WEST launches new governance framework for Enterprise Systems

Posted on by djdarley@wisc.edu

The Universities of Wisconsin is excited to announce the launch of a new, comprehensive governance framework designed to maximize how enterprise systems such as Workday, ShopUW+ and other WEST supported tools are managed and improved.

This framework introduces a clear committee structure designed to:

  • Increase transparency in decision-making
  • Encourage collaboration across universities and departments
  • Prioritize projects and system changes to best support the Universities of Wisconsin
Short: An overview of the Governance Framework for Workday and other enterprise systems. Long: The Enterprise Directions Council provides fiduciary oversight, while the Enterprise Systems Steering Committee offers cross-domain oversight. The three council teams, Enterprise Data Governance, Finance, and HCM, establish domain oversight. The governance teams — Data Governance, Technology Governance, and Workday and Enterprise Solutions Team (WEST) — ensure consistency and accuracy in each of their areas of focus.
The overarching governance framework

The success of our HR and finance related business processes depends on shared responsibility across the Universities of Wisconsin.

The Finance and Human Capital Management (HCM) Councils are supported by business domain working groups that collaborate to improve processes and enhance the use of enterprise systems.

Working group members from across the Universities contribute their diverse perspectives to ensure campus needs and impacts are fully considered when developing solutions. 

Short: A display of the governance working group hierarchy. Long: A breakdown of the governance working groups. WEST HCM teams include HR Operations, Benefits, Payroll, Learning, HCM Reporting, Time and Absence, Academics, and Compensation. WEST Finance teams include: AP/Suppliers/Settlement, Procurement/Sourcing/ChemManager+, Customer Accounts/ISD, Business Assets, Budget/Adaptive Planning, Financial/Payroll Accounting/FDM, Banking, Grants Management, Expenses, Finance Reporting, and Inventory. The groups will reflect efforts in Security Roles and Business Processes, EDMS – HCM, Cross-functional Solutions, Workday Website, EDMS – RA, and EDMS – FIN.
Expected working groups

We look forward to implementing this new governance framework, which will ensure campus representation, streamline business process, and continuously enhance the employee experience across the Universities of Wisconsin.

Save favorite worktags for faster Workday transactions 

Posted on by cberes.wisc.edu

A new Workday enhancement now allows all users to save worktags as Favorites, making financial transactions quicker and more accurate. 

What This Means for You 

  • Faster Transactions: Save your commonly used worktags to quickly select them for expense reports, purchase requests, and other financial transactions.  
  • Easy Access: Once saved, your favorite worktags appear at the top of the dropdown list, so you don’t need to search each time. 
  • Improved Accuracy: Using saved favorites helps ensure you select the correct funding source every time. 

Training and Support 

Updated Workday support and training materials are available to help you utilize this new feature. Review the Adding worktags to Favorites section of the Manage Favorite Reports and Tasks in Workday job aid for information on adding favorites, including worktags.  

For Workday questions or support, explore Get help resources on the Workday website. 

Supplement your retirement savings: Enroll in the UW 403(b) Program

Posted on by sprobst.wisc.edu

As a Universities of Wisconsin employee, you are eligible for the UW 403(b) Supplemental Retirement Program (SRP) – a voluntary supplemental retirement savings plan administered by the Universities of Wisconsin.

With the UW 403(b) SRP, you decide how much to save, which fund options to invest in, and whether to contribute on a pre-tax and/or Roth (after-tax) basis. You can start, change, or stop your deductions at any time.

You can choose between two providers, TIAA or Fidelity, that both offer:

  • 18 best-in-class mutual fund options
  • A guaranteed interest option
  • A self-directed brokerage window, which allows you to access mutual funds outside of those available in the plan

Get help and learn more

  • Visit the UW 403(b) Supplemental Retirement Program web site for resources
  • Watch an introductory On-Demand Webinar:
    • SRP: Investing in Your Financial Future: Intro to the 403(b) Program
    • Invest in Your Future: UW 403(b) Program Introduction are recommended for new enrollees
  • Schedule a free no obligation one-on-one counseling session open to all employees.

Enrollment is easy!

Enroll through the UW 403(b) Supplemental Retirement Program website to sign up through Workday, fill out the EZ enrollment form, or complete a Salary Reduction Agreement.

Workday’s fall 2025 release is live! See what’s new

Posted on by sprobst.wisc.edu

New Workday features, including homepage enhancements and a new navigation menu, are now available for all Universities of Wisconsin staff. These changes are part of Workday’s fall 2025 feature release, which went live on Saturday, September 20.

This was the first major update since UW launched Workday in July 2025. Feature releases happen twice a year, typically in March and September, bringing new functionality, enhancements, and fixes.

What’s New for Fall 2025

Newly released features affecting all Workday users include the following:

  • The Global Navigation Menu has been replaced with a pinned sidebar that remains visible as you move through Workday.
  • New Quick Action buttons on the homepage let you select common tasks, reports, and/or external links for easy access.
  • A new Save icon on task pages lets you quickly save your progress without leaving the page or interrupting your work.

Additional feature releases, including changes for finance, human resources, and research administration business processes, are detailed on the Workday Feature Releases page.

