Cultivating Excellence: Hospitality Certification for Peak Performance

Discover how Merivale elevated workforce performance and compliance with a tailored SuccessFactors certification solution.

Merivale is Australia’s leading hospitality group, operating some of the country’s most iconic venues. The group has grown to over 90 brands and venues, delivering exceptional dining and entertainment experiences.

“At Merivale we aim to bring a little magic into the everyday. We are driven to deliver unique and memorable experiences to every person who steps into one of our venues.”

Beyond hospitality, Merivale actively contributes to Sydney’s cultural life, supporting arts, tourism, and community initiatives, helping enrich the city’s vibrancy and social fabric .

Every year, Merivale’s workforce gears up for its busiest season. A time when thousands of staff across multiple venues must be fully certified, ready, and confident to deliver world-class experiences.

But preparing a large, diverse workforce for this “readiness period” is no small task. Certifications had to be completed on time, processes needed to be simple for both managers and employees, and operations couldn’t afford to slow down.

That’s where NTT DATA came in.

Business Challenge

Merivale needed more than just an upgraded system. They needed:

A way to ensure all staff completed annual readiness requirements ahead of peak season.
A streamlined certification process that simplified the experience for managers and employees.
Consistency across venues, with minimal disruption to day-to-day operations.
A scalable foundation for future talent management initiatives, without losing focus on business-as-usual outcomes.

At its core, this wasn’t just a compliance challenge. It was about making sure every team member felt equipped, supported, and ready to deliver hospitality at the highest level.

The Solution

Together, we rolled out the SuccessFactors Learning Management System (LMS) to replace their legacy system — creating one connected, intuitive platform for HR and learning.

Here’s how we did it:

Unified systems: Connected HR and learning processes, eliminating redundant data replication.
Simplified experience: Designed a clean, intuitive interface for employees and managers.
Actionable insights: Integrated reporting with BI tools and time & attendance systems.
Smart processes: Streamlined notifications, workflows, and HRIT processes to reduce disruption.
Structured rollout: Applied an accelerated methodology to hit tight deadlines and drive adoption across all venues.

This wasn’t about technology for technology’s sake — it was about enabling people to succeed with confidence.

The Results

The impact was felt across the business, from leadership to front-line staff:

Seamless adoption: Managers found the process smoother and more intuitive, freeing them to focus on operations and their people.
Operational confidence: Deadlines were met without disruption, thanks to a risk-managed, structured rollout.
Better visibility: BI integration gave leadership early signals on compliance and actionable workforce insights.
Enhanced employee experience: Staff benefited from a consistent, integrated platform that reduced friction and simplified engagement.

Most importantly, Merivale entered its busiest season with confidence, knowing their teams were certified, prepared, and ready to deliver the hospitality excellence they’re known for.

This was my first time implementing a system like this, and coming from the business, I expected to need deep technical knowledge. But NTT DATA delivered it in a way that made it straightforward for me to use, letting me focus on the certification process and supporting my team rather than wrestling with the technology.

Rachel Blackwell L&D Partner

Why NTT DATA Business Solutions?

Merivale’s choice was driven by our ability to deliver under pressure while keeping people and operations at the center. NTT DATA was selected as we are more than a technology vendor, we are a trusted partner who could:

Business-first approach: Designed around managers, teams, and operations; not just systems.
Accelerated methodology: ready2run^® enabled faster, lower-risk implementation.
Simplified processes: Less admin, fewer approvals, more time for people and guests.
Human-focused adoption: Smooth onboarding and intuitive systems minimized disruption.
Proven under pressure: Confidence that deadlines could be met without sacrificing quality.

Our approach was business-first, people-focused, and outcome-driven.

For the client, this project wasn’t just about compliance. It was about empowering people, protecting guest experience, and setting the stage for future workforce innovation.

At NTT DATA, we help hospitality leaders transform HR in ways that work for their business — reducing risk, streamlining operations, and keeping the focus on what truly matters: delivering exceptional experiences.