The organization
When a large family-run trucking company found itself stuck in low gear with fragmented human resources (HR), payroll, and benefits communication systems, BDO Canada drove a high-performance overhaul that automated repeated tasks, centralized data, and transformed the employee experience.
Founded in 1920, C.R. England (CRE) is a privately-owned trucking and transportation company specializing in customized freight services across North America. With a workforce of around 5,400 employees, 80% of whom are drivers, the company operates in a fast-paced, cross-jurisdictional, and highly regulated industry.
With work systems scattered, data trapped in silos, and inefficiencies piling up, CRE realized modernization was essential to move forward. They turned to BDO to implement Dayforce, a cutting-edge cloud-based human capital management (HCM) platform.
The challenge
As a family business that steadily expanded, until it became one of the most recognized names in U.S. logistics, C.R. England was still relying on homegrown technology that had served them well when they were a smaller organization, but could no longer keep pace with the complexity and scale of the operation.
With thousands of drivers and back-office staff spread across the country, C.R. England’s HR team was juggling siloed data, disparity in employee personas, inconsistent processes, and time-intensive manual tasks. With disconnected HR systems that were fragmented across third-party vendors, compliance and reporting were a challenge. Their internal teams lacked access that would help them make strategic operational decisions.
Together, these challenges weakened the HR function’s ability to act as a strategic pillar within the company.
“Our system was very clunky and segregated from an administrative standpoint. Managing an employee's life cycle was a very manual process,” says Jessica Hale, Vice President, Human Resources, C.R. England. “We were so focused on managing processes that we didn’t do a good job of managing the employee experience or leading strategically. We were in a constant reactionary state.”
C.R. England needed a modern, integrated solution to streamline HR operations, reduce manual labour, enhance overall efficiency, and ultimately position HR as having a strategic and influential position within the organization.
The solution
Dayforce stood out as an end-to-end HCM solution with configuration opportunities that would meet C.R. England’s complex needs. BDO’s multi-disciplinary teams stepped in with an advisory-led HR transformation that focused on aligning CRE’s people, processes, and technology, ultimately laying the foundation for stronger business outcomes.
Our Dayforce implementation began not with software deployment, but with comprehensive discovery sessions where we functioned as strategic advisors to C.R. England’s leadership team. Through in-depth workshops, we explored their business operations, goals, and priorities, allowing us to recommend modern technology solutions that were purpose-built and aligned with their needs.
We didn’t just hand over a playbook and walk away. From those first discovery sessions through to the first payroll cycles using Dayforce, we served as a true business advisor, bringing not just technical knowledge, but strategic guidance, proven best practices, and proactive risk mitigation that CRE could trust.
During go-live, we were side-by-side with C.R. England through multiple payroll cycles solving problems in real-time, sharing knowledge, and gradually handing off to Dayforce’s long-term support team.
Smart, fast solutions built for the long haul
Our solution-focused approach empowered C.R. England to fully leverage Dayforce's capabilities. It involved a complete re-think of how CRE teams would interact with the applications, and aligning with their business needs and goals.
Leveraging years of experience and best practices, we led a strategic HR overhaul that involved practical, high-impact changes across CRE’s HR ecosystem:
The outcome & benefits
With Dayforce’s integrated tools and a single source of truth, CRE has set a foundation for continued success and scalability as they continue to leverage the HCM system’s capabilities.
Our strategic implementation and Dayforce’s innovative functionality delivered a number of benefits for CRE. In the weeks since its implementation, CRE has already seen:
"One of the biggest benefits of this implementation is having a single source of truth for our HR data. Employees and managers no longer have to navigate multiple platforms to access critical information," says Hale.
Being cloud-based, Dayforce allows access from anywhere, enhancing business continuity and reducing the likelihood of downtime.
Driving HR efficiency at scale
Through a strong partnership with BDO, C.R. England successfully modernized its HR operations with Dayforce, overcoming longstanding inefficiencies and compliance challenges. Our team’s consultative approach, collaborative culture, and proactive risk mitigation ensured a smooth transition, positioning CRE for scalable growth and strategic HR leadership.
Our experienced team includes former Dayforce employees, which allowed us to deliver hands-on support and tailored recommendations to address the unique business needs of every client.