Workday: There's an app for that

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Do you travel for work? Are you comfortable using a mobile device? Would you like to get work done between meetings or while away from your desk? Workday has a free mobile application that makes it easy to work on the go.

"The benefit of using the mobile app is the ability to access Workday quickly, easily and anywhere. You don't need to be tethered to your desktop," said Kumari Henry, change manager in information technology services (ITS).

Henry said the look and feel is a little different, but users can seamlessly move between the mobile and computer interfaces because Workday is a cloud-based system. She said more than 3,000 Iowa State employees have downloaded the mobile app. Senior vice president and provost Jonathan Wickert was an early adopter, approving a transaction on Day One of go-live.

Henry said the mobile app can be used for many Workday activities. The most popular are:

  • Reviewing and approving transactions
  • Requesting time off
  • Submitting expenses

"We recognize that not everyone has a mobile device, but this offers users another tool," Henry said.

Roles assigned to users within Workday may limit their mobile capabilities, and some functions -- reports, for example -- are not available due to the limited screen size.

Henry said nonexempt employees who don't use a physical timeclock to track their working hours may be able to use the mobile app to check in and check out. 

"The option is available," she said. "Employees need to work with their supervisors to enable it."

Travel advantage

Users can photograph and submit receipts via the mobile app while on the road. However, this option applies only to travel and hospitality expenses, not to purchasing card (P-card) transactions.

Henry said the more the app is used for expense reporting, the smarter it gets. Workday "learns" to recognize the date, purchase amount and vendor name on receipts and populate the information fields in the system.

Download help

The Workday mobile app is available in the Google Play and Apple app stores. Job aids with step-by-step instructions for installing the app on Android and Apple devices are available on the WorkCyte website (click on the "Resources" menu, then "Workday General").

Workday mobile app screen shot

To set up the Workday mobile app, enter the company code (isu) or scan the QR code.