Please note: an updated report / buyers guide with Workday partner M&A news has been written, 5/12/2020 and is available here.
With market demand for Workday as well as other cloud HCM suites as high as its ever been, the need for well-qualified partners with certified resources and diverse capabilities to lead HR transformation efforts and implement these products for customers follows. It should come as no surprise that there has been significant partner acquisition activity in the ecosystem.
New, innovative firms are being added to the certified partner line-up and existing partners are investing to add to their consultant and certification counts–making acquisitions to add to their bench strength and geographic footprint, as well.
A trip down memory lane. This table shows M&A activity with Workday implementation partners.
| Workday Consulting Partner | Workday Exclusive? | Workday Since | # of Acquistions | Workday-Related Acquisitions |
| Accenture Consulting | NO | 2007 | 2 | Sierra Cedar (2020), DayNine (2016) |
| Cognizant (Collaborative Solutions) | NO | 2007 | 2 | Cognizant acquired Collaborative Solutions (2020) (who acquired Theory of Mind in 2018.) |
| Alight Solutions | NO | 2008 | 5+ | Omnipoint (2012), Kloud (2015), Future Knowledge (2018), WiPro/Appirio (2018), NGA HR (2019). In 2017, part of Aon Hewitt was acquired by Blackstone and rebranded as Alight Solutions. |
| Onesource Virtual | YES | 2008 | 0 | |
| PricewaterhouseCoopers | NO | 2008 | 1 | Balkon (2014) |
| Deloitte Consulting | NO | 2009 | 5+ | Atadata (2018), Day1 Solutions (2017), Agressor LLC (2012), Bersin (2012), FCTP & Dindicia Talent (2015) |
| Hexaware | NO | 2011 | 0 | |
| IBM | NO | 2011 | 1 | Meteorix (2015) |
| Kainos Worksmart | YES | 2011 | 1 | IntuitiveTek (2020) |
| Cloudator | YES | 2012 | 0 | |
| KPMG Consulting | NO | 2012 | 2 | Axia (2014), Towers Watson HR Service Delivery and Workday Practice (2015) |
| Mercer | NO | 2012 | 4 | Jeitosa (2007), CPSG (2012), everBe (2018), Promerit (2017) |
| Capgemini | NO | 2013 | 0 | |
| CrossCountry Consulting | YES | 2014 | 0 | |
| DXC Technology | NO | 2014 | 1 | HPE Services and CSC merger, 2017 to create DXC Technology |
| HighPoint | YES | 2014 | 0 | |
| HRMS Consulting | YES | 2014 | 0 | |
| Huron Consulting Group | NO | 2014 | 0 | |
| ABeam Consulting | NO | 2015 | 0 | |
| BNB | YES | 2015 | 0 | |
| Intecrowd | YES | 2015 | 0 | |
| Oakton | YES | 2015 | 0 | |
| Tieto | NO | 2015 | 0 | |
| Alchemy | YES | 2016 | 0 | |
| HR Path | NO | 2016 | 1 | Atarxis (2018) |
| Avaap / Navigator Management Partners | NO | 2016 | 1 | Avaap acquires Navigator (2019) |
| Invisors | YES | 2017 | 0 | |
| TopBloc | YES | 2017 | 0 | |
| Guidehouse | YES | 2019 | 0 | |
| MHP Management- und IT-Beratung GmbH | YES | 2017 | 0 | |
| Impact Advisors | YES | 2019 | 0 |
What are the PROS and CONS of these partner consolidations?
Particularly for a customer who is considering an implementation in the future, fewer options means less competition, which isn’t always a benefit. Recognizing a Consulting partner’s name because they advertise at the airport or because your software salesperson brought them to your door doesn’t necessarily mean they are your best options. Conversely, a boutique vendor might not have the capabilities or capacity to handle your project depending on its scale. A thorough and independent partner evaluation with multiple options is important at the very least to make sure you’re confident in your choice and getting a competitive deal (and Raven Intel can help you here.)
| Pros | Potential Cons | What to think about / ? to Ask (Raven Intel is a great resource to answer these ?s.) |
| “Consultant Army”. More availability (resources), bench strength. | You meet the impressive A-team during your selection process, then get a totally different team during implementation (e.g. “Bait and Switch”). | Team: Who specifically will be assigned to my project? Will they change? How many Workday certified resources do they have? How often are they on-site with us? |
| Consistent Methodologies. | Loss of deep experience in a single area / agility of a boutique. Potentially less innovation. | Previous Projects: What projects like mine have you done before? What % were delivered on-time / on-budget? |
| Access to other areas of software expertise / integration services (e.g. they also implement Salesforce or Cornerstone). | “Small fish in a huge pond” / being one of 1,000s of clients. Less potential experience with mid-market. Boutique vendors specializing in a single area and software can many times offer deep, localized expertise. | What previous experience do you have with customers like me (size / scope)? Can I independently check references? |
| Global Delivery Model. | Less nimble environment / limited choices on methodology | Geography: Where are the resources located? Do they have a footprint in countries I’m in? |
| Known brand. Established relationships with other areas of the business. Many times they are ‘recommended’ by the software vendor. | You pay extra for brand. | Cost: What assurance do I have this is scoped properly? How often has this firm delivered other projects on-budget? Time: How much time will this project take? How often have they delivered other projects on-time? |
What to know about Workday®’s partner ecosystem.
If you’re new to the Workday consulting partner world, a few basics to keep in mind.
1. Workday’s ecosystem is smaller in # of consulting firms and a more closed system than other HCMs. (<50 firms)
There are no ‘independent contractors’ / one-man-bands, which helps with quality control, but can lead to scarcity of resources (and potentially more cost).
NOTE: You still have a choice in partner, and should do your own independent due-diligence to feel confident in your partner selection.
Read: 10 Questions You Should be Asking a Potential Consulting Partner
Watch: Two Systems Integrators on Tricks of the Trade (Bill Kutik, Jarret Pazahanick and Luke Marson.
2. Implementation resources must be certified and employed (full-time) by a certified partner firm.
“Customers and prospects of Workday may also find that their chosen provider of extended or deeper functionality isn’t on Workday’s list of official certified partners. Yet due to its standards-based integration approach, not being officially listed isn’t necessarily a show stopper. However, be aware that any support issues and ongoing testing between releases will largely be the responsibility of your ISV and yourself (with little involvement from Workday).
Workday also recommends that customers use Delivery Assurance, an implementation program which allows Workday to oversee and validate the progress of an implementation. For customers with less implementation experience and/or a less experienced implementation partner, Delivery Assurance can prove to be invaluable (although there will be some added cost attached).” (Gartner, 2018)
Workday has (2) implementation methodologies:
1. Large Enterprise: (5) Stages–Plan, Architect, Configure, Prototype & Test/Deploy
2. Launch (for Mid-sized companies in North America): Fixed Fee / faster deployment
There is no magic. The quality and success of a Workday implementation depends in large part on choosing the right consulting partner for the project–and you have a choice in that partner!
We have seen this reflected in the many reviews here at Raven Intel, which you will see throughout this site. There is no magic about the software or process–it still comes down to you choosing the right partner for your needs to ensure success. We’ve talked to some customers who just went with the partner that was recommended to them by their salesperson. We recommend looking at a broader range of options to ensure you’re making a wise, well-informed choice and getting the best deal.
“Raven Intel consolidated all the information we needed for our HR implementation partner selection into one place. Running an RFP through their site made my life easier. It streamlined the selection process, resulting in more competitive and qualified bids.” – Alan Ross, Managing Partner, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP