Key Phases of a Workday HCM Implementation Project

1. Planning
1. Project Charter: Define goals, objectives, scope, stakeholders, high-level timeline, and budget.
2. Team Formation: Assemble cross-functional team with Workday expertise (internal and/or external implementation partner).
3. Risk Assessment: Identify potential risks (data, integration, change management) and mitigation plans.
4. Change Management Strategy: Develop a plan to communicate changes and drive adoption.
2. Architect
1. Requirements Gathering: Thoroughly document current business processes and future state needs.
2. System Design: Map requirements to Workday’s functionality, configuring workflows and business processes within the system.
3. Integration Design: Evaluate existing systems and plan necessary integrations with Workday.
4. Data Mapping and Conversion: Determine data cleansing, conversion, and migration strategies.
3. Configure
1. Workday Setup: Build system tenants and configure core modules (HCM, Payroll, Benefits, Time Tracking, etc.).
2. Customizations (If needed): Carefully assess and develop only minimally necessary changes to align with Workday best practices.
3. Integrations Development: Build integrations between Workday and other systems.
4. Test
1. Develop Test Plans: Create comprehensive test scenarios covering core processes, integrations, and customizations.
2. Iterative Testing: Conduct unit testing, system integration testing, user acceptance testing with key stakeholders. Involve end users early.
3. Issue Tracking and Resolution: Document and address issues, retesting as needed.
5. Deploy
1. Data Migration: Finalize and execute data migration into production environment.
2. Cutover Planning: Detailed plan for system transition, including communication and rollback contingency plans.
3. Go-Live: Launch Workday.
4. Hypercare: Provide intensive post-launch support to resolve issues quickly.
6. Support
1. Knowledge Transfer: Ensure internal team has training and support plans.
2. Optimization: Gather feedback, identify areas for improvement, and continue to refine Workday usage.
3. Maintenance: Plan for updates, bug fixes, and ongoing system configurations.

Considerations

• Implementation Approach: Choose the methodology that suits your organization (Waterfall, Agile, or a hybrid approach).
• Vendor/Partner Selection: Evaluate Workday implementation partners if seeking external support.
• Data Quality: Prioritize data cleansing and governance to ensure a smooth transition.
• Training: Develop a comprehensive training plan for employees at all levels.