Change is coming for Workday customers as the platform moves to the public cloud.
But what does this mean for you, and how can you prepare for a smooth transition? Let’s break it down.
What is the public cloud?
Public cloud migrations refer to the process of moving an organisation’s IT infrastructure, applications, and data from on-premises or private environments to public cloud platforms like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud Platform (GCP).
The public cloud is a shared service provided by third-party vendors, offering a range of advantages:
- Scalability
- Cost-effectiveness
- Broad access to advanced technologies (e.g., AI, ML, analytics)
- Enhanced reliability with built-in redundancies
- Security capabilities tailored to global standards.
When will the migration happen?
If Workday hasn’t contacted you, they will soon be in touch to schedule your migration. The move to the public cloud is mandatory, so opting out is not an option.
However, if you want to migrate to the Public Cloud within the next 6 to 12 months and don’t want to wait until Workday reaches out, you can proactively request your migration by creating a Customer Care --> Business Event --> Data Center Migration case.
Tenant URL Changes
The key impact of this migration is the change in URLs for all tenants. For example:
From: https://wd3.myworkday.com/<tenantname>/login.htmld
To: https://wd103.myworkday.com/<tenantname>/login.htmld
The critical impacts will be integrations with the tenant and access for both users and the integrations. Here’s a checklist of things to consider:
Checklist to prepare for Workday’s move to the public cloud:
- All integrations will need to be reviewed, and impact assessed. Endpoints and file delivery will require updating and testing to verify that files can be transferred successfully. This would likely be for both inbound and outbound integrations.
- All vendors will need to be contacted to support this activity. It will take time to ensure all the changes can be tested thoroughly and ultimately, implemented.
- Workday Studio access will need to be updated.
- Recruiters, agencies or 3rd party access including implementers will need to be made aware of the new URLs.
- User access will also be impacted. If you are utilising Single Sign On (SSO), then it will need to be updated within the tenant and the IDP provider.
- If an authentication selector is in use, the URLs must be updated to ensure native access.
- Mobile access – settings within the App will likely need updating to the new URL.
- Candidates will lose access as the Career site will be migrated. A notification may be sent to keep candidates updated. Consider updating the header to highlight the upcoming change. Timing will need to be considered when notifying candidates.
- Any URLs referencing Workday or the Workday careers site such as on a company intranet site, within training documentation, training guides or any support documentation that has been created will need to be updated.
- Within the tenant, especially any help text or notifications that reference another part of Workday with a URL.
- Bookmarks or favourites will no longer work and will need updating.
- Firewalls and security allowing access to Workday will need to be checked.
When Should You Migrate?
There are several business events to consider that may impact the migration date selection. Consider:
- Benefits open enrollment period.
- Year-end processing.
- Merit cycle.
- Seasonal hiring cycle.
- Planned acquisition or divestiture.
- Planned add-on deployment.
- A company re-org.
- Blocked or change freeze days.
Additional Considerations:
- Are key stakeholders within your company aware of the migration and support the effort?
Aligning your migration timeline with your business cycle can help avoid disruptions.
How can Preos help with your move to the public cloud?
At Preos, we support you through every step of your Workday journey. We can support you with the preparation and testing to ensure your organisation makes a smooth migration to the public cloud. Contact us to learn more about how we can help.
