Workday @ SVSU Campus Communications

December 4, User Readiness Review, Home Page Sneak Peek & Payroll

November 6, New Travel & Expense Process, Job Aids and Training

Dear Colleagues,

WORKDAY HIGHLIGHT: STREAMLINED TRAVEL & EXPENSE PROCESSING 

With Workday, managing your travel and expense reports is easier than ever! Say goodbye to paper forms—Workday allows you to submit expense reports and request reimbursements all in one place. This streamlined system offers automated routing for approvals and easier tracking, so you’ll always know the status of your request. 

JOB AIDS & USER READINESS REVIEW (URR) 

Our Workday Team is currently working diligently to create several job aids for the Workday Platform. The job aids will be available to assist users in efficiently completing tasks within Workday by providing clear, step-by-step instructions and visual guides, often including screenshots, to help users navigate and complete specific tasks within Workday Platform.  

Starting December 3, SVSU’s CARDS team will begin User Readiness Review (URR) for Workday Platform, utilizing these job aids as a primary resource. Insights gained during this review will help our training team refine materials, improving Workday Platform training for all employees. 

WORKDAY EMPLOYEE TRAINING 

Workday Employee Training is coming in February and March 2025 to help prepare SVSU staff for the transition to the new system. Training will include in-person sessions, virtual sessions and resources focused on key functions like HR, payroll, and finance. Employees will be notified as soon as training becomes available, ensuring everyone has the guidance and support needed to make the most of Workday’s streamlined tools and features. 

TAKE THE WORKDAY QUIZ FOR A CHANCE TO WIN SVSU SWAG! 

Test your Workday knowledge and enter to win SVSU swag! Take the Workday Quiz to see how much you know about our new system’s features and benefits. It’s a fun way to get ready for Workday — and you might just walk away with some great SVSU gear! Ready to take the challenge? Start the quiz here (Link not active). 

Sincerely,

The SVSU Workday Implementation Team

_______________________________________________________

Workday @ SVSU Resources

• Workday @ SVSU Website 
• Worday @ SVSU CARDS
• Submit Workday @ SVSU Questions or Feedback 
• Informational Flyer

October 23, New Feature Highlight & System Testing

Dear Colleagues,

As part of SVSU's transition to the new Workday platform, we’re excited to share some important progress and highlight a new Workday @ SVSU feature.

WORKDAY HIGHLIGHT: ABSENCE AND LEAVE TRACKING

By moving from a manual process to an automated system, you can look forward to the following:

• User-Friendly Interface — Request time off in just a few clicks.
• Improved Process — Approvals will be more efficient with instant notifications, helping to reduce unnecessary delays.
• Accuracy & Efficiency — Minimize errors and save time with up-to-date records.
• Full Transparency — Easily view your leave balances, making it simpler to plan your time off.

These updates will streamline how you track and manage time off, making the process smoother and more efficient.

DID YOU KNOW?

Here’s a sneak peek into the progress behind the scenes:

• It’s a Team Effort — Every week, 27 meetings keep this project moving forward, with over 30 hours spent on collaboration, problem-solving, and planning.
• Meet the SVSU Dream Team — A core group of 42 SVSU employees, supported by over 40 Workday CARDS team members, are dedicated to ensuring a successful transition to Workday.
• Our Training Champions — The team has completed 236 Workday courses, gaining the expertise needed to bring Workday to life at SVSU.

WORKDAY TESTING UPDATE

We are currently in a three-month testing phase that began in October. This process includes three phases of testing to ensure a smooth and successful implementation.

• Completed Phase One: Unit Testing — This phase addressed business process flow and configuration issues. Out of 498 test scenarios, 404 passed, and 94 are under further evaluation, aligning everything for the next steps.
• In Progress Phase Two: End-to-End Testing — Alchemy was on site from October 15-18 for the kickoff of this phase, where great work was done by the team, a lot of knowledge was shared, and key decisions were made.
• Upcoming Phase Three: User Readiness Review (URR) — In the final phase, designated employees will test the Workday platform with the Workday Testing team to ensure the system meets business and regulatory requirements. This phase will also coordinate with the SVSU Workday Training team to refine training materials and documentation.

