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SaaS & The Evolution of Cloud Based HR Technology

The ongoing evolution of Technology and its impact on HR. Society has witnessed a surge of technological advancements and innovations in the last century across all industries. The world baby boomers and millennials were born into is now starkly different from the world that exists today. Computers came onto the scene in the 1950s and in infiltrated the workplace by the 80s & 90s making tedious workplace tasks much more efficient. Unless they were being intentionally ironic, we would be hard pressed to find a company today that didn’t have computers because this has now become our baseline. It’s hard to envision, but even email as a widespread tool only began its emergence in the 1990s! Technology is here to stay and has opened the door to the creation of various innovative services to fill the gaps that have organically occurred when companies started migrating from paper to computers. Peoplesoft was the first HR system and is a relational database built on SQL that could only be accessed if the program were installed on your computer. Fast forward to today and we have cloud based SAAS HCM solutions like Workday that manage the entire lifecycle of an employee. Now, with recruiting, onboarding, cross-boarding, talent management, compensation & benefits and off boarding data “living” in the same system, companies are unlocking and discovering the unimagined insights this data holds. What is Human Capital Analytics or People Analytics? The term human capital, coined centuries ago, became popular in the 60s and is used to describe the mixture of skills, knowledge, experience, habits and personality in each of us that can be put to productive use as described in the article, What Is Human Capital? Everything You Need to Know. So then, what is Human Capital Analytics? Our friends over at SHRM describe it as understanding the power of human capital to transform businesses by applying simple logic, and not just numbers (“Human Capital Analytics – Foundation Level Workshop,” 2017). In other words, Human Capital Analytics, is how organizations attain valuable insights from areas like employee engagement, talent management and organization network analysis, to drive change and streamline processes. Human Capital Analytics, along with technology has advanced rapidly as organizations clamor for sophisticated cloud-based solutions to optimize HR in an efficient and consistent manner. Human Capital Analytics is quickly becoming the foundation on which HR stands as the interactions of various functions within HR provide the powerhouse of data that analytics and insights are derived from. One can easily predict that in years to come HR & Human Capital Analytics or People Analytics will be so intertwined that it would be hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. The symbiotic relationship makes way for organizations to quickly & firmly make important decisions without delay The Future of HR and Technology HR is now experiencing another transformative phase based on the prioritization of employee well-being, cultural shifts in societal norms & future of work accommodations. This has sparked a burst of innovation that ultimately aims at taking HR Technology to the next level, with human capital at the forefront. We can expect to see innovative approaches that solve preexisting problem areas within organizations and even bridge gaps we may have been unaware of. As predicted in this HR Technology trends article, here are the key areas where we can expect to see the most innovation: Artificial intelligence and machine learning Blockchain integration Decentralized HR evolving new management skills Digital learning, training, & development Technology that elevates hybrid working Compliance with the D&I, DEI, and DEI&B Tech developing for the well-being of employees The above items are quickly becoming the new baseline and companies that are still using older software to manage their HR function will quickly realize that they are no longer attracting or retaining top talent. Quite a few small & mid-sized companies need to turn their focus to first modernizing their HCM approach and secondly leveraging their HR tools to optimize their workforce’s talent. Larger organizations are already ahead of the curve and are snatching up valuable human capital resources. To give an example of the types of innovation witnessed thus far, the company Polinode hits almost all the points above, performing organization network analysis (ONA) by using artificial intelligence & machine learning, a sophisticated approach to analyzing the networking relationships of a company’s human capital. Using the insights uncovered, companies can identify influencers, uncover hidden talent, update succession planning and analyze how the uncovered relationships impact DEI. Once companies like Polinode provide such valuable insights, it is of course up to the organization to leverage the data and take action in a manner that is best aligned with the company’s overarching goals. Advanced Workday Reports An advanced report is a workhorse for generating in-depth and customized reports in Workday. It’s the go-to option for most reporting needs within the platform. Here’s what makes it powerful: Detailed Data: Advanced reports allow you to pull data from multiple Workday business objects, giving you a comprehensive view. Think of business objects as categories of information, like employees, finances, or training. By joining these objects, you can create reports that analyze relationships between different data sets. Filtering and Sorting: These reports offer granular control over the data you see. You can apply filters to focus on specific criteria, like a particular department or date range. Additionally, multi-level sorting lets you organize the information in a way that best suits your analysis. Complex Design: Advanced reports aren’t limited to basic tables. You can create reports with multiple heading levels and subtotals, making them ideal for complex data presentations. Sharing and Security: Once you’ve built your report, you can control who has access to view it. Sharing options allow you to distribute the report to relevant colleagues. In summary, advanced reports in Workday are a powerful tool for creating insightful and customized reports that answer your specific business questions. Composite Reports Description: Composite reports combine data from multiple sources into a single report,

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Workday EIB: Your No-Code Hero for Data Integration

