Success in Workday isn’t a one-size-fits-all metric – it’s as diverse as the stakeholders who use the system. In the latest episode of Workday Gold, we dive deep into how different groups within your organization view and measure success in Workday, and why understanding these perspectives is crucial for your implementation’s long-term success.

The Many Faces of Success

When it comes to Workday, success looks different depending on who you ask:

• Your leadership team might focus on ROI and strategic goals
• End users care about ease of use and efficiency
• Daily HR and Finance users want smooth processes and powerful functionality
• Managers look for streamlined approval processes and clear oversight
• Your Workday support team evaluates technical performance and user adoption

The key is recognizing that all these perspectives are valid and important for your organization’s overall success with Workday.

The Leadership Challenge

One particularly interesting aspect we discussed is how knowing leadership perceives Workday’s success. As Keith notes, “Many people in leadership positions don’t spend time in Workday. Therefore, their perception of how successful Workday is, is often solely based on the verbal feedback or complaints they receive from the teams that report to them.”

This creates both a challenge and an opportunity. The challenge is that leadership might only hear about problems, while the opportunity lies in proactively sharing success stories and meaningful metrics with them that demonstrate Workday’s value to the organization.

Measuring Success Through Data and Stories

The most effective way to measure and communicate success combines both quantitative data and qualitative feedback:

1. Data-Driven Metrics: Track specific measurements like:
   • Percentage of employee self-service adoption
   • Number of systems replaced by Workday
   • Process completion times
   • User adoption rates
2. Anecdotal Impact Stories: Share real examples of how Workday makes a difference, like the story of an executive approving an expense report from Papua New Guinea using just their phone – something that wouldn’t have been possible with legacy systems. Or how a given process used to take a month in the legacy system, but now it only takes a couple of days or hours.
   
   

The Path Forward

Success measurement isn’t just about looking at where you are – it’s about understanding where you want to go. This requires:

1. Regular stakeholder conversations
2. Clear alignment on goals
3. Consistent feedback collection
4. Proactive communication of wins and challenges

Measuring success in Workday is an ongoing journey, not a destination. It requires regular check-ins, adjustments, and open communication across all levels of the organization.