Implementation Services for Workday ERP 2023
Part of a Series on ERP Implementations

ERP Software Vendor

Business Transformation and Implementation Leadership Firms

For Very Large Organizations and High Complexity, KPMG Stands Out as a Partner Due to Deep Bench of Technical Resources and Expertise 

For more-complex engagements, KPMG leads with consistent delivery and excellent resources. Clients highlight consultants’ hard work, trustworthiness, and commitment. They also mention KPMG’s deep bench of technical, industry-experienced experts who provide best practices. Most respondents see KPMG as a strategic partner. Those who are least satisfied point to gaps in strategic and best-practice contributions, particularly around execution and integration, leading to post-implementation challenges. PwC (limited data) also delivers consistently for very large organizations, though on narrower engagements—respondents implemented one ERP pillar each (HR for three, supply chain for one). Clients describe PwC as a good partner that goes above and beyond the scope of work to ensure success. Consultants identify issues and help solve them. Clients share PwC could improve cross-functional communication and knowledge transfer to consultants performing the work. One client faced turnover challenges among PwC resources that they felt limited the transformational aspects of the project.

Interviewed clients report a mixed experience with Deloitte (limited data), who was engaged by some of the largest organizations in this research for highly complex Workday ERP implementations. Client-reported strengths include Deloitte’s implementation process, project and change management, and tactical ability. While the firm is seen as expensive overall, clients say they consistently avoid charging for every little thing. All three respondents say they would engage Deloitte again. On a less positive note, all three report some significant challenges: lack of consultant experience after being sold on their expertise, execution misses that required rework, and/or difficulty connecting industry best practices with change management and unique aspects of the organization. Deloitte clients want to see more leadership and guidance.

Implementation Leadership Firms

CrossVue and Collaborative Solutions Inconsistent; Impact Advisors (Limited Data) Exceeds Expectations

CrossVue, a cross-industry firm, frequently delivers a satisfactory experience. Satisfied clients say the firm exceeded their expectations around customization, request turnaround time, individual partnership, and service/support. Clients share CrossVue can be a strong partner, highlighting the firm’s ability to help solve problems, not just install software. A couple of clients report gaps in strategic guidance, specifically noting that they felt unprepared for next steps. Of the four dissatisfied respondents, all note frustration with inconsistent resource quality, and some report communication challenges with individual resources.

Collaborative Solutions, a Cognizant Company, is a global cross-industry firm providing implementation leadership and consulting. Interviewed clients report an inconsistent experience with the firm’s resources. More-satisfied clients highlight the strength of the firm’s project managers and their partnership. A couple of clients mention flexibility during contracting, and all say the firm avoids charging for every little thing. Less-satisfied clients more often had transformational engagements. Some respondents say consultants were less knowledgeable than they appeared and, in some cases, lacked sufficient subject-matter expertise. A couple of clients also report post-go-live issues that required additional work.

Impact Advisors (limited data) is a healthcare-specific consulting firm and one of Workday’s newest ERP implementation partners. The firm is seen as a partner by clients and often described as honest and trustworthy. Respondents share they have access to executive-level leadership for guidance or other help. Consultants are high quality, get along well with the organizational teams, and are knowledgeable. Impact Advisors is viewed as expensive but worth the money. Clients say resources also help connect clients with other experts as needed and go out of their way to highlight areas for clients to focus on outside the statement of work.

Top Recommendations from Firms for a Successful Workday ERP Implementation

• Determine your strategic vision and expected outcomes up front
• Clearly define project governance and decision-making structures
• Don’t neglect the change management process as part of the implementation

Each firm’s complete response can be found in the full report.

How KLAS Can Help:

KLAS’ new Landmark Insights initiative focuses on helping organizations successfully navigate large HIT implementations. At strategic points in the process, KLAS conducts in-depth interviews with all stakeholders to identify misalignment and detect and address problems early. Early insights from this initiative can be found here. To learn more about how to participate, visit the KLAS website or contact the Landmark Insights team at landmark@klasresearch.com.

About This Report

Each year, KLAS interviews thousands of healthcare professionals about the IT solutions and services their organizations use. For this report, interviews were conducted over the last 18 months using KLAS’ standard quantitative evaluation for healthcare services, which is composed of 9 numeric ratings questions and 3 yes/no questions, all weighted equally. Combined, the ratings for these questions make up the overall performance score, which is measured on a 100-point scale. The questions are organized into five customer experience pillars—loyalty, operations, relationship, services, and value.

This report focuses specifically on implementations of Workday’s ERP suite. Workday has dedicated partners for their implementations, with different levels of partnership achieved based on experience. A list of these partners and more information about them can be found here.