Project & Change Request Lifecycle

BPM Project & Change Request Lifecycle – Master Task Checklist + Ownership + SLA Matrix

This article provides the official operational checklist for managing Workday-related projects and change requests within the Business Process Management (BPM) framework. It establishes the required tasks, ownership expectations, and service level timelines for each phase of the lifecycle to ensure consistent governance, accountability, and transparency.

The lifecycle applies to both full-scale projects and smaller change requests. While complexity and duration may vary, all work follows the same structured phases to support standardized intake, clear decision-making, effective coordination with Workday Support Services (WSS), and thorough documentation for audit and reporting purposes.

Service level timelines are provided at the phase, section, and task level. The phase timeline represents the overall expected timeframe for completing that phase of the lifecycle. Each section within the phase includes a timeline showing when that group of activities typically occurs within the phase, measured in business days from the start of the phase. Individual tasks within each section also include typical service level timelines to indicate the expected turnaround time for completing that specific activity. Together, these timelines provide both an overall deadline for the phase and a structured breakdown of how work progresses within it.

Phase 1 – Intake (3 days)

Purpose: Capture, review, and appropriately route incoming Workday-related requests.


Request Logging & Validation (2 days)

Task Responsible Party Typical SLA
Confirm request submitted through official intake channel Work-Study / Analyst Same day
Verify request category aligns with BPM-Workday service scope Analyst 1 business day
Assign BPM ticket owner Lead BA / Manager 1 business day
Confirm functional areas impacted Analyst 1–2 business days

Request Completeness Review (2 days)

Confirm business problem is clearly described Analyst 1–2 business days
Confirm impacted business processes identified Analyst 1–2 business days
Verify internal ticket information is completed Analyst 1–2 business days
Confirm supporting documentation attached Analyst 1–2 business days

Ticket Structure Determination (Parent vs Child) (3 days)

Identify request type (Project, Change, Support) Lead BA 1–2 days
Evaluate for parent/child relationship Lead BA 1–3 days
Create or link Parent ticket in TDX Analyst 1 day

Intake Decision & Routing (3 days)

Confirm request is not duplicate Analyst 1–2 days
Identify need for clarification or redirection Lead BA 1–3 days
Record intake outcome in ticket Analyst 1 day
Notify requester of intake decision Analyst 1 day

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Phase 2 – Discovery (15 days)

Purpose: Develop a clear understanding of the business problem before defining solutions.


Discovery Initiation & Preparation (5 days)

Task Responsible Party Typical SLA
Review intake notes and request documentation Lead BA / Analyst 1–2 business days
Confirm discovery scope and objectives Lead BA 1–2 business days
Identify key stakeholders and subject matter experts Lead BA 2–3 business days
Schedule discovery meetings or working sessions Analyst 3–5 business days

Current State Process Review (5 days)

Review current Workday business process configuration Analyst 3–5 business days
Review existing process documentation or diagrams Analyst 3–5 business days
Review security roles and approval routing impacts Analyst 3–5 business days
Review related reports, integrations, or downstream impacts Analyst 3–5 business days

Stakeholder Engagement & Information Gathering (15 days)

Conduct discovery meetings or workshops Lead BA 1–3 weeks
Document stakeholder pain points and operational challenges Analyst 1–2 weeks
Clarify desired outcomes and success criteria Lead BA 1–2 weeks
Gather examples, screenshots, or supporting data Analyst / Stakeholders 1–2 weeks

Discovery Analysis & Synthesis (5 days)

Analyze gaps, inefficiencies, and root causes Lead BA 1 week
Identify potential solution pathways Lead BA 1 week
Assess feasibility and constraints Lead BA 1 week

Discovery Documentation & Outcome (5 days)

Prepare Discovery Summary document Lead BA 1 week
Document recommended path forward Lead BA 1 week
Review findings internally with BPM leadership BPM Manager 3–5 business days
Share discovery outcomes with stakeholders Lead BA 3–5 business days

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Phase 3 – Prioritization (10 days)

Purpose: Determine if and when the request should be worked based on impact, effort, and capacity.


