Update, 12/20/24 – Integration of ERA with Workday HCM People Data has been delayed until mid-January, 2025. In the meantime, People Data in ERA (e.g., employment status, payroll unit, and current salary), will pull from a static snapshot of PeopleSoft data. A weekly bulk import will bring new and existing employees into the ERA system manually.
For expedited access to ERA for new employees, or to report bugs and other technical issues with the ERA system, please call 480-965-9065 or submit a request through the ERA ServiceNow Portal.
As a reminder, integration of the Unit Hierarchy from Workday HCM will come in a later phase and ERA will leverage a PeopleSoft snapshot of department information until that time. Continue to use the New ERA Unit Request form for any edits and additions to ASU Units in ERA.
Original Post, 11/21/2024 – Reason & Background Context
- Purpose of Change: The phased integration of ERA with Workday HCM is designed to align the research and sponsored projects system with ASU’s all-in-one finance, human resources, and payroll system launching December 23, 2024. This integration will streamline processes, improve data accuracy, and ensure consistency across university systems.
- Background: Workday HCM will replace PeopleSoft as the university’s system for managing human resources, payroll, and organizational structures starting December 23, 2024. ERA, as a critical research administration tool, requires updated integration with Workday to maintain accurate and accessible data for research administrators and support staff. Given the complexity of this transition, integration will occur in phases to minimize disruption to current processes.
Summary / High-Level Overview
Key Points:
- At or Shortly After Go-Live:
ERA will begin using people data (e.g., employment status, payroll department, salary) pulled from Workday HCM, replacing data currently sourced from PeopleSoft. - Unit Hierarchy Integration Postponed:
Updates to ERA’s unit hierarchy (i.e., the structure of ASU units, including hierarchy of departments, colleges, etc.) will be implemented in a future phase. Until then, ERA will continue to rely on static data from PeopleSoft for unit structures. - Impacts on Research Administrators (RAs and Research Operations):
- At or soon after HCM Go-live, current people data from Workday HCM will be accessible in ERA for proposal budgeting and other tasks.
- Units will continue to use the New ERA Unit Request form, available on the Forms & Templates page, to have a new unit added to ERA and/or to update the name or hierarchy/structure of an existing unit in ERA.
- At HCM Go-live, ERA Users are not expected to experience any changes within the system. If any of the updates to ERA’s unit hierarchy are anticipated to impact ERA users, those changes will be communicated at that time.
This phased approach ensures the research community can maintain access to critical tools while the systems are being transitioned.
Applicability
- Who It Affects: This update applies to all research administrators, unit-level staff involved in sponsored project management, and other stakeholders using ERA for research operations.
Situational Relevance:
- People Data Integration: Affects tasks requiring employment status, payroll department, or salary information for faculty, staff, and graduate students.
- Unit Hierarchy Transition: Affects processes tied to organizational routing, department approvals, and investigator/department allocations.
Requirements:
- At Go-Live (or soon after):
- People Data: RAs will be able to view and use updated people data in ERA. No changes are anticipated to the way people data presents currently in ERA.
- Add Non-Employee to ERA: RAs will continue to submit requests through ServiceNow ERA Account Support to have pre-hire ASU investigators and other affiliates added to ERA, as needed.
- Organizational Updates: RAs will continue to use the New ERA Unit Request form, available on the Forms & Templates page, to have new units added to ERA and/or to update the name or hierarchy/structure of an existing unit in ERA.
No immediate action is required from RAs specifically for the ERA-HCM integration.
Important Dates
- Workday HCM Go-Live Date: December 23, 2024
- People Data Integration: At or shortly after Go-live
- Unit Hierarchy Integration: To be implemented in a later phase (date TBD)
Resources
Guidance Materials:
- Guidance related to ERA Unit Hierarchy changes will be provided before and after the Unit Hierarchy Integration to support the research community during the transition.
Feedback & Questions
We encourage you to share your feedback and questions, including questions about research administration activities within Workday HCM, via the RA Questions Related to Workday HCM log.
Approvals & Additional Notes
This update aligns with university-wide Workday HCM implementation plans and has been reviewed in coordination with Knowledge Enterprise and the ASU Workday HCM Implementation team.
By Research Operations