Unlock the Full Potential of Workday in Higher Ed with Optima by ERPA

Bringing Workday Within Reach for Higher Ed; How Dunwoody College of Technology Selected, Implemented, and Optimized Workday

What does it take for higher education institutions to modernize their technology ecosystem while maximizing the value of Workday? In this episode, Jeff Miller [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-miller-349213161/]hosts a conversation with Dave Kieffer [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-kieffer-tech/] from The Tambellini Group [https://www.thetambellinigroup.com/], Houman Immen [https://www.linkedin.com/in/houman-immen-3282934/] and Shawn Fournier [https://www.linkedin.com/in/fourniershawn/] from ERPA [http://www.erpa.com], and Mark Anderson [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-anderson-w/] from Dunwoody College of Technology [http://dunwoody.edu]. Together, they explore how higher education institutions are approaching Workday modernization through continuous optimization, long term partnership models, and cloud transformation strategies. You’ll hear insights on ERPA’s Optima deployment as a service model, the role of AI delivery accelerators in reducing implementation risk, and how institutions can move beyond traditional ERP projects toward continuous adoption and improvement. The discussion also highlights Dunwoody College of Technology’s Workday journey, including lessons learned around change management, governance, technology debt reduction, and building trust across campus teams. Institutions are encouraged to think beyond implementation alone and consider how modernization strategies can support long term student success, operational efficiency, and institutional agility. In this episode, you’ll learn about: * What Optimization-as-a-Service means for higher education Workday implementations * How ERPA’s Optima model supports continuous adoption after go live * Why institutions are shifting from ERP projects to long term operational partnerships Things To Listen For: (00:00) Intro (01:49) Tambellini Group higher education research overview (02:58) Why higher ed needs optimization services (05:03) ERP as a product mindset(08:38) Meet the ERPA leadership team (09:37) ERPA’s higher education Workday expertise (13:43) Optima deployment as a service model (17:27) Comparing Optima Core Plus Advantage packages (19:40) AWS modernization and ERPA Edge overview (24:31) Cloud foundation assessment and modernization roadmap (26:20) Dunwoody College Workday transformation story (26:45) Mark Anderson’s higher education technology journey (28:27) Leading institutional modernization through trusted relationships (29:52) Reducing technology debt with Workday modernization (32:23) How Dunwoody selected Workday ERP (34:18) Why Dunwoody partnered with ERPA (36:05) AWS initiatives beyond the Workday implementation (39:59) Balancing change management and implementation speed (43:12) Building trust between IT and campus (47:29) Why trust matters more than cost (50:42) SaaS benefits and business continuity planning (53:44) Fixed cost deployments and technology audits Resources: * Connect with the Team: * Dave Kieffer [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-kieffer-tech/] * Houman Immen [https://www.linkedin.com/in/houman-immen-3282934/] * Shawn Fournier [https://www.linkedin.com/in/fourniershawn/] * Mark Anderson [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-anderson-w/] * Connect with Host: Jeff Miller [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-miller-349213161/] * Connect with ERPA: www.ERPA.com [http://www.erpa.com]  * Check out ERPA’s Webinars: https://www.erpa.com/webinars/ [https://www.erpa.com/webinars/]

