Federated Co-operatives Limited drives digital transformation and ongoing system adoption with WalkMe

Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL), one of Canada’s largest wholesale and retail co-operatives, underwent a major digital transformation—migrating from legacy systems to cloud-based applications and unifying operations on centralized platforms for sales, HR, finance, and retailing. Traditional training methods were not enough to keep pace with this transformation, and employees required real-time support within their workflows. With 25,000 employees spread across 160 retail associations, FCL needed a scalable solution that would make digital adoption seamless across critical operations.

Initially implementing WalkMe on three systems, FCL quickly expanded to 12 applications to streamline processes, reduce support demands, and boost operational efficiency. WalkMe’s automation, analytics, and in-app guidance have helped FCL reduce support tickets (by 58 per cent in one instance), accelerate order management processes by up to 70 per cent and save an estimated 80,000 hours annually. WalkMe has evolved from an onboarding tool to a core part of FCL’s digital adoption and technology support strategy.

​​As FCL shifted to cloud-based applications across various parts of the organization, the organization recognized that its new systems would require initial enablement and continuous change management as they updated over time and processes evolved. Centralization and digitalization were key goals of FCL’s transformation, including unifying all business units to a central CRM. As part of this transition, FCL needed a way to support employees in the flow of work, helping them when they needed it most and minimizing tickets for front-line support teams. Data integrity was also critical, especially in areas like procurement and ordering, where errors could lead to missed opportunities and inventory delays.

“We knew a large transition was happening, and we had to figure out how to onboard and train users, and sustain usage across multiple business units,” said Kristy Ruzesky, Solutions Adoption Manager at FCL. “Traditional enablement methods weren’t going to be enough.”

With these considerations in mind, FCL sought a digital adoption platform that could provide real-time guidance, automate cross-platform workflows, ensure data accuracy and deliver insights to improve system adoption and employee experience.

Recognizing the need for real-time guidance and automation, FCL implemented WalkMe to simplify its digital transformation. What started as a pilot on three systems quickly scaled to 12 platforms, including Salesforce, Oracle HCM, Mi9, and FCL’s intranet, warehouse management and time and attendance systems (UKG).

“WalkMe is a game changer. As we adopt more web-based SaaS solutions, updates and changes show up frequently, and WalkMe ensures that the customers and team members using those applications always have the support they need,” said Brad Zimmer, Vice President, Technology, Federated Co-operatives Limited. “It is vastly more efficient and engaging than doing it the old way – with printed manuals that are not interactive and are quickly out of date.”

FCL tailors WalkMe solutions based on the unique needs of each platform, creating a consistent yet customized experience across its digital ecosystem. Real-time, in-app communication about updates and upgrades enables employees to seamlessly continue their work as systems and processes evolve. Employees can also access an always-on WalkMe Menu to search for specific actions and initiate in-app guidance.

WalkMe validation enhances the accuracy and efficiency of FCL’s order management workflows by ensuring that required fields are completed correctly before submission, improving data accuracy and proactively preventing errors. One solution validates that orders are properly acknowledged, preventing an estimated $480,000 in orders from missing this crucial step. In another purchasing process, WalkMe solutions prompt the user when fields aren’t filled out correctly and block them from submission, ensuring orders are submitted to the FCL warehouse in a timely and accurate manner.

“If a retail employee doesn’t complete a purchase order correctly, they could miss out on a seasonal promotion or fail to get the right inventory to their warehouse in time,” Ruzesky said. “WalkMe helped eliminate those errors, so the right orders go through at the right time, on the first try.”

FCL also uses WalkMe to support staff through key moment-in-time workflows, such as locating end-of-year tax documentation and performance goal setting, improving completion rates and reducing support inquiries.

Additionally, FCL tailors its solutions by user type and role in its HR and ERP systems, so employees only see the information that’s relevant to their roles and responsibilities.

“For goal setting, FCL employees have a different schedule than the local Co-op associations. We use WalkMe segmentation to customize our guidance, so only FCL employees receive those notifications in our HR system,” said Ruzesky.

FCL leverages WalkMe to connect workflows across multiple platforms, simplifying tasks like system access requests.

“WalkMe allows us to bridge gaps between different platforms,” Ruzesky said. “We guide employees directly to the right place, making their workflows much more intuitive.”

FCL uses WalkMe’s analytics to continuously improve employee experience. By analyzing search patterns in the WalkMe Menu, FCL identifies where employees are looking for information but not finding results. This insight allows the IT team to proactively build in-app guidance that addresses user needs and eliminates help tickets.

WalkMe also helps FCL reduce the need for custom development cycles and associated costs, enabling the team to quickly deploy solutions to suit organizational demands. The speed and flexibility leave IT teams free to focus on high-priority initiatives and fixes.

FCL’s digital adoption strategy has delivered measurable benefits throughout the organization and helps to ensure that key workflows run smoothly and function as intended. For example, automation and contextual guidance help local Co-ops take advantage of inventory promotions, improve order tracking, and accelerate new item entry—reducing completion time by 70 per cent in the inventory POS system.

WalkMe’s self-service capabilities reduced reliance on help desk teams and improved overall employee experience. In one example, a single SmartTip directing employees to the new learning system reduced support tickets by 58 per cent and enhanced employee satisfaction, allowing teams to focus on strategic projects. By integrating WalkMe into its digital adoption strategy, FCL saves an estimated 80,000 hours annually through self-service capabilities, automation, and improved data accuracy.

“WalkMe’s flexibility and comprehensive capabilities have exceeded our expectations at every turn,” Ruzesky said. “When someone comes to our team with a need or an opportunity, we can find a solution for it. That’s what I love about WalkMe—there’s so much opportunity.”

WalkMe has become an integral part of FCL’s change management strategy, helping to drive digital adoption, improve employee experience, and boost efficiency. Through ongoing participation in WalkMe’s beta programs, FCL continuously explores new ways to use the platform to enhance system rollouts and solve business challenges.

FCL’s digital adoption program is led by a dedicated Center of Excellence (CoE) that oversees WalkMe implementation and strategy across the organization. Initially decentralized, FCL’s WalkMe team transitioned to a hybrid model to better align with business needs. A core team of four, seated in the IT department, leads digital adoption initiatives in collaboration with business unit champions who are enabled on WalkMe, ensuring solutions align with specific operational needs.

“Building a Center of Excellence was critical to our success with WalkMe,” Ruzesky said. “We needed a consistent approach across all our applications while still addressing the unique needs of each business unit. “Our team sets the strategy and leads WalkMe enablement for our business partners, who bring the specialized knowledge about their platforms and processes needed to develop the best solutions.”

The team analyzes support tickets and user feedback to identify pain points, then collaborates with business stakeholders to develop targeted WalkMe solutions. All members of the CoE and Community of Practice complete certifications through the WalkMe Digital Adoption Institute to empower them to continue expanding their skillsets.

The CoE hosts bi-monthly knowledge-sharing sessions to exchange ideas and best practices across business units—and an internal resource hub with templates, guidelines, and success stories provides additional support. Ruzesky and team also maintain a library of user stories, results, and solution wins that the team regularly presents to leadership to showcase the impact of their digital adoption strategy.

Beyond internal networking and community building, the FCL team connects with other digital adoption teams.

“We connect with the broader WalkMe digital adoption community to share resources and support one another,” Ruzesky said. “There are so many people who want to help us be successful, along with numerous opportunities to connect and learn.”

Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL) is a wholesaling, manufacturing, and marketing co-operative owned by 160 independent retail co-operatives across Western Canada. With 25,000 employees, FCL helps build, feed, and fuel communities through its Co-operative Retailing System.