The Challenge
Disjointed legacy systems and antiquated processes hindered the city’s ability to do business
Salt Lake City’s government operations were struggling to keep up with a rapidly growing
population. The city’s financial and human resources systems and processes were
antiquated SaaS and on-premise solutions that operated within a complex web of more
than 30 systems, lacking visibility and transparency for city leadership and taxpayers.
When Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall took office, one of her first priorities was to
address the many pain points in the city’s business and technical operations. She
assembled a cross-department committee, led by Chief Innovation Officer Nole
Walkingshaw, to select and implement a new ERP system, as well as to support
employees through what she knew would be a major change.
Key Highlights
FULL WORKDAY PLATFORM
After selecting Workday, Salt Lake City deployed a phased approach of the full platform, including Workday Human Capital Management, Payroll, Absence and Time Tracking, Financials, Recruiting, Talent, and Learning. The Salt Lake City selection team liked how Workday offers the power of one platform, has a consistent data structure, and has a user interface that is accessible for end users. After operating on multiple systems for 20+ years, the city was ready to simplify and streamline processes. In addition, Workday cuts down on arduous administrative tasks. What used to take weeks now takes less than a day, saving employees time and frustration while making them more productive.
In addition to liking the Workday product itself, Salt Lake City selected Avaap as their deployment partner because of a strong cultural fit between the two organizations, as well as Avaap’s deep expertise with change management. Before beginning their Workday deployment, Salt Lake City carefully planned and implemented change management best practices. This set the city up for success by enabling all employees to understand and learn the new way of working, including why the city was moving to Workday, how the platform works, how their jobs would be impacted, and the benefits of Workday.
“The transformation allows us to advance our ability to serve the community and move Salt Lake City forward into a modern era of human resources and finance. The partnership with Workday and Avaap allows us to align as one team to improve and create opportunities for automation that change the way we do business as a city.” – Nole Walkingshaw, Chief Innovation Officer, Salt Lake City
AN EFFICIENT, NIMBLE, AND COHESIVE CITY GOVERNMENT
With Workday, Salt Lake City adopted the industry standard for financial and HR business practices, including incorporating a modernized chart of accounts. Through standardization, Salt Lake City was able to increase transparency and access for employees for better self-service and improved processes. Workday also provides comprehensive security protection as well as mobile capabilities, which is a major benefit for city employees who can now use their cell phones for time tracking, approvals and more. Overall, Salt Lake City has seen an increase in public transparency, reduction in inefficiencies and waste, and greater use of data to drive decision-making.
“{Workday} will make city processes function better while providing employees with unprecedented access to professional growth opportunities. We are excited at reaching the go-live and leveraging a modern technology foundation that will transform the way we serve citizens, employees, and our community.” – Erin Mendenhall, Mayor, Salt Lake City
Related Case Studies
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