One Year with Workday

Three Snapshots of Change in Action

Dear Colleagues, 

It has been just over one year since Workday went live, and we want to celebrate what the University has accomplished—and acknowledge what it took to get here. Moving to Workday was far more than a system change; it represented a fundamental shift in how HR, payroll, and finance transactions are done across the University.  

Changing processes, roles, and habits at this scale is no small task, yet across campus, people have shown up, adapted, and embraced new ways of working—helping the University make real progress in its first year. 

Below are three snapshots from year one—highlighting where we’ve seen the change take hold and how the University is putting Workday to work.

Snapshot 1: Timekeeping Comes Together in Workday 

One of the most significant operational changes was moving timekeeping into Workday for both staff and student employees. 

For many units, this meant transitioning away from long-standing tools like using physical time clocks. For student employees, it marked an even bigger shift—from typing in their hours worked at the end of every pay period to instead using the Workday app to record hours worked in real time.  

Bringing timekeeping into a single system connects hours worked directly to payroll, reduces manual steps, and creates a more consistent experience across the University.  For students, this change in approach has resulted in more timely payments, and fewer late timesheets.  Importantly, this transition was shaped by real feedback—leading to adjustments that improved how student employees enter and edit time. 

This was a major lift, and teams across campus showed up to make it work. As Scott Lincoln, Associate Director of Custodial and Environmental Services, shared: 

“Shifting to Workday has given our staff more flexibility by allowing them to check in and out on their mobile application without waiting in line for a time clock. It also provides clear visibility into benefit time and schedules, helping staff take greater ownership of their time. At the same time, it gives our leadership team easy access to information needed to have informed conversations about scheduling requests. The support provided to navigate these changes has been exceptional.” 

Snapshot 2: The Employee Lifecycle Lives in Workday 

Over the past year, Workday became the central place where employees manage key moments across their work life—from onboarding and benefits enrollment to recording time and leaves, documenting goals, and accessing compensation information. 

A key shift this year has been expanding true self-service. Employees can now complete many tasks directly in Workday—when it’s convenient for them—without relying on paper forms, emails, or multiple systems. From updating direct deposit and tax elections to reviewing pay slips, enrolling in benefits, and tracking performance goals, much of the employee experience now lives in one secure, integrated platform. 

For many employees, this included their first benefits enrollment in Workday, along with new ways to view and manage personal and job-related information in one system. Bringing these experiences together reduces reliance on multiple tools and gives employees clearer visibility into their own information. 

As Crystal Lang, University Bursar, shared:  

“Completing open enrollment in Workday was a seamless process for me—I was able to easily review my options and make the necessary adjustments to my benefits for both myself and my four children. Being able to see all my choices in one place gave me a great level of comfort and confidence in my decisions.” 

This shift reflects an important goal of the Workday platform: reducing administrative friction, increasing clarity, and making processes easier to navigate—while empowering employees through accessible, end-to-end self-service. 

Snapshot 3: Streamlined Purchasing Through Supplier Catalogs 

Another meaningful shift this year was the introduction of supplier catalogs directly in Workday—a capability that did not exist prior to go-live. 

Today, eight catalogs are available for suppliers that represent a significant portion of the University’s purchasing volume: Amazon, Grainger, Staples, B&H Photo, Fisher Scientific, The Supply Room, Henry Schein, and VWR. 

Using catalogs simplifies purchasing by allowing employees to shop directly from approved suppliers within Workday. Purchases route automatically for approval, eliminating the need for receipt collection and expense reports while speeding up vendor payment. 

This change has made it easier for departments to purchase what they need—while supporting more consistent, efficient procurement practices.  Importantly, several of the catalogs now available were prioritized based on suggestions from campus offices about which suppliers would be most helpful to include.

Built on Feedback—and Still Evolving 

Across all of these snapshots, one theme stands out: your feedback matters. Throughout the year, campus input has helped clarify processes, enhance functionality, reduce workarounds, and improve visibility into where things stand and who needs to act next. 

This first year laid the foundation. Workday is a modern, evolving system, and both the platform and our use of it will continue to mature. 

Looking Ahead 

Workday delivers major updates twice each year, and we’ll continue to share enhancements as they’re released. Later this year, we’ll also introduce a Workday roadmap to provide visibility into improvements planned over the next one to two years. 

Need Help, Have Questions, or Ideas? 

Support resources are always available: 

• Visit workday.richmond.edu for step-by-step job aids and short videos. 
• Questions or issues? Submit a Workday ticket. 

We also welcome thoughtful suggestions for enhancements. If you have ideas that could improve the end-user experience or streamline a process, please share them through a Workday ticket and note that it is an enhancement recommendation. Submissions are reviewed regularly as we prioritize future improvements. 

Thank you for the work it took to get here—and for continuing to build this new way of working with us. 

With appreciation, 

The Workday Adoption Committee: 

Julie Farmer (co-lead), Director of Change Management 

Jenna Owens (co-lead), Sr. Director of Workday Operations and Support 

Lori Schuyler (co-lead), VP Planning & Policy 

Wendy Burchard, Director of Procurement 

Dustin Engels, Director of Faculty Administrative Systems and Operations 

Meghan Harris, SVP Financial Plan & Budget 

Star Harris, Director Payroll & Accounts Payable 

Caitie Hoeckele, Talent Acquisition Specialist Student Employment 

Casey Kerrins, Asst Director Reporting and Analytics  

Lee Parker, Director Enterprise Applications 

Steve Walker, Senior Associate Controller 

Jillian Zemp, Director Human Resources Operations