Workday In the world of business, keeping things running smoothly is like making sure all the pieces of a puzzle fit together. If you use Workday, think of the Workday Enterprise Interface Builder (EIB) as your special tool – it helps pieces of information move around easily, kind of like a conveyor belt for data. It’s a simple way to connect Workday with other systems, so you don’t have to worry about things getting mixed up. Think of EIB as your helpful guide, making sure everything stays organized in the business puzzle!  But what exactly is Workday EIB, and why should you care? Buckle up, as we dive into this no-code marvel: What is Workday EIB? Imagine a bridge connecting your Workday platform to various other systems – payroll tools, talent management platforms, and even your legacy HR systems. That’s Workday EIB in a nutshell! It’s a visual, no-code interface that empowers you to create inbound and outbound integrations without needing to write a single line of code. You can easily: Extract data: Pull employee information, payrolls, or any other data from Workday to external systems. Load data: Upload data from external systems into Workday, keeping your records up to date. Automate workflows: Streamline processes by automatically triggering data transfers based on specific events. Why Go No-Code with EIB? Sure, coding might be your superpower, but EIB democratizes data integration. Even business users with minimal technical expertise can: Build integrations independently: No more waiting for IT resources! Craft integrations yourself, reducing bottlenecks and boosting agility. Increase accuracy and reduce errors: Manual data entry is a recipe for mistakes. EIB automates data flows, ensuring reliable and consistent information. Save time and resources: Focus on strategic tasks while EIB handles the data legwork, freeing up your valuable time. What makes Workday Enterprise Interface Builder special? Workday Enterprise Interface Builder (EIB) isn’t your typical data integration tool—it’s like that friendly colleague who makes everything easier. Here’s why it’s special: User-Friendly:  Think of EIB as your tech-savvy friend who speaks your language: It’s a drag-and-drop, visual interface that skips the complex code. This means both IT wizards and business folks can weave integrations without needing coding expertise. Guidance at Every Step: EIB is like a patient tutor, guiding you through each stage. Even if you’re a beginner, you’ll feel at ease navigating and creating integrations. Ready-Made Pieces: EIB comes with a treasure trove of connectors and templates, saving you from the hassle of starting from scratch. Flexibility: Data Moves Freely: EIB isn’t picky—it supports both bringing data into Workday and sending it out, whether you’re importing from Workday or exporting to it. Connect Anywhere: It’s like a multilingual communicator, linking up with various data sources through different protocols like FTP, SFTP, SOAP, REST, and WebDAV. Big Data? No Problem: EIB handles mountains of data efficiently, perfect for handling large loads and extractions. Security and Reliability: Locked Tight: EIB plays by Workday’s security rules, ensuring your data stays safe and only accessible to the right eyes. Keep Tabs: With detailed logs and reports, you’ll always know what’s going on with your integrations. Grows with You: As your needs expand, EIB scales up without slowing down performance. Extra Perks: Save Those Coins: Bye-bye, development costs! Since there’s no need for coding, EIB cuts down on integration expenses big time. Quick Changes: Need to tweak something fast? EIB lets you modify integrations with speed, giving your business a nimble edge. Crystal-Clear Data: EIB smooths out data sharing between Workday and other systems, giving you clearer insights.   Overall, Workday EIB is a champ in being user-friendly, flexible, secure, and budget-friendly. It’s like the Swiss Army knife for maximizing Workday’s powers and keeping your data shipshape. While other tools exist, EIB stands out by being friendly, seamlessly fitting into the Workday family, and appealing to a wider audience. EIB DESIGN PATTERN There are three components to the EIB design pattern. Data Source:  There are several options for retrieving data: Outbound Options: Workday Custom Report: Extracts data from existing Workday reports. Workday Web Service API: Accesses data directly from Workday’s services. Inbound Options: Attachment: Receives data attached to an EIB notification. (S)FTP(s)-based file: Retrieves data from secure file transfer servers. REST URL: Fetches data from external systems using RESTful APIs. Transformation:  There are also multiple options for transforming data using the EIB: Alternate Output Format: Converts data into various formats like CSV or XML. Custom Report Transformation: Applies custom logic to modify report data. Custom XSLT: Uses XSLT to transform XML data according to specific rules. Deliver Data:  Workday also provides a few different transport protocols: Outbound Options: Workday Attachment: Attaches data to an EIB integration for delivery within Workday. (S)FTP(s): Sends data to secure file transfer servers. HTTP(s): Transmits data over the web using secure protocols. Email: Delivers data via email notifications. AS2: Uses the AS2 protocol for secure business-to-business data exchange. Inbound Options: Workday Web Service API: Inputs data directly into Workday’s services. Custom Object API: Integrates with custom objects on Workday. Structure of EIB: The Workday Enterprise Integration Bus (EIB) is a central platform for integrating Workday with other systems. It provides a set of services and tools that make it easy to connect Workday to external applications, databases, and other systems. Advantages of EIB: Workday Enterprise Interface Builder:  A tool used for data management within the Workday human capital management (HCM) system. Its advantages include: Improving data accuracy and consistency: Workday EIB automates data loading and extraction, reducing the risk of errors and ensuring data integrity. Saving time and effort: Workday EIB eliminates the need for manual data entry and manipulation, freeing up time for other tasks. Increasing flexibility: Workday EIB can be used to integrate data with other systems, providing a single source of truth for all employee information. Enhancing reporting and analytics: Workday EIB makes it easy to extract and analyze data, enabling businesses to make better decisions about their workforce. Unleashing the Power of EIB The use cases for Workday EIB are as diverse

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Revolutionizing Document Management with Workday Docs: A Comprehensive and Illustrative Guide

