The Value of Advisory Services and Reporting in Workday Student Implementations
Implementing Workday Student is a significant undertaking for any institution. With a long list of business needs ranging from reporting to custom integrations, it’s common to feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of tasks that need to be accomplished. As someone who has gone through this process, I’ve witnessed the challenges firsthand and have come to understand the critical role that Advisory Services play in a successful implementation.
The Cold Stone Method: Prioritizing Business Needs
During my time in a previous role, we developed a prioritization strategy that we jokingly called the “Cold Stone Method”: it helped us manage our additional business needs that Workday didn’t deliver natively. This method categorized our needs into three levels: “Like It,” “Love It,” and “Gotta Have It.” If a need was categorized as “Gotta Have It,” it became a top priority for implementation. The other items, categorized as “Like It” or “Love It,” were left to be developed if time permitted.
However, the reality is that the timeline of an implementation, coupled with the volume of configuration required by the implementation partner, often means that many of these “Like It” and “Love It” items are left on the back burner. This is where Advisory Services can be incredibly beneficial. An advisor can help identify your processing and enhancement needs that aren’t standard to Workday and can begin work on those items that the implementation partner may not have the time or resources to complete.
The Role of Advisory Services in Implementations
Bringing an Advisory Service on board early in your implementation process will provide you with the maximum benefit. Advisors can gain an in-depth understanding of how your institution currently operates as well as how to help you and your implementation partner to optimize Workday to meet your business objectives. They’ll become familiar with your configuration decisions and the reasoning behind them, enabling quicker resolution to post-production questions and support.
Although it’s ideal to engage Advisory Services during the implementation phase, expert support is available post-Go Live. Many institutions find themselves post-Go Live without documentation or a thorough understanding of how their system works, or how it needs to be maintained from academic period to academic period or year-to-year. A trusted advisor with experience as both a Workday user and implementer can bridge this gap, helping you maintain and enhance your system long after your implementation partner has moved on to their next project.
The Importance of Reporting in Workday Student
One of the most significant needs in Workday Student that inevitably becomes the responsibility of the customer is reporting. The list of reporting needs can become overwhelming, spanning across all functional areas within Student. However, developing reports that tie into your day-to-day operations can streamline and improve your Workday experience.
In my own experience, having a trusted advisor who deeply understands both your institution’s data and how it is stored in Workday can be extremely beneficial. This knowledge is key to developing meaningful and relevant reports that can streamline your business processes. Reporting can also help you enhance existing processes that previously seemed unattainable within Workday.
For example, during my implementation, I was told that it was impossible to prevent specific populations of student loans from being sent for origination from Workday to COD—a significant compliance risk for my institution. With a deep understanding of our data and Workday’s reporting capabilities, I was able to create reports that identified these populations and developed a custom integration to hold or release loans for origination based on our institution-specific criteria. This solution, born out of necessity and creativity, has since become a roadmap candidate* for Workday, proving that even when something seems impossible, with the right expertise, solutions can be found.
Don’t Lose Sight of Your “Like It” and “Love It” Items
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed during an implementation, but don’t lose sight of your “Like It” or “Love It” items. Don’t let a first response of “that can’t be done” prevent you from thinking outside the box and developing solutions that maximize your Workday investment. Seek expert advice when you can, and don’t limit yourself to just one source. The Workday ecosystem is growing and experts are waiting to assist by empowering you to work smarter, faster, and more collaboratively.
It’s also essential to find experts who value documentation and knowledge transfer so you can maintain and improve your system independently. Implementations are fast-paced and often leave little time for tasks like report creation, dashboard setup, and knowledge transfer. When the dust settles, and you finally have the time and resources, having the right support in place ensures you’re not dependent on consultants and can continue to thrive with your Workday system.
Final Thoughts
A Workday Student implementation is undoubtedly a complex process, but with the right strategies and support, it can be a transformative experience for your institution. Prioritizing your needs, engaging Advisory Services early, and focusing on effective reporting and documentation will not only help you get the most out of Workday but will also empower your institution to continue evolving long after Go Live.
Don’t bite off more than you can chew (of your Cold Stone ice cream)—consultants are here to help, ensuring that when the time comes, you have the tools and knowledge to maintain and enhance your system on your own. Contact us today to get started!
*More information about the COD Reporting Workday Roadmap Candidate Brainstorm can be found here on Workday Community: https://collaborate.workday.com/t5/Student/Ability-to-prevent-a-student-s-Direct-Loan-Pell-or-Teach-record/idi-p/1230623
Disclaimer: Cold Stone Creamery and its associated branding, including “Like It,” “Love It,” and “Gotta Have It,” are registered trademarks of Cold Stone Creamery, Inc. The references to Cold Stone are used purely for editorial and fictional purposes in this blog. Cold Stone Creamery is not affiliated with Workday, Inc. or Kognitiv Inc., nor does it endorse or sponsor this content. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
