Data strategies to strengthen your Workday investment
By Jodi Ballard-Beach and Jocelyn Baumann
As the world faces an unprecedented pandemic, the ability to collect, analyze, and use data to inform our next steps has never been more striking. The very key to safely reopening the economy is data — namely in the form of contact tracing and testing.
Internally, organizations are turning to data to answer some of their most urgent questions. Big data has been a big conversation for a couple of decades. For organizations who were forward-thinking in their data investments, both in technology and knowledge proficiency, the return on their investment is shown in their ability to measure, respond, and adapt to this rapidly changing world.
Workday has established itself as a leading HCM and Finance software based on a system architecture built around the principle of the Power of One (not familiar? click here). This architecture enables agility and is positioned to be the intelligent core of an organization’s digital strategy.
Customers know that Workday will collect and deliver the data they need to make relevant and timely decisions — most likely a primary driver in selection — but it’s not unusual to find organizations struggling to realize the full power of Workday’s data capability. During a Workday implementation there is a data conversion workstream, but typically no prescribed workstream for determining how the organization wants to view data, how it will be governed, and most importantly, how the business will use the data to make decisions.
Often the investment in data stops at the purchase and implementation of technology, but the technology only provides one part of the overall solution: the architecture needed to collect, store, and report. A corresponding investment in strategy, planning, and continuous improvement for both business practice and data management are needed to complete the solution.
A Modern Culture of Data
Slalom’s Modern Culture of Data framework was designed to help clients identify and prioritize this investment so that they can realize the full benefits of their technology implementations.
Let’s take a look at this framework and see how it applies to Workday implementations.
A Bold Vision is at the heart of a modern culture of data. With this vision, leaders set a direction for technology, the workforce, and for the future of the business.
- What questions do HR leaders and business stakeholders have that cannot be currently answered?
- What kind of initiatives could be funded and approved with the right data?
- Who should have access to what data and how would you describe their ideal user experience?
- Are you ready to embed an analytics mindset within the organization and its operations?
Access & Transparency is the translation of Bold Vision into technical requirements for systems of record.
- Is user security managed in a way that supports the bold vision?
- What does data transparency look like by employee type, job role, and management level?
Guardianship ensures that data security, quality, and governance support the vision and user experience.
- What effort has been made to establish an effective partnership between the business and IT?
- What approach is used to collect and implement business defined rules for data quality and governance?
- What mechanisms ensure technical support (ie security, audit automation) enable the bold vision?
Data Literacy encompasses the mindset and skills end-users need to effectively use system data
- Do consumers of the data understand where it comes from, what it can be used for, and how to analyze it to draw out insights and recommendations?
- Will decisions start to be made based on analysis rather than “gut feelings”?
Ways of Working is the operational use of data throughout all levels of an organization
- Are system reports and dashboards regularly used in team meetings to monitor progress against key performance indicators?
- Are new initiatives and projects required to have analytical inputs as a basis for their recommendations?
Now that we understand what a modern culture of data looks like, we can see how it applies to Workday configuration:
By using the Modern Culture of Data framework to inform Workday configuration decisions, you can achieve these kinds of benefits:
- Clear outlines of expected business results
- Easier identification of what functionality needs to be configured
- Defined criteria for evaluating alignment of configuration to strategy
- Easier identification of gaps in knowledge and skills to improve training and change management efforts
- Greater utilization and return on investment post-implementation
How has your organization reacted to data requests during COVID-19?
For many organizations, the pandemic has highlighted gaps in both technology and the understanding and data culture. Whether you are considering replacing a legacy ERP system, implementing Workday, or are an established Workday customer — the time invested in bringing this framework to life in your organization is well worth it.
As Workday Advisory Partners, our focus is on enabling customers to obtain value from their Workday investments. We approach projects holistically, combining elements of strategy, people, process and technology to enable transformation. We tailor our approach based on client needs, from end-to-end strategy and deployment leadership, to tactical health checks on topics such as integrations, data, and adoption.
Interested in learning more about how this framework may help to address some of your unique business challenges? Let’s talk!
Jodi Ballard-Beach is a Solution Architect on Slalom’s Regional Delivery Team, where she contributes as a Workday Advisory Partner. Jodi is passionate about helping clients optimize their Workday platforms by aligning business strategies and operational delivery.
Jocelyn Baumann is a Consultant with Slalom Portland’s Business Advisory Services team. Prior to her career at Slalom, she led analytics teams in operations and marketing. She brings a passion for analytics and process excellence to projects across supply chain, finance, and human resources organizations.
Slalom is a modern consulting firm focused on strategy, technology, and business transformation.