Workday In the fast-paced world of business tech, Workday has become the go-to maestro, orchestrating integrated solutions for HR, finance, and planning. It’s the superhero of enterprise software. In this landscape of innovations, Workday Docs application in as the trusty sidekick, making document generation a breeze within the Workday realm. Think of this guide as a friendly stroll through the magic of Workday Docs. We’re not diving into a manual; we’re taking a park tour, pointing out the cool stuff along the way. From unraveling Workday Docs’ secrets to showing you how it transforms your document game, this journey is for both seasoned pros and new cape-wearers. It’s not just software; it’s a tool that can make your work life a bit more super. Steering in a New Era of Document Generation Prior to Workday Docs, organizations often grappled with the complexities of managing documents across disparate systems and applications. This fragmented approach led to inefficiencies, inconsistencies, and potential data security risks. Workday Docs, however, addresses these challenges head-on by seamlessly integrating document generation into the core Workday business process framework. This centralized approach offers a paradigm shift in document management, providing organizations with a unified platform for managing business processes and documents under the umbrella of Workday Drive. Enhancing Efficiency and Streamlining Processes: Workday Docs revolutionizes the way organizations create and manage document templates, offering a host of benefits that significantly enhance efficiency and streamline business processes: Eliminating Application Switching: Users can create, edit, and review document templates directly within a Workday, eliminating the need to switch between applications like BIRT. This seamless integration saves valuable time and reduces the risk of errors arising from data transfer between systems. Data-Driven Accuracy and Integrity: Workday Docs leverages real-time data from Workday to populate document fields automatically, ensuring that information is always accurate and up to date. This data-driven approach eliminates the need for manual data entry, reducing the risk of human error and improving data integrity. Promoting Transparency and Collaboration: Workday’s robust collaboration features extend to document management. After creating a document template, it can be added to multiple business processes with the help of the “Generate Document step”. Further, generated documents can be routed through approval business process steps within the Workday, facilitating seamless collaboration among team members and ensuring that all necessary parties have a chance to review and provide input. This fosters a transparent and efficient review process. Business Case Scenario for Workday Docs: Simplifying Offer Letter Creation with Workday Docs and E-Signatures How do Workday Docs work: Below is a process on How to configure Docs in Workday, populate data and secure the data using Workday’s Security Model. Enabling Security Policies: To initiate the utilization of Workday Docs, it is imperative to initially configure security groups and policies within the newly designated Doc’s security domain. This domain can encompass roles such as Recruiter, and Recruiting Administrator. Note: There is not much work involved in setting up Docs. To get started with Workday Drive, all you must do is enable “Domain: Docs”. Select the View and Modify check boxes. Make sure the DWXF file type is a supported type for the tenant by navigating to the Edit Tenant Setup – System task and adding the DWXF file type as a supported type, by either supporting all file types or adding it as a supported type. The DWXF type is a proprietary file type for Docs templates; it’s used primarily when moving templates from 1 tenant to another. You can move (migrate) templates only if your destination tenant supports this file type. Creating Document Template: Users can create new Document templates from scratch or use pre-built templates provided by Workday or their organization using the Workday Drive option in the user profile menu. When creating a document template, users define the structure, layout, and data fields/columns they want to include. Link to Business process and category:  For configuring a Document template, it needs to be associated with a business process in the form of a Source and then select a category which will lead us to our destination to link with the Document generation step. Business Processes That Support Workday Docs: Business Process (Source) Change Job Edit Position Offer Hire Move Workers (By Organization) Termination Wage Theft Prevention Notice Employee Contract Employment Agreement Create Position End Contingent Worker Contract End International Assignment You can use Workday Docs as part of some of these HCM business processes with specific categories of document templates. Modification and Publishing Document Template: Once the Source and category have been selected, the User can add text to design the required business document layout i.e., offer letter, termination letter, and different agreements etc. Users can add dynamic data fields to get dynamic data from specific business processes as shown in the screenshot given below. Users can add different languages using the “add language option” in the language menu. Adding Document Generation Step in business process definition:  After publishing the template, the user can add the document generation step in the relevant business process and configure the document template to link the published template to the business process. E signature and Acknowledgement: Users can configure the review document step after generating the document, to collect acknowledgment or sign the document using an electronic signature using DocuSign or Adobe Sign integration. Note to get these mentioned electronic signatures, workday administrators must authenticate these platforms with their license details using the “edit tenant setup -Business processes” task. Collaboration: Workday Docs support collaboration among users and different security groups. Sharing with individual users/security groups enables owners to set a specific permission level for the person; these settings remain active if you turn off link sharing. Unleashing User Creativity with a User-Friendly Interface Workday Docs empowers users to create professional and customized documents with a range of powerful and intuitive features: Drag-and-Drop Template Designer: The user-friendly drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to create and edit document templates, even for those with limited technical expertise. This democratizes document creation, enabling

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Harnessing Company Efficiency by measuring KPIs using Workday Dashboards

Workday Every company has a simple goal: to work smarter, not harder. But achieving that goal isn’t always a walk in the park. It means keeping a close eye on how well different teams and individuals are doing, and that can be a real hassle. This is where Key Performance Indicators, or KPIs, come to the rescue. Think of them as handy little tools that help you keep tabs on how things are going and compare your performance to your own standards. And if you want a user-friendly way to do all this, you’ve got Workday Dashboards. They’re like the trusty sidekick that makes managing and tracking your KPIs a breeze. Understanding Workday Dashboards: Workday Dashboards are flexible and dynamic tools that give users a thorough overview of important business data as well as real-time insights. Because these dashboards are customizable, users may add, rearrange, and resize different widgets, such scorecards, charts, and reports, to suit their own requirements. They are interactive, enabling visitors to examine specific information, apply filters, and drill deep into data. Workday Dashboards are designed with security and mobile accessibility in mind, allowing users to access the most recent information while on the road. They also guarantee that users may only access data that has been authorized. Organizations may streamline decision-making processes by using Workday Dashboards, which provide a centralized, user-friendly solution for tracking key performance metrics and making data-driven choices. Use-Cases for Workday dashboards: HR Analytics and Reporting: Workday Dashboards allow HR professionals to keep an eye on important HR indicators including employee attrition, hiring status, and performance reviews. Dashboards enable HR teams to make data-driven choices by giving them a real-time snapshot of workforce-related data. Financial Performance Monitoring: To monitor financial KPIs including revenue, spending, and budget variations, finance teams might build dashboards. This enables them to closely monitor the organization’s financial health and modify their strategy as necessary. Manager Self-Service: Managers may examine team performance, authorize time-off requests, and track project progress by customizing Workday Dashboards to provide them real-time insights into their team’s performance. Employee Self-Service: Workers have access to dashboards where they may handle duties like time-off requests and performance targets in addition to reviewing their personal information, pay stubs, and perks. Transparency is increased and administrative load is decreased with this self-service option. Recruitment and Talent Management: To keep track of job opportunities, applicant pipelines, and recruitment metrics, HR and recruiting teams can build dashboards. This enhances applicant experiences and expedites the recruiting process. Compliance and Regulatory Reporting: Executives and compliance officers may be given a fast overview of the organization’s compliance with regulations and any possible problems that require attention through dashboard configuration. Workforce Planning: Dashboards may be used by organizations to evaluate the skill shortages, succession planning, and workforce demographics. Talent development and long-term strategy planning can both benefit from this knowledge. Benefits Administration: To monitor and share information on employee benefits including health insurance, retirement plans, and wellness initiatives, HR and benefits teams can make use of dashboards. Project Management: To assist in making sure that projects stay on schedule and under budget, project managers may customize dashboards to check project progress, budgets, and timeframes. Supplier and Vendor Performance: By tracking delivery schedules, prices, and quality, organizations can keep an eye on the performance of suppliers and vendors, which may aid in vendor management and procurement choices. Workday Dashboards offer an organized and adaptable data perspective, which makes them an important instrument for boosting productivity, facilitating better decision-making, and encouraging openness throughout the whole company. The use-cases could change depending on the requirements of an organization and the functional domains in which Workday is deployed. How do Workday Dashboards work: Below is a process on How to configure Dashboards in Workday, populate data using reports as Worklets and secure the data using Workday’s Security Model. 1. Creating Workday Dashboards: Users can create new custom workday Dashboard from scratch or use pre-built templates provided by Workday or their organization. When creating a dashboard, users define the structure, layout, worklets and domain security they want to include. Note: User can Enter ‘Create Custom Dashboard Task’ in the Search box to create a dashboard. 2. Importing Data from Worklets: Workday Dashboard can be populated with data from various report worklets. These report worklets, which are shortcuts that give you instant access to a report. The worklet can be added to your dashboard. Note: Report can be used as Worklet by enable as worklet option in output section of report. 3. Setting up Announcements:  Announcements in Workday Dashboards are enhanced by rules, which enable targeted, automated, and consistent communication. Using rules ensures messages reach the right audience, are personalized, and comply with regulations, all while streamlining the process. 4. Collaboration: Workday dashboards support collaboration among users. Multiple users can work on the same dashboards simultaneously, making real-time updates and changes. Key Benefits of Workday Dashboards: Workday Dashboards provide several significant advantages to businesses in several areas, such as finance, human resources, and general decision-making. The following are the main advantages of using Workday Dashboards: Real-Time Data Access: Workday Dashboards offer real-time data access that is current and up to date. This guarantees that decision-makers have access to the most recent data, allowing them to act quickly and intelligently. Customization: Users can modify their dashboards to suit their own requirements. By allowing for customization, people may increase efficiency and relevance by concentrating on the data and KPIs that are most important to them. Visual Data Presentation: Dashboards make complicated information simpler to understand by presenting data visually using tables, charts, and graphs. Data visualizations can aid in the rapid identification of trends, anomalies, and relationships. Interactivity: Users may dive down into data, apply filters, and examine specifics thanks to dashboards’ interactive features. Investigating certain data points and gaining deeper insights are encouraged by this interaction. Effective Decision-Making: When pertinent data is easily accessible, decision-makers can make better decisions that result in better results and a more flexible reaction to opportunities and challenges.

