Type: Implementation
Challenge
A cloud computing and technology company had been using Workday® for HCM, Benefits, Absence, and Time Tracking, but they realized they lacked the in-house expertise to implement the Workday® Payroll module.
There were several challenges involved, including an extremely short window between identifying their need for assistance and their go-live date. And because it was a mid-year conversion, it required sensitive timing between final payroll completions, loading pay history, and starting the new processing. This included the immediate processing of a large Stock payroll run using an integration which had not yet been successfully completed.
Because the end users on the payroll team (payroll processors and analysts) were not involved in the design, testing, or implementation portion of the project, they were unfamiliar with the system’s tasks and functionality. Plus, the nature of their roles changed between the systems, further complicating the implementation.
Solution
The company partnered with IJA to successfully get through the initial go-live and a subsequent stabilization period.
The IJA team established twice-weekly meetings with stakeholders in order to discuss the status of project goals, along with anything new that had been identified. The system’s Payroll and Security configurations were reviewed for best practices, and their Payroll Narrative and Flowchart documentation was updated to reflect the new system and procedures.
In order to satisfy the company’s requirements for ensuring payroll accuracy and completeness and provide technical designs to clearly document for their audit and HR systems teams, IJA built custom reports in Workday®.
IJA provided a phased approach to payroll processing support, moving from the driver’s seat, to the passenger seat, to outside observer over a three-month stabilization period. This ensured the company’s team was comfortable when they took over.
Additionally, IJA was able to identify the root cause of defects in the initial design of some pay components, and provided solutions or workarounds to the client.
Finally, IJA updated the template for the new payroll processing and timelines to show order of operations and dependencies, to ensure the completion of all key steps. Additionally, desk procedures and job aids were created, training documentation was developed, and multiple virtual training sessions with the company’s team were conducted.
The client was pleased with the result and IJA continues to support them in a Staff Augmentation capacity, working through some system enhancements, and taking on additional testing and payroll processing items.