Sherwin-Williams paints a picture of success

Paint is more than just a color on the wall, it’s a decision that has a lasting impact on our lives. With an endless array of colors, a can of paint can create a cozy home and cherished memories – setting the tone for the spaces around us. Sherwin-Williams has always been at the heart of these decisions, igniting creativity and transforming spaces.

Sherwin-Williams is a global paint and coating company specializing in manufacturing, distribution, and retail. Founded in 1866 in Cleveland, Ohio, the company has a vast global presence, with 137 manufacturing and distribution facilities in over 120 countries. As the largest paint company in the world, it reaches customers through 4,800 retail locations in North America and 300 internationally – allowing it to "cover the earth” with color. 

The challenges of managing a global workforce

With over 60,000 employees worldwide, Sherwin-Williams’ payroll team works hard to keep up with a growing global workforce. Processing payroll on a local level is complicated enough, but when you add over 120 countries to the mix, adhering to ever-changing tax and regulatory requirements can be very challenging. 

“The reason we needed global payroll is that, with our old processes, we had people who had minimal payroll knowledge using outdated software,” says Scott Sikon, Senior Director of Global Payroll. 

Before Dayforce, Sherwin-Williams did not have a single-vendor solution. Managing multiple vendors can be a challenge for global businesses, and with no integration between systems, it can create communication gaps and reduced visibility into important data. Manually reconciling information from different systems is also time-consuming and can result in errors.

With the payroll team not having the proper tools to manage global payroll, the company found itself relying on local vendors, increasing the risk of errors and compliance concerns. “From my perspective, global payroll is a very complicated beast, and you are only as good as your in-country providers,” says Sikon.

Sherwin-Williams needed a reliable payroll solution – one that could help them manage compliance, streamline multiple disparate vendors into a single global provider, and pay employees accurately no matter where they are located. This is where Dayforce came in. 

Transforming payroll with a single global solution

The partnership between Sherwin-Williams and Dayforce began in 2018 when the company selected Dayforce for global payroll and time and attendance. From the moment Sherwin-Williams chose Dayforce, the single global solution could support nearly the entire workforce.

“I chose to partner with Dayforce because they were able to handle 98% of our employee population at the time of the contract,” says Sikon. “They were able to provide us with one payroll system that we could leverage across our service delivery model.”

Dayforce adapts to local requirements which helps Sherwin-Williams reduce the risk and complexity associated with operating in multiple locales with multiple vendors. “Global payroll is extremely complex. Having a vendor that understands this and works with us to help us stay compliant was something we strove for when we were trying to decide on a vendor. Dayforce was able to provide that for us,” says Sikon. 

Today, nearly all data is captured in Dayforce, giving the team access to the full picture of global pay activity and pay group data. “Dayforce has been able to help us because it standardizes the way we enter data into the system,” says Sikon. 

Having a single partner for global payroll has proven to be highly efficient for Sherwin-Williams, as tasks that once took an entire team of payroll experts to complete now require only a few. “We have been able to reduce our operational team labor costs, as we don't need as many people working with multiple vendors. It's been a game-changer,” says Sikon.

Having a cloud-based solution has also eliminated Sherwin-Williams’ need to communicate between multiple systems and vendors, creating quicker data access, accurate reporting, and a consistent user experience across the payroll team.

“The benefits of having one vendor are that there are fewer contracts to deal with,” says Sikon. “You also build a relationship with that vendor. We know how to work with Dayforce on implementations. Instead of having five vendors, five different implementation methodologies, and then five different ways that you have to transmit data once you're live in operations, we now have one.”

The perfect blend of efficiency and accuracy

Since giving Sherwin-Williams’ payroll system a fresh coat of paint, Sikon and his team have seen notable improvements in their day-to-day operations. “Dayforce has allowed us to be more efficient in the way our teams operate, interact on a daily basis, gather information, and utilize that information without needing to run reports through paper,” he says.

Along with improving payroll operations, the company has also reduced its payroll error rate. With global data captured in one place, it's more cohesive and easier to analyze with access to audits and real-time calculations. “What we found is we were probably operating in about 10% error ratio just because we couldn't analyze the data in a timely fashion,” says Sikon. “With Dayforce, we've cut that error rate in half, and continue to strive to do better.”

With these newfound efficiencies, Sikon and his team can now process payroll for thousands of U.S. employees in a condensed timeframe. “Dayforce has improved our U.S. payroll processing times. We process payroll for 45,000 U.S. employees and have 10 business hours to input all the data and review it before the payroll commit takes place,” says Sikon. “It's a lot of transactions in a short amount of time, and I feel that Dayforce has helped us reduce errors. The data is in there in real time. It's truly amazing."

Sikon also adds that a single payroll system has increased productivity. “We’ve been able to reduce the number of people needed to process payroll in the U.S. and double the size of employees that each individual payroll processor is able to handle using Dayforce,” says Sikon. 

Sherwin-Williams is continuing its Dayforce implementation globally. Currently, approximately 48,000 employees in 19 countries are being paid through Dayforce, covering almost 86% of its workforce.

“I think one of the ways that Dayforce is differentiated in the market is by having pay and time in the same system. To me, that is a game changer. It’s one less integration. There aren't really any other partners or products on the market that can say that. So, I think that's a key differentiator,” says Sikon. 

Helping brush away compliance concerns

With the Dayforce flexible rules engine and leading HCM technology, Sherwin-Williams can feel confident operating on a global level. Access to specific information regarding pay and tax regulations from local payroll professionals has helped the company manage compliance in countries that were challenging to manage before. 

“From a global perspective, Dayforce and its partners have really been able to help us manage regulatory compliance,” says Sikon. “When we went through the implementation with Dayforce, we worked with their in-country providers. That helped us with regulatory compliance in certain countries where we struggled in the past because we didn't have that payroll expertise.”

Painting the path to a bright future

As Sherwin-Williams looks to the future, its partnership with Dayforce will be fundamental in managing international operations and creating a better employee experience. As the implementation journey continues, Sikon is confident in Dayforce’s ability to solve his complex requirements. 

“Dayforce is willing to be a partner in our journey. We push them with some tough asks, questions, and deliverables,” says Sikon. “But I feel like they're willing to meet us more than halfway and come up with solutions. And that's what I really wanted.”

The company is also exploring new technology to help it stay ahead of the competition. “One of the key things that we are evaluating now is on-demand pay. I think in the next couple of years, it is going to be a prerequisite to talent retention,” says Sikon. “I think having Dayforce Wallet embedded in the Dayforce system is a game changer. It’s one less integration that clients have to worry about.”

Looking ahead, Sherwin-Williams can focus its attention on continuing to expand its well-known portfolio of products globally and feel confident that its employees are being paid accurately. 

“From Sherwin-Williams' perspective, we want people to be focused on manufacturing and selling paint. We do not want people worried about receiving the proper pay,” says Sikon. “I value our relationship with Dayforce because they are able to help us ensure that employees are paid timely and accurately. It gives me great peace of mind.”

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