A Real Case Study: How Client-Side Support Protects Workday Implementations

🚨 Just as we entered E2E testing, our client was told go-live would need to be pushed 6 months (with an associated 7-figure price-tag).  The justification?  Supposed scope creep.

Here’s what really happened:

A client brought us in after they’d already parted ways with their first systems integrator (SI). A new SI stepped in and reviewed the original design artifacts to scope their work. 

As part of our client-side advisory role, we assisted in reviewing and negotiating the new SI’s SOW. Two key provisions were agreed upon:1️⃣ The new SI would pick up exactly where the previous SI left off.2️⃣ The new SI was responsible for reviewing all design decisions already made, and for asking clarifying questions where needed as part of their scoping.

Six months later, (after the new SI had scoped their work based on existing artifacts) the new SI claimed the client had introduced “new” requirements that would delay go-live by six months — with a seven-figure price tag.

We dug in.

The “new” requirements weren’t new at all. They were documented in the first SI’s artifacts — the very ones the second SI had been responsible for reviewing.

So, this wasn’t scope creep. It was a miss.

With that evidence in hand, we:✔️ Held the SI accountable to the original go-live date✔️ Avoided unnecessary costs✔️ Built and managed a remediation plan to address the gaps within 6 weeks.

The result? We protected the original timeline and budget.

👉 The takeaway: your SI focuses on delivery. But someone has to protect your side of the table — reviewing the details, catching misses, and keeping the project honest.

Whether you're in the middle of your implementation, or still in Phase 0 discussions - having the right team on your side is crucial.

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