This message was originally published in the Daily Bulletin on September 14, 2026.
A message from Finance.
We are pleased to share an important milestone in the Financial Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System initiative. Following a comprehensive and competitive Request for Proposal (RFP) process, the University has selected Workday as the financial ERP platform and Deloitte as an implementation partner to support this transformation. Steering Committee meetings began in July to ensure that the project stays on track and that appropriate consultations take place as we transition Unit4 and related systems to the Workday platform.
Implementation will occur over the next three years, guided by the following core principles that will shape project decision-making, stakeholder engagement, and the evaluation of requirements throughout the initiative:
-
Transparency through early and ongoing consultation
-
Adoption of modern and standard business processes
-
Simplicity over unnecessary complexity
-
Timely decision-making
These principles will support consistent institutional processes, reduce unnecessary duplication of systems and practices, and help ensure the project delivers sustainable solutions that meet the University's long-term needs.
The project’s overall goal is to deliver a modern, integrated financial platform that supports Waterloo’s academic mission and efficient administrative processes. This is a multi-year initiative that will take place in phases to ensure a thoughtful, well-managed transition. The new solution will enable streamlined processes that reduce complexity and improve efficiency, enhance reporting and data accessibility through system consolidation, modernize functionality and intuitive design for an improved user experience, and reduce the number of systems used by the campus community.
What’s next?
-
A formal faculty and other stakeholder engagement plan is being finalized and will be launched in the coming weeks.
-
Regular updates will be posted on the Financial System Implementation project website.
Thank you for your continued support and collaboration as we move forward with this exciting initiative.