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DAS: Stage-gate approvals, parallel testing and independent QA to guide Workday reimplementation ahead of 2027 go-live
Summary
DAS told the Ways and Means subcommittee it has passed the project initiation gate, is seeking Stage Gate 2 approval in mid-February, and will proceed to implementation planning, vendor onboarding, parallel testing and production dress rehearsals; an independent quality-assurance contractor will provide quarterly reports to the legislature.
The Department of Administrative Services told the Ways and Means joint general government subcommittee that it is moving through a structured stage-gate process as it prepares to reconfigure Workday and implement pay-frequency changes targeted for July 1, 2027.
"We have to get the second stage gate approval in the next — well, actually, specifically by February 20," Director Betsy Eimholt told committee members, describing the resource and solutions analysis phase the agency is in now. She said that passing Stage Gate 2 would allow DAS to move into implementation planning and bring the vendor on board for detailed configuration and testing.
Eimholt said readiness planning and change-management work are critical: the agency will conduct agency-specific training, change-management needs assessments, systems integration checks, and a mix of tests including parallel testing (employees seeing simulated paychecks compared with their routine pay) and a production dress rehearsal with the vendor prior to go-live. She said the project already has a preliminary list of 23 KPIs that will be refined in implementation planning.
To avoid a repeat of problems after the 2022 rollout, DAS said it will have production support and a rapid payroll response contact center at go-live and has contracted for independent quality assurance; those external QA reports will be available to the legislature quarterly. "Those are independent reports ... They report on the risks of the project and our status," Eimholt said.
Eimholt also said she may return to the legislature with a resource or limitation request if DAS identifies additional resourcing gaps, and she asked lawmakers to consider funding needs early in the process to prevent later delays. Committee members asked about agency cash-flow impacts from a change in pay frequency; DAS said CFOs are engaged and staff will follow up with more-detailed fiscal analysis.
DAS said it is prepared to provide updates and independent QA reports during the project; no committee vote or formal action was taken at the informational briefing.
