Workday Strategic Advisory & Quality Assurance Services (SAQAS)

Background
The University of Rhode Island (URI), a public land-grant and sea-grant research institution, is seeking proposals for Workday Strategic Advisory and Quality Assurance Services (SAQAS) to assist in the implementation of Workday Human Capital Management (HCM) and Financial Management systems.

This initiative is part of URI's broader effort to modernize its administrative systems to better align with its mission and strategic priorities outlined in FOCUS URI. The current ERP system, PeopleSoft, has been in use for over 23 years and no longer meets the operational needs of the university, leading to inefficiencies and compliance challenges. The modernization effort aims to create a more efficient, responsive, and aligned institution that can adapt to future needs.

Work Details
The selected vendor will provide independent strategic advisory and quality assurance services during two main phases: Phase 0 (Pre-Implementation Readiness Assessment, Fit-Gap Analysis, and Preparation) and the Implementation Phase (Quality Assurance and Advisory Role).

Specific tasks include:
1. Assessing the feasibility of adopting the Workday Launch methodology by evaluating URI's readiness, identifying gaps, and providing recommendations.
2. Developing plans to address readiness shortcomings.
3. Conducting a comprehensive fit-gap analysis of current business processes against Workday's capabilities.
4. Establishing a project governance framework that defines roles, responsibilities, decision-making authority, and reporting protocols.
5. Developing data governance strategies including data cleanup and transformation protocols.
6. Standardizing business processes to align with best practices.
7. Reviewing the integration landscape to simplify existing integrations.
8. Optimizing the Chart of Accounts structure for enhanced reporting.
9. Guiding the development of URI's supervisory organizational structure.
10. Assessing workforce readiness and supporting change management strategies.

Period of Performance
The initial contract period will begin approximately April 15, 2025, with potential renewals for up to five additional 12-month periods based on vendor performance and availability of funds.

Place of Performance
The services will be performed at the University of Rhode Island's main campus in Kingston, Rhode Island.