What is Workday? Workday Modules and Why Organizations Are Moving to Workday

What is Workday? Workday Modules and Why Organizations Are Moving to Workday | ABC TechZone

By Srinivas Yerravelli 
📖 8 min read 
Updated: July 30, 2026

What is Workday?

Workday is a cloud-based Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Human Capital Management (HCM) application that is used by organizations to manage employee data, starting from the hiring process to the exit process.

Workday helps organizations manage their complete employee lifecycle, including recruitment, onboarding, payroll, compensation, benefits, performance management, reporting, and employee exits.


Workday Modules

Workday provides different modules to manage various business functions:

Core HCM (Human Capital Management)

Manages employee records, organizational structures, job information, and employee lifecycle processes.

Recruitment

Manages job postings, candidate applications, interview processes, and hiring activities.

Talent Management

Handles employee performance management, goals, career development, and succession planning.

Compensation

Manages salary planning, bonuses, increments, and compensation reviews.

Payroll

Helps manage salary processing, tax deductions, payroll calculations, and payslip generation.

Reporting and Analytics

Provides real-time reports, dashboards, and data analytics for business decisions.

Benefits Administration

Manages employee benefits such as insurance, allowances, and retirement plans.

LMS (Learning Management System)

Manages employee training, certifications, and learning programs.

Leave Management & Absence

Manages employee leave requests, approvals, and absence tracking.



Why Did Organizations Move to Workday?

Before Workday, organizations used many different tools for different business functions. HR used Excel or HR systems, payroll teams used ADP or SAP Payroll, and finance teams used Tally, Oracle Financials, or SAP ECC.

These tools were separate and not integrated with each other. Because of this, organizations had to maintain multiple systems, which was challenging and time-consuming.

Organizations started adopting Workday because it provides a single integrated platform to manage employee data and HR processes.


Tools Used Before Workday

Before Workday, organizations used different tools for different business functions:

  • HR (Core HCM): Excel, PeopleSoft, SAP HR
  • Recruitment: LinkedIn, Naukri.com, Taleo, Email, Excel
  • Payroll: ADP Payroll, SAP Payroll, QuickBooks Payroll
  • Finance: Tally, Oracle Financials, SAP ECC
  • Reporting: Excel Reports, Cognos, SAP BusinessObjects, Tableau
  • Learning Management: Moodle, Cornerstone LMS, SAP SuccessFactors Learning

Difference Between Before Workday and With Workday

Without WorkdayWith Workday
Employee data was stored in multiple systems.One integrated cloud-based system to manage employee data.
No integration between HR, Payroll, and Finance; all used separate tools.HR, Payroll, Finance, and other business functions are connected through a single platform.
Manual reporting was required, which resulted in more errors and inaccurate data.Faster reporting with real-time data analytics and accurate information.
Business processes were slow because different teams maintained separate systems.Business processes are faster because all modules work together in one integrated system.
Employee information had to be entered multiple times in different systems.HR enters employee details only once in Workday, and all related modules automatically use the same employee data.
Updates like salary or department changes had to be updated manually in different systems.Updates are automatically reflected across related modules through Workday's integrated platform.
Data was not available in real time, making decision-making difficult.Provides real-time data visibility and analytics, helping organizations make better decisions.

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