AU’s new enterprise resource planning system, Workday—which will integrate the university’s core processes, streamlining access to benefits, budgeting, hiring, and more—goes live in January 2024.

Here, Jacqueline Palumbo, director of change enablement in OIT; Katherine Simpson, senior director of talent strategies in HR; and consultant Nicole Howell explain the significance of AU’s switch to Workday and what you need to know leading up to the platform’s launch.

Fact: Workday is the first complete system overhaul at AU since the ’90s.

AU has been using its existing system—with additions along the way—over the administrations of five different US presidents. In the time since, as politicians have come and gone, the needs of AU staff and faculty have changed, too.

Workday will modernize the interface and simplify the process to navigate between the databases users need every day. For example, instead of moving between EagleService and AsuccessfulU to report monthly time off and schedule a training, all those capabilities will be found in one place.

Fact: Users will have more control than ever.

Workday will introduce more self-service tasks than previously available, giving faculty and staff the capability to update their own information, tax withholdings, and direct deposits at their convenience.

Supervisors will also have new tools, including approving time off and managing onboarding for new employees.

Fact: There will be a learning curve.

While there is variability in how much certain tools will change, the look and feel of Workday, along with processes for some familiar tasks, will be significantly different. Trainings will be available to AU staff and faculty starting in late October to help employees progressively get up to speed before the system goes live.

Fiction: AU’s transition to Workday will be seamless.

The university is committing significant time and resources to making the transition a success—including a team of staff members who are currently devoting much of their work to preparing for Workday.

But the adjustment won’t be perfect and it will take time. The first few months on the platform could be bumpy, as everyone—including those responsible for maintaining the system on the back end—get to know Workday. Hold on and enjoy the ride.

Look out for a forthcoming series on Workday tips ahead of the January launch.