Project Updates for Workday Implementation

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Subject matter experts from across campus during a design session to define common business processes.

As the spring semester ends, the University of Arkansas System is hard at work implementing a new solution to replace core administrative systems for finance, human capital management (human resources) and payroll systemwide.

Workday is a cloud-based enterprise resource planning system that will modernize financial, human capital and student information management for all 19 campuses within the University of Arkansas System. Workday is expected to replace BASIS on the Fayetteville campus in July 2020.

The local Workday implementation team and subject matter experts are making significant progress alongside the system's Project One team on designing business processes and reviewing how they will function in Workday. Starting in June, campus administrators will be able to see demonstrations of real data from BASIS being put to use in Workday for the first time. 

"This is an exciting, yet challenging time for our campus as we tackle the implementation of Workday," said Chris McCoy, vice chancellor for the Division of Finance and Administration. "It also provides our campus with an opportunity to re-think current business processes with a focus on digital transformation and best practices moving forward."

Increased communications will begin over the summer as the project ramps up. A local Workday project website is available at workday.uark.edu, where employees can subscribe to a monthly newsletter highlighting activities specific to the Fayetteville campus. 

The Change Champion Network is another initiative just starting up to prepare the university community for the changes taking place with Workday. This group includes 35 employees from across campus who will work closely with the Project One team to promote awareness and support their colleagues through the changes. 

"I would like to thank all the employees who have already spent countless hours sitting in design sessions, providing valuable subject matter expertise, along with those who have taken on additional duties within their departments while others were attending these sessions," McCoy said. "We all know there is still much work to be done, but your hard work and dedication to our wonderful campus is recognized."

Systemwide project information, including timelines, are available at projectone.uasys.edu.