Imagine Workday as a giant solar system. If Workday’s core platform is the sun, Workday Partners are the hundreds of planets, comets, asteroids, and chunks of rock orbiting around it.
If you’re on the outside looking in, it might seem like an incredibly complicated and confusing system that would take light years to learn. But there is method to the madness.
Here’s what you need to know about Workday Partners - including the top Partner categories and what they all mean, plus a breakdown of the Workday Badges system. Consider this your Workday star map.
Follow along or skip ahead:
As a leading provider of enterprise solutions, Workday understands that its client needs are diverse, wide-ranging, and ever-changing. To meet those needs, Workday has established a comprehensive partner system, collaborating with businesses of all shapes and sizes to provide a wide range of solutions and services to its customers.
By buddying up with other businesses, Workday is able to:
To help users get the most out of Workday’s suite of products, Workday broadly divides companies into different Partner categories - such as Services Partners, Sales Partners, and Advisory Partners - providing a web of Workday-approved businesses that relate to different products and services.
By creating a formalized Workday Partner network, Workday gives businesses a stamp of approval, helping to cut through the chaos and provide official Workday recommendations for software, integrations, consultants, advisors, and more. This gives customers reassurance that those Partners have been vetted by Workday and they’re in safe hands.
Let’s look at those categories in more detail. Here are the 8 main types of Workday Partners and the key features for each type.
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Workday Partner Type |
Used for |
Key features |
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Services Partners |
Implementing and optimizing Workday solutions |
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Software Partners |
Providing additional features and functionality through Workday integrations and applications. |
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Innovation Partners |
Collaborating with Workday on new technologies, applications, or integrations. |
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Sales Partners |
Driving business growth by referring leads, reselling, or co-selling Workday products. |
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Ventures Partners |
Co-developing Workday solutions with funding from Workday to drive innovation. |
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Payroll Partners |
Providing payroll support for Workday customers in international markets. |
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Advisory Partners |
Offering strategic guidance to organizations on Workday implementation and long-term strategy. |
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Managed Service Provider Partner |
Helping companies optimize and manage their contingent workforce programs |
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Main role: Help customers implement, deploy and optimize Workday solutions.
One of the broadest categories of Workday Partners, Workday Services Partners are responsible for helping businesses utilize Workday in the most efficient and effective way for their needs.
The role of a Services Partner can range from technical specialists to staffing and recruitment support. What Workday Services Partners have in common is their work on implementing and optimizing Workday solutions for every business’ specific use case, including custom integrations, setup, tech support, and employee training.
It’s common to see Workday Services Partners referred to as different names and many of these terms are used interchangeably or used to provide customers with more detail about Services Partners’ specializations, including:
Helios Consulting is both a certified Workday Services Partner and Workday Staffing Partner, providing talent solutions for organizations implementing Workday, including Workday-certified early career professionals, temporary Workday experts, and tailored consulting services.
By equipping companies with individuals who are experienced in working with Workday systems, applications, and installations, Helios Consulting helps companies maximize their Workday investment, without asking their existing employees to learn the intricacies of the platform.
Other Workday Services Partners also include KPMG, Invisors, and Deloitte.
Main role: Provide additional Workday features and functionality through integrations and applications.
One of the broadest categories in the Workday Partner ecosystem, Workday Software Partners are dedicated to the technical side of Workday, helping to extend the platform’s functionality, capabilities, and address specific technical needs. This includes helping businesses integrate Workday-compatible third-party tools and apps. Software Partners might include businesses specializing in simplifying solutions for payroll, compliance, analytics, and much more.
It’s common to see Workday Software Partners referred to as different names and many of these terms are used interchangeably, including:
Corporate learning platform Skillsoft is a leading solution for enterprise-focused desk-based leadership training. Skillsoft is a Workday Software Partner and Workday Certified Integration, integrating with both Workday Skills Cloud and Workday Human Capital Management (HCM). As a Workday Software Partner, Skillsoft can provide organizations with integrated career development and talent optimization tools within Workday, especially focused on overcoming skill gaps.
ADP and eduMe are also examples of Workday Software Partners.
Main role: Collaborate with Workday on new technologies, applications, or integrations.
Within the umbrella of Workday’s software partners are Innovation Partners - these are Workday Partners who collaborate closely with Workday to develop innovative solutions to Workday customers’ needs.
The Workday Innovation Partner status is a stamp of approval from Workday, signifying a solution, technology, or software that expands Workday’s existing capabilities and meets Workday’s high standards for performance and quality. Workday Innovation Partners span a wide range of categories, ranging from healthcare to retail to manufacturing, but the unifying factor is their focus on pioneering solutions to common business needs.
It’s common to see Workday Innovation Partners referred to as different names and many of these terms are used interchangeably, including:
Leading monetization platform Zuora is a Workday Innovation Partner, integrating with Workday’s Financial Management platform to allow businesses to automate recurring billing processes for a variety of monetization models and pricing, including subscription bundles, hybrid offerings, and more. The integration also provides existing Workday users with close to real-time insights into customer and revenue data to open up the path to data-driven decision making.
