The challenge
Recognition that couldn't keep up with a 2,800-person workforce
Yarra Trams operates the world's largest tram network - 480+ trams, 26 routes, and more than 2,800 employees spread across nine depots throughout Melbourne. Running a network of this scale, 20 hours a day, seven days a week, means recognition moments are frequent but difficult to coordinate consistently. The organisation's existing approach had grown piecemeal over time, and the gaps were starting to show.
- Fragmented schemes, inconsistent budgets - each department managed its own recognition practice with no shared standard, no unified budget structure, and no visibility across the organisation
- Heavy administrative overhead - department heads and payroll teams manually procured and distributed physical gifts, tracked applicable tax obligations, and handled approvals individually - a process that scaled poorly as the workforce grew
- No integration with SAP SuccessFactors - recognition lived entirely outside the core HR platform, creating a disconnect between everyday people workflows and the moments they were meant to celebrate
- Zero analytical visibility - there were no tools to measure redemption costs, track engagement, or understand which recognition efforts were landing - making program improvement impossible
The solution
One platform, integrated with SAP SuccessFactors, live across all depots
Yarra Trams implemented Xoxoday Plum as its unified employee recognition and rewards platform, connected directly to SAP SuccessFactors. The integration meant employee data flowed automatically, recognition workflows could be managed within familiar systems, and reward points were issued without manual intervention from the HR team.
- SAP SuccessFactors integration - reward point issuance and recognition workflows connected to the existing HR system, removing manual administration entirely
- Reward marketplace - employees access a curated global storefront spanning gift cards, fashion, home improvement, tech, dining, health, and more - all redeemable via points, with every reward fulfilled instantly
- Reward points - a consistent, flexible points currency that works across departments and depots, eliminating the budget fragmentation of the old scheme
- Admin reporting - for the first time, the people team had visibility into redemption activity, category preferences, and program engagement - enabling data-driven decisions on recognition design
The results
Platform-wide delivery and a workforce that keeps growing into recognition
Xoxoday Plum delivered near-flawless reward execution across a workforce on rotating shifts, 20 hours a day. Every recognition moment triggered through SAP SuccessFactors reached its recipient - no manual follow-up, no exceptions, no delay.
Monthly platform participation grew sharply as more employees and departments joined the recognition cycle. For an operation spread across nine depots, that trajectory reflects a program finding its rhythm - and a reward experience compelling enough to draw the broader workforce in over time.
99%
Fulfilment success rate - every reward delivered, zero exceptions
+400%
Growth in monthly active employees on the Xoxoday Plum platform
The solution was simple to deploy with less IT resource effort than we expected. From the office to our depots, our employees have embraced the change, as it underpins our ongoing efforts to elevate our workplace culture by incorporating recognition and appreciation and upholding our values.
Peitta Dyball
Chief People Officer · Yarra Trams