Prioritization Preparation (3 days)

Task Responsible Party Typical SLA
Review Discovery Summary and recommended path forward Lead BA 1–2 business days
Confirm scope boundaries for prioritization evaluation Lead BA 1–2 business days
Verify impacted functional areas and stakeholder groups Analyst 1–3 business days

Business Impact & Urgency Assessment (5 days)

Evaluate operational impact to business processes Lead BA 3–5 business days
Assess impact to compliance, policy, or regulatory requirements Lead BA 3–5 business days
Determine urgency based on operational risk or deadlines Lead BA 3–5 business days
Document business impact findings Analyst 2–3 business days

Effort, Complexity, and Risk Assessment (5 days)

Estimate configuration complexity and scope Lead BA 3–5 business days
Assess level of cross-functional coordination required Lead BA 3–5 business days
Identify dependencies on WSS, external teams, or other projects Lead BA 3–5 business days
Document effort and risk assessment Analyst 2–3 business days

Capacity & Portfolio Review (5 days)

Review current BPM project workload and resource capacity BPM Manager 3–5 business days
Compare request against active and planned work BPM Manager 3–5 business days
Determine potential timing and sequencing options BPM Manager 3–5 business days

Leadership Review & Decision Coordination (10 days)

Prepare prioritization summary for leadership review Lead BA / Manager 3–5 business days
Engage functional directors for prioritization input BPM Manager 1–2 weeks
Coordinate leadership review discussions BPM Manager 1–2 weeks
Document leadership prioritization decision Analyst 2–3 business days

Prioritization Outcome Documentation (2 days)

Update TeamDynamix ticket with prioritization outcome Analyst 1–2 business days
Notify requester of prioritization decision and next steps Analyst 1–2 business days
Document scheduling timeframe if request is deferred Analyst 1–2 business days

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Phase 4 – Planning (5 days)

Purpose: Translate an approved request into a structured, actionable plan.


Planning Initiation & Preparation (3 days)

Task Responsible Party Typical SLA
Review prioritization decision and approved timing Lead BA 1–2 business days
Confirm scope boundaries based on Discovery findings Lead BA 1–3 business days
Verify impacted business processes and functional areas Analyst 1–3 business days
Confirm planning kickoff readiness Lead BA / Manager 1–3 business days

Scope Definition & Assumptions (5 days)

Define detailed scope of work Lead BA 3–5 business days
Identify out-of-scope items and constraints Lead BA 3–5 business days
Document assumptions impacting planning Analyst 2–3 business days
Define measurable success criteria Lead BA 3–5 business days

Stakeholder Identification & Coordination (5 days)

Identify all impacted stakeholder groups Lead BA 3–5 business days
Confirm stakeholder roles and involvement levels Lead BA 3–5 business days
Identify required subject matter experts Lead BA 3–5 business days
Confirm stakeholder availability and engagement readiness Analyst 3–5 business days

Timeline & Sequencing Development (5 days)

Develop high-level project or change request timeline Lead BA 3–5 business days
Identify major milestones and sequencing Lead BA 3–5 business days
Identify dependencies impacting schedule Lead BA 3–5 business days
Document proposed timeline and sequencing Analyst 2–3 business days

Project vs Change Request Determination (5 days)

Evaluate complexity and scope against lifecycle criteria Lead BA 3–5 business days
Determine whether work proceeds as project or change request BPM Manager 3–5 business days
Update ticket structure and hierarchy if needed Analyst 2–3 business days

Planning Outcome Documentation (5 days)

Document finalized planning summary Analyst 3–5 business days
Confirm readiness to move into Solution Design Lead BA / Manager 2–3 business days
Update TeamDynamix ticket with planning outcome Analyst 1–2 business days

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Phase 5 – Solution Design (10 days)

Purpose: Define the detailed functional approach before configuration work begins.


