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Case Study

Customer interview: Saab simplifies hiring with SiMA a Workday Extend app built with Strada

An interview with Linda Göransson, People Solutions Business Analyst, and Merin Dalmo, Head of People Digital Solutions, Saab, by Ian Harris

Saab, a global defense and security company headquartered in Sweden, employs 25,000 people worldwide. Known for its cutting-edge technology in aeronautics, weapons, sensors, and underwater systems, Saab’s mission is to help nations keep their people and society safe. It has major operations all over the world and is part of the domestic defense capability of several nations.

In 2023, Saab was honored with the Airbus Defense and Space Innovation Award.

A strategic leap toward simplicity

As Saab scaled globally, the need for more intuitive, self-service tools and HR processes became clear. Processes in Workday, such as hiring, involved several steps that occasional users weren’t always familiar with, often relying heavily on HR or assistants to complete basic tasks.

To improve this experience, Saab developed SiMA (Simple Intelligent Manager App) using Workday Extend, in partnership with Strada.

“SiMA empowers managers to act independently and quickly. It simplifies hiring workflows and aligns with our mission of operational excellence and innovation.”

Linda Göransson
People Solutions Business Analyst, Saab Saab simplify hiring with Workday extend SIMA app

From brain-date to breakthrough

The idea for SiMA was sparked during a “Braindate” session at Workday Rising, where Saab saw a demo of Strada’s Position to Performance app. Inspired by its simplicity and user-centered design, Saab envisioned a tailored solution for its own managers.

“Strada’s Position to Performance app helped us visualize what was possible with Extend. It showed us that simplifying core volume processes was not only doable, it was essential.”

Merin Dalmo
Head of People Digital Solutions, Saab Saab simplify hiring with Workday extend SIMA app

The collaboration with Strada was both hands-on and agile. By using wireframes early in the process, Strada helped Saab visualize requirements clearly, avoid costly rework, and stay aligned with their goal of intuitive, user-friendly design. Strada’s technical expertise, user-centered approach, and deep understanding of Workday Extend made them an ideal partner for this transformation.

Designed for managers, built for scale on Workday extend

SiMA was built with one goal in mind: to reduce friction for managers. It presents only the necessary fields, uses smart defaults, and automates downstream tasks through Extend orchestration. Managers can now initiate hiring actions in under a minute without the need for training or lengthy instructions.The app has already led to:

  • 80% reduction in lead time for job requisitions
  • Fewer support cases for HR
  • Increased mobile adoption and self-service usage

By simplifying the experience and embedding intelligence into the process, SiMA empowers managers to act independently while enabling HR to focus on more strategic initiatives. It’s not just a tool for ease of use. It’s a scalable solution designed for long-term impact across Saab’s global operations.

SiMA is also a catalyst for cultural change. It reflects Saab’s broader strategy to simplify, digitize, and empower teams worldwide; shifting the organization toward intuitive self-service and smarter, more agile ways of working.

Smart defaults, dynamic field visibility, and contextual help ensure transactions on SiMA are fast and error-free. These features have significantly reduced the time and effort needed for basic hiring actions. Additionally, managers only need to submit and assign to the right organization; the rest of the actions needed for completing the process are done automatically.

Looking ahead

Saab plans to expand its use of Workday Extend, harmonizing workflows across platforms like ServiceNow and exploring new apps for learning and internal references. The partnership with Strada continues to be central to this journey.

“Strada is a strategic partner. Their ability to blend innovation with real business needs is invaluable.”

Merin Dalmo
Head of People Digital Solutions, Saab Saab simplify hiring with Workday extend SIMA app

Tip for other companies on the same journey

“Don’t hesitate. Focus on high-volume, high-impact use cases. Keep it simple, intuitive, and choose a partner who can help you visualize and deliver.”