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Demystifying Workday Core Connectors: Your Bridge to Seamless Integrations

Workday In our closely connected world, businesses don’t function in isolation. It’s like they’re part of a big network, and making sure data moves effortlessly between your Workday HCM and various other systems is crucial. This is where Workday Core Connectors step in – think of them as your reliable companions that make integration a breeze. Say goodbye to the stress of creating custom code and dealing with complicated setups. Core Connectors are ready-made, tried-and-true integration blueprints designed for specific tasks such as payroll, finance, and spend management. They provide a quicker and more dependable way to link Workday with external applications, ultimately saving you time, money, and the hassle of headaches. What makes Core Connectors special? Exploring the Core Connector Landscape: Workday’s got you covered with a mix of handy Core Connectors, each tailored to different areas where you need them most: Speed and Agility: Forget about those never-ending development cycles. With Core Connectors, you get tools that are ready to roll, making deployments a breeze and trimming down integration costs. Reduced Risk: These connectors, designed and backed by Workday, guarantee quality and stability. No more tossing and turning at night trying to troubleshoot custom integrations – your peace of mind is in good hands. Simplified Maintenance: Let Workday handle the nitty-gritty of updates and bug fixes. This means you can shift your focus to what truly matters – your business – without worrying about the maintenance grind. Improved Data Accuracy: Wave goodbye to tangled data pipelines. Core Connectors ensure a seamless and accurate flow of information between Workday and external systems, putting an end to data chaos. Enhanced User Experience: Smooth integrations mean a better ride for your employees and stakeholders. The streamlined processes translate into an enhanced user experience, making everyone’s journey a bit more enjoyable. Human Capital Management (HCM): Keep everything in sync by smoothly bringing together employee data, overseeing talent processes, and seamlessly integrating learning management systems. Payroll: Make life easier by linking up with third-party payroll providers, ensuring your financial accuracy stays on point without any hiccups. Financials: Say goodbye to manual hassle – let automation take over your financial transactions and seamlessly integrate with banks and investment management systems for a smoother ride. Spend Management: Simplify your life by streamlining procurement processes, staying on top of invoices, and gaining a solid grip on expenses. Workday’s got your back when it comes to taking control of your spending. Choosing the right Connector for your needs: Choosing the perfect Core Connector is a big deal with all the options out there. Here are some down-to-earth factors to think about: Business Requirements: Take a good look at what your business needs. Figure out your integration must-haves and pick the Connector that matches up with your goals like a good teammate. Vendor Compatibility: Make sure your chosen Connector gets along well with your third-party applications. You wouldn’t want any technical hiccups to mess up the flow. Implementation Resources: Check out your team’s skills and know-how. See if you’ve got the expertise in-house or if you might need a bit of extra help to get things running smoothly. It’s all about setting yourself up for success! Beyond the basics: Sure, Core Connectors come packed with a solid out-of-the-box experience, but here’s the cool part – you can take things to the next level and tweak them to fit your exact needs. Workday hooks you up with tools and APIs so you can customize data mapping, error handling, and business logic. It’s like giving your integration a personal touch for a truly tailored experience. Unlocking the Power of Integrations: Workday Core Connectors are like the secret sauce that gives businesses the power to smash through data barriers, automate those tedious processes, and uncover real, actionable insights. Picture them as the architects of a more connected, super-efficient, and nimble organization. Whether you’re on a mission to simplify payroll, supercharge talent management, or tighten the reins on your finances, Core Connectors are the golden key that unlocks the full potential of your Workday investment. It’s like turning on the turbo boost for your business goals. The Core Connector: Worker: Your go-to maestro for all things Workday integrations, especially when it comes to the fascinating realm of employee data. Let’s dive into its starring roles: What it does: Exports changes in worker data from Workday. This includes information like employee details, job positions, locations, organizations, and talent data. Picture this connector as your backstage pass to all things employee-related. It grabs the latest scoop on employee details, job positions, locations, organizations, and talent data straight from the Workday scene. Like a tech-savvy wizard, it weaves a configurable output file in XML format. This file? It’s like a magic parcel carrying the freshest worker data, all set to jet off to another system. Think of this connector as your vigilant guardian. It’s always on the lookout, scanning Workday’s internal logs for any flicker of change in worker-related data. No detail slips past its watchful gaze. This connector is the social butterfly of the integration world. It loves rubbing virtual shoulders with Learning Management Systems (LMS), talent management platforms, and other HR-related applications. It’s the ultimate team player in making those connections happen seamlessly. Benefits of using Core Connector: Worker: Simplified data export: Forget about getting tangled up in complex programming or creating custom interfaces. With this, it’s as easy as setting up the output format, and voila! The XML file is generated without breaking a sweat. Time-saving efficiency: Wave goodbye to the manual grind. Let the magic happen as the process of zipping updated employee data off to external systems gets automated, giving your team the gift of time for more important tasks. Spot-On Data Accuracy: Say hello to precision and bye-bye to errors. This connector is like your trusty GPS for Workday employee data – pre-built, tested, and ready to guide you to the right destination without missing a beat. Enhanced system interoperability: Picture this connector as the friendly neighborhood bridge, linking Workday and other

