Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Workday Implementation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Utah County commissioners approve Workday schedule change after heated debate over 'no-cost' order
Summary
Commissioners approved a change to the county’s Workday rollout after a sharp exchange over whether the vendor’s requested “no-cost” change order shifts costs and risk to the county. Human-resources staff said the contract and statement of work cover county needs; opponents warned of added man-hours and operational risk.
After extended debate, the Utah County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve a schedule-related change to the county’s Workday implementation, despite objections from one commissioner who called the vendor’s proposed “no-cost” change order deceptive.
Commissioner 5 argued the change “is a lie” because staggered deployments and extra training create hidden costs in county staff hours and increase the risk of payroll disruptions. “No cost is a lie,” the commissioner said, adding that the vendor had guaranteed capability during the procurement process and that moving the deadline would let the vendor “move the goal line.”
Cammy Taylor, human resources, responded that the county has a signed contract and a completed statement of work describing expected deliverables. Taylor said the county can phase the rollout so employees can log in and become familiar with Workday before time-tracking project codes are exposed, and that a planned update due September 9 would provide a cleaner user experience. “We signed a contract and we completed a statement of work for what our expectations are,” Taylor said.
Other commissioners and the county auditor warned of both the complexity of enterprise software rollouts and the need to hold vendors accountable. One commissioner recommended preserving the county’s contractual remedies; Taylor said the attorney’s office would send a letter preserving breach rights if needed.
Despite the objections, the motion to approve agenda item 2 passed. The vote was recorded with Commissioner Lee and Commissioner Ivy voting in favor and Commissioner Grama opposed. After the vote, commissioners asked staff to press the vendor and Mercer to keep to target dates and to document agreed changes in writing.
Looking ahead, Taylor and implementation staff said they will continue phased testing: enabling basic Workday access and payroll previews for two pay periods prior to launching full time-tracking and project-code functionality. The county also discussed contingency plans—such as running payroll integrations while delaying some modules—to avoid a single disruptive switchover.
The commission’s action authorizes staff to proceed under the revised schedule with the contractual protections Taylor described; commissioners asked the attorney’s office to formalize the county’s preservation of breach claims.