Trintech and One Model are two more Workday Innovation Partners.
Main role: Drive business growth by referring leads, reselling, or co-selling Workday products.
Workday is a big investment for organizations and the sales process can be a long and drawn out one. Workday Sales partners offer a helping hand to Workday, playing a key role in generating demand, promoting sales, and advising potential buyers. They also help customers in evaluating Workday products or focus on driving leads to the business, often with a specific area of focus such as an industry, country, or product type. For example, Addedo is a Workday Sales partner serving clients in Sweden.
It’s common to see Workday Sales Partners referred to as different names and many of these terms are used interchangeably, including:
Combining both technical and industry expertise, CrossVue specializes in Workday advisory services, deployment, and post-production support. This consultancy draws on their in-depth understanding of the Workday platform to advise companies on Workday solutions and how to transform their existing operations. With over 10 years as an official Workday Partner and a hat trick of Workday Badges, CrossVue is a Workday Sales Partner, Workday Services Partner, and Workday Innovation Partner.
Accenture and Kainos are also official Workday Sales Partners.
Main role: Co-develop Workday solutions with funding from Workday to drive innovation.
Workday’s Workday Ventures arm focuses on strategic investments. By partnering with ambitious early stage technology companies through their Partner program, Workday helps shape and accelerate their growth, opening up new opportunities for innovation and technological advancements. Workday Ventures Partners include a wide range of enterprise technology stretching from career coaching to finance automation.
It’s common to see Workday Ventures Partners referred to as different names and many of these terms are used interchangeably, including:
Employee benefits platform Benepass is a Workday Ventures Partner, combining employees’ pre-tax benefits and personalized benefits into one user-friendly platform. Emphasizing flexibility and personalization, Benepass boosts employee engagement rates with benefits schemes, helping companies to attract and retain their best talent.
Beamery, Auditoria, and Blink are more examples of Workday Ventures Partners.
Main role: Provide payroll support and functionality for Workday customers in international markets.
Workday is a global company with customers spread across more than 45 countries worldwide. To provide specialized payroll support to its many multinational customers, Workday teams up with certified Workday Payroll Partners to offer regional payroll solutions in countries where they don’t have native payroll features, including payroll integrations, compliance, and managed payroll services. This allows companies to integrate payroll with their Workday system and ensure they stay compliant with local regulations.
It’s common to see Workday Payroll Partners referred to as different names and many of these terms are used interchangeably, including:
As a Workday Payroll Partner, Strada (formerly Alight) offers comprehensive payroll services across 60+ countries. With particular focus on organizations in the EMEA and APAC regions, Strada helps to simplify and streamline multi-country payrolls, allowing companies to integrate their HR and payroll operations with their Workday platform and ensure payroll is compliant, efficient, and on track.
Two more examples of Workday Payroll Partners are SD Worx (formerly Intelligo) and Activpayroll.
Main role: Offer strategic guidance to organizations on Workday selection, implementation and long-term strategy.
Workday is one of the few solutions on the market that allows companies to bring all their business processes into one place. But doing so can be a challenge without specialist expertise. Workday Advisory Partners provide expert advice to businesses looking to use and implement Workday, helping them to create and adopt a long-term, strategic plan that’s tailored to their industry, systems, and their unique needs.
While this might sound similar to Services Partners, Advisory Partners have a unique role in the Workday Partner ecosystem. Workday Advisory Partners often work alongside Workday Services Partners, rather than being an either/or. Think of Services Partners being more about the practical side of implementation, and Advisory Partners as being more pre-purchase strategic advisors that help you choose the right products and create a plan to help achieve your goals. In addition, Advisory Partners often advise companies in niche markets or regions - take Analyze Consulting, who specialize in helping companies in South Africa with Workday deployments.
It’s common to see Workday Advisory Partners referred to as different names and many of these terms are used interchangeably, including:
A Healthcare technology services company, Health Data Movers is a recognized Workday Advisory Partner within the Healthcare space, helping businesses implement Workday solutions in a way that works for them, while providing strategic guidance to help companies make the most of Workday’s products for the Healthcare industry.
Genpact and Klarigo are more examples of specialist Workday Advisory Partners.
Main role: Help companies optimize and manage their contingent workforce programs.
If a Workday customer has non-permanent workers (e.g., freelancers, consultants), they can benefit from Workday’s partnerships with Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and Vendor Management Systems (VMS). MSPs are external firms that oversee the management and logistics of a contingent workforce, and VMS is software that facilitates the lifecycle management of these workers. Access to these partnerships can help organizations efficiently source, onboard, manage, and track their contingent workforce, within Workday.
Bearing Workday’s Managed Service Provider Partner status helps Workday customers choose the best MSP to work with alongside the Workday platform, including Workday VNDLY, Workday’s own Vendor Management System product. This helps to ensure a high standard of skill, expertise, and Workday-specific resources for companies looking to outsource.
It’s common to see Workday Managed Service Provider Partners referred to as different names and many of these terms are used interchangeably, including:
As a Workday MSP Partner, NextSource provides a personalized approach to contingent workforce management for businesses, helping clients to fully utilize Workday’s VNDLY platform to streamline and unify their workforce management across the board.
