Testing Phase X Deployments the Smart Way: A HRIS Leaders' Guide
Your business invested in Workday to help transform its HR operations, and as HRIS lead, you played an integral role. As with any digital transformation program, growth and change are inevitable. You might now be considering a Phase X deployment to gain next-level productivity, efficiencies, and expand your HR capabilities with Workday. Here, our experts outline how to plan for and navigate your Phase X projects smoothly, securely, and confidently with a thorough and proven testing strategy.
After your initial implementation, end-users and system owners have generally spent enough time becoming familiar with Workday. Opportunities then arise to rethink and redesign business processes, reconsider and reassign permissions or security groups, and even roll-out exciting updates for a greater user experience.
Adding new modules such as Recruiting, Benefits, Payroll, Advanced Compensation, or Talent and Performance, for example, may further support your organisational ambitions — be it mergers, acquisitions, divestitures or geographic expansion. In that case, a Phase X deployment offers solutions beyond what your current configuration can do.
Like any implementation though, a Workday Phase X deployment can be complex, time-consuming, draining for team members involved, and ultimately introduces significant change that must not only be verified, but done securely and embraced.
Proper planning, execution and testing ensures your new configuration accurately reflects the needs and structure of your changing business. Fortunately, with the appropriate knowledge, experience, and tools at your disposal, a Phase X deployment doesn’t have to be daunting for you or your SMEs. Here’s how:
Plan early, plan for success
Early on in your Phase X deployment, you’ll make decisions on how you want and need your new Workday product to be configured, including how it interacts with existing functionality, staff, as well as third-party and internal systems. Early test planning and preparation will give you the confidence to introduce changes and allow you to validate – throughout the duration of the project and beyond – that Workday has been configured correctly for your specific requirements and that your business processes continue to work as expected.
Know when to focus your Phase X testing efforts
Workday’s Deployment Methodology typically consists of four phases: Plan, Architect & Configure, Test, and Deploy. The majority of test planning, preparation, build and test execution occurs during the Architect & Configure, and Test stages. Post Go-Live support during “Hypercare” also provides a vital opportunity for an AMS partner to detect and resolve any lingering or missed configuration issues from your Phase X deployment project.
Build an effective project testing strategy
Your Phase X testing strategy outlines the approach your team will use, including the scope, timeline, roles and responsibilities, tools, processes, and standards to adhere to during each test stage. It is the Project Team’s reference point and provides information on what will be tested, any integration points, data security, and impact assessment. Automation tools help with scoping, building and preparing the test packs as well as delivering fast and consistent regression testing against any changes.
Build and coach your Phase X dream team
Similarly, your team should be as clearly defined as your testing strategy, as testing during a Phase X deployment can quickly become overwhelming if not approached with due diligence or by leveraging automation. Testing activities should be performed by a Test Lead, Project Manager, and one or more Test Analysts, all with predefined, agreed-upon, and clearly understood roles and responsibilities. A Test Analyst might prepare a suite of test scenarios while a Test Lead will produce the strategy and approve test scenarios, or prepare others – including you as project lead – for configuration review.
Put testing into practice - and stick to the plan
Comprehensive testing, including unit and end-to-end test scenarios, ensures Workday functions as expected. Involve end-users in the testing process where appropriate to gather feedback and validate the system against business requirements before going live. Be sure to address any issues or gaps and conduct functional, integrations, security, and user-acceptance testing to ensure Workday is stable and accurate — especially when considering a Phase X Payroll deployment, as any issues could prove catastrophic to employee trust and buy-in.
Communication is key
Throughout each stage of your Phase X deployment, you’ll need to communicate any impacts to your business partners across HR, IT, Payroll or Finance, especially if any defects are found that could have a domino effect on their respective operations. A comprehensive reporting cycle to communicate progress, issues, blockers, or areas uncovered by your testing activities throughout the entire deployment will create trust and transparency in the project, supporting your goal of a successful Go-Live.
Leveraging automation isn’t just clever, it’s Smart
While testing during a Phase X deployment can be complex and even cumbersome, it’s absolutely necessary for a successful Go-Live.
Even with appropriate planning, communication, and a well-devised strategy, the quality and comprehensiveness of the coverage is also critical. Automation is truly the only method to achieve comprehensive test coverage, consistent, high quality and repeatable processes, eliminate ‘human error’, and simultaneously reduce costs, time and overall testing effort.
Smart Test is the only award-winning, Workday approved automated testing solution underpinned by a dedicated team of Workday experts.
It’s trusted by over 350+ Workday customers globally for Phase 1 and Phase X deployments, bi-annual updates, weekly regression, integrations, and security testing, and is used by AMS partners to support your ongoing Workday journeys.