In this episode of Workday Gold, Keith Bitikofer interviews Kristina Kelpe, a consultant specializing in Workday Student. They discuss Christina's journey into the Workday ecosystem, the unique aspects of Workday Student compared to other systems, the challenges of implementation, and the importance of user experience and best practices in higher education technology. In this conversation, Kristina Kelpe and Keith Bitikofer discuss the complexities of implementing Workday in higher education institutions. They explore the importance of understanding system integrations, the flexibility of Workday, and the necessity of long-term planning. The conversation emphasizes the significance of data models in integrations, collaborative reporting, and the challenges of pre-delivered reports. They also highlight the concept of phantom statuses in reporting and the need for thorough validation of data to ensure accurate outcomes.

Takeaways

- Kristina Kelpe has a diverse background in higher education and technology implementation.

- Workday Student is a distinct product line, not just a version of Workday for higher education.

- The implementation of Workday Student typically spans 18 months to 2 years.

- User experience design is critical for successful student implementations.

- Workday's cloud-based system offers significant advantages over legacy systems.

- A techno-functional approach is necessary for effective Workday support.

- Financial aid is a complex module within Workday Student.

- Workday Student impacts multiple offices within an institution, not just the registrar.

- Dashboards can enhance user experience and streamline processes in Workday.

- Best practices are essential for navigating the complexities of Workday Student implementation. Understanding the technology stack is crucial for schools.

- Start with a minimum viable product to ease transitions.

- Workday's flexibility allows for easy changes over time.

- Long-term planning is essential for successful implementation.

- Collaboration between functional and technical teams is key.

- Data models must be embraced for effective integrations.

- Validation of data is necessary to avoid errors.

- Pre-delivered reports may not meet specific institutional needs.

- Phantom statuses can lead to misinterpretation of data.

- Continuous learning and adaptation are vital in higher education.

Keywords

Workday, Workday Student, higher education, implementation, technology, consulting, project management, user experience, dashboards, best practices, Workday, higher education, system integrations, data model, student information system, reporting, configurability, long-term planning, data governance, implementation

For information on all of Keith's books and his coaching services, visit KeithBitikofer.com and https://books2read.com/keith-bitikofer

Connect with Keith on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-bitikofer/

To connect with Kristina Kelpe, you can find her here: https://www.legatostrategic.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinakelpe/