🌞🏗 The case for the Review & Recommend project

Read time: 6 minutes (Email newsletter originally sent July 2025)

Hey there! Ceci here…

In Workday, progress usually means new.

New modules. New fixes. New releases.

But sometimes, the smartest move is to just stop ✋

Breathe 🧘🏻‍♀️

And figure out what’s actually going on in that module 🧐

You know the one we’re talking about—the module with the ticket queue from your worst nightmares.

The one no one wants to touch because no one really understands how it works 🫣 

You didn’t break it. But you did inherit it. And now you and your team are left trying to make it make sense.

In today’s newsletter, we’re advocating for the most unsexy of Workday projects: The Review & Recommend (R&R).

And why engaging this project might be the most strategic choice you make with your Service Partner all year.

💡 What exactly is a Review & Recommend project?

You might hear them called “Optimizations” or “Transformations”, but we prefer to call them what they are—Review & Recommends. The name is honest, straightforward, and sets the right expectations from the start.

Because in this kind of project… no configuration gets done 😱

Crazy, I know. You might be thinking “SCAM!”

And, unfortunately, in some cases, that’s probably true (more on this below).

But done right, R&R’s can change the course of your organization’s Workday roadmap and radically improve your day-to-day Workday experience.

Here’s why...

A Review & Recommend is a thoughtful, structured deep-dive into a specific module’s current state.

The goal is to comprehensively uncover:

🔎 What’s working well
🔎 What’s lacking, missing, or simply unaligned to your business needs, and
🔎 What changes will make the most meaningful impact on your organization so you can move forward with confidence

Think of it like a wellness check! The final deliverable is a full report of your chosen module, complete with a recommended action plan.

In today’s Workday landscape, these projects are more important than ever.

As the ecosystem matures, more organizations are years past go-live. Teams are operating in tenants shaped by quick fixes, shifting hands, and little to no documentation.

An R&R gives you a chance to pause, take a clear-eyed look at where things stand, and move forward with purpose.

💭 Is an R&R project for you?

If your team has repeat sentiments like:

• Should it really be this hard?

• We don’t know what we don’t know…

• Why’s this thing always on fire?

• What’re the best practices?

• It’s just the way we’ve always done it…

Then yes—a Review & Recommend project is probably exactly what you need.

Instead of treading water in the stormy seas of a frankensteined module, get yourself to dry land. Take inventory. Chart a course. Then, steer the ship.

A well-run R&R gives you all the information you need before investing more time and money into new (and potentially disjointed) configuration.

But not all R&Rs deliver on that promise.

😬 Why R&R projects fail

Unfortunately, a lot of organizations walk away from their first R&R project disappointed.

Firms tend to treat these projects like filler work. They assign a lone resource with no clear methodology or support and ask them to “figure it out”.

I know, because I was that Workday consultant.

In my first year, I was handed an R&R well before anyone would’ve called me “seasoned”. Thankfully, I had a background in strategy consulting and built my own approach from scratch. The project turned out great, but I had to totally wing it.

Without consistent structure, the project becomes a gamble—the process and deliverables are completely up to the imagination, skill level, and ambition of the consultant, which can vary drastically.

Here’s an example…

At the beginning of this year, we were chatting with a prospective (now current!) client of ours.

They were interested in an R&R of their Payroll module, but felt apprehensive. They had spent a nice chunk of their budget on this type of project before for their Absence module.

And, the final deliverable?

One. Single. PowerPoint Slide 😳

They were left wondering:

• Was everything in the module truly looked at?

• How do we action on this?

They asked for clarity and got a shrug. A bad R&R still leaves you in the dark!

(We delivered a stellar project they were thrilled with, and got them that long-awaited clarity, ICYWW. 😎)

But it doesn’t have to be that way. If you decide to invest in one of these projects, make sure you know what “good” actually looks like.

👩🏻‍🍳 The ingredients of a good R&R

A solid R&R starts with structure and ends with clarity.

If the firm you work with can’t explain their approach up front—or if everything feels vague from the start—that’s a red flag 🚩

Here’s what to look for in a good R&R:

✅ A clear scope

Every component of the module should be listed out. That includes:

• Module-specific configuration

• Business processes

• Security

• Reporting

• Touchpoints to other modules

Nothing should be left to guesswork. The scope serves as your checklist to ensure you get a comprehensive review.

✅ A defined timeline and phases

You should know:

• How long the project will take

• What the major phases are

• The participation that’s expected from your team at each step

• When you’ll receive deliverables

Don’t accept black-box timelines. Here’s an example of our timeline…

✅ Tempered expectations

Be wary of big promises. Your module might not be in that bad of shape after all! (Another reason we don’t like to call these projects “Transformations”.)

Sometimes, the workaround you hate is revealed as the best option when stacked against the alternatives.

A successful R&R doesn’t guarantee you’ll uncover 100 mind-blowing issues—it guarantees clarity and peace of mind.

✅ Recommended and validated findings

A good R&R doesn’t just point out problems—it also highlights what’s working well. That way, your team knows what not to touch, and what can serve as a model for future configuration. We learn just as much from well built config as we do from addressing what’s not!

✅ A detailed report of the findings

You should receive clear documentation of the WHAT and WHY behind every finding (not just a bulleted list).

The report should be written in plain language, include helpful screenshots, and be easy for your team to read without needing to call the consultant to explain it.

✅ A tailored action plan

The recommended findings should be assessed and prioritized based on:

• Impact

• Level of effort

• Urgency

Together, they should form a proposed action plan that fits your org’s capacity, skill level, and roadmap.

✅ Trust in the process (and the people)

Even with all this structure, it’s important to name the obvious—this project is inherently a little subjective. Different consultants might surface different findings, and that’s okay.

What matters most is that the review follows a clear methodology and delivers a supported analysis with actionable work—not fluff.

If these expectations seem high, it’s because… well, they are!

We hold ourselves to them. And we believe the quality of work you tolerate is the quality you’ll keep getting. Just like hiring the right in-house team, you want to hire the right partner.

Let’s make thoughtful, well-documented R&Rs the norm—not the exception.

🧭 Clarity isn’t sexy. It’s Strategic.

Review & Recommend projects aren’t flashy. They don’t end with a shiny new module or a fancy dashboard.

But what they do deliver is something most teams are sorely missing: clarity.

We’ve led a number of R&Rs now, and each time our method sharpens.

But make no mistake—done right, these projects are a ton of work. It’s detailed analysis, painstaking documentation, and thoughtful prioritization.

We hope—especially for organizations deep in the throngs of post–go-live muck—that this newsletter sparks a shift! One that raises the bar for R&Rs and prioritizes clarity as a deliverable.

As always, thank you for being a reader!

We’re celebrating you and your pursuit of a Well Built Workday 🥳 

Until next time!

Ceci & Mia

Co-Founders of Well Built Solutions

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