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Fashion retailer selects new system with confidence  

Case Study | Boden
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800+

Employees

Retail

Industry

Workday

Solution

Selection

Service

About the project

Boden is a leading British fashion retailer, selling primarily online to customers in the UK and internationally.

As the business reviewed its long-term HR technology strategy, the team wanted to understand whether their existing platform was still the right fit or whether it was time to move to a new solution.

Rather than relying solely on vendor demos, Boden partnered with Silver Cloud to run an independent software selection process. The objective was simple: understand the market, challenge assumptions and make the best decision for the business.

The challenge

Replacing an enterprise HR system is a significant investment, requiring time, resource and confidence that the right decision is being made. Which means no HR team is going to take all of that on without having complete confidence it's the right call.

While Boden had an existing HR platform in place, the team wanted to understand what alternatives were available and whether another solution would better support the business in the future. They needed an objective view of the market rather than hearing sales pitch after sales pitch.

Alongside comparing functionality, the selection exercise also gave the business an opportunity to challenge its incumbent supplier and understand the commercial options available before committing to a long-term contract.

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The solution

Silver Cloud worked alongside the Boden team to manage a structured software selection process, helping them assess potential solutions against their business requirements and future plans. 

Rather than simply arranging demonstrations, Silver Cloud brought independent expertise to the project, providing market insight, guiding discussions with vendors and giving the team confidence that every option had been properly evaluated. 

The process also gave Boden greater confidence internally. As Charmaine Higgins, People Operations Manager, explained, having an independent consultancy involved brought additional credibility when presenting recommendations to senior stakeholders. 

Ultimately, the exercise confirmed that staying with their existing Workday platform was the right decision for the business. However, the process also delivered an unexpected commercial outcome. Armed with clear market insight and a better understanding of alternative solutions, Boden was able to renegotiate its contract, securing a significantly improved commercial package and additional functionality that hadn't previously been available.

For Silver Cloud, this showcased exactly what an independent selection process should achieve. Success wasn't measured by recommending a particular vendor, but by helping the client make the right decision for them and set themselves up for future success

"Having someone like Silver Cloud work with us gave us more credibility when we were feeding back to our executive team. If it had just been me running the project on my own, I don't think there would have been so much weight behind it.

It wasn't just me finding a few providers and setting up some demos. There was a reputable company behind it, giving us that support. From my side, that really helped me."
Charmaine Higgins, Boden

The future

With a renewed agreement in place, Boden is now focused on making the most of its investment in Workday. The improved contract includes additional functionality that will enhance the employee experience and strengthen learning capabilities across the business.

Looking ahead, the HR team can continue developing the platform knowing they have tested the market thoroughly and made the right decision based on their organisational needs.

For Boden, the project provided reassurance that they understand the wider HR technology landscape and have a trusted partner they can return to as their requirements evolve.

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