Interviewing the Experts: Workday Implementations
02 Sept, 2025
We're lucky to have a front-row seat in the Dayforce ecosystem. From first “should we do this?” conversations to post-go-live optimisation sessions, we’ve seen it all. And if there's one thing we’ve learned?
The success of your Dayforce implementation is decided long before anyone starts configuration.
The teams that stay on track and on budget? They're the ones who took the time to get prepared. The ones who didn’t often face delays, overspending and stakeholder fatigue.
If you’re planning a Dayforce implementation, here are five essential steps that can give your programme the best chance of long-term success.
1. Validate Your Organisational Structure Beforehand
Your organisational structure drives nearly everything in Dayforce, from access controls and workflows to payroll and reporting. If you don’t get this right, your configuration will be on shaky ground.
What to do:
- Map departments, roles, locations & reporting lines
- Capture both current and future-state structures. Implementation is a chance to fix what isn’t working
- Get HR, Finance and Operations aligned
- Sign it off before configuration begins
Why it matters:
Errors here result in costly rework later. This is one of the most overlooked areas of preparation, yet one of the most impactful.
2. Assemble Your Internal Dayforce Project Team Early
Your System Integrator (SI) will deliver the system, but your internal team will determine how well that system fits your business.
Bring in experts who understand your operations and have the time and authority to make decisions.
Your core team should include:
- Project Manager
- HRIS Analyst or Functional SME (ideally with Dayforce experience)
- Technical or Integration Lead
- Business Analyst
- Data Lead
- Training and Change Specialist
Get them involved early so you:
- Catch gaps before they impact timelines
- Design a system that supports your actual workflows
- Retain critical knowledge post go-live
The SI knows Dayforce. Your team knows your business. That’s how you build a system that fits both.
If you want to learn more about building a Dayforce team, check out article here.
3. Clearly Define Your Business Goals and Priorities
Before anyone opens a config workbook, align your leadership team around:
- Key processes and known pain points
- Rare but important scenarios that need to be automated
- Non-negotiable go-live requirements
- Nice-to-haves for later phases
Trying to do everything at once is a recipe for burnout and budget overruns. Define what success looks like for Phase 1 and protect that scope.
Why it matters:
- Clear priorities mean faster, smoother delivery
- Your SI stays focused on what matters most
- You avoid scope creep that causes delays and costs
4. Start Data Cleansing as Early as Possible
Data issues are one of the most common reasons Dayforce projects go off track. Legacy systems often carry years of inconsistent or incomplete data. You’ll only discover how bad it is when it’s too late.
Start now by:
- Auditing HR, Payroll and Time data for accuracy and completeness
- Removing duplicates and legacy records
- Standardising formatting across fields (titles, departments, date formats)
- Using Dayforce data templates from the outset
- Assigning clear data ownership for every dataset
- Aligning your data migration plan with the implementation timeline
Why it matters:
Dayforce runs on a single record of truth. If your data is wrong, your entire system will be wrong too.
5. Map Integrations and Prepare for Change
Even if you’re going all-in with Dayforce, most companies still retain some legacy systems like payroll, time tracking or finance. If that’s the case, integrations need to be planned early.
Get clear on:
- What systems Dayforce will integrate with
- Who owns each integration
- Where data flows, and how frequently
- How to test and validate those integrations before go-live
Then, focus on change management. Dayforce implementations are more than system builds. They are transformations.
Your change strategy should include:
- Clear, early communication about what’s changing and why
- Role-specific training so users only learn what they need
- Mapping and aligning processes so teams are ready from day one
- Post go-live support to drive adoption and minimise disruption
The best technical solution means nothing if your people aren’t ready to use it.
Bonus: Establish Governance Before You Start
Decision-making delays are a leading cause of project slowdowns. From day one, define:
- Who owns each area
- Who signs off what
- How issues and escalations are handled
Get this nailed early and your project moves faster, with fewer blockers.
Final Thoughts
Dayforce implementations are complex, but they don’t have to be chaotic. Lay the right foundations before you start, and you’ll go live with a system that is stable, scalable and aligned with how your business actually runs.
If you're preparing for a Dayforce rollout or need to strengthen your team mid-flight, Focus on DF can help. We connect organisations across the UK, Europe and North America with contract and permanent Dayforce talent.
Get in touch today to speak to one of our consultants.
A huge thank you to all the clients, consultants and team members who shared their input and experiences to shape this article. Your insight continues to guide what works and what doesn’t when it comes to Dayforce implementations.
