Training Update: Preparing for Transformative Change

We’re 8 months (plus a few days) from the go-live date for launching Workday Financials. There is a reason we have called this project Finance Strategic Transformation and not the Workday Financials Implementation Project. It is not JUST a system implementation (although that in itself is no small feat!) 

So you may wonder—what’s so strategic or transformative about it? What is changing other than the system? With FST the changes we are making affect processes and sometimes policy, people, and of course, technology.

To identify and understand what processes will change, we’re asking the following questions:

• How does work get done and when? What are the overall processes and the associated tasks and steps? 
• Where is the data coming from? Does it come from another source, or does someone enter it (and who is that)?
• What reports and outputs exist and what do people do with them?
• How do we communicate these process changes?

We also need to know if current policies need updating to reflect the changes in processes, and if so, ensure that those policies are updated, reviewed, and approved well in advance.

The changes affecting people are so important in change management. We need to know:

• What new skills will be required for people to do their jobs?
• What shifts in behavior and culture need to happen?
• Who makes decisions?

Ultimately some people may end up with additional tasks and some may have less. Most work will be different. It’s important to help people prepare for these changes.

Obviously, we are preparing for a change in technology. We’ll be working in a new system. Some tasks that people currently do may be automated, and it’s important to know what the system will look like to end-users and how to provide help when there are questions.

So as you prepare for July 1, 2022, and the changes in processes, policy, people, and technology, remember to stay connected and informed, and let us know what concerns and questions you have!