Workday Application Maintenance Service
SLA-backed support, release management and enhancements after your Workday go-live
Discuss your AMS needsWhat Workday AMS covers
A Workday Application Maintenance Service (AMS) provides structured, ongoing support for your Workday tenant after go-live: resolving incidents, managing the two annual Workday releases, governing configuration changes and delivering agreed enhancements. HCM Advisory Service operates an independent AMS, with no implementation revenue and no conflict of interest, giving your HR and IT teams direct access to senior ex-Workday experts on every request. The service runs under a defined SLA and adapts as your Workday footprint grows.
Updated: 16 July 2025
- Our role
- Independent AMS provider, no implementation revenue
- Entry point
- Post go-live, any point in the Workday lifecycle
- Typical scope
- Application support, releases, governance, enhancements
- Region
- Germany, Austria, Switzerland and global deployments
What we take on in Workday AMS
The service covers three interconnected areas: keeping your tenant stable, absorbing Workday releases without disruption, and delivering controlled improvements over time.
Application Support
- SLA-governed incident triage and resolution
- Business process and security role troubleshooting
- Break-fix analysis across all implemented Workday SKUs
- Ad hoc expert advice for HR and IT teams
Release Management
- Impact assessment for each Workday bi-annual release
- Regression testing across business processes and integrations
- Coordinated sign-off with your internal stakeholders
- Documentation of configuration changes per release cycle
Governance & Enhancements
- Change request intake, prioritisation and delivery governance
- Configuration enhancements across functional modules
- Integration monitoring and corrective maintenance
- Quarterly service reviews and roadmap alignment
How the AMS engagement runs
- 01
Service Design
We review your current Workday tenant, implemented modules, integration landscape and open backlog. From this, we define SLA tiers, escalation paths and a governance model that fits your internal team structure.
- 02
Onboarding
We take over the support queue in a structured handover, typically alongside your outgoing implementation partner or internal team. Existing documentation is reviewed and gaps are closed before the service goes live.
- 03
Steady-State Operations
Incidents are logged, triaged and resolved within agreed SLA windows. Each Workday release is assessed, tested and deployed in a controlled sequence, with your stakeholders informed at every stage.
- 04
Continuous Improvement
Enhancement requests are prioritised in regular governance sessions. We track Workday product updates, flag relevant new features and align the roadmap with your HR strategy, keeping the tenant current and fit for purpose.
What you have at the end of each cycle
Workday AMS across DACH and global programmes
HCM Advisory Service delivers Workday AMS to organisations headquartered or operating across Germany, Austria and Switzerland, as well as supporting global Workday tenants from its base in Bretten, Baden-Württemberg. The DACH region brings specific compliance requirements that shape how an AMS must be structured, from works council involvement in configuration changes to GDPR-aligned data governance within the tenant.
Experience from post-go-live support in DACH and globally
“We are partnering with HCM Advisory since the global go-live of our Workday implementation to address additional implementation work and fill gaps that couldn’t be covered initially. This involves multiple functional topics across all Workday SKUs we implemented, as well as integrations. Alex Perpétuo, Oliver Stegmann, and their entire team are incredibly helpful. They are demonstrating profound expertise and providing hands-on solutions with quick turnaround times. HCM Advisory often goes beyond our stated requirements, anticipating our needs and thinking one or two steps ahead. Their proactive approach and deep understanding of functional topics and integrations made a significant difference in our project’s success.”
“HCM Advisory Service provided a detailed analysis for the optimisation of Workday as the leading HR platform at GEA, which GEA will take up internally in projects. The combination of profound HR process knowledge on the one hand and deep application knowledge around Workday on the other hand were of great advantage for us. Furthermore, Mr. Stegmann was entrusted with preparations for global payroll harmonisation. The analysis he developed was very helpful and illustrated the options for action in this area.”
Frequently asked questions about Workday AMS
How much does a Workday AMS engagement cost?
Cost depends on the number of Workday modules in scope, the volume of incidents typically raised each month, the complexity of your integration landscape and the SLA response times required. There is no standard list price. HCM Advisory Service scopes each AMS after an initial review of your tenant and support history, then provides a structured estimate based on those specific factors.
How long does it take to set up a Workday AMS?
Onboarding typically takes four to six weeks, covering tenant review, documentation handover, SLA definition and the establishment of governance processes. The timeline depends on the completeness of existing documentation and the availability of your internal team during the transition period.
Which Workday modules does the AMS cover?
The service covers all Workday HCM modules your organisation has implemented, including Core HCM, Absence, Compensation, Talent, Recruiting, Payroll and integrations. Scope is agreed at the start of the engagement and can be extended as your Workday footprint grows.
Can HCM Advisory run AMS alongside our existing implementation partner?
Yes. HCM Advisory Service works alongside implementation partners and does not compete with them for implementation revenue. In many engagements, the AMS sits between the client and the implementation partner, providing independent oversight and escalation support where needed.
What makes HCM Advisory’s AMS independent?
HCM Advisory Service generates no revenue from Workday implementation licences or resale. This means advice on configuration, enhancements and release decisions is driven entirely by what is right for the client’s tenant, not by commercial incentives tied to additional implementation work.
How does the AMS handle the two annual Workday releases?
Each release is assessed for impact across your configured business processes, security roles and integrations. HCM Advisory prepares a release impact report, coordinates regression testing and manages the sign-off process with your stakeholders before the release is applied to the production tenant.
Does the AMS cover works council requirements in Germany and Austria?
Yes. Configuration changes that affect employee data processing or working conditions may require works council (Betriebsrat) consultation under German and Austrian co-determination law. HCM Advisory has direct experience supporting these negotiations and factors Mitbestimmung requirements into the change governance process.
What happens if we need more than standard AMS support after go-live?
HCM Advisory offers ad hoc expert support beyond the standard AMS scope, covering functional deep-dives, integration troubleshooting, HR process redesign and preparation for new module deployments. These requests are handled by the same senior team, without routing through a generic helpdesk.
Keep your Workday tenant on track.
Tell us briefly about your Workday modules, your current support setup and any immediate pain points. We come back to you quickly.
- Independent advice, no implementation revenue
- Direct access to senior ex-Workday experts
- Workday Advisory Partner and Services Partner
Keep your Workday tenant on track.
Discuss your AMS needs