Training and Support

Workday support documents and training materials are being updated to help UW staff easily and quickly adapt to the new features.

For Workday questions or support, explore Get help resources on the Workday website.

Understanding how the June 29, 2025, pay plan affects your payslip

Posted on by sprobst.wisc.edu

As universities begin the semester, the June 29, 2025, pay plan increase of 3% is being added to eligible employees’ current appointment(s). If you are eligible, you will receive a notice in Workday that includes a letter of the change for your information. This letter is sent when the pay plan is applied to your salary, which is first noticeable for many employees on the September 4, 2025, payslip or the September 18, 2025, payslip.

The earnings section of the payslip will show more lines of information than normal due to the retroactive pay added per week. The pay plan effective date was June 29, and it was applied in August; you will see that your payslip shows the original earnings you received for each pay period from June 29–August 10. Workday calculates and shows these earnings with a subtraction of the original earnings and then an addition of the same number of earnings and hours, but utilizing the new rate of pay. For those eligible, you will also see original and updated earnings for any leave time, including legal holiday, used or worked over the July 4 holiday. The earnings section will also display your current period earnings calculated at the new rate.

With previous retroactive pay plans, you would have seen a separate lump sum amount on your payslip. With Workday, you will not see a separate lump sum, as the retroactive pay is calculated and then added to your regular earnings for that pay period. You can see the difference or increase by comparing the two earnings lines for each pay period. The retroactive pay plan is only calculated for those employees who were eligible and who had earnings in the pay periods occurring before August 10.

Understand the difference between Work Spaces and Locations

Posted on by sprobst.wisc.edu

With the new Workday system comes new vocabulary. Read on to understand the differences between the terms Work Space and Location in Workday, including who can make or request changes to each.

Work Space

A Work Space in Workday is a floor or room where an employee physically works within a building. This may be different from the work address(es) on an employee’s position location. The Work Space information is used as the Deliver-To when an employee begins a purchasing transaction. The correct Work Space is also critical to finding or contacting employees in an emergency.

Who can update a Work Space: Employees and designated HR staff
Employees can update their Work Space, but they must select from the list of available Work Spaces associated with their location. HR staff can also create or update a Work Space on an employee’s behalf.

Job Aids

Change My Work Space – Employee
Changing Work Spaces on Behalf of Employees

Location

A Location is a building where an employee’s position is expected to normally work, regardless of incumbent. This is typically the normal work address of the business unit. A Location may also be tied to supervisory organizations, job requisitions, and assets and will potentially populate as the Ship-To address in a procurement transaction.

Who can update a location: ATP
A Location cannot be updated by an employee. Location values are managed by the Administrative Transformation Program team, but the request for changes or modifications must come through HR or other offices who may initiate using the Ivanti Location Request ticketing process. The ticket will route for approval based on the type of request before routing to the ATP team for updates to Workday.

Job Aids

Workday Locations
Request New Location in Workday
Request Change to Location in Workday
Request Inactivate Location in Workday

Want to get familiar with other Workday terms? Visit the Workday glossary.

Check out Workday metrics and milestones since July 7 go-live

Posted on by sprobst.wisc.edu

The Universities of Wisconsin launched Workday on July 7, standardizing finance, human resources, and research administration processes across the system. Read on to find some key metrics and milestones for the Workday implementation from July through August.

  • 54,648 user logins
  • 22,264 support tickets closed
  • 18,919 expense reports approved
  • 10,000+ Workday-to-ShopUW+ punchouts
  • 1,917 new awards or modifications
  • 230,000+ job aid views
  • 200,000+ Workday website visitors

These numbers come during the Workday implementation’s Hypercare period, which provides expanded support to all Workday users. After Hypercare ends in September 2025, communication, stabilization, and training will continue, to ensure UW employees are aware of changes or enhancements in Workday. To learn more about Workday, visit the Workday website.

Find information about Workday feature releases

Posted on by sprobst.wisc.edu

A new page designed to give you the information you need about Workday’s twice-yearly major system updates is now live on the Workday website. The Workday Feature Releases page will be updated regularly with details about system updates that can impact Workday functionality and user experience.

Workday feature releases typically occur in September and March of each year. The next Workday release is September 20, 2025.

Welcome to Workday Learning

Posted on by sprobst.wisc.edu

Workday Learning is a single site for employee training and professional development for all Universities of Wisconsin. The catalog of courses will continue to grow and currently includes mandatory training, which is assigned to individuals when they need to complete it.

In addition to the growing catalog of Universities of Wisconsin courses, we have also incorporated the full LinkedIn Learning catalog.

Check out all of the Workday Learning resources. If you have questions, reach out using one of the GetHelpUW methods.

Find Workday resources and get support

Posted on by sprobst.wisc.edu

With Workday now live, don’t forget the many resources created to help you — many of which are accessible here on the Workday website.

From the homepage, find assistance for your role from the I AM A drop-down in the main menu. Explore the quick links to job aids for common actions you can take in Workday.

Elsewhere on the site, you will find recordings of training, news and announcements, a Workday glossary, and frequently asked questions. If you can’t find the answers you need, you can use GetHelpUW to get recommendations for job aids or submit a ticket for additional help. A team member will address your issue. We are here to help as you get comfortable with Workday.