As part of Workday's biannual upgrade schedule, the next bundle of software updates will be available to the Iowa State community Saturday morning, March 13. Workday provides minor fixes and security updates on a weekly basis, but the twice-yearly releases are larger in scope and improve functionality and the overall user experience.
Included in the first 2021 upgrade (2021R1) are features to improve:
- The electronic timesheet for nonexempt employees who track time in Workday -- and their managers. The function is unchanged, but some elements will look a little different in where they're located and how they are formatted. Questions can be sent to timeandabsence@iastate.edu.
- Clarity on status of purchase orders, helping users see when orders are fully or partially invoiced or paid.
- Options for viewing data in tables. For example, one option adds page numbers to tables for a faster-than-scrolling navigation through large tables.
- Clarity on where you're at in a business process, such as an expense report, with the addition of a "mini conclusion" display when a step is completed. The mini conclusion includes the next step to do.
- The overall user interface with streamlined headers that increase page space and allow more data to show. A "related actions" icon replaced the "action" button.
Service interruption on Saturday
In preparation for Workday's first 2021 release, ISU function and technical support teams have been previewing and testing features to ensure the upgrade functions as expected. Workday access will be interrupted Saturday for approximately eight hours -- 1-9 a.m. -- while the upgrade is implemented. Managers and timekeepers should alert employees checking in or out of work March 13 and make appropriate time updates when the system is available again. This won't affect workers using time clock devices.
