No one likes making mistakes, especially not multimillion-dollar ones. But understandably, leaving one ERP system behind for a new one is the kind of business decision that can have CHROs, CFOs and CIOs waking up in the middle of the night wondering if they’ve made the right choice.
The good news for leaders is that a customer-centered partner will always work with customers to help them realize the value of their investments in both Workday and their chosen partner.
However, customers also play a role in their own success. And in our experience, there are a few things we see missing surprisingly often. Below are five tips for new Workday customers who want to make sure they’re getting the most from their investment.
1. Go in with your eyes wide open
Know what you want from the beginning and be clear on those requirements when selecting a partner. As part of this, you should understand that going live on Workday isn’t the final measure of success.
What do you want to do after you go live and how will you manage your application over time as your business strategy changes and new features are added?
Sharing your vision and how you will achieve it, in addition to developing a solid governance model to delegate authority, will empower you to go into your deployment with your eyes wide open.
2. Effectively manage the change
It’s normal to be nervous about change. But a detailed change management strategy, combined with the right training, will help your teams overcome this challenge while demonstrating the value of your new solution.
Properly engaging key influencers at all levels of the organization can also go a long way towards overcoming resistance and ensuring greater adoption rates post-go-live.
3. Keep it simple
We’ve seen large customers deliver and support Workday with anywhere from three people to 150 people. The key is to focus on the important things and don’t try to boil the ocean.
You might be tempted to add more and more scope when the project budget is significant. But with regard to the design of your solution, keep it simple. Complexity is easier to build in over time than take out when no one likes it.
4. Pinpoint the right decision-makers
Part of developing a governance model is being clear on who your decision-makers are and ensuring they fully understand their responsibilities. Their decisions will have a huge impact on the success of your deployment.
Having the right people in place from the beginning will help you prevent costly mistakes further down the road. Documenting the reasons behind their decisions and making this information referenceable is also critical should those decision-makers leave.
5. Be prepared for what comes next
Going live isn’t the end of anything; it’s actually the start of something.
As new processes embed and SaaS solutions evolve, be prepared to continually improve what you have, adjust your business goals accordingly, and build the right expertise and governance to do so. Plan for how you’ll grow and maintain your systems and consider using a partner to do this.
Take these steps to start maximizing your Workday investment
Big decisions carry big consequences. But leaders who have chosen Workday as their new HR and finance solution don’t have to worry, especially not when they have a customer-focused service partner in their corner.
Workday gives organizations a single-source solution for all their information, and it’s constantly evolving to meet tomorrow’s demands. When customers understand their own role in moving towards a successful implementation, they find they can do even more with their Workday investment than they ever thought possible before.
