How a global healthcare enterprise is transforming User Access Reviews in Workday
95%
3x
8 weeks
3× faster
“The process was so easy, everything is in Workday, no spreadsheets. It just worked.”
The Challenge: Manual processes and low engagement
User Access Reviews (UAR) are critical for maintaining secure and compliant systems, but they can create significant operational strain, especially for large organisations. One global healthcare enterprise, operating in over 20 countries with over 112,000 employees, faced this challenge with urgency. Quarterly UARs were managed via spreadsheets and email, and completion rates hovered around 45%, leaving compliance gaps. HR and audit teams spent hundreds of hours manually collecting evidence, often involving senior leaders disconnected from day-to-day operations.
“We were sending it to senior leaders to look at it, and they don’t know who half the people are. It just doesn’t make sense,” explains one HR Lead at the Healthcare Enterprise.
The process was inefficient, disengaging, and undermined confidence in the results.
The Solution: Kainos User Access Review Built on Workday
The organisation partnered with Kainos to deploy Kainos User Access Review (UAR), purpose-built to enhance Workday. The transition was seamless and required minimal training. Managers received automated prompts, supported by built-in approval workflows, ensuring timely and accurate reviews. By embedding oversight directly into Workday, the solution eliminated spreadsheets, emails, and disconnected processes.
“It’s intuitive. It’s in Workday. They know where to click and what to do,” says the Director of HR Enterprise Solutions.
The Results: Efficiency, accuracy, and confidence
The transformation was immediate. Completion rates surged from 45% to nearly 95%, and manager participation tripled from 150 to 455 reviewers. Reviews now cover 5,000 Workday accounts and over 32,000 role assignments.
Each review was completed 25 minutes faster, saving 256 hours annually. UAR cycles, previously taking three months, were reduced to one month. The amended process simplified role selection and justification, reducing errors and boosting reviewer confidence. Real-time dashboards replaced manual tracking, giving full visibility into progress. Audit teams now receive evidence-linked reports with timestamps, dramatically simplifying their work.
“The report contains the link of the BP and the timestamp of when the reviewer and approver acted. It’s much easier for the audit team,” explains a Security Lead at the Healthcare Enterprise.
Managers consistently praised the solution for its simplicity and effectiveness: “The process was so easy, everything is in Workday, no spreadsheets. It just worked.”
The benefits beyond compliance
What began as a compliance exercise became a trusted, efficient process embedded into daily operations. By automating oversight and integrating access reviews directly into Workday, the organisation strengthened its control environment and freed HR, audit, and compliance teams to focus on strategic initiatives. Stakeholders rated their likelihood to recommend the solution a perfect 10/10, highlighting its impact and global adoption.
See Kainos User Access Review in action
Discover how your organisation can automate User Access Reviews, save time, and strengthen audit confidence all within Workday.