There has been a significant upsurge in replacing legacy ERP systems with an all-encompassing Workday platform across multiple city and county governments in the United States (Workday Press Release, 2024). With Artificial Intelligence at its core, workforce management has progressed into a new era of Workday workforce planning – one that goes beyond transactional HR toward continuous, data-driven planning.

Through advanced public sector Workday planning solutions like Workday Adaptive Planning, Workday HCM (Human Capital Management), Workday Workforce Analytics, etc., local governments are now able to reduce time to hire, improve employee retention, and at the same time keep pace with the evolving operational landscape.

It is important to understand that this transition to Workday for local government is not solely driven by technological innovation. It is the result of legacy ERP workforce-planning challenges that limit visibility, delay the decision-making process, and compel organizations to opt for reactive workforce strategies.

Legacy ERP System Failures in Public Sector Workforce Planning

Across the US public sector, including federal agencies and local government entities, legacy HR systems have shown clear limitations in supporting workforce visibility and planning.

1. Legacy Systems Slowing Workforce Operations at Tulsa County

At Tulsa County Workday case, legacy HR and finance systems were heavily paper-based and siloed, creating significant inefficiencies in workforce operations. The county relied on manual processes such as printing job applications from PDFs and managing large volumes of paperwork, which slowed hiring, reporting, and overall service delivery to the public.

To address these challenges, Tulsa County implemented Workday to unify HR and financial systems into a single cloud-based platform. As a result, the county reduced payroll processing time by 50%, eliminated over 100,000 paper-based processes, and enabled real-time reporting.

2. Legacy ERPs failing to keep up with Rapidly Growing Cities and Counties

Rapidly growing cities and counties are turning to cloud-based ERP systems to ensure their constituents receive timely and transparent services at all times. Placer County in California is a geographically large and varied county that spans from the Sacramento, Calif., metropolitan area up through the Sierra Nevada and all the way to the Nevada border. It has a population of nearly 400,000 people. The County has recently moved to Workday to leverage the powerful offerings of this modern cloud platform and prepare better for the future. The County is using Workday as its Human Resources Capital Management (HRIS) and personnel system. By replacing legacy systems with Workday, the County enhanced efficiency in managing payroll and its growing workforce needs.

3. Legacy HR Systems Limiting Workforce Planning at DOE

As depicted in Meritalk coverage on DOE modernization, the US Department of Energy (DOE) opted for ERP modernization effort through a consolidated Workday platform. The department relied on a PeopleSoft-based CHRIS (Corporate Human Resources Information System) in which the workforce data was fragmented and organizational structures were difficult to interpret. Leaders had to rely on nearly “75 separate org charts in PDF format”, with no easy way to understand roles, reporting structures, or workforce composition in real time.

To address these limitations, the department transitioned to Workday, implementing the Government Personnel Action Request (PAR) framework to automate key HR processes such as hiring, promotions, and job updates. Since going live, the department has reported 100% user adoption and processed nearly 20,000 personnel actions in under four months, significantly improving workforce data accuracy and enabling a more structured workforce planning with Workday.

Explore more about the key differences between legacy ERPs and Workday for local government here.

Workday Workforce Planning: A New Approach for Local Governments

The above cases clearly show that legacy ERP systems have made workforce planning reactive, disconnected, and slow. In contrast, Workforce planning with Workday enables a unified, real-time approach, bringing together HR, finance, and operational data to support faster, more informed decisions. For US local governments, this transition aims at adopting scalable, public sector workforce planning solutions that align workforce strategy with budget and service delivery needs.

Given below are some of the key Workday tools that can help agencies streamline their workforce planning strategies.

1. Workday HCM for Unified Workforce Data

Workday HCM directly addresses legacy ERP workforce challenges by providing a single system of record for workforce data, eliminating silos and improving visibility across departments.

• Consolidates HR, payroll, and organizational data into a centralized platform
• Provides a real-time view of workforce structure, including roles, hierarchies, and reporting lines
• Reduces reliance on manual reporting (through spreadsheets or PDF files) by automating data updates

2. Workday Adaptive Planning for Budget-Aligned Planning

This comprehensive go-to solution enables more effective Workday workforce planning for local governments, helping them align workforce decisions with financial planning.

• Forecast workforce costs based on real-time budgets and financial scenarios
• Model hiring and workforce expansion plans against funding constraints and policy changes
• Improve resource allocation across departments by identifying priority areas and optimizing spends

3. Workday Workforce Analytics for Real-Time Insights

Workday Workforce Analytics supports real-time workforce planning government models by enabling visibility into workforce data, supporting faster and more informed decisions.

• Track vacancies, attrition rates, and workforce trends to anticipate gaps and risks
• Improve cross-department visibility with unified dashboards and consistent metrics
• Enable data-driven decision-making through intuitive reports and predictive insights

4. Workday Skills Cloud for Future-Ready Workforce Planning

By enabling organizations understand workforce capabilities, Workday Skills Cloud helps build a resilient and future-ready workforce.

• Identify skill gaps across departments to proactively address capability shortages
• Support reskilling, upskilling, and internal mobility through skills-based talent strategies
• Align workforce capabilities with evolving demands, ensuring long-term organizational agility

Conclusion

Technological advancements and innovations in ways of working, along with changes in workforce demographics, have not only disrupted the private sector but have also pushed the public sector to rethink its workforce planning strategies. With legacy HRIS systems reaching their limit in supporting the US local governments, Workday workforce planning has brought a clear edge, enabling unified data, real-time insights, and proactive workforce strategies.

For organizations seeking scalable and future-ready public sector workforce planning solutions, Workday for local government offers a comprehensive platform that integrates HR, finance, and skills intelligence into a single ecosystem. The result is not just improved workforce visibility, but a more resilient, agile, and data-driven public sector ready to meet evolving community needs.

With a proven history of successfully implementing and supporting ERP solutions, Kastech brings you the right blend of expertise and experience to empower your Workday journey. If you are looking to replace your legacy HRIS system with a modern, cloud-based platform like Workday, connect with us now!

FAQs

1. Can Workday meet the complex needs of public sector and local government organizations?

Yes, Workday is designed to support the unique and complex needs of government entities. With capabilities tailored for compliance, multi-department structures, and transparency, it serves as a strong cloud ERP for public sector and local government organizations, helping agencies modernize operations and improve service delivery.

2. How does Workday help with compliance and reporting in government agencies?

Workday simplifies regulatory processes by centralizing data and automating reporting. It supports accurate audit trails and reduces manual effort, making it an effective solution for government compliance and reporting software for local agencies.

3. What are the benefits of implementing Workday for city and county governments in the US?

Workday helps local governments reduce manual processes, improve reporting accuracy, and gain real-time insights into workforce and financial data. It serves as a modern workforce and financial management platform for US city and county governments, supporting efficient and citizen-focused operations.

4. How does Workday Workforce Planning improve workforce strategy in US public sector organizations?

Workday Workforce Planning enables agencies to move from reactive hiring to a proactive strategy by combining workforce and financial data. It is widely used as a strategic workforce planning tool for US public sector organizations, helping leaders forecast workforce needs, identify gaps, and align staffing with long-term citizen/constituent service goals.