Mastering Your First Workday Release: A Comprehensive Guide

Navigating your first Workday release can seem overwhelming. However, with careful preparation and a structured approach, it becomes a manageable and even empowering process. This guide provides essential tips and insights to help you confidently manage your initial Workday release and beyond.

Laying the Foundation: Project Management and Ownership

Tip 1: Create a Project and Assign a Project Owner/Manager

A crucial first step is establishing a well-defined project with clear ownership. Designate a point person, typically from the HRIS team, to manage the release. This individual will be responsible for ensuring that all tasks are completed on time and that the entire process runs smoothly. However, a non-technical project manager can also fulfill this role effectively.

The project timeline should begin with the date the release becomes available in the Preview environment. All testing must be completed before the updates are implemented in the production environment. You can find the release dates on the Workday Community platform, along with a valuable Feature Release Testing Kit. Remember that Workday typically rolls out two major releases per year.

Understanding the Changes: What's New in Workday?

Tip 2: What's New Man?

Once the updates are available in the Preview tenant, export the "What's New in Workday" report. This report provides a comprehensive overview of the changes included in the release. Filter out the functional areas that are not relevant to your specific tenant and sort the remaining items by functional area. While this may seem like a daunting task, potentially involving hundreds of items, reviewing everything that is "automatically available" is essential to understand the impact of the release.

Next, examine the items that require configuration to determine if there are any features you would like to incorporate into your roadmap. The "What's New" videos available on the Workday Community are a valuable resource for gaining a deeper understanding of the new offerings.

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Collaboration is Key: Engaging Subject Matter Experts

Tip 3: Engage Your Subject Matter Experts (SME)/Functional Owners

Collaboration with subject matter experts (SMEs) and functional owners is crucial for a successful release. Schedule meetings with representatives from various functional areas, such as payroll, learning, and talent management. Inform them about the upcoming release and how it could enhance or impact their respective platforms, emphasizing areas that require focused testing.

Furthermore, explore the new features and functionalities that could be added to their future roadmaps. Involve functional owners in the decision-making process and encourage them to design their own roadmaps. This collaborative approach not only ensures that the business continues to see the value being added in Workday but also fosters a sense of ownership and engagement.

Ensuring Functionality: Rigorous Testing Protocols

Tip 4: Test, Test, Test!

Thorough testing is paramount to ensure that your core processes continue to function as expected after the release. Develop a comprehensive testing plan that covers all major processes. For example, will job changes and compensation changes still work correctly? Will the performance review process still follow the correct approval workflow?

This testing plan can be implemented using a simple list of test cases in Excel, or you can leverage your existing ticketing or project management system. The key is to list all the test cases that must be completed and track who is responsible for testing each case, as well as whether the test case passes or fails.

If a test case fails, the issue must be resolved before the release is deployed to production. Collaborate with your functional leaders to ensure that the testing plan includes all processes that are critical to the functioning of your business. Additionally, be sure to test any new items that you plan to start using.

Keeping Users Informed: Communication and Training

Tip 5: Communicate & Update Training

During the functional review of new items and the testing phase, identify any significant changes to the user experience or your training documents. Any training materials that are affected by the update will need to be revised accordingly.

In the week leading up to the release going live, communicate these changes to your power users (typically HR and administrators) and your employees. Setting clear expectations will help to avoid surprises on go-live day and ensure a smooth transition.

Optimizing Your Workday Experience: Additional Tips and Tricks

Beyond the core steps for managing a Workday release, several tips and tricks can enhance your overall Workday experience and productivity.

Task Management: Use Workday primarily for tasks you initiate, rather than those assigned to you.
Multitasking: Open links in new tabs to effectively multitask, such as viewing your absence calendar and time entry simultaneously.
Efficient Navigation: Type the first two letters of each word in a field selection (e.g., "bo sp" for Boathouse Sports or "cr ex re" for create expense report) and press Enter. This will narrow down the search results or automatically populate the field with your selection.
Leverage Job Aids: Most tasks and processes in Workday have associated Job Aids that provide step-by-step instructions.
Stay Informed: Monitor your notifications (bell icon) for pending approvals, messages, or system alerts.
Mobile Access: Install the Workday mobile app and enable notifications to stay connected on the go.
Language Support: As an international company, Workday supports multiple languages.
Seek Assistance: If you need further assistance, submit a support ticket.

Data Validation and Reporting: Avoiding Common Pitfalls

Before embarking on a new project, complaint, or theory about a potential issue, run a quick query. Focus on a small sample - one population, one timeframe, one behavior. This simple step can often debunk assumptions.

When working with Workday Student, be mindful of the data source you choose. For example, understand the difference between the "Student Course Registration Record" and the "Student Course Registration" data sources. Selecting the appropriate data source can often eliminate the need for complex calculated fields.

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When you need a field that is not available on the primary business object (the one from your data source), you can often change your field to a related business object.

Remember that the "Student" business object in Workday is not the same as the traditional understanding of a "student" in higher education. In Workday, the "Student" business object is best suited for biographic and demographic information. The "Academic Record" or "Academic Period Record" holds most of the information about a student's academic history. Students can have multiple academic records.

Focus on data validation. Treat learning the Workday data model like learning a foreign language. Document terms. Run experiments. Validate data more thoroughly than you think is necessary.

Connect with peers at other institutions and ask for report templates. They can easily export these templates, providing valuable insights. Reviewing recordings can either confirm your existing knowledge or prevent headaches caused by selecting the wrong data source.

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