The patchwork of systems many are using to compile data-driven reports will be a thing of the past when Workday goes live July 1. The cloud-based platform will have the information in one place and offer powerful reporting options for finance, payroll and human resources data.
"Today, people are processing transactions in the Kuali Financial System (KFS), going to e-Data to get reporting and using ADIN to look at information about accounts or people's data," said Kevin DeRoos, an information systems leader in information technology services. "With Workday, people won't be jumping from system to system. All of that lives in Workday. It's a one-stop shop."
More about reports
A workshop on "The Power of Reporting" is available on the WorkCyte website.
What are reports?
Reports are used to view data. DeRoos said the most common report at ISU is transaction detail, which shows how and where money is being spent.
Nearly 4,000 reports are standard within Workday. Custom reports unique to Iowa State, such as data required by the state Board of Regents, are being developed. But it's the real-time capabilities of Workday that have the WorkCyte team excited.
"Users will always see the most current data in Workday. It shows you live, up-to-date information based on the criteria you've entered into your report," DeRoos said.
Workday reports can be generated with financial, payroll and human resources data. Users can format and filter reports to view information specific to their needs.
"You have a lot of functionality that's built right in that allows you to dynamically change the way the report looks, as well as drill through to see the details behind those numbers," he said.
Just like a leaf on Ancestry.com that hints at more information just a click away, Workday data that appears in blue indicates that you can drill deeper.
"A printed report is very static. A Workday report is dynamic -- you can click on numbers to get to more details. If it's blue, it's a clue," he said.
Where's my spreadsheet?
Reports can be run as needed or scheduled to run at intervals. Some can be saved as PDFs and exported to Excel, but Workday has its own built-in spreadsheet technology. "Worksheets" provide a more secure environment to collaborate and share spreadsheet reports. Workday's worksheets also has the ability to pull in live data for real-time updates.
"If you've used Excel, you'll be very comfortable with Worksheets," DeRoos said. "The benefit of Workday Worksheets is that the information stays within the Workday platform, which provides a more secure repository for that information."