Design Initiation & Preparation (5 days)

Task Responsible Party Typical SLA
Review approved planning summary and scope documentation Lead BA 2–3 business days
Confirm solution design objectives and boundaries Lead BA 2–3 business days
Identify stakeholders required for design validation Lead BA 3–5 business days
Schedule solution design working sessions Analyst 3–5 business days

Future State Business Process Definition (10 days)

Document proposed future-state business process changes Lead BA 1–2 weeks
Define changes to approval routing and decision points Lead BA 1–2 weeks
Identify changes to process steps and roles Lead BA 1–2 weeks
Document exceptions and special case handling Lead BA 1–2 weeks

Workday Configuration Requirements Definition (10 days)

Define required Workday configuration changes Lead BA 1–2 weeks
Identify configuration dependencies and constraints Lead BA 1–2 weeks
Define required business process configuration updates Lead BA 1–2 weeks
Document configuration logic and expected behavior Analyst 1 week

Impact Analysis (Security, Reporting, Downstream) (5 days)

Identify impacted security roles and access considerations Analyst / Lead BA 1 week
Assess impact to reporting and data outputs Analyst 1 week
Identify downstream integrations or process impacts Lead BA 1 week
Document impact analysis findings Analyst 3–5 business days

Stakeholder Validation & Approval (10 days)

Review proposed solution design with stakeholders Lead BA 1–2 weeks
Address stakeholder questions or requested adjustments Lead BA 1–2 weeks
Obtain formal stakeholder approval of design Lead BA / Manager 3–5 business days

Preparation for Workday Support Services Submission (5 days)

Compile finalized design documentation Analyst 3–5 business days
Prepare configuration requirements for Jira submission Lead BA 3–5 business days
Confirm readiness to move to Ticket Submission phase BPM Manager 2–3 business days

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Phase 6 – Ticket Submission (5 days)

Purpose: Initiate Workday configuration work through Workday Support Services (WSS).


Submission Preparation & Readiness (3 days)

Task Responsible Party Typical SLA
Confirm solution design approval documentation is complete Lead BA 1–2 business days
Verify configuration requirements are fully documented Lead BA 1–3 business days
Confirm dependencies and related tickets are identified Analyst 1–3 business days
Validate readiness to proceed to WSS submission BPM Manager 2–3 business days

Jira Ticket Creation & Submission (2 days)

Create Jira ticket in Workday Support Services portal Analyst / Lead BA 1–2 business days
Enter finalized configuration requirements and business context Lead BA 1–2 business days
Attach supporting documentation and design artifacts Analyst 1 business day
Submit ticket to WSS and confirm successful submission Lead BA Same day
Record Jira ticket reference in TeamDynamix ticket Analyst Same day

Clarification & Coordination with WSS (5 days)

Monitor Jira ticket for clarification requests from WSS Analyst Ongoing / Daily
Coordinate responses to WSS clarification questions Lead BA 2–3 business days
Engage stakeholders as needed to resolve clarification requests Lead BA 3–5 business days
Document clarification responses in Jira and TDX Analyst 1–2 business days

Configuration Timeline Coordination (5 days)

Review proposed configuration timelines provided by WSS Lead BA 3–5 business days
Confirm sequencing with related tickets or dependencies Lead BA 3–5 business days
Coordinate timeline expectations with stakeholders Lead BA 3–5 business days
Document agreed timeline in TeamDynamix ticket Analyst 1–2 business days

Functional Oversight & Progress Tracking (5 days)

Monitor Jira ticket status updates from WSS Analyst Ongoing / Weekly
Provide functional clarification to WSS during configuration Lead BA As needed
Update stakeholders on configuration progress Lead BA / Analyst Weekly
Document progress updates in TeamDynamix ticket Analyst Weekly

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Phase 7 – Testing (10 days)

Purpose: Validate that the configuration meets business and functional requirements.


