Message from Jack J. Blanchard, Associate Provost for Enterprise Resource Planning:
In case you haven’t heard, our team had our first of three “Go/No Go” assessments this month. The decision is in: we met criteria to Go! This means we are on track to Go Live with Workday on July 17, 2023!
Our “Go/No Go” assessments are a normal part of large system implementations. We have two more assessments planned with the next one to be conducted in early April. Our Executive Steering Committee and Sponsors will be keeping a close eye on the Elevate Program’s progress towards our critical milestones, technical metrics, and campus readiness to ensure we stay on track. We will provide updates on the upcoming assessments so that you continue to be informed about our progress.
In our Town Hall last week, I provided more information about what Go Live will look like, as well as some new information about end-user training and support, and more details about Workday Student. I also answered some audience-submitted questions about all things Elevate. If you missed it, not to worry - we will post it on the Elevate website on Thursday, 3/2.
As Go Live for HCM and Finance draws closer, we encourage you to forward this newsletter and share resources like our website with your colleagues. To better prepare our community for Go Live, we have refreshed the website with more information. Key additions include:
- Training: Visit here to learn more about what end-user training will look like. This will be where training registration is posted in April.
- Drive to Go Live: This page will be your one-stop-shop for Go Live news, important dates, and information about cutover.
Workday Student: Implementation Update
You may know that we are in the beginning stages of preparing for Workday Student, which we expect to Go Live in Fall 2026. This year, we are in the Student Transformation and Readiness phase of the implementation. Individual and small group discussions are underway, to build an understanding of pain points in the current Student Information System, and identify what students and other stakeholders would like to see in the new Workday system. Our team has already met with the Graduate Student Government and the Student Government Association, and will conduct additional outreach with every college’s Student Advisory Council to ensure we have broad representation and feedback opportunities across campus.
Our Workday Student Lead, Jesse Galve, along with our implementation partner Huron, is also reviewing current academic processes and policies to identify potential implications for the new Workday system. The team is alsodeveloping a communication strategy for continuous engagement of students, faculty, staff and any additional stakeholders throughout the project lifespan (2024 – 2026).
The official start of the Student implementation is slotted for early 2024
Words of Workday
- Initiation Step: The first step of a business process in Workday.
- Initiator: The user that starts a business process.
- Security Role: What you’re able to see and do within Workday. Roles will be used to determine what Workday training employees are expected to complete.
Featured FAQs
How long after launch will the Elevate team provide user support?
There will be a permanent Workday support team within the Division of IT. This Workday support team is currently being staffed and will be in place prior to Go Live. In addition to this support team, there will be Huron resources available for “hypercare” for six months after Go Live, July thru December.
The spring is very busy - why was this time selected as the training period?
We recognize that Spring 2023 will be a hectic time for campus staff who will be juggling their work duties while also completing their recommended Workday training. Most department staff will only be taking on-demand computer based training (CBT) courses. The CBT courses will be available starting in April via Canvas. We hope that by offering most courses as CBT, it gives end users the most flexibility to balance their workloads. Central office staff will have instructor-led courses. As those schedules are being prepared, we will be mindful of the fiscal year-end calendar that is published.
ElevateR Spotlight
The Elevate Program is thrilled to have a team of full-time employees with a wide breadth of experience and institutional knowledge. In each issue of the ElevateR, we shine the spotlight on a staff member who is working hard to make the program a success.
Cyn Trombly Allen
Training Specialist
Cyn was one of the first Training Specialists to join the Elevate Program team in Spring 2022. She has been with the University of Maryland for over 20 years, having worked at Shuttle-UM, Division of University Relations, University Human Resources, and most recently, the A. James Clark School of Engineering. Her breadth of institutional knowledge has been an asset to the Elevate Training team, especially for developing training courses for Human Capital Management. “It is an amazing system that will change how we do our work every day,” says Cyn. “I remember flipping through payroll ledgers on the floor of Shuttle-UM (pre PHR) – this is a big change that will benefit us all!”
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Your Questions Answered
From big picture planning to the impact of daily routines, the Elevate team is available to answer your questions and address your concerns.
Browse our list of FAQs or click the button below to ask our team a question.