How EdgeConneX Scaled Global Payroll Across 20+ Countries with Rippling

Intro

EdgeConneX's footprint now spans more than 20 countries - Germany, US, Japan, Netherlands to name a few - and with that growth came a payroll and compensation operation that was quietly becoming unmanageable. Katie Bradfield, Sr. Manager of Global Payroll & Rewards, needed something harder to build: a system that could actually scale, one that gave both administrators and employees real visibility into what was happening and why.

The existing setup wasn't cutting it; fragmented systems, limited visibility, and no clear path forward. So EdgeConneX made the move to Rippling, not as a standalone switch, but as a foundation for how they'd run global payroll for now and in the future.

The Challenge

Growth at that pace doesn't come without friction. With employees already spread across the U.S., Europe, and Asia — and the Nordics and Australia coming next — Katie's team needed a payroll solution that could actually keep up.

For years, EdgeConneX had leaned on their previous solution and a patchwork of third-party providers, including accounting firms brought in to handle specific regions. It worked, in the way that duct tape works. But there was no cohesion, and almost no visibility. "We didn't have much visibility into payroll — we just accepted whatever report they shared with us," Katie said. "It was very difficult to know what was actually happening." Reporting was siloed by entities, which made any kind of global oversight a guessing game.

The third-party model created another problem: time. Payroll changes had to be submitted weeks out, with no room to manoeuvre. For a company moving as fast as EdgeConneX, that lag had real consequences. "If we had an urgent hire, I had no control to make retroactive changes," Katie said. "I didn't want to have to spend the time and have limitations working with a third party." Every workaround added friction, and every delay slowed the business down.

And then there was the new hire experience — which wasn't much of an experience at all. Onboarding meant asking people to enter their information across multiple disconnected systems. "It was really awkward asking new hires to update their data across two different systems," Katie noted. On top of that, Katie herself had little sense of what employees were actually seeing on their end. "I was completely in the dark," she said. For a company trying to grow fast and hire well, that disconnect wasn't sustainable.

The Solution

EdgeConneX began searching for a more unified approach, one that could bring payroll, HR, and employee data into a single platform. A key requirement was native global payroll functionality, rather than a solution reliant on third-party providers.

After selecting Rippling, the company migrated its data from their previous systems. The implementation process was the first indication of success but also a massive surprise to not only Katie but their Project Manager overseeing the switch over. “It was a much smoother process than people expected,” Katie recalled. “Our Project Manager even said, ‘Why is it so quiet?’ Everything just worked.”

Once Rippling went live, the difference was immediate. Payroll, benefits, and HR data — finally in one place, talking to each other. New hires could onboard and manage their own information without being handed off between systems. Administrators had real-time visibility for the first time. "It was such a better platform and better employee experience - simple as that." Katie said.

One of the most impactful changes was the ability to make updates instantly. Instead of bundling changes before payroll deadlines or relying on external providers, Katie’s team could act in real time. “When we see an error, we can fix it ourselves in seconds instead of going back and forth with someone on the other side of the planet,” she explained.

Automation also became a game changer. “We had no idea how much we would rely on workflows. We’ve created hundreds of workflows, and it automates so much of the manual processes we were doing.” This shift allowed the team to scale operations without significantly increasing headcount. "I remember a colleague saying to me - we really dodged a bullet - we implemented Rippling at just the right time, because we weren’t able to keep up and most certainly not able to grow without it.”

Beyond operational efficiency, Rippling helped EdgeConneX modernise its internal processes and improve cross-functional collaboration. Hiring workflows, for example, became streamlined and secure. Instead of lengthy email chains, managers could initiate requests directly within the platform.

Security and compliance also saw a major boost. “We can all sleep better at night knowing there’s no data being shared across email or spreadsheets that could potentially be a compliance or security risk,” Katie said.

Ultimately, Rippling enabled EdgeConneX to support its global growth ambitions with confidence - especially in tough markets like Germany with strict regulations. With new markets opening and headcount increasing, Katie’s team now has the tools to manage complexity without adding unnecessary overhead, proving that the right infrastructure can turn a growing pain into a competitive advantage.

The Impact

• Improved visibility and control over global payroll, with real-time updates and centralised data

• Significant time savings through automation, enabling the team to scale from ~300 to ~500 employees with minimal HR headcount growth

• Enhanced employee experience with a single, intuitive platform for onboarding, payroll, and benefits

• Reduced compliance risk by eliminating manual data sharing across emails and spreadsheets