Testing Preparation & Readiness (5 days)

Task Responsible Party Typical SLA
Confirm configuration completion notification from WSS Lead BA / Analyst 1–2 business days
Verify testing environment availability and access Analyst 1–3 business days
Confirm testing scope and scenarios align with design documentation Lead BA 2–3 business days
Prepare functional testing plan and test cases Analyst / Lead BA 3–5 business days

BPM Functional Testing Execution (10 days)

Execute BPM functional test scenarios Analyst / Lead BA 1–2 weeks
Validate business process workflow behavior Lead BA 1–2 weeks
Confirm approval routing and role assignments function correctly Lead BA 1–2 weeks
Validate expected data outputs and reporting behavior Analyst 1–2 weeks

User Acceptance Testing (UAT) Coordination (5 days)

Identify stakeholders responsible for UAT participation Lead BA 3–5 business days
Provide UAT guidance and testing instructions Lead BA / Analyst 3–5 business days
Coordinate UAT testing schedule Analyst 1 week
Monitor UAT progress and completion status Analyst Ongoing

Defect Identification & Resolution Coordination (3 days)

Document testing defects and unexpected behaviors Analyst / Stakeholders Ongoing during testing
Prioritize defects based on severity and impact Lead BA 2–3 business days
Submit defect tickets or updates to WSS Lead BA / Analyst 2–3 business days
Track defect remediation progress with WSS Analyst Ongoing

Retesting & Validation (5 days)

Retest resolved defects following WSS updates Analyst / Lead BA 3–5 business days
Confirm defect resolution meets functional expectations Lead BA 3–5 business days
Update testing documentation and defect logs Analyst 2–3 business days

Testing Progress Communication & Documentation (3 days)

Provide periodic testing status updates to stakeholders Lead BA / Analyst Weekly
Document testing progress in TeamDynamix ticket Analyst Weekly
Confirm readiness to move to Testing Completed phase Lead BA / Manager 2–3 business days

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Phase 8 – Testing Completed (5 days)

Purpose: Formally confirm that all testing and approvals are complete.


Testing Completion Verification (3 days)

Task Responsible Party Typical SLA
Confirm BPM functional testing activities are fully completed Lead BA / Analyst 1–3 business days
Verify all planned test scenarios were executed Analyst 1–3 business days
Confirm all test results are documented Analyst 2–3 business days

User Acceptance Testing (UAT) Sign-Off Coordination (5 days)

Confirm UAT activities have concluded Lead BA 2–3 business days
Obtain formal UAT approval from stakeholders Lead BA 3–5 business days
Document stakeholder sign-off in project records Analyst 2–3 business days

Defect Closure Validation (5 days)

Verify all critical and high-severity defects are resolved Lead BA 3–5 business days
Confirm no blocking issues remain Lead BA / Manager 2–3 business days
Document final defect status summary Analyst 2–3 business days

Deployment Readiness Validation (5 days)

Confirm configuration is ready for production migration Lead BA / Manager 2–3 business days
Verify deployment dependencies are resolved Lead BA 2–3 business days
Confirm production deployment sequencing Lead BA / WSS Coordination 3–5 business days

Training & Communication Coordination (External Team Handoff) (5 days)

Confirm whether training is required Lead BA 2–3 business days
Confirm whether communications are required Lead BA 2–3 business days
Coordinate requester submission to Training Team form (if needed) Lead BA / Analyst 3–5 business days
Coordinate handoff to Communications Team (if applicable) Lead BA 3–5 business days

Testing Completion Documentation (3 days)

Update TeamDynamix ticket with testing completion status Analyst 1–2 business days
Document readiness for deployment phase Lead BA 1–2 business days
Notify stakeholders of deployment readiness Lead BA / Analyst 2–3 business days

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Phase 9 – Deployment (5 days)

Purpose: Move approved changes into the Production environment.


Deployment Coordination with WSS (5 days)

Task Responsible Party Typical SLA
Confirm WSS deployment schedule and migration window Lead BA 3–5 business days
Verify all deployment prerequisites are met Lead BA / Analyst 2–3 business days
Coordinate sequencing with related tickets or dependencies Lead BA 3–5 business days
Confirm go-live readiness with stakeholders Lead BA 3–5 business days

Go-Live Preparation & Coordination (5 days)

Confirm stakeholder awareness of go-live timing Lead BA / Analyst 3–5 business days
Verify communication handoffs are completed (if applicable) Lead BA 3–5 business days
Confirm training team readiness (if applicable) Lead BA 3–5 business days
Document go-live plan in TeamDynamix ticket Analyst 2–3 business days

Production Deployment Monitoring (1 day)