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Workday Configurable Business Process Framework – Harnessing Efficiency & Streamlining Operations

Workday Being efficient and competitive in the fast-paced corporate world of today is essential for success.  Organizations are always looking for methods to improve productivity and streamline their processes.  Workday Configurable Business Process Framework (CBPF) is one product that has had a significant impact  in this search for efficiency. We’ll look at how Workday CBPF can help businesses leverage efficiency and  streamline processes in this blog post. What is Workday Configurable Business Process Framework (CBPF)? Workday Configurable Business Process Framework (CBPF) is a dynamic and adaptable software solution  designed to empower organizations to streamline their unique business processes. This versatile tool  offers an intuitive interface and robust functionality, making it an invaluable asset for businesses seeking  to optimize their operations. Key Features of Workday CBPF Before delving into the benefits of Workday CBPF, let’s take a closer look at its key features: Customizable Workflows: With Workday CBPF, organizations can tailor workflows to suit their  specific needs. Whether it’s HR processes, finance operations, or any other business function,  customization is at your fingertips. Dynamic Routing: Workday CBPF offers dynamic routing, ensuring that tasks are automatically  routed to the right individuals or teams based on predefined criteria. This reduces bottlenecks and  accelerates process completion. Real-time Visibility: Gain real-time visibility into the status of ongoing processes. This feature  allows for effective tracking, monitoring, and decision-making. How Workday CBP Enhances Efficiency Now, let’s explore how Workday CBPF can significantly enhance efficiency within your organization: Automation of Repetitive Tasks Workday CBPF excels at automating repetitive and time-consuming tasks. Whether it’s employee  onboarding, leave approval, or expense report processing, automation eliminates manual errors and  reduces the time required to complete these tasks. Employees can focus on more valuable and strategic  activities, contributing to overall efficiency. Cross-functional Collaboration Efficiency isn’t just about individual tasks; it’s also about how teams collaborate. Workday CBP fosters  cross-functional collaboration by ensuring that tasks move seamlessly between departments or  individuals. This encourages teamwork and innovation, enhancing efficiency at the organizational level. Scalability and Adaptability Workday CBPF is designed to grow with your organization. As your business evolves and expands, the tool  can adapt to accommodate changing workflow demands. This scalability ensures that your processes  remain efficient even as your organization scales. Compliance and Accuracy Efficiency isn’t just about speed; it’s also about accuracy and compliance. Workday CBPF allows  organizations to define processes that adhere to industry regulations and internal policies. This ensures  that tasks are executed consistently, reducing errors and compliance risks. Practical Use Cases for Workday CBPF Let’s explore some practical use cases where Workday CBPF can make a significant impact: 1. Employee Onboarding Streamline the onboarding process for new hires. Workday CBPF can automate document collection,  training enrollment, and other onboarding tasks, creating a seamless and efficient experience for both HR  teams and new employees. 2. Leave Management Simplify and automate leave request and approval processes. Employees can submit requests through self service, and managers receive automated notifications for approval. This reduces the administrative  burden on HR and ensures compliance with leave policies. 3. Expense Management Efficiently process and approve expense reports. Workday CBPF can automate expense report submission,  routing them to the appropriate approvers. This ensures timely reimbursements and accurate financial  records. 4. Expense Management Efficiently process and approve expense reports. Workday CBPF can automate expense report submission,  routing them to the appropriate approvers. This ensures timely reimbursements and accurate financial  records. Getting Started with Workday CBPF If you’re considering implementing Workday CBPF within your organization, here are some steps to get  you started: Assessment: Identify the business processes that would benefit most from automation and streamlining.  Create a roadmap for implementation. Configuration: Work with experienced consultants or administrators to configure Workday CBPF to match  your specific workflow requirements. Testing: Thoroughly test your configured processes to ensure they function as intended and identify any  potential issues. Training: Provide comprehensive training to users who will interact with Workday CBPF. Monitoring and Optimization: Continuously monitor and optimize your configured processes to adapt to  changing business needs. In conclusion, Workday Configurable Business Process is a powerful tool that can help organizations  harness efficiency, improve collaboration, and streamline their operations. By automating repetitive tasks,  ensuring compliance, and offering real-time visibility into processes, Workday CBPF empowers  organizations to thrive in today’s competitive business landscape. If you’re ready to enhance your  organization’s efficiency, it may be time to explore the possibilities offered by Workday CBPF.

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Enhancing Payroll Efficiency with Workday Third-Party Integrations