These behind-the-scenes efforts ensure that when March 2025 arrives, we’ll be fully prepared to launch Workday Platform and unlock its potential for the entire university.

Sincerely,

The SVSU Workday Implementation Team

_______________________________________________________

Workday @ SVSU Resources

• Workday @ SVSU Website 
• Submit Workday @ SVSU Questions or Feedback 
• Informational Flyer

October 9, 2024 Testing Phase and CARDS Announcement

Dear SVSU Community,

The Workday CARDS (Change Advocates for Results-Driven Success) program officially launched on September 30. Workday CARDS is a team of over 40 SVSU employees tasked with supporting the Workday transition. CARDS members act as key contacts in their departments, helping to keep everyone informed, prepared, and supported during this process. They will be available to answer questions, share updates, gather feedback, and guide colleagues through the upcoming changes.

Workday PLATFORM Implementation Update:  

The Workday Platform (HR, Finance, Payroll) implementation has completed the Architect and Configuration phase. The Test phase has begun and runs through January 2025. Alchemy, our implementation partner, will be on campus October 15-18 to kick off end-to-end testing. During this three-month phase, the focus will be on verifying configurations, data, reports, integrations, and security. It will also include user readiness testing. Workday Platform is on track to go live in March 2025, giving users access to payroll, benefits, purchase requisitions, on-boarding (including for student employees), and more.

Workday STUDENT Implementation Timeline:

Workday Student will include vital functions like admissions, financial aid, student finance, records, registration and advising. Workday Student implementation starts in January 2025 with a rolling deployment that follows the lifecycle of a student. Key milestones include:

• Summer 2026: Admissions (new students)
• Fall 2026: Financial Aid processing 
• Winter 2027: Course scheduling, degree audit, registration, and advising
• Summer 2027: Billing 
• December 2027: Grading and graduation processing

Sincerely, 

The SVSU Workday Implementation Team

Workday @ SVSU Resources 

• Workday @ SVSU Website 
• Submit Workday @ SVSU Questions or Feedback 
• Informational Flyer

September 11, 2024 Update on Workday Implementation

August 14, 2024 Progress, Testing, Training and Survey

Dear Campus Community,

We are excited to share some progress updates and information on our upcoming Workday implementation! 

Progress and Key Milestones in Workday Implementation 
Our Workday Implementation teams have been making great strides. Recently, the SVSU Leads and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) hosted Customer Confirmation Sessions (CCS), a key milestone in our Workday journey. These sessions introduced essential concepts, provided visualizations, validated decisions, gathered feedback, and demonstrated Workday’s functionality and processes. We’re pleased to report that the sessions were a success, and we’d like to commend our Workday Leads and SMEs for their outstanding work. 

Ongoing Workday Unit Testing 
Unit Testing in our Workday tenant is currently underway and will continue through August 23. Unit Testing is where individual components of the software are verified to ensure they function correctly before integration into the broader system. By testing the functional configuration against many different scenarios, the implementation team can identify and address issues early in the configuration process. 

Workday Training 
Workday training is coming soon! As we approach the launch, we’ll provide detailed information to ensure you’re prepared for the transition. Training will be available in various formats to accommodate different learning styles and needs. Stay tuned for more updates as we prepare to launch this exciting new platform. We are committed to providing you with the resources and support necessary for a successful transition to Workday. 

Workday Readiness Survey – We Need Your Input! 
In September, we’ll conduct the Workday Implementation Readiness Survey to assess our overall preparedness. The survey, available from September 11 to 18, will help us develop a readiness plan and guide our future change management and training efforts. Your participation is crucial and highly valued. Your feedback is essential in making this implementation a positive experience for everyone. 
  
Sincerely, 
The SVSU Workday Implementation Team

July 10, 2024 Progress Update on Workday Implementation

Dear SVSU Community,

The SVSU implementation team, working with our implementation partner Alchemy, is making great progress in the Architect & Configure phase of the Workday project. We have loaded the initial sets of our data into our Foundation environment, called a "tenant." Over the next few weeks, more data will be migrated into this tenant, and the SVSU team is working to verify and validate it.

In line with SVSU’s needs and industry best practices, the team is also defining and setting up the Workday Business Processes (BPs), which include tasks like approving purchase requisitions and hiring employees. Security roles are also being reviewed and assigned.

