After two years of planning and preparation, Workday, the university’s modern solution to managing employment and financial information, is now online.
Starting today, employees will no longer have to deal with paper forms or patchwork systems when entering working hours or managing tax information. Workday replaces a system that traces its origins back to the 1980s. Its implementation revolutionizes WSU’s fiscal and human resources operations.
This tremendous step forward wouldn’t be possible without the significant effort put forward by dozens of university employees.
“This is a game-changer for the way we do business as a university,” said WSU President Kirk Schulz. “Workday not only will make us more efficient in our day-to-day business operations, it will give us accurate and timely financial information needed to make critical financial decisions about the WSU system.”
In response to the need to modernize payroll and personnel functions, the WSU Board of Regents in 2018 approved $30 million in funding for Workday, a cloud-based system used across higher education and the private sector.
Employees will be able to log hours and vacation requests as well as manage grants and payroll systems in one place with Workday. Beginning today, employees will be entering time worked and time away in Workday, with payroll being run through the system as well. At the start of the New Year, Workday will be fully operational, though it is expected to take up to a year to fully stabilize the system and its myriad processes.
A complete list of upgraded systems is available online, with updates being made as the project moves into the next phase.
As with any new piece of software, getting started can be intimidating. Fortunately, the Modernization team has been hard at work, setting up robust training exercises and presentation on everything from entering time and leave requests to payment and tax withholding elections.
The essential trainings for all WSU employees are available online. A dedicated Workday service desk has also been set up to assist employees with questions about the new system.
Given the size and scope of these changes, some initial challenges are expected. Processing times will likely be slowed as new processes are adopted and hundreds of catch‑up transactions are reprocessed. WSU leaders urge patience and understanding, for yourself and your coworkers as they adjust to Workday.
Departments coming together to deal with Workday implementation issues will help the university stabilize its system and move WSU forward into a modern era of finance and human resources.
For more information, visit the Modernization team’s Workday website.