Other examples of Workday Managed Service Providers are Allegis Global Solutions and Randstad.
As well as understanding the Workday Partners system, there’s also the matter of Workday Badges to get your head around.
To help you get to know this part of the Workday ecosystem, here’s a detailed breakdown of what each Workday Badge means and why they’re important.
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Workday Badge |
What it means |
Key Features |
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Workday Approved Integration |
Integration meets Workday’s minimum standards, including security, functionality and interoperability |
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Workday Certified Integration |
Awarded for high-quality functionality and enhanced compatibility with Workday |
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Workday Built Integration |
Integrations co-developed by Workday and a partner company |
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Workday Global Payroll Certified |
Global Payroll Partners whose integrations meet Workday requirements in specific regions or globally |
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Workday Content Cloud Approved |
Resources that integrate with Workday Learning |
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Workday Design Integration |
Flexible and configurable integrations or tools for customer-specific use cases |
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Built On Workday |
Applications or solutions developed using Workday extend or other Workday platform tools |
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The Workday Approved Integration Badge is a mark of approval from Workday. This badge shows that an integration meets the minimum requirements for security, functionality, and quality, as well as reliable interoperability with Workday’s core products.
Taking it up a notch, Workday Certified Integrations undergo a much more rigorous and in-depth testing and development process in order to be awarded this badge. The Workday Certified Integration Badge demonstrates that an integration provides seamless, efficient, and streamlined integrations with Workday’s products.
The Workday Certified Integration also signals to Workday customers that there’s likely to be less need for custom development or adjustments. Any integration with this badge is comprehensive, high-quality, and meets at least 90% of standard use-case requirements. It’s a green light from Workday.
Workday Certification is the best way to help our Partners build meaningful integration use cases… The certification process is really about predictability and trust.
- Sonny Yuen, Senior Director, Product Strategy, Workday
As the name suggests, this badge is given to integrations built or developed in close collaboration with Workday. The Workday Built Integration Badge shows that developers worked in with Workday product teams and the integration is deeply embedded within the Workday platform, suggesting high-quality standards, security, and long-term support from Workday.
Applying only to global payroll integrations, the Global Payroll Certified Badge is a mark that a tool has been developed with local regulatory compliance expertise and is tailored to the regulatory standards of a particular country or region. By endorsing these integrations, Workday simplifies payroll processing for global companies and helps to simplify operations and compliance.
The Workday Content Cloud Approved Badge is given to Content Cloud Partners who have completed a formal approval process to connect to the Workday Content Cloud, including ensuring that all content metadata can be indexed inside Workday - and the content can be seen and used by Workday customers.
sinesses. The Workday Design Integration Badge is used by Workday to highlight Ventures Partners who’ve created configurable solutions that can be adapted to customer needs and use-cases, based on the review of an approved use case and proposed reference architecture for their integration.
Unlike the Workday Certified Badge, this badge doesn’t mean the integration is fully tested and customer ready - but, it meets Workday’s minimum standards for interoperability and security.
The Built On Workday Badge recognizes tools and applications that use Workday’s platform tools in their design, for example Workday Extend, allowing them to integrate with Workday’s core system. This badge is a sign of quality and compatibility for partner-developed applications.
Now you’ve got the terminology down, let’s take a look at an example of the Workday Partner and Workday Badges system in action.
Leading frontline employee training platform eduMe (that’s us!) is a Workday Ventures Software Partner and has a Workday Certified Integration badge. This means eduMe meets at least 90% of the standard use-case requirements for Workday customers.
The collaboration between Workday and eduMe allows Workday customers to leverage eduMe’s bite-sized employee training solutions to provide best-in-class training to on-the-go workforces. Create social-media style tappable video content in minutes with AI-powered content tools and translations.
What makes eduMe’s partnership with Workday unique is the depth of the integration. Unlike other Partners in the Learning category, eduMe’s Workday solution was developed in tandem with Workday’s product team to fill the urgent need for an employee training solution that’s tailor-made for time-strapped frontline workers.
Workday isn’t going to build everything in the learning space. Microlearning, publishing and delivery is an area of strong interest that we’re not well suited to deliver. And that led us to eduMe – a perfect fit to power unique frontline worker learning experiences that complement the programmatic or long-form learning in Workday. Together, we believe that we can serve the deskless worker population in a way no else can.
- Sonny Yuen, Director of Product Strategy, Workday
With the eduMe Workday integration, frontline employee training becomes effortless. Create a seamless, streamlined experience for admins and learners alike by building micro-learning programs in eduMe and automatically rolling it out to employees within the Workday app across multiple touchpoints. Plus real-time data syncing between both platforms means your employee records are always up-to-date and reflected in both systems, as is your training completion data.
Take a look at a demo of the Workday eduMe integration here.
Whether you’re looking to become a Workday Partner or you want to choose the right solution for your business, this breakdown of Workday Partners and Badges is just the start.
To learn more about the world of Workday Partners, visit our resources on the Best Workday Partners and the Top Benefits of Workday Partners. Plus check out a demo of the Workday eduMe integration.