Magellan Health maximises Workday value with Smart Test
The goals
The results
70%
80%
4
88,000
"Generating those savings right after the deployment of a new product delighted senior leadership. Overall, I’d recommend Kainos Smart Test to Workday clients seeking to liberate resources, modernise testing, enhance accuracy, and cultivate a culture of innovation and growth within their organisations."
A strategic investment for the future
As Magellan’s core HR solution approached retirement, the organisation embarked on a quest for a new, integrated, cloud-based system. After careful evaluation, it became evident that only Workday could fulfil all their needs. Therefore, Magellan swiftly initiated the implementation of Workday HCM, Benefits, and Advanced Compensation, aiming to complete the rollout before the company’s annual performance and benefits review period.
Following a successful deployment and two further Workday updates, Magellan began reaping the rewards of Workday across their HR operations. However, as they prepared for another major update and sought to expand their Workday capabilities, Magellan recognised the deficiencies in their testing strategy. They realised the necessity for a testing solution capable of reducing manual testing efforts, safeguarding employee data integrity, and streamlining testing processes.
Lawrence Berra, Senior Manager of HR Systems at Magellan, explained, “We conducted an internal update, with IT project management support, to streamline our processes. However, during the subsequent update, we recognised the limitations in staff and resource availability for thorough testing on our own."
He continued, “Following the go-live phase, we sought a solution to minimise manual testing, prioritise strategic tasks, and reduce the need for hands-on testers during update windows.”
A unique configuration brings unique testing needs
Due to their organisation’s set-up, Magellan’s Workday configuration was built on an agile self-service model. While this streamlined manual admin tasks and enhanced overall efficiency, it also granted multiple stakeholders the ability to modify the Workday tenant. As a result of this approach, visibility into changes across the business was limited, posing challenges for comprehensive testing and heightening the risk of security vulnerabilities or disruptions to business-critical processes.
Lawrence elaborates, “Given that Workday is managed by SMEs and stakeholders throughout the organisation, it was crucial to establish sufficient controls to facilitate self-service access.” He further states, “Through diligent research, it became clear that we required a testing solution capable of efficiently validating configuration changes. Recognising the importance of optimising our Workday investment, senior leadership identified the need for a streamlined testing solution, which ultimately led us to Smart Test.”
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Increased testing with reduced effort
By implanting Smart Test across their platform, Magellan has streamlined their testing processes, leading to significant improvements in efficiency and coverage. With Smart Test in place, their initial testing timelines have been slashed by 50%, resulting in a remarkable 70% reduction in testing costs. Moreover, the need for team members and SMEs dedicated to testing has been minimised by an impressive 80%, yielding substantial savings.
Gone are the days of extensive test planning sessions prior to updates or business changes. Instead, Magellan now benefits from enhanced data accuracy and security, allowing them to fully capitalise on new functionalities during bi-annual update windows to boost operational efficiency. With HR teams freed from testing duties, they can redirect their focus towards strategic initiatives aimed at enhancing end-user experience and driving user adoption.
Lawrence highlights the transformative impact of Smart Test, emphasising its automation capabilities and ease of maintenance. “The transition from manual testing to Smart Test automation has been game-changing. We have been able to halve the testing team while empowering members to concentrate on innovation-driven endeavours.”
Furthermore, Smart Test’s comprehensive coverage and evidence logs contribute to Magellan’s risk and compliance frameworks. Lawrence explains, “By meticulously scrutinising all user interactions, Smart Test ensures system integrity and external audits with ease.”
Buoyed by the benefits experienced across their organisation, Magellan intends to leverage Smart Test to further optimise efficiency, foster innovation, and drive continual improvement. “Overall, I’d recommend Kainos Smart Test to Workday clients seeking to liberate resources, modernise testing, enhance accuracy, and cultivate a culture of innovation and growth within their organisations,” says Lawrence.