Workday Payroll management is a critical aspect of any organization’s operations, and ensuring accuracy, efficiency, and compliance is essential. Workday, a leading cloud-based human capital management (HCM) system, offers a robust platform for managing various HR functions, including payroll. With Workday’s third-party payroll integrations, organizations can streamline their payroll processes, automate data transfer, and achieve greater efficiency. In this blog post, we will explore the benefits and capabilities of Workday third-party payroll integrations and how they can revolutionize your organization’s payroll management. Workday offers a range of Payroll Integration products . Payroll Interface is a packaged integration template with a configurable set of HCM data across a range of categories. Most commonly used payroll interfaces are PICOF ( Payroll Interface Connector output Format) and PECI ( Payroll Effective Change Interface) . When launched, the integration captures changes to employee data for a given pay group and pay period. While some vendors prefer to have PECI , some prefer to have PICOF. Let me explain the main and the primary difference. PECI supports a sequence of effective dated changes while PICOF supports only top of stack single change with an effective date. Let me explain you with an example : Take a scenario where an Employee had been given a merit increase in three trenches as shown below in Orange , PICOF would only pick up the latest value of 90000 and send it to the vendor while PECI would pick up all three changes as separate transactions . You might have observed the terms Last successful run and the current run , in the picture above . These terms are the most relevant when we talk about change detection in workday. All integrations that detect changes work primarily on these two parameters. If we dig deep into how the payroll interfaces detect changes , here is a simple flow diagram to explain how a change entered in Workday would be extracted by the payroll interface. Advantages of Payroll interfaces with examples 1. Seamless Data Integration: Workday’s third-party payroll integrations enable seamless data integration between Workday and external payroll systems. By connecting with popular payroll providers such as ADP, Paychex, or Ceridian, organizations can eliminate manual data entry, reduce errors, and save valuable time. The integrations ensure that employee information, tax details, salary changes, deductions, and other payroll-related data are automatically synchronized between systems. This streamlines the payroll process and minimizes the risk of data discrepancies. There is a flavor of these payroll integrations called GPC ( Plobal payroll Cloud) built on the technology of PICOF, PECI which a consultant should always keep in mind when choosing the best implementation methodology. These GPC integrations are built by Workday in close collaboration with the Vendor keeping in mind the country specific local regulations. Now That makes the integration seamless and hassle free. Some of these include ADP’s Global View , NGA HRExchange etc. An implementation consultant shall follow this order when designing a payroll interface. The order of precedence would be GPC Integration > PECI > PICOF . 2. Accuracy and Compliance: Accurate and compliant payroll processing is crucial to maintain employee trust and meet legal obligations. With Workday’s third-party payroll integrations, organizations can leverage the robust features and capabilities of both platforms to ensure accurate payroll calculations, tax deductions, and statutory compliance. The integrations enable the exchange of information related to employee hours, earnings, deductions, and tax withholding, ensuring accurate payroll calculations and timely delivery of paychecks. Additionally, the integrations facilitate compliance with federal, state, and local payroll regulations, reducing the risk of penalties and legal complications. While we talk about compliance , some countries require hours to be paid one month in retro . These hours can be On-call additional hours. These interfaces also support this by linking time periods and help in staying compliant . 3. Enhanced Efficiency and Time Savings: Manual payroll processes can be time-consuming and prone to errors. Workday’s third-party payroll integrations automate key payroll tasks, improving overall efficiency and saving valuable time for HR and payroll professionals. By eliminating the need for manual data entry and reconciliation, organizations can reallocate their resources to more strategic activities. The integrations also enable faster processing of payroll, ensuring that employees receive their payments promptly. This not only enhances employee satisfaction but also minimizes payroll-related queries and disputes. Workday offers a wide range of products together with the payroll interfaces making it easier for organizations to synchronize Employee data with their payroll systems. One such enhancement is Event Driven Integration ( EDI). This normally comes together with the above mentioned GPC integrations. Event Driven Integrations as the name suggests export data to the payroll vendor almost immediately after the transaction is completed in Workday. This is more efficient than exporting data in daily or weekly scheduled batch runs there by saving enormous amounts of time. 4. Centralized Reporting and Analytics: Workday’s third-party payroll integrations provide organizations with centralized reporting and analytics capabilities, empowering them to gain valuable insights into their payroll data. By consolidating data from Workday and the integrated payroll systems, organizations can generate comprehensive reports on payroll costs, tax liabilities, employee earnings, and more. These insights help organizations make data-driven decisions, identify cost-saving opportunities, and proactively manage payroll-related risks. By leveraging the power of analytics, organizations can gain a deeper understanding of their workforce and make informed decisions to optimize their payroll processes. Let us dive a bit deeper into the reporting capabilities . There are interfacing capabilities with the payroll vendor to bring back payroll results back into Workday. Import Payroll Results is a template which the consultant could use to bring back Payroll results from the Vendor.Now you might argue why would someone do that and that is where Workday’s reporting capabilities together with PRISM come into the picture. You can create dashboards or use workday’s PayHub to provide employees and HR Advisory teams with various insights. A simple example would be a dashboard for the HR/payroll team to slice data on the spend

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Navigating Efficiency and Innovation: A Deep Dive into Workday Release Management