Monitor deployment status during WSS migration window Lead BA / Analyst Deployment day
Confirm successful configuration migration in Production Lead BA Same day
Coordinate immediate issue escalation to WSS if needed Lead BA Same day

Post-Deployment Production Validation (5 days)

Perform initial BPM validation testing in Production Analyst / Lead BA 1–3 business days
Confirm business process workflow functions correctly Lead BA 1–3 business days
Validate data outputs and reporting behavior in Production Analyst 1–3 business days
Confirm stakeholder validation of production functionality Lead BA 3–5 business days

Deployment Documentation & Communication (3 days)

Update TeamDynamix ticket with deployment status Analyst Same day
Document production validation results Analyst 2–3 business days
Notify stakeholders of successful deployment Lead BA / Analyst 1–2 business days

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Phase 10 – Stabilization (15 days)

Purpose: Ensure the solution functions as expected after go-live.


Post-Deployment Monitoring (10 days)

Task Responsible Party Typical SLA
Monitor solution performance immediately after go-live Lead BA / Analyst Daily for first 1–2 weeks
Review system behavior for unexpected errors or workflow issues Analyst Ongoing during stabilization period
Confirm expected business process outcomes are occurring Lead BA 1–2 weeks
Validate data outputs and reporting accuracy Analyst 1–2 weeks

Issue Identification & Triage (3 days)

Collect and review user feedback regarding solution behavior Lead BA / Analyst Ongoing
Identify post-deployment issues or defects Lead BA / Analyst Ongoing
Assess severity and impact of identified issues Lead BA 2–3 business days
Determine if issue requires WSS involvement Lead BA 2–3 business days

Issue Resolution Coordination (5 days)

Submit defect or enhancement requests to WSS when needed Lead BA / Analyst 2–3 business days
Coordinate clarification and functional support for WSS Lead BA Ongoing
Track remediation progress with WSS Analyst Ongoing
Coordinate retesting after issue resolution Analyst / Lead BA 3–5 business days

User Support & Clarification 

Provide clarification to users on new process behavior Lead BA / Analyst As needed
Coordinate user questions to appropriate support channels Analyst As needed
Document frequently reported issues or questions Analyst Ongoing

Stabilization Review & Enhancement Identification (15 days)

Evaluate overall solution stability after go-live Lead BA / Manager 2–3 weeks
Identify opportunities for future enhancements Lead BA 2–3 weeks
Document stabilization findings and recommendations Analyst 1 week

Stabilization Documentation & Closure Readiness (3 days)

Update TeamDynamix ticket with stabilization status Analyst Weekly
Confirm readiness to move to Closure phase BPM Manager 2–3 business days

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Phase 11 – Closure (10 days)

Purpose: Formally close the request and capture completion artifacts.


Closure Preparation & Verification (5 days)

Task Responsible Party Typical SLA
Confirm stabilization activities are complete Lead BA / Manager 2–3 business days
Verify no outstanding critical issues remain Lead BA 2–3 business days
Confirm stakeholder acceptance of final solution Lead BA 3–5 business days

Documentation Finalization (10 days)

Compile final solution documentation Analyst 3–5 business days
Ensure design, testing, and deployment artifacts are stored Analyst 3–5 business days
Update or create Knowledge Base Articles as needed Lead BA / Analyst 1–2 weeks
Confirm documentation is accessible for audit purposes Analyst 3–5 business days

Metrics & Lessons Learned Capture (10 days)

Capture project or change request metrics (timeline, effort, outcomes) Analyst / Manager 1 week
Document lessons learned and process improvement opportunities Lead BA / Manager 1–2 weeks
Review lessons learned internally with BPM leadership BPM Manager 1 week

Ticket Closure & Archiving (5 days)

Update TeamDynamix ticket with final resolution summary Analyst 2–3 business days
Confirm all required documentation is attached to ticket Analyst 2–3 business days
Close TeamDynamix ticket Lead BA / Analyst 1–2 business days
Archive request artifacts for reporting and audit Analyst 3–5 business days

Closure Communication (2 days)

Notify stakeholders of formal closure Lead BA / Analyst 1–2 business days
Provide final documentation or references to stakeholders Lead BA 1–2 business days

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