Workday R1 and R2 Release Prep: The Pre-Release Audit Checklist
Workday R1 in March and R2 in September deprecate objects, rename fields, and change default behaviour. Without a pre-release audit, every update weekend is a risk event. Here is the exact checklist to run in Preview before promotion.
1. The five categories every release touches
- Calculated fields referencing soon-to-be-deprecated objects or fields.
- Business process steps using changed step types or default routing.
- Integrations using web services with changed response shapes.
- Security policies on domains where defaults are changing.
- Custom reports using deprecated data sources or fields.
2. Read the 'What's New' guide first
Workday publishes the 'What's New' guide and the 'Release Notes' for every R1 and R2. Read both. Highlight every deprecation, rename, and default change. Map each to the configuration items in your tenant.
3. The Preview promotion playbook
Workday gives you Preview 4–6 weeks before each release. Run a full scan in Preview as soon as it's available. Compare findings to your last production scan — anything new in Preview is a release-induced regression you have weeks to fix.
4. The integration spot-check
Re-run every critical integration in Preview against a sandbox of the downstream system. Validate the response shape against the mapping. A renamed response field shows up as a null downstream value if you don't catch it here.
5. The BP transaction test
Initiate one transaction per material BP type in Preview — Hire, Terminate, Compensation Change, Leave Request. Walk every step to completion. A changed default routing surfaces immediately.
6. The promotion sign-off
Document every Preview test, every fix, and every confirmation. Promote to production with a one-page release readiness attestation. This is your audit evidence and your incident-response baseline.
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