In this article, we discuss:

• Technology Trendsetter Award: DataOne
• Happy Colleagues Award: Hewlett Packard Enterprises
• Smart Money Award: Xactly
• Analytics Trailblazer Award: The E.W. Scripps Company
• Platform Rock Star Award: Blackbaud

We're inspired by the resourcefulness, innovation, and creativity of our Workday customers who we're proud to call our partners. This collaboration enables us to develop transformative solutions that often have a profound impact on the lives of both employees and customers.

Technology, media, and entertainment companies have a delicate balance to strike in their operations. They must navigate a constantly changing consumer landscape and also continuously innovate to create new revenue streams and business models. So, it was a great honor to recognize the innovative spirits of our customers in these industries by presenting our annual Tech and Media Innovation Awards in Las Vegas at Workday Rising.

Let's get right to it-here are this year's winners!

Technology Trendsetter Award: DataOne

Leaders from DataOne accept the Technology Trendsetter Award from Randy Rasmussen and Sarah Glover of Workday.

This award recognizes customers pioneering digital solutions that extend core Workday capabilities to address the needs of tech and media.

DataOne transitioned from SAP to Workday to address challenges of siloed operations and cumbersome data access. Workday was chosen for its seamless integration across functions, real-time data access, and user-friendly interface. The company utilizes Workday across HR and finance, with plans for further expansion.

The transition to Workday has had a profound impact on DataOne. The intuitive Workday interface led to quick adoption across departments, reducing training time and enhancing job satisfaction. Operational efficiency improved dramatically with instant data access, cutting data verification time from months to seconds.

Collaboration across previously siloed departments helped to enhance strategic planning and reporting accuracy. Integration with Salesforce provided a comprehensive view of business operations, allowing teams to focus on analysis rather than on data gathering. According to one team member, Workday transformed their work-life balance and efficiency, making DataOne a more agile and responsive organization.

The decision to expand its use of Workday beyond HR and into finance, and the seamless integration of Workday with other systems such as Salesforce, is transformative. It not only broke down operational silos but also leveraged real-time data for better decision-making and strategic agility. This forward-thinking adoption underscores DataOne's commitment to using advanced, integrated technology to foster sustainable growth and efficiency.

Happy Colleagues Award: Hewlett Packard Enterprises

A leader from Hewlett Packard Enterprises accepts the Happy Colleagues Award.

This award recognizes customers who use Workday to transform service delivery, enhance people operations, or create a delightful employee experience.

Hewlett Packard Enterprises deployed Workday Skills Cloud and Workday Learning to create a single organizational view of talent and leverage AI to drive skills and learning strategies.

Employees now have clearer career paths and growth opportunities, leading to higher job satisfaction and increased retention. The platform has empowered them to take charge of their development. HPE's vice president of technology and innovation put it this way: "When I have a job opening, people in my organization light up as potential candidates, and this is breaking down all kinds of barriers."

The innovation lies in the seamless integration of AI and machine learning into HPE's talent strategy. Unlike traditional methods, Workday Skills Cloud uses advanced algorithms to dynamically identify and analyze employee skills, uncovering hidden talents and potential growth areas. This approach has revolutionized talent management at HPE.

Smart Money Award: Xactly

A leader from Xactly accepts the Smart Money Award.

This award recognizes customers who use Workday Financial Management to transform service delivery, finance operations, spend management, or financial planning.

Xactly leverages all the capabilities of Workday billing and revenue, including complex revenue allocations, using the native Workday functionality to handle its requirements. Xactly has fully embraced using Workday for the full order-to-cash process without leaning on third-party tools.

As a full platform customer, Xactly is a perfect example of how Workday helps consolidate systems. Xactly has also created the ability to allocate revenue between its SaaS licenses and deployment, and has worked with the Workday on Workday team to design Workday Prism Analytics use cases that have been leveraged by other customers.

Analytics Trailblazer Award: The E.W. Scripps Company

Leaders from The E.W. Scripps Company accept the Analytics Trailblazer Award.

This award recognizes customers using Workday reporting and analytics products to offer insights in new ways.

In 2015, The E.W. Scripps Company divested its newspaper business to focus on becoming a leading local television and national media powerhouse. Recognizing the industry's shift toward digital models, the organization needed to overhaul its finance and HR processes to stay competitive.

To achieve this, The E.W. Scripps Company deployed Workday Human Capital Management, Workday Payroll, Workday Financial Management, and Workday Prism Analytics. These integrated solutions have revolutionized its finance and HR functions, enabling seamless data integration and a unified platform for all operations.

The organization eliminated 32 system interfaces on day one, helping to drastically reduce administrative burdens. The transition cut its monthly reporting times from 2 days to approximately 30 seconds, allowing for real-time reporting and more timely decision-making. According to Kevin McDonald, vice president for people services and insights, "Our budgeting process is now centralized, leading to faster and more efficient planning. Additionally, the platform has facilitated mobility and work-from-anywhere flexibility, improving overall communication and operational efficiency across the company."

Platform Rock Star Award: Blackbaud

Leaders from Blackbaud accept the Platform Rock Star Award.

This award recognizes customers who use a combination of Workday Human Capital Management, Workday Adaptive Planning, and/or Workday Financial Management to drive digital transformation and business effectiveness.

Blackbaud embarked on a growth journey both organically and through acquisitions, necessitating a scalable technology partner. The organization faced the challenge of integrating disparate systems, reducing manual processes, and leveraging data for strategic business analysis. Blackbaud turned to Workday, initially implementing Workday Human Capital Management and subsequently adopting Workday Financial Management.

By unifying HR and finance under one platform, Blackbaud has created a single source of truth, significantly reducing complexity and enhancing data-driven decision-making. The use of Workday Accounting Center and Workday Prism Analytics provides a comprehensive, real-time view of financial and operational data, enabling more accurate forecasting and agile responses to market changes. This approach transformed how the organization operates, moving from reactive to proactive management. The project not only supports current growth but also scales effortlessly with future acquisitions, ensuring sustainable long-term success.

Congratulations to all our Tech and Media Innovation Awards winners! We are grateful for your collaborative spirit and continuous innovation on the Workday platform, and we can't wait to see all the amazing work you'll do in the future.

Workday Rising sparked inspiration and innovation with hundreds of expert-led sessions. Interested in watching recordings from the event? Learn more.