Sumitomo Pharma America Modernizes Workforce Learning with Cornerstone Workforce AI

At a glance

SMPA needed to transition from SumTotal to Cornerstone while preserving critical training and compliance processes and improving the overall experience for both learners and administrators. The organization wanted to increase learner engagement, support more self-directed learning, centralize functional administration, and improve training operations through better reporting, assignment logic, due date flexibility, and assignment notifications.

The migration also required careful planning because SMPA operates in a life sciences environment with complex training needs, multiple learner populations, and content ownership spread across different business groups. Some existing processes were manual, including development journeys and certification-related workflows that needed to be translated into a more structured experience in Cornerstone. SMPA also needed to clean and organize course data, including descriptions, subjects, and related catalog details, so content would be easier to manage by admins and easier for end-users to discover.

Rather than simply migrating to a new platform, eSkillz partnered with SMPA to modernize its workforce development strategy, redesign business processes, simplify administration, improve adoption, and establish a scalable foundation for future innovation. This included Cornerstone Workforce AI Learning, Analytics, Workday Integration, Okta SSO, a custom login page, self-registration, MS Teams vILT integration, migration data support, user account management through the ServiceNow Connector, and UAT planning with test scripts.

Beyond configuration, eSkillz helped SMPA think through how its existing learning processes should evolve in Cornerstone. The team guided design conversations, supported migration planning, helped organize catalog and content ownership, and worked with SMPA stakeholders across HR, IT, learning, business, and technical teams.

A key part of the solution was helping SMPA transform manual training and certification processes into a scalable, engaging workforce platform within Cornerstone. eSkillz helped design the foundation for channels, communities, journeys, pathways, curricula, and certifications, including field services and field sales certification programs that combined compliance requirements with guided learning experiences.

The project also helped SMPA establish a stronger foundation for future workforce innovation. By improving platform governance, catalog organization, reporting, and learner experience, SMPA positioned its Cornerstone Workforce AI environment to better support skills strategy, career growth, adaptive learning paths, and AI-enabled recommendations over time.

Together, let’s make your success your reality.

​Evolve projects are not simple system migrations. They require a clear understanding of legacy learning environments, Cornerstone design options, data migration realities, integrations, stakeholder alignment, and long-term learning strategy.

eSkillz helps organizations make that transition with a practical, strategic approach. Our team does more than configure the platform. We help clients rethink how workforce development should support the business in the new environment, translate existing processes into scalable designs, support cross-functional decision-making, and prepare the platform for future growth.

If you’re planning a move to Cornerstone or looking to modernize your workforce ecosystem, connect with eSkillz to see how we can help you achieve a smoother transition and stronger results.