, supporting managers with workforce insights and identifying patterns relevant to talent planning.

However, the announcement does not specify particular new AI applications being deployed as part of this HR go-live. The stated objective is to establish a modernised foundation that can support further AI adoption.

The development also aligns with Lockheed Martin’s broader digital transformation strategy, which focuses on connecting enterprise systems, improving process integration and strengthening organisational agility.

What the Deployment Means for Enterprise HR Transformation

The implementation illustrates the growing importance of integrated cloud human capital management platforms for large enterprises.

When core HR, payroll, recruiting and onboarding operate through connected systems, organisations can reduce information silos and improve coordination across workforce processes. Standardised data can also provide a stronger foundation for analytics and future automation.

For large employers, these improvements can help HR teams move beyond routine administration towards workforce planning, talent development and strategic decision-making.

Nevertheless, the value of an HR transformation depends on more than technology deployment. Data quality, change management, process standardisation, system integration and employee adoption all influence whether the expected benefits are realised.

Conclusion

Lockheed Martin’s successful deployment of SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central, Employee Central Payroll, Recruiting and Onboarding marks an important step in its HR modernisation programme.

By consolidating core workforce processes on a cloud-based platform, the company aims to improve employee and manager experiences, strengthen workforce data visibility and support more consistent HR operations.

The transformation also provides a foundation for broader AI adoption across workforce management. For large, highly regulated organisations, the initiative demonstrates how modern HR technology can support both day-to-day operational needs and longer-term digital transformation objectives.