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15 Ways to Optimize Workday BPs-Part 3

Updated: 2 days ago

Introduction:

This blog is Part-3 of a 3-part series focused on improving Workday™ Business Processes. I hope you enjoyed Part-1 and Part-2, which covered the first 10 of 15 topics. Here are the final 5 topics:


Using the Maintain Worktag Usage and Maintain Related Worktag Usage reports, you can indicate whether specific worktag types or related worktag types are required on a transaction. You can configure allowed values in the related worktags for a worktag to control valid combinations of worktags.


Through custom validations, you can set rules that require specific worktags on a transaction. Example: A custom validation ensures that transactions include both a cost center and region worktag, and that they’re a valid combination.


Using the Maintain Custom Validations report, you can create or edit critical errors and warning messages for transactions based on rule conditions that you establish. These rule conditions can involve more than worktags. When your staff performs these transactions, Workday validates them against your conditions.

 

For example you could build a worktag ‘intercontinental flight’ with the values yes and no and use this on the spend authorization as a mandatory field.


Automatically assigning security roles ensures users get appropriate access based on their position or org.


Example: When an employee is promoted to manager, they automatically receive the Manager role.


Another example: As part of End Contingent Workers Contract BP , we want to auto-remove all the role assignments of the contractor before ending their contract.


Workday offers two services - Remove User Based Security Group (UBSG) and Terminate the User Account. 


When the End Contingent Worker BP is marked completed, the services fire and complete the removal of UBSG Assignments and access to the Workday account.  There is NO SERVICE for removing Role Based Assignments.


Calculated fields are everwhere they can be found in condition rules for Rule Based Businiess Process design. In Conditional rules in several Business Process steps like for example in approvals, they can also be displayed in notification messages.


Monitoring reports track BP progress and exceptions, enabling proactive management. Examples

 

Business Process Events Awaiting Action

  • Report Name: Business Process Events Awaiting Action

  • Purpose: Shows all in-progress tasks that are waiting for user action.

  • Use it for:

    • Identifying bottlenecks or stuck items

    • Nudging approvers to take action

    • Monitoring SLA compliance

 

 Business Process Definitions

  • Report Name: Business Process Definitions

  • Purpose: Lists all configured BPs and their steps.

  • Use it for:

    • Auditing step configuration

    • Reviewing who’s assigned to each task

    • Verifying condition rules

 

 Business Process Configuration Audit

  • Report Name: Business Process Configuration Audit

  • Purpose: Shows who made changes to a BP and when.

  • Use it for:

    • Change tracking

    • Governance and audit reporting


In Workday, the "Complete Step" is not necessarily the literal last step in a business process. It’s more like a milestone marker than a “hard stop.” You can absolutely have steps after the


Complete Step, depending on how the BP is designed.


Let’s break it down:

 What Actually Happens at the "Complete Step"?

  • Marks the BP as "Completed"

  • Triggers downstream integrations, events, and notifications

  • Updates the worker's data

  • Tells Workday: "The core action is done"


But that doesn’t mean the workflow is over.


Why Are There Steps After the Complete Step?


Here are common reasons you’d do this:


1. Administrative Follow-Ups

  • Notifications: Send a “Welcome!” message or notify IT

  • Documentation: Ask HR to upload scanned forms

  • Audit steps: Legal reviews, policy confirmation, etc.


 These aren’t needed to "complete" the transaction, but they’re still important.


2. Integration Triggers

You might send data to:

  • Payroll

  • Benefits providers

  • Badge systems

  • External reporting systems


These are often run post-completion, since the core HR action is done.


3. FYI or Informational Steps

Steps like:

  • "Send Welcome Kit"

  • "Review Offer Package"

  • "Complete Buddy Assignment"


Don't affect the main Hire/Job Change process but can still be part of the flow.


4. Parallel Process Handling

Sometimes the "Complete Step" finishes the primary process, but parallel or dependent subprocesses can still continue running afterward.


Example: Hire BP

Step

Type

Initiate Hire

Action

Manager Approval

Approval

Compensation Review

Approval

Complete Step

System/Manual

Notify IT to Set Up Laptop

Notification

Create AD Account (Integration)

Integration

HR Uploads Visa Docs

To Do

Here, the hire is complete, but there’s still cleanup and enablement happening.

 

Key Notes

  • Only one Complete Step per BP

  • It’s usually the last "blocking" step

  • Steps after it do not block the completion of the process

  • These post-Complete steps are usually non-critical or non-transactional

                                         

As an extra reminder when you’re (re-)designing your next BP in Workday or any other system for that matter keep the following guiding principles in the back of your mind…

 

 


This concludes our 3-part blog series “15 Ways to Optimize Workday BPs.” We hope you enjoyed. Here is a reminder of all 15, with links to the first two parts:


Author: Joel from Belgium



 
 
 

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