The SVSU Communications and Change Management (CCM) team has made several important updates to the Workday @ SVSU website, including:

• Feedback Form: Use this form to ask questions about the implementation. The CCM Team will monitor and respond to these inquiries.
• Workday Team Members: The updated list now includes everyone currently involved in the Workday implementation project.
• Workday Terminology: A new section to define key terms, which will be expanded as the project progresses.
• Workday Timeline: The updated timeline now includes descriptions of each project phase.
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): A new section addressing common questions, which will be updated with relevant inquiries from the university community.

The SVSU CCM team has developed a Workday status communication plan. Monthly updates will be sent through September 2024 on the second Wednesday of each month from u-comm@svsu.edu, with the subject line starting with “Notice: Workday @ SVSU...” As we approach the “go-live” date of March 23, 2025, updates will become more frequent.

Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

The SVSU Workday Implementation Team

Workday @ SVSU Resources

• Workday @ SVSU Website
• Submit Workday @ SVSU Questions or Feedback

June 6, 2024

We are pleased to update you on the ongoing project to replace Colleague with Workday as our new ERP system. This implementation includes key areas such as HR, Finance, and Payroll and is divided into four phases. We have successfully completed the first phase, Planning, and are now moving into the second, Architect & Configure phase.

This marks a significant milestone for the project. Thanks to the dedication of our project team, we now have an initial draft site of Workday for SVSU. Currently, the Workday site includes basic information, and the project team is actively reviewing and verifying this data. This process will continue as more data is integrated in the coming months.

As we transition into the second phase, our focus will be on:

• Continuing review and verification of data to ensure accuracy.
• Designing and configuring the new Workday site to meet SVSU's needs.
• Aligning processes with HR and Financials through weekly cross-functional meetings.

We kindly ask for your patience during this period, as departments such as the Controller’s Office (including Payroll), Human Resources and Business Services balance their daily activities with Workday responsibilities. Consequently, there may be slight delays in their response times.

Thank you for your understanding and support.

James M. Maher II, MBA
Executive Director of Information Technology Services

April 5, 2024

SVSU is proceeding with the implementation of Workday as the university’s new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. This will enhance our ability to collaborate as colleagues, serve our students, and advance strategically.

As communicated earlier in January, SVSU has partnered with Alchemy, a trusted implementation partner, to guide us through this multi-year process. Alchemy staff have been on campus this week, meeting with SVSU colleagues who will be integral to the success of this transition. Together, we are embarking on the journey to integrate Workday into our core business functions including finance, human resources, payroll, and student systems.
Over the next year, we will be focusing on the integration of:

• Human Resources
• Payroll
• Finance and budget

Our colleagues in the Controller’s office, HR, Payroll, and ITS will experience the most change during this phase. The project is off to a strong start, and I’d like to thank them for the quality and commitment of their efforts to date and in the future. We appreciate your patience and grace with these colleagues as they navigate competing priorities.

 
We will be launching a dedicated website where you can find resources, updates, and FAQs related to our Workday implementation. We are committed to keeping you all informed and engaged throughout the implementation process.

I appreciate the ongoing support and collaboration from all members of our SVSU community as we modernize SVSU’s systems and embark on this transformative journey together.

Noel Hornbacher
Vice President for Administration & Business Affairs

February 15, 2024

Workday Implementation 

SVSU continues to move forward with planning for the implementation of Workday, which will modernize a number of SVSU operations.

With Workday, SVSU will:

• Automate processes and empower faculty, staff and students with real-time visibility of and access to data.
• Create better experiences for end-users with self-service capabilities to better manage responsibilities.
• Plan and adjust based upon evolving enrollment numbers, class availability, tuition, grants, staffing and more.

When fully implemented, faculty, staff, and students will be able to do things such as: check budget balances; select and verify benefits; clock in and out for shift work (hourly employees only); settle travel expenses; obtain course rosters; submit grades; review, register and pay for courses; and review and accept financial aid.

This process will take a few years to fully implement, and several internal teams have been formed to attend to the needed work. SVSU’s financial, payroll and human capital managements systems are expected to operate within Workday by April 2025.  Other processes will follow. We appreciate everyone’s cooperation to date, and we will continue to share periodic updates with the campus community.