4. Designing & Validating Solutions

Process Design & Optimization

The Process Design & Optimization phase converts discovery findings into actionable solutions. This is where the BPM team develops the future-state business process, drafts required documentation for review, and ensures all recommendations are ready for configuration and testing.

This phase bridges the gap between understanding the current process and designing how it should function — balancing efficiency, compliance, and stakeholder usability.

Purpose

The purpose of this section is to guide BPM analysts and project leads through designing, documenting, and preparing Workday or business workflow changes for functional review and configuration. This includes creating a future-state map, developing clear narrative documentation for functional partners, and compiling testing and security templates that will feed into configuration and validation.

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Design Overview

At this stage, the BPM analyst and project lead are responsible for turning discovery findings into a clear, actionable design.

Team members should:

  1. Review all discovery outputs — including Fit/Gap Analysis, Business Process Definition, Transactional History, and Process Mapping findings.
  2. Identify redundant steps, missing conditions, or steps that can be automated or simplified.
  3. Begin outlining the Future-State Process Map in Excel (internal format).
  4. Draft a Functional Narrative in Word to explain routing, approvals, and conditions to non-technical audiences.
  5. Document recommendations in the Recommended Change Template to share with the functional area for review and approval.

These documents together represent the Design Package that moves forward into configuration and testing.

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Future-State Process Mapping (Internal Team)

Tool Excel with Microsoft Visio add-on (Visio Plan 2 license required)
Template [Insert link: Future-State Process Mapping Template (Excel)]
Objective To create a detailed process flow showing how the redesigned Workday business process will function — step by step — including routing logic, decision conditions, and security roles.

Team Actions:

  • Use the current-state process map as a baseline reference.
  • Create new rows in the Excel mapping template for all added, removed, or modified steps.
  • Translate Workday routing and conditional rules into the Shape Type and Connector Label columns.
  • Ensure Function (security group or role) and Phase fields are accurately assigned.
  • Validate the draft process with the Project Lead for clarity and completeness before generating the Visio diagram.

Output:
A future-state process diagram that visually communicates the optimized workflow for internal BPM review.

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Functional Narrative Translation (External Document)

Tool Microsoft Word
Template [Insert link: Functional Future-State Narrative Template (Word)]
Objective To communicate the redesigned process in plain language for functional teams and business partners, particularly when conditional routing or Workday terminology may be unclear.

Team Actions:

  • Translate Workday conditions (e.g., “If Supervisory Organization = Faculty, route to Academic HR Partner”) into readable statements.
  • Group process steps logically by functional stage (e.g., Initiation, Review, Approval, Completion).
  • Use tables or bulleted outlines to display routing, assigned roles, and decision outcomes.
  • Include “Functional Considerations” or “Open Questions” at the end for discussion during review.

Output:
A functional narrative document reviewed and approved by the functional team lead before configuration begins.

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Recommended Change Documentation

Tool Microsoft Word or Excel
Template Recommended Change Summary Template
Objective To formally capture the recommended process, configuration, or policy changes resulting from discovery and design activities.

Team Actions:

  • Document each change as a separate entry with fields such as:
    • Change Title
    • Current State Description
    • Recommended Action
    • Justification/Benefit
    • Dependencies (Policies, Integrations, or Other BPs)
    • Approval Status
  • Review the recommendations internally before submitting for functional approval.
  • Attach this document to the TDX project ticket and include in the Functional Review Packet.

Output:
A signed or acknowledged set of recommendations, ready for configuration and testing handoff.

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Testing and Security Preparation

This subphase establishes the groundwork for testing and security adjustments needed for the optimized process.

1. Test Scenarios

Tool Excel
Template [Insert link: Test Scenario Template]

Team members identify and document test cases that will later be used during UAT. Each test scenario should include:

  • Scenario Title
  • Expected Result
  • Role(s) Involved
  • Input Conditions (e.g., specific cost center, supervisory org, position type)
  • Pass/Fail Result (completed during testing)

2. Security Role Requests

Tool Word
Template Security Role Request Template

Team members must identify if new roles are required or if existing roles need access modifications. Steps:

  1. Compare future-state process steps with the View Business Process Security Policy report.
  2. Document the role changes (e.g., “Grant Edit access to HR Partner for Condition Rule X”).
  3. Route requests to the BPM Security Manager for review before WSS configuration.

Output:

  • Completed Test Scenario Spreadsheet
  • Completed Security Role Request form
  • Documentation attached to the TDX project ticket

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Outputs

At the end of the Process Design & Optimization phase, BPM should have:

  • Completed Future-State Process Map (Excel + Visio)
  • Completed Functional Future-State Narrative (Word)
  • Approved Recommended Change Document
  • Prepared Test Scenario Spreadsheet
  • Drafted Security Role Request Form

All documents are stored in the shared BPM repository and attached to the project’s TDX ticket.

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