Workday Student 2026R1: The Must-Enable Features for Universities

What should higher education teams be paying attention to in Workday Student 2026R1? In this episode, Jeff Miller [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-miller-349213161/] hosts a walkthrough with James Delacruz, Tina Sutherland [https://www.linkedin.com/in/tina-marie-sutherland/], Terri Green [https://www.linkedin.com/in/terri-green-7724757/], Austin Schader [https://www.linkedin.com/in/austin-schader-768257165/], Solange Anduze James [https://www.linkedin.com/in/solangeanduzejames/], Sharon Gan [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharon-gan-3043066/], and Jonathan Cedeno [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-cedeno-2212032a2/] from ERPA [https://www.erpa.com/].  Together, they highlight the key features of Workday 2026R1, specifically tailored to Workday Student, covering important areas such as academic advising, curriculum management, student records, and student financials. You’ll hear insightful discussions on new tools like the saved schedule builder, enhanced course section filtering, and important updates in financial aid packaging. Institutions are encouraged to review configurations carefully to ensure the features align with their specific needs before enabling them. In this episode, you’ll learn about: * What the external student site redesign changes for admissions and financial aid * How the new schedule builder helps students map classes before registration opens * What advising teams should know about academic requirements and progress updates Things To Listen For: (00:00) Intro (01:24) Admissions site redesign for better UX (05:38) Top features for academic advising  (11:18) Curriculum course filters (16:06) Student housing security enhancements (19:42) Top features for student records (31:42) Financial aid features overview and updates (39:30) Most impactful features for student financials Resources: * Connect with the Team: * James Delacruz * Tina Sutherland [https://www.linkedin.com/in/tina-marie-sutherland/] * Terri Green [https://www.linkedin.com/in/terri-green-7724757/] * Austin Schader [https://www.linkedin.com/in/austin-schader-768257165/] * Solange Anduze James [https://www.linkedin.com/in/solangeanduzejames/] * Sharon Gan [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharon-gan-3043066/] * Jonathan Cedeno [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-cedeno-2212032a2/] * Connect with Host: Jeff Miller  [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-miller-349213161/] * Connect with ERPA: www.ERPA.com [http://www.erpa.com]  * Check out ERPA’s Webinars: https://www.erpa.com/webinars/ [https://www.erpa.com/webinars/]

Workday 2026R1: Updates You Should Know

The 2026R1 Workday update was recently released. Let's take a look at what's in store. In this episode, Jeff Miller [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-miller-349213161/] hosts a walkthrough with Jon Milkovich [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-milkovich/], Lauren Callaway [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-l-callaway/], Rishika Akiti [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rishika-akiti/], Padmini Aysola [https://www.linkedin.com/in/paysola/], Ashley Davidson [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyrdavidson/], Kate Nicholas [http://linkedin.com/in/kate-nicholas-bb15424/?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base%3BaIunSttRTgWdJEh323%2BPuQ%3D%3D], and Khatherine Gaines [https://www.linkedin.com/in/khatherine-gaines/] from ERPA [https://www.erpa.com/]. Together, they discuss the top features in Workday 2026R1 across financials, payroll, absence, time tracking, HCM, compensation, recruiting, learning, reporting, and integrations. You’ll hear practical explanations of what’s automatically available, what requires configuration, and where organizations should pay attention to security, testing, or change management before rollout. In this episode, you’ll learn about: * How new features in financials, payroll, and integrations can reduce manual work and improve accuracy * The latest HCM, recruiting, and learning updates designed to improve usability, compliance, and employee experience * Why security, configuration, and testing remain critical for getting the most value from the 2026R1 release Things To Listen For: (00:00) Intro (01:56) Financials and adaptive planning (12:49) Payroll updates (16:50) Absence and time tracking (24:44) Benefits and talent (32:37) HCM and compensation (46:45) Learning, recruiting, and reporting (01:00:56) Integration and payment updates Resources: * Connect with the Team: * Jon Milkovich [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-milkovich/] * Kate Nicholas [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-nicholas-bb15424/] * Ashley Davidson [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyrdavidson/] * Padmini Aysola [https://www.linkedin.com/in/paysola/] * Lauren Callaway [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-l-callaway/] * Khatherine Gaines [https://www.linkedin.com/in/khatherine-gaines/] * Rishika Akiti [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rishika-akiti/] * Connect with Host: Jeff Miller  [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-miller-349213161/] * Connect with ERPA: www.ERPA.com [http://www.erpa.com]  Check out ERPA’s Webinars: https://www.erpa.com/webinars/ [https://www.erpa.com/webinars/]

