What Moving Day and Workday Student Implementations Have in Common

by Kristina Kelpe | Beyond Academics

"Dedicate full-time resources to the project. Clear your calendar. Start simple and get complex later."

The advice above is freely available from anyone who has recently completed a Workday implementation.

Why then, do institutions continue to make the same costly mistakes at the get go? 

Underestimating resources at the start of an endeavor always ends up costing more time and money in the long run. I’ve seen this play out in everyday life, as well as in my work with Workday Student implementations. 

The Backstory: Our House Move 

As part of our family’s recent move, we decided to hire a moving company. One of the first things they asked us to do was estimate what size of truck we’d need. I could have sworn I accounted for everything when filling out the moving company’s online questionnaire, but when the moving truck arrived, I immediately knew it was too small. But now what? It was moving day, and we had to make decisions quickly. We had the choice to replace the small truck with a slightly larger truck nearby, or a much larger truck on the other side of town. Time being of the essence, we went with what seemed easier and faster. 

Big Mistake!

It took what felt like an advanced game of tetris to get everything into this less-than-optimal-sized truck, and by the time we were loaded up, we were hours behind, and close to double the cost. 

Sound familiar? Here's how that plays out at work.

The Implementation Reality: The Underestimating of Resources

When it comes to Workday Student implementations, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen resources underestimated (and campus capabilities overestimated) - only for the institution to find itself behind the proverbial 8-ball. What’s crazy is that if you go back to when your last SIS was implemented, you will likely find a post-project plan with all the lessons learned  - which includes the clear warning not to underestimate resources. 

If you talk to co-workers involved in implementing Workday HCM/FIN at your institution, you will likely hear these three pieces of advice.

•  “dedicate full-time resources to the project”
• “clear your calendar”
• “start simple and get complex later”

But for some reason, most Workday Student implementation teams take an overly optimistic view - just like I did with my small truck. What makes things worse, is that schools get far into the implementation process, only to then find they don’t have enough resources to sustain the outcome.

Friendly Advice:

Whether you’re moving to a new home or a new SIS:

• Prioritize: Identify essential items that must go with you. Identifying requirements is never done enough. 
• Declutter: Sort through your belongings and decide what you can live without. Simplify unnecessary workflows. Focus on the desired student experience.
• Utilize alternative transportation: Not everything has to be in your SIS. There are other products out there (e.g. CRM tools) that can help you meet your desired outcomes - while reducing risks and frustrations during your implementation. 
• Seek assistance: You cannot move into a new SIS (or house) without some extra hands to help. To rely solely on your existing staff almost always leads to burnout. In terms of the SIS, I recommend future-fill and not back-fill. It’s impossible to replace the knowledge of your Registrar. Instead focus someone 100% on the new SIS. They can do as much of the legwork as possible and involve the Registrar for sign-off and big decisions. You’ll need these future-fill people 2 years into stabilization. Pro Tip: If your staff is feeling stretched come Workset D, it’s time to raise the flag and immediately bring in more resources. As great as the smaller moving truck sounded during the planning phase, it’s time to deal with reality and make good decisions to protect your project. The risk of project delays, or a high-risk, high-stress go-live isn’t worth the perceived cost savings. By the way, there’s nothing more costly than talented staff burning out and leaving late in an implementation project - and I cannot tell you how many times I’ve seen that happen in under-resourced projects.
• Plan for multiple trips: If feasible, make multiple trips between your current and new location to transport the remaining items. Trying to get everything into your new SIS all at once is overwhelming. Space out what is immediately needed at go-live and what can come later. That's what the 2 year stabilization window is for. It's for finishing the move.
• Consider professional moving services: If budget allows, hire professional movers who can assess your situation and provide solutions to transport all your belongings safely. These are people like those of us at Beyond Academics who have 20+ years of combined experience just in Workday Student Implementations. While it can seem like a money saver to go it alone, hiring professionals who do this everyday will not only save money and time in the long term, you likely won't end up with your most precious assets dinged up (or even permanently damaged or lost) in the process.

Questions about how to staff your project? 

Want a quick check-in from a neutral third party to see if your plan is sound?

Feel free to email me at kristina@beyondacademics.com or DM me on LinkedIn. Happy to chat, share advice, and even introduce you to schools that got it wrong (and right). 

I want your project successful so you that your institution can achieve the transformation you’ve always wanted.