Workday Project Update 

Issue 6

Dear colleagues, 

As we wrap up the first round of end-to-end testing and embark on the second, I am filled with immense pride for the progress we've made together. This edition of the Workday Newsletter is a testament to the team’s collective dedication and hard work, and I am thrilled to share our latest updates with you. 

In this issue, we'll be diving into some updates from our reporting team and showcasing the remarkable strides we've taken to ensure our system exceeds our expectations. These insights are critical as we continue to fine-tune and optimize our processes, setting us up for even greater success in the coming phases. 

Thank you all for your unwavering commitment and enthusiasm. Let's keep moving forward with the same positive energy and determination as we transition into the next stage of our project. 

Warm regards, 

Melanie O'Dell 
Chief Financial Officer 

 

The Workday project is now in its third formal stage, known as "test and train," which will continue through May. This critical stage involves thorough preparation for deployment and cutover, the focus of the next and final stage. During this test and train phase, the project team is diligently developing training content, ensuring that the material is both comprehensive and engaging. Additionally, the project team is rigorously testing the configuration and process designs from the architect and configure stage, using university data, meticulously identifying defects and addressing them promptly to ensure a smooth and effective implementation. There are two iterations of end-to-end testing which allow the team to refine processes and still meet the high standards of testing accuracy required for go-live. 

Reporting in Workday is key to viewing and analyzing data essential to university decision-making and operational efficiency. There are two types of reports in Workday: standard reports, which are pre-built and maintained by Workday, and custom reports, which are built from scratch or cloned from standard reports and maintained by William & Mary. Watch this video to learn more about reporting in Workday!

Workday will serve as one unified system to handle a majority of the HCM needs! Because Workday's platform is so robust, we'll reduce our HCM system ecosystem significantly. PeopleAdmin Position Management and Applicant Tracking, and Cornerstone Learning and Performance Management, will retire. Additional new integrations will streamline other systems and processes, as well, to support benefits management, I9 verification, and background checks. 

In this edition, we're excited to introduce some essential Workday vocabulary that will empower you to navigate the system with ease. 

Business Process: Think of a business process (BP) in Workday as the blueprint for success. BP’s outline a set of tasks that need to be completed, the order in which they must be done, and who is responsible for each task. Hiring an employee and paying invoices are examples of BP’s. 

Task: A task in Workday is a crucial step in a BP that a user completes. For example, you might receive a task alert notification to approve a time-off request. This notification is triggered by a step in the business process, keeping you on track. 

Roles: A group of people with specific responsibilities and permissions. When a BP runs, the role for each step includes all of the workers in that role in the BP target organization. 

Functional Group: Grouping of tasks, reports, and objects. (e.g., the HCM solution includes functional areas such as Benefits, Talent & Performance, Absence and Manager/Employee self-service). Each of Workday's solutions (like HCM and Financials) are grouped into distinct functional areas. 

Worklet: Worklets are compact reports displayed as "tiles" on the Home page, providing easy access to tasks and information you use regularly. Think of them as your personalized dashboard for quick access. 

A complete Workday glossary can be found online.