Master ACA Compliance in Workday with ERPA

Are you ready to take the stress out of ACA compliance?  In this episode, Colleen O’Brien-McFall [https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleenobrienmcfall/] is joined by ERPA [https://www.erpa.com/] experts Heather Williams [https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-williams-091bb01/] and Beth Granozio [https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethann-granozio-mba-07ba858/] to explore how Workday can make compliance with the Affordable Care Act easier and more efficient than ever before.  They discuss best practices for setting up Workday’s ACA reporting features, including how to handle 1094 and 1095-C forms. You’ll learn about the importance of calculated fields, the benefits of using Workday’s IRS connector, and how to manage both federal and state filing requirements to ensure accurate and timely submissions. In this episode, you’ll learn about: * How Workday’s ACA reporting tools streamline the process for 1094 and 1095-C forms * Best practices for managing federal and state ACA filing deadlines * How to effectively use Workday’s IRS connector to simplify ACA filing Things To Listen For: (00:00) Intro (01:47) Meet experts Heather and Beth (03:25) Exploring ACA resources and reports (05:53) ACA company configuration and rules (12:17) Effort levels for ACA reporting (15:30) Tips for ACA configuration and validation (20:14) Federal filing process and dates (30:43) State filing requirements and solutions Resources: * Connect with the Team: * Heather Williams [https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-williams-091bb01/] * Beth Granozio [https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethann-granozio-mba-07ba858/] * Connect with Host: Colleen O’Brien-McFall [https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleenobrienmcfall/] * Connect with ERPA: www.ERPA.com [http://www.erpa.com]  * Check out ERPA’s Webinars: https://www.erpa.com/webinar/ [https://www.erpa.com/webinar/]  * Learn about House Bill 3797 - Paperwork Burden Reduction Act: https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/3797 [https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/3797]

Unlock the Full Potential of Workday in Higher Ed with Optima by ERPA

As higher education institutions face increasing pressure to modernize their systems, adopting Workday has become a key solution. But implementing such a transformative system requires careful planning, expertise, and a clear path to success. In this episode, Jeff Miller [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-miller-349213161/] is joined by TJ Rains [https://www.linkedin.com/in/trains/] from Workday [https://www.workday.com/], alongside Houman Immen [https://www.linkedin.com/in/houman-immen-3282934/], Caroline Weir [https://www.linkedin.com/in/caroline-weir-b81147123/], and Shawn Fournier [https://www.linkedin.com/in/fourniershawn/] from ERPA [https://www.erpa.com/]. They discuss how Optima by ERPA provides a streamlined, fixed-cost deployment model for Workday, making it accessible to small and mid-sized institutions. You’ll hear about how Optima accelerates deployment, ensures operational efficiency, and integrates the latest technology for a future-proof solution. In this episode, you’ll learn about: * How Optima by ERPA offers a predictable, cost-effective deployment model for Workday * The benefits of ERPA’s managed services and support throughout the deployment lifecycle * Why Optima is ideal for institutions looking to modernize and scale their Workday solutions quickly Things To Listen For: (00:00) Intro (03:24) Bringing Workday within reach for higher education institutions (16:47) Optima by ERPA for streamlined Workday deployment (22:31) AI-driven delivery and data conversion (31:21) Optima core package for institutions under 500 employees (33:47) Optima flex package for larger institutions (34:49) Value-added services and essential post-go-live support (41:12) Strengthening Workday adoption through IT modernization (49:44) Q&A on the future of Workday deployments in higher ed Resources: * Connect with the Team: * TJ Rains [https://www.linkedin.com/in/trains/] * Houman Immen [https://www.linkedin.com/in/houman-immen-3282934/] * Caroline Weir [https://www.linkedin.com/in/caroline-weir-b81147123/] * Shawn Fournier [https://www.linkedin.com/in/fourniershawn/] * Connect with Host: Jeff Miller  [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-miller-349213161/] * Connect with ERPA: www.ERPA.com [http://www.erpa.com]  * Check out ERPA’s Webinars: https://www.erpa.com/webinar/ [https://www.erpa.com/webinar/]