Workday, the University’s new cloud-based HR and Finance system that will modernize and streamline University’s business processes, will launch this July. At the core of the Workday system is the Foundation Data Model (FDM): the new, standardized way Workday organizes transactions and reporting across Clemson University and its related organizations.
The FDM will replace the Chart of Accounts as the foundation of how financial, HR and operational data will be organized in Workday. This modern, flexible structure was built with collaboration and input from across the University, creating a new model that will provide clearer and consistent reporting, more intuitive transactions, fewer errors and improved decision-making.
How The Foundation Data Model Works: What is a Worktag?
The Foundational Data Model is built on worktags. Worktags are identifiers assigned to each transaction – like expenses or purchases – to identify and categorize it for budgeting, reporting and accounting. This creates a classification that allows information to be easily found, filtered, analyzed and summarized. Many worktags auto-populate in Workday, reducing errors and time in daily tasks.
Image Description
A mapping framework diagram with the headline “Mapping Framework of Current State Chart of Accounts to Workday FDM.” Orange arrows show mapping from seven gray boxes representing fields in PeopleSoft to purple boxes representing worktags in the Foundation Data Model in Workday. Business Unit maps to Company; Account maps to Ledger Account, Spend Category and Revenue Category; Fund maps to Fund; Department maps to Cost Center; Program maps to Function; Class maps to Grant and Fund; Project maps to Grant, Gift, Project, Designation and Program.
Employees will be able to find relevant worktags easily through Workday’s search-based functionality, reducing the need to memorize multiple fields and long strings of numbers.
There are many categories of Worktags that make up the FDM. The Workday Words of the Week Foundation article gives detailed information about the specific types of worktags.
These worktags build a user experience that is searchable, user friendly and intuitive, allowing users to rely on information and categories instead of memorization.
What’s Next
Transitioning from a legacy system to the Workday foundation data model requires a multi-step approach. Many across Clemson and related organizations are familiar with their chart of accounts and the account strings they historically have used to process transactions. The Workday@Clemson team has refined the new foundation data model based on user input and prototyping experiences and comprehensive testing.
Training and support resources will be available for University employees in the coming months to ensure users feel comfortable with the FDM. The goal is a smooth transition where the FDM helps employees do their work with clarity, confidence and efficiency after Workday go-live in July. More information about Workday is available on the Workday@Clemson website and the Workday@Clemson blog.
