Workday Gold

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Testing is essential to every Workday implementation, but it is often fragmented across spreadsheets, screenshots, emails, and project trackers. In this episode, Keith talks with Noah Borts, co-founder and head of operations at Happy Path, about treating testing as a complete process rather than simply automating a series of clicks.

They discuss objective-based testing, verifying configuration across multiple tenants, using manual testing to uncover training gaps, and the need for strong validation loops for AI-generated work. Noah also shares what it means to build an AI-forward company, why customer expectations will continue to rise, and which skills will remain valuable as AI changes how work gets done.

For information on all of Keith's books and his coaching services, visit KeithBitikofer.com and https://books2read.com/keith-bitikofer

Connect with Keith and Noah on LinkedIn at: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-bitikofer/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/noahborts/

For more about HappyPath:

https://happypath.io/

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Dana Nairn’s Workday journey began in HR and payroll, continued through customer-side HRIS roles and consulting, and eventually led her to launch Authentik Consulting. In this episode, Dana joins Keith to discuss the differences between working for a Workday customer and a consulting firm, and how networks create both knowledge and career opportunities.

They also explore practical ways to enter the Workday ecosystem, why functional experience is so valuable, and how volunteering can help people build Workday skills over time. The conversation becomes a broader discussion about career ownership, burnout, values, and choosing work that fits the current season of your life.

For information on all of Keith's books and his coaching services, visit KeithBitikofer.com and https://books2read.com/keith-bitikofer

Connect with Keith and Dana on LinkedIn at: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-bitikofer/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dananairnworkdaywoman/

For more about :

https://authentikconsulting.com/

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In this episode of Workday Gold, Keith is joined by Andrew Cesario, founder of a2i, shortly after Andrew’s team won the Workday DevCon hackathon. Andrew shares his Workday journey, what stood out from DevCon 2026, and how his team used new tools such as the Developer Agent, Workday Data Cloud, Live Data Query, and AI-enabled interfaces to build an employee career coach inside Workday in less than 24 hours.

Keith and Andrew also discuss what AI may mean for the future of Workday delivery, reporting, integrations, documentation, testing, and consulting. The conversation goes beyond the technology itself and explores why requirements, business understanding, human review, and judgment will become even more important as AI helps teams move faster. If you are a Workday customer, consultant, developer, or leader trying to understand where the ecosystem is headed, this conversation is worth your time.

For information on all of Keith's books and his coaching services, visit KeithBitikofer.com and https://books2read.com/keith-bitikofer

Connect with Keith and Andrew on LinkedIn at: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-bitikofer/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-cesario/

For more about a2i:

https://a2i.com/

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In this solo episode of Workday Gold, Keith shares what he is still processing after attending Workday DevCon 2026 in Las Vegas. Rather than trying to cover every announcement, he focuses on the themes that matter most to Workday customers, consultants, and technology leaders, including Developer Agent, Orchestrate, Agent Passport, Workday Data Cloud, deployment agent, flex credits, and the future of user access to Workday.

Keith also reflects on the practical implications behind the announcements. The Developer Agent will make Workday developers faster. But that doesn’t mean that anyone can use it. You need developer knowledge to truly get value from it. How should customers think about flex credit consumption? Where should enterprise agents live? Will the modules required to access these new tools create a divide between customers who can invest in them and those who cannot? This episode is a practical, thoughtful look at where Workday may be headed and what Workday professionals should be paying attention to now.

For information on all of Keith's books and his coaching services, visit KeithBitikofer.com and https://books2read.com/keith-bitikofer

Connect with Keith on LinkedIn at: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-bitikofer/

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In this episode of Workday Gold, Keith sits down with Bao Le, Senior Director of the HR Practice at Innova, to discuss one of the most overlooked parts of a Workday project: the handover from sales to delivery. Bao shares why project success is not just about the technology, but about how well expectations, scope, context, and trust are carried from one team to the next.

Keith and Bao also discuss how AI can help improve transparency by reviewing transcripts, RFPs, scope documents, and meeting notes, while still requiring strong human judgment. They explore MVP expectations, the risk of “handover” becoming “hangover,” and how consultants can grow from technical builders into strategic advisors by understanding the business “why” behind each request.

For information on all of Keith's books and his coaching services, visit KeithBitikofer.com and https://books2read.com/keith-bitikofer

Connect with Keith and Bao Le on LinkedIn at: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-bitikofer/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/quang-bao-le/

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What happens after Workday go-live is often more important than the implementation itself.

In this part 2 episode with Kris Kelpe, Keith and Kris explore how organizations can improve Workday adoption through better operational design, report organization, dashboards, governance, and navigation strategies. They discuss the growing importance of techno-functional employees, practical ways to reduce support tickets, and how Workday Hubs and dashboards can work together to create smoother user experiences. If your organization struggles with navigation complexity, user adoption, or operational consistency, this episode is packed with practical ideas and real-world examples.