Workday In the modern era of digital transformation, enterprise software systems have become the backbone of operations for organizations worldwide. Among these systems, Workday stands as a leading provider of cloud-based human capital management and financial management software. Workday Release Management plays a pivotal role in ensuring that the software stays up-to-date, efficient, and aligned with an organization’s evolving needs. In this blog, we’ll take a closer look at what Workday Release Management entails, its significance, and best practices for successful implementation. Understanding Workday Release Management Workday Release Management is a structured process that facilitates the smooth deployment of updates, enhancements, and new features to the Workday platform. This process involves planning, testing, and deploying changes to ensure that they don’t disrupt critical business processes or compromise system stability. Whether it’s bug fixes, security patches, or major feature additions, Workday Release Management ensures that changes are implemented seamlessly. What to expect in the Workday Feature Release? A standard feature Release will encompass novel features or functionalities, certain of which will be deployed automatically. Others, however, will necessitate strategic implementation and rigorous testing to ensure seamless integration for customers. Moreover, Feature Releases might bring about refinements to current functionalities. This encompasses potential enhancements to the user interface, introduction of fresh web services, modifications to existing web services in line with the web service versioning timetable, resolution of bugs, updates relating to payroll tax and adherence to regulations, and occasionally, the introduction of entirely new products. Broadly speaking, all features will fall into one of the following three categories: 1. Mandatory: These features are automatically integrated by Workday on the feature release date, and customers are required to commence immediate usage. 2. Opt-In: These features are automatically integrated by Workday on the feature release date, and customers have the option to start using them at their convenience with minimal effort. 3. Setup Required: Workday automatically deploys these features on the feature release date, but it’s up to customers to decide whether they want to make use of them. Depending on the complexity of the functionality, a substantial setup endeavor might be necessary. Certain features under this category might also entail updating your professional services agreement with Workday. In typical circumstances, Workday will always provide a minimum of two releases’ notice before removing or phasing out functionality. This ensures that customers have time to address any potential issues. Consequently, certain features that initially fall under the “opt-in” or “setup required” categories could transition into the “mandatory” category in subsequent releases, unless there are extraordinary circumstances. The What’s New in Workday report is a compilation of release notes that provides detailed information on features and enhancements in your Workday tenants. You can use the report to plan for your adoption of new Workday functionality. To access the What’s New in Workday report you must have access to Workday What’s New domain in the System functional area. For example to explore 2023 R2 features : Select a Workday Releases value of Workday 2023 Release 2. This will show you all items scheduled to deliver to your Production tenant in Workday 2023R2 that will be in Preview as of August 5, with new items added each week as we deliver more functionality. Preview Tenants The Sandbox Preview tenant is a copy of the Production tenant, but it also contains new functionality available in a future Feature Release. Generally, Workday targets Preview features for the next feature release, but that isn’t guaranteed. Workday sometimes targets Preview features for an unspecified future feature release. Preview features could undergo changes based on feedback or new desired behavior, or retracted and never released as a Preview feature. The creation of your Sandbox Preview tenant coincides with the timing of your initial Workday Service go-live date and it stays in existence forever. You can use a Sandbox Preview tenant to test new functionality as it becomes available in between feature releases. Once you have the list of all features, here is a typical flow diagram on how to plan a release: You can find all the information for the Workday Feature Release in the community. Navigate to the Release Center page as shown below and you will be able to find everything that is related to the upcoming release from Workday. This sometimes also includes video content for each feature explaining the change, the impact, and the configuration required. Example : Workday 2023R2 makes it easier to generate documents as part of compensation processes. You can now include the Generate Document step in compensation business processes. The release notes indicate everything related to the feature and a video to explain the configuration. Now, you can follow the flow chart above and decide if and when this will need to be implemented for your organization. The Significance of Workday Release Management 1. Risk Mitigation: Effective Release Management minimizes the risk of system failures, data corruption, and security vulnerabilities that can arise from poorly managed changes. 2. User Experience: A well-managed release process maintains a positive user experience by avoiding disruptions to daily operations. Employees can continue using the platform with minimal interruption. 3. Innovation Enablement: Workday regularly releases new features and updates to enhance functionality and address user needs. Effective Release Management ensures that organizations can leverage these innovations promptly. 4. Regulatory Compliance: In industries with strict compliance requirements, such as finance and healthcare, Workday Release Management helps ensure that system changes adhere to regulatory standards. Best Practices for Successful Workday Release Management 1. Thorough Planning: Establish a detailed plan that outlines the scope of changes, testing requirements, and potential impacts on business processes. Involve key stakeholders to gather insights and align with organizational goals. 2. Testing and Quality Assurance: Rigorous testing is crucial to identify and rectify issues before deployment. This includes functional testing, performance testing, and user acceptance testing (UAT). 3. Communication Strategy: Keep stakeholders informed about upcoming releases, their impact, and the expected benefits. Clear communication helps manage expectations and minimizes surprises. 4. Change Control: Implement a robust

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Mastering Efficiency with Workday Worksheets_ Streamline Your Workforce Management

Design In the realm of modern human resource management, organizations are continuously seeking ways to optimize their workforce processes. Workday, a leading cloud-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, offers a comprehensive suite of tools to revolutionize the way businesses manage their human capital. Among its many features, Workday Worksheets stand out as a powerful tool for improving efficiency and streamlining everyday tasks. In this blog post, we will explore the concept of Workday Worksheets and delve into how they can transform your workforce management. Understanding Workday Worksheets: Workday Worksheets are a dynamic and flexible feature that allows HR professionals to collect, organize, and analyze data related to their workforce. These worksheets act as electronic spreadsheets, enabling users to manipulate data, create calculations, and generate reports—all within the Workday platform. With Worksheets, HR teams can eliminate the need for external tools like Excel, enhancing data integrity and centralizing all essential HR processes. Use-Cases for Workday worksheets: 1. Compensation Planning: Workday Worksheets can be used to create custom compensation planning models, enabling organizations to streamline and automate their compensation review processes. Users can define formulas and rules to calculate salary increases, bonuses, and other forms of compensation based on various factors such as performance ratings, job levels, and budget constraints. 2. Budgeting and Forecasting: Workday Worksheets can be utilized for budgeting and forecasting purposes. Users can create worksheets to consolidate and manipulate financial data, perform calculations, and generate reports. This allows for more accurate and efficient budgeting processes, with the ability to update and adjust projections as needed. 3. Talent Management Analytics: Workday Worksheets can help HR professionals analyze and visualize talent management data. Users can create custom metrics and calculations to measure employee performance, track workforce diversity, assess retention rates, and generate insights for strategic decision-making. Worksheets can also be used to create dashboards and reports that provide real-time visibility into key talent metrics. 4. Absence Management: Workday Worksheets can be used to manage and track employee absences. Users can create worksheets to calculate accruals, track leave balances, and manage time-off policies. This enables HR teams to automate absence management processes, ensure compliance with regulations, and provide employees with accurate and up-to-date information about their leave entitlements. 5. Compliance Reporting: Workday Worksheets can assist with generating compliance reports and meeting regulatory requirements. Users can create worksheets to collect and consolidate data related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, workforce demographics, compensation equity, and other compliance-related metrics. Worksheets can perform calculations, apply filters, and generate reports that help organizations monitor and report on their compliance efforts. How do Workday Worksheets work Below is a process on How to configure Worksheets in Workday , populate data and secure the data using Workday’s Security Model. 1.Creating Worksheets: Users can create new worksheets from scratch or use pre-built templates provided by Workday or their organization. When creating a worksheet, users define the structure, layout, and data fields/columns they want to include. 2. Importing Data: Worksheets can be populated with data from various sources. Users can import data from other Workday reports, external files (such as CSV or Excel), or other data sources integrated with Workday. The imported data is mapped to the corresponding fields/columns in the worksheet. Technical details are provided below : Click on the “Add Live Data” option. Search for the desired report. Provide the required prompts or filters. Click on “OK” to initiate the data population process. Wait for the data to populate in the worksheet. 3. Manipulating Data: Once a worksheet is created and populated with data, users can perform various operations to manipulate and analyze the data. This includes sorting, filtering, grouping, and applying formulas or calculations to derive new insights. For Calculations or Functions we have the Function library which has an extensive list of functions which can be used in Worksheets with a short definition and syntax. 4. Collaboration: Workday worksheets support collaboration among users. Multiple users can work on the same worksheet simultaneously, making real-time updates and changes. Users can also add comments, annotations, or share worksheets with others for review or input. 5. Data Visualization: Workday provides built-in visualization capabilities to help users understand and present data effectively. Users can create charts, graphs, and pivot tables within worksheets to visualize trends, patterns, and summaries of the data. 6. Data Security: Workday worksheets adhere to the overall security framework of the Workday system. Role-based permissions and data security policies control access to worksheets and ensure that users can only view and modify data they are authorized to access. Find below the screenshots of the same Worksheet accessed by different users. As a People System Admin As a Manager Key Benefits of Workday Worksheets 1. Enhanced Data Accuracy: By utilizing Workday Worksheets, organizations can eliminate the risk of manual errors that often plague traditional spreadsheet-based data management. Worksheets offer built-in data validation rules and formulas, ensuring that the information entered is accurate and consistent. 2. Real-time Collaboration: Workday Worksheets empower HR teams to work collaboratively and seamlessly within a centralized platform. Multiple team members can access and edit the same worksheet simultaneously, improving communication and efficiency. 3. Simplified Reporting: With Workday Worksheets, generating comprehensive reports becomes a breeze. The ability to customize calculations and formulas allows HR professionals to create insightful reports tailored to their organization’s unique requirements. Additionally, these reports can be shared with stakeholders, providing transparency and facilitating data-driven decision-making. 4. Streamlined Processes: Worksheets enable HR departments to streamline various processes, including compensation management, performance evaluations, and budgeting. The platform’s intuitive interface and automated workflows simplify complex tasks, freeing up time for HR professionals to focus on strategic initiatives. 5. Seamless Integration: Workday Worksheets seamlessly integrate with other modules within the Workday ecosystem. This integration allows for efficient data flow between different HR functions, eliminating duplicate data entry and ensuring consistency across various processes. Best Practices for Utilizing Workday Worksheets: To harness the full potential of Workday Worksheets, consider the following best practices: 1. Design with Purpose: Carefully plan and design your worksheets, keeping

