Stick around for the "Workday®" Ride

I met a colleague visiting from California in Boston recently for dinner. I glanced at the dashboard to check the time. Punctual, he ambled into the car, and commented, “I am so glad that someone else is driving – I can’t navigate these Boston streets at all.”

Think about your Workday® deployment – it’s done! The planning, advising, deciding, and final translation of your legacy system into the intuitive, cloud-based HCM marvel is complete. All you have to do is figure out how to navigate it.

I was part of the initial implementation team at a company migrating from Lawson to Workday. I remember each stage well - Deep Dive, End-to-End Testing, Go Live. There was barely time to celebrate everyone’s hard work. We had a month’s worth of catch-up transactions to enter. Yes, Workday made our day-to-day tasks easier. We planned for training, allotting time – either virtual or in-person – but getting the time was difficult. We were driving a luxury HRIS system, roadmap at hand and in serious need of assistance.

My colleagues and I slowly learned to navigate Workday tasks, business processes, security and reporting. My knowledge base grew much the same way as I learned to drive around Boston – there were U-turns (using one RDS until I realize there is a better one for the fields needed), new discoveries along the way (view sec for sec) and seeking help from others when needed.

Time and resources were in short supply for Phase 2 (Advanced Comp) and Phase 3 (Talent). We partnered with outside resources. Both experiences gave me front row access to consultants post-implementation. Each time, I learned different approaches to the consulting model. One example was “data gathering, solo configuration” where we provided the information and parameters and the consultant handled all configuration; the second was “data gathering, co-pilot configuration” where we worked side-by-side on configuration and knowledge transfer. Both approaches met our business needs at that moment.

Every company and deployment will come with its unique issues and challenges. Having been a client, I have walked your path; I likely have experienced similar challenges and learned how to address them.

Boston experienced a transformation with the completion of the Big Dig. Workday transformed HRIS with its Power of One. Just as I learned to navigate the streets of Boston, I learned to navigate Workday. For both, I found that I like to drive and teach passengers how to find their way around.

Stick around for the ride.