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Dickinson Selects Workday for Finance, HR, and Student System

In our continuous effort to enhance administrative efficiency and drive Dickinson’s strategic goals forward, Dickinson is transitioning to Workday, a platform that will replace Banner as our core system for finance, human resources, payroll and student information management. This multi-year initiative reflects our commitment to delivering technology solutions that will meet the evolving needs of our students, faculty and staff.

Workday is a comprehensive, cloud-based system that consolidates Human Capital Management (HCM), Finance, Payroll, and Student information into a single, inclusive platform. It’s designed to be easy to use, offering tools that make everyday tasks simpler and more efficient. With real-time access to important data, Workday will enable faculty, staff, and students to get the information they need quickly and easily. Its flexibility also means that the system can grow and adapt as our needs change.

Project Goals

The Guiding Principles act as guardrails to keep key decisions and solutions aligned, consistent, and focused on achieving the project’s goals.

• Workday First: We will look to Workday first, utilizing the capabilities already available within the Workday system before exploring the need for additional systems or integrations for Finance, Human Capital Management, and Student operations.
• Process Design and Improvement: We will design efficient, user-focused business processes which reduce administrative overhead and support faculty, staff, and students in completing their work efficiently. We will seek to implement best practices and procedures as recommended and delivered by Workday.
• User Experience: We will design for simplicity, user-friendliness, and efficiency using inclusive and accessible outreach and training.
• Communication and Collaboration: Consistent and clear communication is essential for the success of our Workday implementation and for ongoing enhancements once the system is live.
• Change Management: We will remain open to growth and change, distinguishing true college priorities from unique preferences. This will involve careful listening, meaningful discussions, and thoughtful decision making.
• Data Governance: We will continue to build our data governance program to clearly define data elements, standardize data practices, and provide accessible, timely and reliable reporting.
• Strategic Focus: We will design the system with our future needs in mind, not only today’s.

The governance framework ensures clear and collaborative decision making as we transition to Workday. This structure is designed to enable quick insightful project decisions while fostering alignment with institutional priorities, transparency, and effective problem resolution.

Key governance groups include:

• Workstream Core Teams: These teams manage daily project tasks, configure processes, and make the day-to-day project decisions. They review and adapt current business practices, test new processes, and escalate unresolved issues to the Operational Team.
• Operational Team: Composed of functional leads and IT advisors, this team oversees department-level workflows and resolves issues escalated by the Workstream Core Teams. They make decisions impacting departmental processes and provide expertise and guidance to align practices with Workday’s framework.
• Steering Committee: This group manages cross-departmental impacts and policy-related decisions. It resolves complex issues, facilitates institutional alignment, and ensures project milestones are met. Decisions that require broader input or have significant implications are escalated to this level.
• Executive Sponsors: Representing the highest level of governance, this group provides strategic oversight and makes final decisions on college-wide matters. They resolve conflicts between institutional priorities and ensure the project aligns with Dickinson’s mission and long-term goals.

Team Membership

Team members will change over time as we progress through the project.