SD Worx and Vlerick Business School establish strategic partnership to build digital ecosystem for HR

Leading European HR and Payroll service provider SD Worx is establishing a strategic partnership with the Vlerick Business School to give an extra boost to digitalisation in the HR world. One of the initiatives to help achieve this is the development of a digital ecosystem for the world of work and beyond. SD Worx wishes to go beyond simply providing services related to HR and payroll and is setting up a platform through which external parties can also offer their services. The platform will be accessible from January 2022 and will be the first of its kind in Europe.

The main objective of the partnership is to research digital ecosystems and channels, exploring the potential for different platform models that connect employers and employees. This must be a catalyst for the acceleration of digitalisation in HR. Vlerick Business School will guide SD Worx on the basis of the international experience it has built up with digital ecosystems for other industries, such as energy, banking and insurance. To this end, it is deploying a multidisciplinary research team that will work across Europe and the United States, under the leadership of Prof. Dr Steve Muylle. Through a number initiatives, the chair will report on the insights acquired gained from the research.

"According to scientific research, companies that deploy digital platform models are performing better financially than conventional players. They build up a sustainable, competitive advantage, together with their complementary partners, by offering a broader and better digital client experience. Digital platform models are not limited to online software or services, hardware or e-commerce and social media. They also cover other worlds such as mobility, accommodation, entertainment and news. We look forward to exploring digital platform models in the world of work with SD Worx, from design to monetisation", says Steve Muylle, professor and partner at Vlerick Business School

SD Worx wishes to offer its platform from the beginning of next year. Via the digital “mysdworx” channel, users will gain access to the platform for transactions in the world of work and beyond. They can find their payslip there, request leave, notify absences, arrange expenses, choose flexible remuneration or mobility, and manage their talent, skills and competencies. They will also be able to access and manage their insurance, pension savings and more. Today, there are one million users in Belgium. SD Worx wishes to expand this rapidly to the five million employees it currently serves with its 75,000 clients in around twenty countries.

"In the world of work, the digital experience will be the key to making a difference for companies. Employee expectations are high due to the level of hyper-personalisation to which they have become accustomed in their personal lives, with services such as Netflix and Spotify. These examples create high expectations among users to have everything available at their fingertips at work as well. Our platform is the answer: employees can immediately have access to all kinds of services in their world of work, including for example, mobility solutions. For the employer and the HR manager, this offers the advantage of having a one-stop-shop: one place where services and solutions are smoothly integrated. This is a comprehensive solution for managing their total payroll and HR", says Tom Wouters, Chief Products Officer at SD Worx.

Vlerick Business School is an international business school with triple accreditation located in the heart of Europe. We offer the best management training in the Benelux and are among the top 15 in Europe. Every year, we welcome 740 MBA and Masters students from 50 different countries to follow our top-quality programmes in Brussels, Ghent, Leuven and Beijing. Over 8,500 executives from all corners of the world participate in our tailored management training programmes and courses. We pride ourselves in having specific expertise in digital transformation, entrepreneurship and innovation, health care, energy and financial services. Our 24,000 alumni work in companies in more than 100 countries. In addition to a close collaboration with KU Leuven and Ghent University, and strategic ties with Beijing University and the University of Stellenbosch Business School, we are continuously expanding our global network of business partners.

Above all, we are a place of transformation, a place where people and organisations challenge themselves, the status quo and the ever-changing world. They leave here with the knowledge, experience and positive attitude they need to make a difference and work towards a better world – inspired by the unique Vlerick values. These core concepts – passion, openness, vitality and entrepreneurship – are at the heart of everything we do, and form the foundation of the high-impact learning experience we provide. Our 50 professors– all international experts – not only rely on the latest business theories, but also encourage our students to actively use this knowledge.