Kainos Smart empowers digital transformation at The National MS Society (NMSS)
“By implementing Smart Shield, we ensure the confidentiality of sensitive data during testing. It allows us to maintain the integrity of our testing environment while utilising proxy, providing us with the confidence and security we need to proceed with our Workday journey.”
About The National MS Society
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society, founded in 1946, is a global leader dedicated to creating a world free of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and supporting individuals affected by the disease. The society is committed to funding cutting-edge research, advocating for change, and providing essential programs and services to enhance the lives of those affected by MS.
NMSS embraces Workday to drive efficiency and collaboration
In 2018, the National MS Society (NMSS) faced a critical decision regarding its financial infrastructure. With a legacy system that had reached its limits and was in need of either a major upgrade or replacement, NMSS embarked on a journey to find a solution that could meet its evolving needs. Enter Workday, a comprehensive all-in-one system that would streamline operations and provide NMSS with the flexibility and functionality required to support its mission.
Lee Mead, Technical Product Manager at NMSS, recalls the organisation’s transition to Workday as a pivotal moment in its history. Having spent nearly two decades immersed in the intricacies of NMSS’s constituent database and financial systems, Lee envisaged a more integrated and efficient solution. With Workday, NMSS saw an opportunity to not only modernise its financial processes but also to enhance collaboration across the organisation.
Launching Workday Financials in October 2018 marked the beginning of a new chapter for NMSS. “The decision to adopt Workday was driven by its status as a true ERP system, offering multifunctional capabilities that aligned with NMSS’s complex operational requirements,” explains Lee.
Within just six months of implementation, NMSS was able to transition from its outdated financial tool to Workday Fins, laying the foundation for future growth and innovation.
Challenges with manual testing during implementation
The implementation of Workday Financials posed significant testing challenges, especially given the short turnaround time for implementation. Lee recalls, “The testing phase was particularly problematic; we underestimated the importance of end-to-end validation and regression testing, which led to unexpected issues post-launch.”
Lee, who was tasked as the lead for testing throughout the implementation, recognised the critical need for a thorough testing strategy. During the implementation phases, Lee provided valuable insights into how the accounting and constituent information centre sides would need to align their business processes.
However the testing approach conducted proved to be unsustainable in the long run, especially as the organisation transitioned into post-production testing. “The manual testing process was labour-intensive and time-consuming. I personally spent roughly 155 hours on testing for one release, with additional time allocated for testers,” explains Lee.
Over time, the testing process became more streamlined, but critical functionalities were still left untested due to capacity constraints.
Kainos Smart Test brings enhanced efficiency and confidence in Workday
Realising a more efficient testing solution was required, Lee advocated for the adoption of an automated testing tool. This led to the implementation of Kainos Smart Test which marked a significant milestone for NMSS, as it was the organisation’s first automated testing platform for any system.
This shift towards automation not only streamlined the testing process but also enhanced confidence in Workday post-releases and bug fixes, eliminating the need for extensive manual testing hours. As Lee notes, “The biggest thing is confidence in Workday continuing to operate. It removes the need for somebody to set aside 40 plus hours, two months out of the year just to focus on testing.”
The benefits of Smart Test extended beyond efficiency gains. With the automation of HCM testing, NMSS could ensure repeatable and reliable results, enhancing overall system confidence. The platform’s ability to compare real data with staged data facilitated more accurate testing and tracking for internal audit purposes. As Lee recalls, one of the major benefits of Smart Test was alleviating the burden of manual testing, particularly during crucial Workday Updates which coincided with NMSS’ fiscal year-end, “Before Smart Test, we had 80% of our finance team testing manually during updates, and it was really difficult for them to handle the volume of testing required in addition to their forecasting and planning.”
The adoption of Smart Test enabled the team to focus on business-critical functions without interruption. Furthermore, Smart Test empowered NMSS to explore new functionality and updates with confidence. “By automating regression testing, we could dive deeper into new features and assess their potential benefits,” explains Lee. This proactive approach to testing allowed NMSS to prioritise enhancements and expand their usage of Workday effectively.
A growing partnership with Kainos
Looking ahead, NMSS aims to further leverage Kainos solutions to drive digital transformation initiatives. The organisation plans to explore additional functionalities within Workday, such as procurement, while continuing to enhance testing and security measures. NMSS has adopted Smart Shield as the next vital enhancement in its partnership with Kainos. This decision stems from challenges related to its current proxy policy, which failed to adequately mask salary and compensation information during HCM implementation, thereby posing significant data security risks. Given the limitations of other tools in addressing this issue, Smart Shield emerged as the essential solution to mitigate risks and bolster data confidentiality.
Lee emphasises the critical need for Smart Shield, saying “By implementing Smart Shield, we ensure the confidentiality of sensitive data during testing and troubleshooting processes. It allows us to maintain the integrity of our testing environment while utilising proxy functionality, providing us with the confidence and security we need to proceed with our Workday journey.”
This partnership with Kainos and its Smart innovations continues to play a pivotal role in NMSS's pursuit of organisational objectives and commitment to operational excellence.