Akamai Technologies

About Akamai Technologies

Akamai secures and delivers digital experiences for the world’s largest companies. Supporting thousands of clients around the globe, including more than half of the Fortune 500, Akamai has deployed the most pervasive, highly distributed content delivery network (CDN) with approximately 325,000 servers in more than 130 countries and nearly 1,500 networks around the world. Top brands globally rely on Akamai to help them realize competitive advantage through agile solutions that extend the power of their multi-cloud architectures. Akamai’s portfolio of edge security, web and mobile performance, enterprise access, and video delivery solutions is supported by unmatched customer service, analytics, and 24/7/365 monitoring.

The HR Shared Services Project

With years of high growth and acquisitions, Akamai’s HR administrative services model had evolved into centralized regional hubs in the US, Costa Rica, Poland and India, along with a small number of in-country support personnel in locations such as China and Israel. The hubs did not operate under a single operating model, however. This led to inconsistency in service across the globe and hampered their ability to take advantage of economies of scale.

In 2019, Akamai HR began a project to design, build and deploy HR Shared Services (HRSS) to better support their global operations. After a year of work detailing the scope of services and analyzing existing resources supporting those services, Chazey Partners was engaged to provide the expertise needed to complete the project.

Chazey held workshops with subject matter experts from all of Akamai’s regional hubs, as well as their individual in-country support, to understand the current state of the 65 identified processes targeted for inclusion in the HRSS. Chazey also held 21 executive, provider and customer interviews in an effort integrate the viewpoints of every stakeholder in the new Shared Service. Coupled with an evaluation of the current technology landscape, the feedback led to a complete future-state design of the new operating model including process maps, communication plans, account management and performance measurement.

Build and deploy phases followed immediately after the design phase completed. During these phases, Chazey Partners developed detailed work instructions in collaboration with Akamai’s SMEs to support the employee transitions. Service Partnership Agreements with the new Shared Service’s customers were created to provide a clear understanding of the services provided, responsibilities of each party, performance measurement and governance going forward. To ensure continuous improvement would begin immediately, opportunities and technology requirements for the next steps were documented.

When we sought to deploy a Shared Services model for our HR administrative services, we needed guidance and best practices from experts. We also needed a partner that would listen and make recommendations that made sense for our organization, instead of pushing a one-size-fits-all approach. We have been delighted with the Chazey Partners team. They quickly got to know us and our challenges, acted as an extension of our team, made practical recommendations that we could implement in a phased approach, and were alongside us each step of the way through the design and build of our new model. I would recommend Chazey Partners to provide business transformation or Shared Services consulting service and support, as they are highly-experienced, personable professionals who offer valuable thought leadership, sensible advice, and actionable frameworks.
Sarah Sardella
HR Operations Senior Director, Global Benefits, Akamai Technologies