Workday is the market leader in human capital management software, with a burgeoning community of experts across the world. But not all of them get the opportunity to meet other Workday professionals or attend Workday Rising, the premier global event for the Workday ecosystem. With a lack of Workday networking groups in the UK, last year our Technology team set up the Investigo Workday Community, providing a platform for Workday professionals in the UK to connect, network, share ideas and discuss common interests.
Our March panel event
Last month, we held our first Workday panel event of the year in our London office, attended by 50 experts from across the Workday ecosystem. Our panel of independent Workday leaders, Steven Gedge, Jonathan Moss, Sarah Thibaut and Joe Camilleri, discussed Workday deployment strategy and change management. The conversation delved deep into the transformative impact of Workday, emphasising effective change management and strategic alignment as essential drivers of success.
There was a consensus that it’s incredibly important bringing in a programme manager who has the ‘battle scars’ that come with experience in Workday programmes – someone who can understand the customer’s viewpoint, and how to deliver what they need, rather than viewing the implementation entirely from a Workday or system integrator (SI) perspective.
When it comes to implementation, it’s all about the preparation. Holding a phase 0 and proper discovery phase with an SI partner, before bringing them in for the implementation, can stand your programme in good stead. It’s also important to define what HR means to your business before you embark on your programme. It’s only then that you can understand what you’re trying to achieve through your Workday implementation and what you want the system to do from an HR standpoint.
Think about the amount of legacy data that will have built up on your systems over the years. Don’t forget that a Workday implementation is the ideal opportunity to do some spring cleaning by streamlining that data and disposing of any that’s no longer useful.
Workday is not a magic wand. To ensure a successful implementation, you need effective change management which aligns the programme with your broader business goals. That way, your implementation will contribute positively to your overall strategic objectives, optimising the return on investment.
Become a part of our community
In the two events we’ve hosted so far, it’s been great to see former colleagues reconnecting and sharing contacts. This will only strengthen the sense of comradeship and community we can already see building in the group. Although our events have been panel led, it’s really struck me how open and free flowing the conversation has been, which shows me just how much the UK Workday market has needed a forum like this.
We already have over 100 members in the Investigo Workday Community, and we’re looking to expand that number through regular events and social media activity. If you’re a Workday professional looking to be part of a community of industry peers where you can share ideas, pick up tips and discuss your challenges, get in touch with me or feel free to join the Investigo Workday Community on LinkedIn.
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