Soka University
Soka University of America Reduces Manual Processes with Workday
The Challenge
Inefficient processes and manual systems
As a growing university, Soka recognized that it had no single source of information and was unable to make fast decisions backed by data. The university also faced a skill and staffing challenge, losing dedicated resources responsible for maintaining its on-premises solution.
Soka’s existing on-premises solution required on-site maintenance and hardware, and a dedicated resource to keep the system running. Rows of server racks to support the system also took up valuable space in the campus computer center. The cost to maintain the system was unsustainable and finding resources to keep the software current was a challenge.
With growing desire to streamline processes and focus on Soka’s mission of educating students rather than maintaining aging systems, Soka embarked on a transformation project to streamline processes.
“It was time to move to the cloud so we could deliver a consistent and improved experience to our employees,” said Soka University Director of Information Technology John Min. “Moving to the cloud is a bold step for any institution, and we needed the right team to help us execute a strategic deployment.”
400+
students served annually
65+
employees
Key Highlights
WORKDAY HCM AND FINANCIALS DEPLOYED BY AVAAP
Soka selected Workday as its Enterprise Management Cloud (EMC) solution and engaged Avaap as its systems integrator for the deployment. Avaap was selected based on its experience with software for higher education and Workday deployments. Avaap’s deep understanding of challenges in higher education and strong cultural fit were key drivers for the partnership. The Avaap team also had experience in Soka’s legacy system and was able to seamlessly crosswalk data and functions into Soka’s Workday solution.
“Workday enables Soka to standardize processes, improve operational efficiencies, and enhance the employee experience,” said Min. “With a single system, processes are streamlined, and information is in one place, allowing staff to spend less time on administrative work and more time focusing on creating the best student experience possible.”
Soka resources are also spending less time maintaining physical hardware. Space in the campus server room has been re-allocated, delivering additional cost savings.
REDUCED PAPER AND INCREASED SELF-SERVICE CAPABILITIES
Soka has reduced its paper-based processes as a result of the Workday deployment. Instead of physical signatures that needed to be manually scanned into their legacy system, Workday enables a faster, digital process.
Soka employees now have access to self-service options, including managing personal information and expense reporting in Workday. Employees can also track time directly in Workday, reducing manual payroll processes.
“Avaap and Workday delivered a deployment experience that was fast and smooth for everyone involved,” said Min. “Now we have better visibility into processes and are able to create efficiencies we couldn’t do without a streamlined HCM, Finance, and Payroll solution.”
While Soka did not implement all functionality available at the initial go-live, they have been able to easily implement additional functional areas following their go-live. Soka recently deployed the Business Assets and Capital Projects module, where they not only converted capital assets but also decided to track business assets assigned to workers such as key cards, ID cards, laptops, and cell phones that can be reported on and returned during the termination process, increasing campus security and reducing asset loss.
Moving to Workday made sense for Soka. Avaap was a true partner in our project success and helped us solve challenges so that we can focus on serving our students.”
John Min, Director of Information Technology, Soka University of America
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