Workday is a powerful software package that helps companies manage multiple financial and human capital systems. It has numerous benefits for companies of all sizes and can generate reduced costs, improved performance, greater efficiency, and positive team morale. Managing a successful transition starts with being aware of what the process will look like, so here we take a look at some of the key factors involved in Workday implementation.

What Is Workday Implementation?

Existing Practices and Processes

Regardless of what industry it operates in, each company develops its own set of internal processes to maximize efficiency. This is especially true for human resources departments and payroll or financial operations, areas where Workday applies most directly. A big part of implementing Workday is having a firm grasp on optimal operations before starting the transition, so you can configure the software accordingly.

Workday comes with default settings for each application, and these may not be ideal for your company. It’s important to evaluate current practices to determine what’s working and what isn’t, so you’ll have a clear idea about how to configure Workday before you begin implementation.

Data Migration

A major step in the implementation process is moving data from your company’s existing systems into Workday. A common example of this is migrating human resources data, specifically employee information pertaining to group health insurance plans. This includes things like hiring and coverage dates that determine eligibility for benefits, meaning a mistake can lead to delays in implementation.

It’s important to have a rigorous plan in place to manage data migration and ensure correct entry, avoid data duplication, and identify data points that might not be recognized in Workday. This will help avoid costly delays and get you up and running as quickly as possible.

Focus on Testing Phase

The implementation process usually occurs in multiple phases, from planning and configuration to testing and deployment. Each of these is important and has its challenges, and the testing phase can often be the longest and most complex. This may include the development of testing scripts as well as analyzing automation tools, so it’s important to have a team in place with the required technical expertise.

This means that once again preparation is key for effective implementation, as the testing team needs comprehensive information about various use-case scenarios from the end user’s perspective. Whether you outsource this testing task or not, it’s a good idea to involve business analysts, human resources managers, and key financial personnel in this process.

Find the Right Partner

Given the complexities involved and the level of expertise required, it’s no surprise that many companies turn to independent partners that are experienced in implementing Workday. Having helped other companies do the same, they offer tremendous value by guiding best practice to deliver a smooth and effective transition. Consider this option as you evaluate internal competencies and the potential deployment of company resources.

If you’re considering implementing Workday to improve your business operations, this is a general idea of what the process entails. Contact Project Genetics to learn more about what Workday can do for you, and how they can help implement it.

With today’s marketplace evolving faster than ever, companies must constantly adapt to remain competitive. This means searching for weaknesses and opportunities to improve, including all facets of operations and personnel performance. Process optimization is the ongoing commitment to seeking the best tools, practices, and methodologies to maximize company success, and here we take a closer look at what it can do for your company.

Why Is Process Optimization Important?

Improves Efficiency

This is one of the key benefits of prioritizing optimization, as without this it’s easy for companies to become complacent. It can be as simple as continuing to do something the same way without exploring more efficient options, simply because that’s the way it has always been done. An example of this is data input and management, which some companies continue to do manually when there are automated tools that can do it much faster and more accurately.

Optimizing your company’s operational processes reduces waste, both in time and resources. This not only helps conserve company profits but improves team morale as employees avoid the frustration associated with menial or inefficient tasks. By constantly looking for ways to optimize operations, whether it’s with new software, automation tools, or simply addressing inefficiencies, companies allow their employees to focus on efforts that matter most.  

Better Team Performance Monitoring

For a company to remain competitive, it must be able to measure how well its team is performing. It’s important to identify what is or isn’t working and why so weaknesses can be addressed before they spiral out of control and create financial losses. For very simple tasks this is quick and easy to assess, but the reality is that for most jobs this requires nuanced analysis and a detailed, optimized process.

A commitment to optimization means establishing clear expectations and allowing departments to track and share information, so they can monitor performance and demonstrate accountability. This will help expose human error, inefficiencies in operations, or even fraud. Addressing these issues will keep your company on track and give employees a clearer sense of expectations and accountability.

Legal Compliance and Regulations

Every industry has its own unique rules and regulations, and in some cases, there are massive changes that can upend operations from year to year. Adjusting to amendments in things like financial or safety regulations can cost companies a great deal of time and money in the short term as they struggle to comply, but are forced to do so under the threat of fines and penalties. This is another area where optimization can help.

As an example, a company can easily adapt to changes in financial regulations when its payroll and accounting departments are already optimized for efficiency. Each team member understands how his or her role is affected, making it faster and easier to tweak operations as needed. The same goes for safety protocols, as it’s easier to adapt when there’s already an understanding of who is responsible for workplace safety and equipment inspection.

These are just a few reasons why optimizing processes is so important for businesses in all industries. Contact Project Genetics to learn more about how optimization can help your business reach its full potential.

A failing project can spell disaster for the reputation of your company. Project recovery is one of the most useful skills executives need to be able to implement, but creating a schedule to recover projects can be more difficult than it seems. This is why it’s important to leverage knowledge about your industry to create actionable steps to get your project back on track.