Actionable Insights:

• Use report tags consistently to organize reporting by department or process area.
• Create “report of reports” dashboards to help users quickly find the reports they need.
• Use business-friendly language instead of Workday terminology whenever possible.
• Prototype dashboards quickly instead of waiting for a perfect long-term design.
• Give carefully selected techno-functional users ownership of maintaining dashboards.
• Reduce support tickets by organizing recurring tasks and documentation in departmental-specific dashboards.
• Use Hubs for broad navigation and dashboards for operational execution.

TWO Presentation PDFs for "Content" Dashboard ideas and instructions:

- Kris Kelpe's Presentation

-  Keith's Presentation

For information on all of Keith's books and his coaching services, visit KeithBitikofer.com and https://books2read.com/keith-bitikofer

Connect with Keith and Kris Kelpe on LinkedIn at: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-bitikofer/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinakelpe/

For more information about Legato Strategic Consulting:
https://www.legatostrategic.com/

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What makes a Workday implementation truly successful? According to Kris Kelpe, sometimes the best go-live is the quiet one.

In this episode of Workday Gold, Keith sits down with Kris to discuss how organizations can improve Workday adoption through better user experience design, content dashboards, and operational navigation strategies. They explore practical ways to help users find reports, complete processes, reduce confusion, and create smoother day-to-day operations using delivered Workday functionality. If your organization struggles with adoption, training fatigue, or operational consistency, this conversation offers practical ideas you can apply immediately.

Actionable Insights:

• Create department-specific dashboards instead of relying on generic navigation.
• Organize reports and tasks in the sequence in which users actually perform their work.
• Use Workday bulletins and quick links to centralize policies, guides, and recurring tasks.
• Reduce “search fatigue” by simplifying security and report visibility.
• Think of dashboards as operational workspaces, not just reporting pages.
• Invest in user experience during implementation, not only after go-live.
• Even mature Workday customers can improve adoption by redesigning navigation and content organization.

TWO Presentation PDFs for "Content" Dashboard ideas and instructions:

- Kris Kelpe's Presentation

-  Keith's Presentation

For information on all of Keith's books and his coaching services, visit KeithBitikofer.com and https://books2read.com/keith-bitikofer

Connect with Keith and Kris Kelpe on LinkedIn at: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-bitikofer/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinakelpe/

For more information about Legato Strategic Consulting:
https://www.legatostrategic.com/

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In this episode of Workday Gold, Keith Bitikofer talks with Kermick Santos, Product Owner, HR Strategy and Transformation at Charles Schwab. Kermick shares his journey from software development on Wall Street into the Workday ecosystem, along with lessons learned from working across different company sizes, industries, and Workday roles.

Keith and Kermick discuss Workday Skills Cloud, Talent Marketplace, Career Hub, Workday Learning, Sana Learn, AI agents, learning migration challenges, and career advice for Workday professionals. This conversation is especially valuable for anyone thinking about talent strategy, learning adoption, skills, AI-enabled support, or how to grow from hands-on Workday work into broader strategy and solution leadership.

For information on all of Keith's books and his coaching services, visit KeithBitikofer.com and https://books2read.com/keith-bitikofer

Connect with Keith and Kermick on LinkedIn at: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-bitikofer/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kermick-santos-a0718a25/

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Alan Shearer, cofounder of SparkMind AI Agency, returns to Workday Gold for Part 2, a focused conversation on AI in the Workday ecosystem. Host Keith Bitikofer and Alan trade stories from the front lines of client work, where the automation that felt like science fiction 18 months ago is already live. If you have been watching the AI announcements pile up and wondering where to start, this one is for you.

Keith and Alan dig into the AI Lab model, breaking roles apart by task, the Incubane 147-task HRIS matrix, Flex Credits, and token-based pricing, and a practical prompt you can run on yourself to build a personal AI plan. Workday consultants, support professionals, HR and finance leaders, and anyone curious about what AI means for their day-to-day work will find something useful in this one.

For information on all of Keith's books and his coaching services, visit KeithBitikofer.com and https://books2read.com/keith-bitikofer

Connect with Keith and Alan on LinkedIn at: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-bitikofer/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanshr/

For more information about Sparkmind AI Agency:

sparkmindagency.ai or email Alan at [email protected]

Click here to access Alan's AI Displacement Risk Prompt

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What does it really take to build a career in the Workday ecosystem?

In this episode, Keith sits down with Alan Shearer to talk through a journey that began in consulting, was shaped by the 2008 financial crisis, and ultimately led to entrepreneurship and the launch of an AI-focused agency. Along the way, they unpack the decisions, risks, and mindset shifts that made the difference.

They also explore what’s changing right now, especially with AI. From the growing gap between platform capabilities and external innovation to the importance of speed over perfection, this conversation offers practical insights for anyone thinking about their next step in the Workday space.

For information on all of Keith's books and his coaching services, visit KeithBitikofer.com and https://books2read.com/keith-bitikofer

Connect with Keith and Alan on LinkedIn at: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-bitikofer/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanshr/

For more information about Sparkmind AI Agency:

sparkmindagency.ai or email Alan at [email protected]

Click here to access Alan's AI Displacement Risk Prompt