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Workday Authentication – Modern Day Security in the Cloud

Design Workday Authorisation and Authentication As businesses grow, managing employee data becomes increasingly complex. The security of sensitive employee data is essential, and companies must take steps to ensure that it remains safe from unauthorized access. Workday is a cloud-based software platform that offers HR, finance, and accounting solutions to businesses. In this blog, we will explore Workday security, its features, and best practices to secure employee data. Workday Security Overview: Workday provides a range of security features designed to safeguard employee data. These features include: 1. Authentication and Authorization: Workday uses multi-factor authentication (MFA) and single sign-on (SSO) to verify users’ identities. MFA requires users to enter a password and a second form of authentication, such as a fingerprint or one-time code, to access their accounts. SSO allows users to access multiple applications using a single set of login credentials, reducing the risk of stolen or weak passwords.There are many Identity Providers like Okta , Azure AD etc which are known for their Identify providing services. Organizations usually do not have to onboard new Identity Providers as Workday provides Identity provisioning Integrations seamlessly integrating data to these providers . Not going into too much detail , here are few screenshots on how to configure SSO with an identity provider in Workday. While we discussed how Identity providers check the identity , Workday also provides configuration options in grouping Administrators and providing them different routes to access Workday. A typical example would be to create a backdoor entry for HR Administrators and Security Admins to access Workday using Username and password if the SSO is down due to an issue at the Identity provider. This can be configured using the Manage Authentication Policies task in Workday. This picture gives an idea on configuring access to Security Admins to bypass SSO using Username Password and MFA on Authenticator App.  Until now we discussed about Workday integrating to an other Identity provider , However Workday can also be used as a SAML Identity Provider to sign in to other systems via SAML SSO Link. The most common use cases include if you would want your employees to stay in Workday and access links Out side Workday. These external links can be configured as quicklinks on the Business processes , Worklets or even Announcements where you can redirect employees to your company portals.  IP Ranges : Workday also provides us the facility to control (allow or Deny) Access from a particular IP Address or IP Address range. You can control this on the manage authentication policies page for blocking IP Addresses and Maintain IP Range to define IP ranges to access Workday. A Typical Use Can be allowing access for Admins into Workday only from Organisation’s Virtual Private Network Range.  So now that we are aware of different mechanisms an employee can access Workday , the next question that pops up is , but to what data does he have access to? This question is answered in the next section.  2. Role-Based Access Control: Workday’s Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) system assigns users specific roles and permissions based on their job responsibilities. This helps ensure that employees only have access to the data they need to perform their jobs. Diving a bit deep into the technicalities , Workday secures each object with something called a domain. Example : Employee Gender is secured using a domain called Person Data : Gender. Anyone who has access ( View/ Modify) to this domain can see the data that is secured using this domain. This is where experts play around on implementing the best policies of grouping people and defining WHO needs access to WHAT. The pic explains how Gender is secured. HRIS Administrator has both View and Modify access while Benefits Partner only has access to View Gender Grouping options can be configured both static where in a user’s assignment to a group can be driven offline through approvals or it can be sometimes automated based on their geographical location / job profile / organization etc. Here is an example : Workday’s Role based Security provides the flexibility to control access based on the position. A Very simple example could be people from the HR Business Partner Community/group. HR Business partner shall only be able to support employees from his/her location and not from any other location. A HR Business Partner in Sweden cannot and shall not support employees working in Australia. While HR Business Partner is a single group in Workday , Role based security access in Workday allows an admin to configure the support scope based on organizations/locations and also have the flexibility to intersect any such permutations. Roles as seen below can be defined on organizations limiting the access to employee data in only the organizations they support.  Workday also provides the flexibility to configure user based groups which have global scope. Such a configuration can be used for example to group administrators from recruiting/ talent / benefits etc communities to work on configuration at a global scale and also give the flexibility with employee data at a global level. Such a security group is called a User based security group.One point to consider with such a scenario : An Administrator when leaving the organization shall also be removed from this user based security group and the person coming next into the admin role is not auto assigned to the admin group. 3. Access Restrictions: Some Organizations take one step further in controlling access by restricting access based on the Network Employees are connected to. A typical example is Organisations restricting Managers / HR Advisory to view the Compensation details of their Direct Reports on Mobile outside office Network. Such Restrictions can be configured using the Create Access Restriction Task. Another example would be to restrict Employees/ Managers from downloading attachments outside the Office Network.  4. Scrambling: If you are reading this blog , you may already know Workday’s Tenant Structure. Any Organisation running on Workday would have an implementation tenant , Sandbox

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