How Do You Create a Project Recovery Schedule?

Creating a schedule for a project begins with identifying an issue, assessing the project, and making recommendations for how to reset the course of the project. The goal of recovering your project is to complete your project on time and with the results you want. The steps to recover your project include:

Recovery Intervention

Recognizing that your project is in trouble is the first step in recovery. When a project starts, it’s a good idea to identify parameters that will identify the circumstances that indicate the project is going off the rails. Once these parameters are defined, it will be much easier to make accurate assessments of the project progress and identify when an intervention is necessary to recover the project.

Recovery Assessment

Part of your recovery assessment will include assessing various factors related to the project. For example, your assessment should cover the scope of the project, the expected schedule to complete the project, the staff that is involved in the project, the quality of the management practices, the project cost, and project risk.

Your recovery assessment will be used to determine which aspect of the project is causing poor performance. During the assessment, you will look at each of the project variables to determine where management and performance are failing so you can make recommendations for how to correct the issues.

Recovery Recommendation

Recovery recommendations are generally developed in response to any problems that are assessed and identified. Usually, recommendations for recovery can include establishing baselines for performance in management and addressing the root causes contributing to the poor performance.

These recommendations should also include directives on what needs correction, why the corrections are necessary, and an estimate of how long these corrections will take to integrate.

Recovery Planning

Recovery planning includes defining the roadmap for how to implement the recovery recommendation steps. Recovery planning should be clearly defined so the plan is easy to follow and execute.

Some aspects of recovery planning you may want to include the management of staff, risk management, communications used during recovery, and contacting vendors who may be affected by the recovery efforts.

Recovery Execution

Recovery execution is the step that implements the recovery plan by applying success criteria, project networks, team organization, cost and benefit analysis, risk containment strategies, and other requirements that are necessary to recover the project.

Recovery Closure

Recovery closure is the last step of recovering a failing project and will include a review of the problems that caused the original failure of the project so that future projects can avoid these mistakes. Other aspects of recovery closure can include how to improve project management in the future and how to return to normal operations after the project has been recovered.

Quickly recovering a failing project will benefit the reputation of your company and keep your performance rate high. Some of the steps involved in recovering a project should include recovery intervention, recovery assessment, recovery recommendation, recovery planning, recovery execution, and recovery closure. For more information on how to create a schedule for project recovery, contact Project Genetics today.

Mergers and acquisitions can tank productivity levels. However, if you are well prepared, your team’s workflow doesn’t have to suffer. Use these tips to maintain project efficiency and help your team transition as smoothly as possible.

4 Keys for Increasing Project Efficiency After Mergers and Acquisitions

1. Create a Game Plan

You wouldn’t jump into a complicated project without an established outline, nor should you walk into a merger without a plan in place. It’s essential to have clearly stated roles and guidelines that account for factors such as client services, communication, finances, office real estate, and human resources. Having a roadmap that everyone can follow will lessen the chances of any employee being caught unaware of a new protocol or project.

Additionally, employees can be more efficient when they clearly understand what their role is, both in the company and on individual projects. Indecision and uncertainty regarding roles and assignments on projects also discourage individuals from feeling a sense of ownership over their efforts in a project, leading to reduced performance.

2. Be Willing to Slow Down

The old expression, “go slow to go fast,” holds true when combining workplaces. Mergers can be overwhelming for employees adjusting to the changes taking place. Therefore, when implementing change in the workplace, leadership needs to allow employees time to transition into the new methods.

Although the changes may be exciting, and you’ll be eager to build your new beginning, don’t rush. Establishing a foundation for core systems and company expectations will serve you in the long run. When you have a team of confident employees who have a firm grasp of the processes and procedures of your company will ultimately allow you to achieve a higher rate of efficiency on projects.

3. Culture Is Key

As a leader, it’s easy to become focused on deadlines and projects during a merger to the point where you don’t have the mental bandwidth to create the company culture. While it may not feel important to you at the moment, being intentional about creating a space where employees can express their feelings, both positive and negative, will increase employee satisfaction.

Employees that feel satisfied and tuned in to the company culture are more productive and more likely to remain loyal to their company. Of course, there will always be interpersonal speed bumps during any change in the workplace, but providing employees with the safety to ask their questions and discuss the future will smooth the road to success.

4. Hire Leadership Support

No matter how excellent the leader is, executing an acquisition or merger is a challenging job. The amount of legwork required to successfully bring a company up to speed while maintaining high productivity levels on projects is massive. Therefore, bringing in an outside professional to help throughout the integration process is a wise move. This individual brings additional experience and provides a non-emotional look at projects and workplace issues.

Help your company maintain and improve project momentum by hiring a management consultant. Contact Project Genetics Management Consulting today to see how our experienced leaders can help your company reach its full potential.