Every Workday release brings a wave of updates, enhancements, and behind-the-scenes changes, and if you’re not prepared, it can get overwhelming fast.

I’ve had a lot of these conversations with clients over the years, and my advice is always the same: start before you feel ready. Release prep isn’t just about clicking through new features once the notes are published. It’s about getting your system and your team in shape before the new stuff drops, so you’re ready to take advantage of what’s coming.....without scrambling.

If you’re not sure where to begin, here’s a breakdown of what to focus on, why it matters, and how to approach it in a way that actually works (even during a busy start to the year).

‍

Why Early Prep Makes A Difference

We don’t need the release notes in hand to start preparing. In fact, some of the most valuable prep happens before we know what’s changing.

Why?

• It clears the path so you’re not reacting to every change at once
• You can identify and resolve system issues before they become blockers
• Testing becomes smoother and more focused
• You free up space—mentally and in your system—for what’s new

Think of it like this: If the new couch is on the way, it’s not the time to pretend the old one isn’t wedged halfway into the stairwell. Prep first, panic less.

‍

What To Do Now (Before The Notes Drop)

Here’s what I recommend clients start doing (right now!) to set up for success, no matter what the release contains.

1. Check Out the Release Center

Start by bookmarking the Workday Release Center. It’s your go-to hub for official timelines, resources, and documentation. You can even subscribe to release notes to stay ahead of announcements because nothing says “prepared” like knowing what’s coming before your inbox explodes.

‍

2. Run Your Exception Audits

These reports take a peek under the hood of your Workday tenant and call out the “it’s fine for now” stuff that’s quietly plotting to become your future headache.

They cover:

• Business processes
• Security and domain configurations
• Custom reports
• Fields and calculated fields

I recommend running them a few times a year, not just at release time. You’ll get a clearer picture of where there might be small misalignments that could snowball when the update hits.

And honestly, there's no better time to build that habit than now. It's a new year, and setting a goal to check in regularly with your system can save you time, stress, and rework down the line.

‍

3. Clean Up Old Reports and Fields

Every tenant collects a bit of digital clutter over time, it’s just part of working in a system as flexible and customizable as Workday. But before a new release hits, it's worth doing a little cleanup to make sure your tenant isn’t holding onto things you no longer need.

Now’s a great time to:

• Retire unused calculated fields that aren’t serving a purpose anymore
• Archive outdated or duplicate reports
• Streamline dashboards so teams can focus on what really matters

You can use the Security Admin Hub and the Analytics & Reporting Hub to help identify what’s no longer in use or what might be redundant. A quick cleanup now can make your tenant easier to navigate, reduce confusion, and create space for what’s coming next.

‍

4. Review Deprecation Warnings

Workday often flags items on a “sunset” path. They may still be working just fine today, but they are slated to be retired down the road.

Use reports to check for:

• Business processes tied to deprecated elements
• Rules or fields marked as "do not use"
• Condition logic that might soon be unsupported

Getting in the habit of reviewing these regularly helps avoid surprises during a release cycle. Your future self thanks you.

‍

5. Make Sure You’re Ready for Cyclical Events

This is a busy season for just about every team I work with. You’re juggling performance reviews, compensation planning, fiscal year-end, payroll deadlines, and W-2 processing, all while trying to keep day-to-day operations running smoothly. It’s a lot to manage, and it all tends to hit at once.

That’s why now is a great time to step back and make sure your data is in good shape. Take a closer look at your supervisory orgs, job profiles, compensation plans, and other key structures. Cleaning these up now won’t just help with Workday release testing, it’ll make your real-world processes run more smoothly, too.

Here’s what that prep work supports:

• Year-start compliance and reporting: Having accurate data ensures your reports are correct, your org structure reflects reality, and your audits go more smoothly.
• Cleaner test data for your release validations: When your tenant is organized, testing becomes more reliable and efficient.
• Better confidence heading into review season: Knowing your data is accurate gives your managers and HR teams a stronger foundation to work from especially when decisions around pay and performance are on the table.

It’s all connected. The more aligned your data is, the easier it is to manage both your release prep and your cyclical business processes.

‍

6. Check Business Process Cycle Times

Workday delivers a report that tells you how long your key processes take from start to finish. If you haven’t reviewed it lately, take a look.

This helps you:

• Spot bottlenecks
• Identify areas where new features might help
• Establish a baseline before the release (so you can measure impact after)

Why is this important? Because if you don’t know how your processes are performing now, it’s tough to tell whether new features are helping or making things worse.

By reviewing your business process cycle times, you can catch delays early, spot areas that could benefit from automation, and set up a clear baseline before the release. That way, when changes come in, you're not guessing their impact. You’ll actually know.

‍

7. Look Back Before You Look Ahead

It’s easy to get caught up in what’s new, but don’t forget to revisit features from previous releases that you didn’t implement.

I recommend keeping a simple tracker:

• What was introduced?
• Did we uptake it?
• If not, do we want to revisit it now?

This “enhancement backlog” helps you continuously improve without letting good features slip through the cracks.

8. Update Your Testing Scripts (and Roll Them Forward)

Anytime you uptake a feature, add it to your test plan. It’s easy to forget to include those in future cycles, especially if you implemented something in the previous release.

Make testing a living document. Add new features, validate what’s already running, and keep evolving your scripts so you’re not starting from scratch each time.

You can also refer to Workday’s 4-Week Release Prep Timeline and Customer Preparation Timeline for a great cadence.

‍

Whats Coming? Look To Rising

While the official release notes aren’t out yet, we usually get a pretty strong preview of what’s ahead by paying attention to Workday Rising, which happened this past September.

Based on that, here’s what we could expect in the upcoming release:

• Initial steps toward integrating agent-style automation into core processes
• Foundational changes across products to support future AI features
• Continued development around connectivity and machine learning

And since the spring release often includes benefits and enrollment updates (timed before most fall open enrollment cycles), we may see changes there, too

‍

When To Start These Conversations

At Syssero, we usually start prepping clients about a month before the test environment is released, early enough to give you time, but not so early it feels abstract.

For example:

• January: Start planning for March release
• July: Start planning for September release

This gives you time to update test scripts, review clean-up reports, and check in on past enhancements without the pressure of tight release deadlines. It’s the difference between calmly testing new features and frantically clicking through your tenant with one eye on the clock.

‍

Final Thoughts

There’s no perfect way to prep for a Workday release.....but there is a better way. Getting a head start helps you stay organized, test with confidence, and take full advantage of what Workday is rolling out.

If you’re already feeling behind, don’t worry. Start small. Run an exception audit. Clean up a few reports. Pull out your last enhancement tracker and give it a once-over. Every small step adds up.

And if you need help? That’s exactly what we do. Our team guides clients through this process every year (from test planning to cleanup checklists) and we’re always happy to jump in.

Click the buttons below to check out more Syssero insights or contact our team.

Get Me Release Ready The Importance of Testing