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This article will walk a user through how to use Worktags in Workday. Understanding Worktags Worktags are labels used to describe and classify financial transactions in Workday for tracking and reporting purposes. As their name implies, Worktags tag a transaction to tell the system what the transaction is for. They replace traditional accounting codes or chart fields, making data entry simpler and reporting more powerful. A variety of attributes function as Worktags, such as Cost Center, Spend Category, Grant, Company, Project, and Fund. Outlined below are some of the more common Worktags you may encounter. Workday Worktag Definition Cost Center Identifies a university department. Project Identifies a specific project with a defined start and end date. Examples include capital projects and fabricated equipment related to research. Grant Identifies grants and contracts funded by an external party. Grants have defined start and end dates. Gift Tracks donor contributions and amounts available to be spent within donor restrictions. Gifts can be endowments or spendable gifts. Spend Category Provides insight into the university's expenses. Required for all expense transactions. Revenue Category Provides insight into the university's revenue. Required for all revenue transactions. Fund Groups related activities for financial statement and budget management purposes. Typically defaults in based on related Worktags. Program Identifies a university program, event or specific activity. The image below shows the set of Worktags that can be applied to a Requisition Order, for example: How Worktags Support Budget and Spending Oversight Worktags enhance visibility into both budgets and actuals by allowing financial data to be tracked, categorized, and analyzed with precision. This enables smarter decision making and helps ensure financial accountability across the organization. Here's how they contribute: Detailed Reporting: Worktags make it easy to generate targeted reports that compare budgeted amounts to actual spending — at any level of detail. Whether it's a Cost Center, Project, or Program, users can drill into where funds are going and how they align with planned budgets. Embedded Insights: Workday provides built-in, real-time reports directly within Worktag records. This means users can quickly view current balances, transaction history, and budget-to-actuals data without running separate reports or leaving the page. Flexible Filtering and Analysis: Because every transaction is tagged, users can sort, filter, and compare data across multiple dimensions — such as departments, initiatives, or time periods. This helps reveal spending trends, highlight variances, and support more informed financial decisions. Worktag Types Worktags can be related to or dependent on other Worktags, meaning that when you select one Worktag on a transaction (Driver Worktag), other Worktags will be automatically populated (Default Worktags). Conversely, you can manually assign one or more Worktags to a transaction. These are called Basic (or Flat) Worktags. Default Worktags Default Worktags are automatically populated based on the selection of a Driver Worktag. When a user selects a primary Worktag (e.g., Grant, Project, Cost Center), related Worktags such as Fund, Functional Expense and Division may be auto-populated. This simplifies the data entry process and helps ensure that transactions are categorized correctly. Driver Worktags: Primary Worktags that trigger related Worktags (e.g., Cost Center). Related Worktags: Worktags that are auto-populated based on the driver Worktag (e.g., Fund). Default Worktags help us streamline the process of entering financial data and reduce the risk of errors by maintaining consistency and alignment across financial records. Basic Worktags Basic Worktags (also called Flat Worktags) are used independently to categorize a transaction without triggering related Worktags. It is typically added on an ad hoc basis by users to provide specific details about a transaction. Examples: Supplier: Specifies the vendor you are making the purchase from. Location: Specifies the location related to the transaction (e.g., Campus, Building). These basic Worktags help in organizing and analyzing financial data without the complexity of dependent relationships. How Worktags Function in Practice When entering a financial transaction – such as a purchase requisition – users assign Worktags to accurately classify and route the expense. For example, in the case of purchasing laptops: Select a Cost Center – Identifies the department or unit responsible for the expense (e.g., IT Department). Select a Fund – Indicates the source of funding for the transaction (e.g., General Operating Fund, Restricted Fund). Specify a Spend Category – Describes the nature of the purchase (e.g., IT Equipment or Computer Hardware). Once these Worktags are assigned, Workday uses them to: Route the transaction for appropriate approval and processing Associate the expense with relevant budgets and funding sources Ensure it appears accurately in financial reports and analyses This structured tagging approach helps maintain consistency, improves transparency, and enhances the overall integrity of financial data. Experiencing an issue or need additional support? Contact our OneIT Team by Opening a support ticket or Call us at 201-216-5500  If you need assistance with Workday Financials-specific issues, contact Finance Support. 

As a Workday user, you interact with the system to complete tasks like placing requisition orders, submitting time off requests, or managing approvals. Behind the scenes, Workday controls who can do what through a combination of roles and security, a design that supports the principle of Separation of Duties (SoD). What Is Separation of Duties (SoD)? Separation of Duties (SoD) is a fundamental internal control used by organizations to reduce the risk of errors, fraud, or misuse of resources. The fundamental goal is that critical tasks are divided so no single person has full control from start to finish on a given business process. Common Examples of SoD Process Area Roles That Should Be Separated Procurement One person creates a purchase order, another approves it Payroll HR sets up pay; Finance runs the payroll and reviews results Journal Entries One person creates the journal entry; another person approves it Asset Management One person purchases the asset; another tracks or disposes of it How Security Works in Workday In Workday, your role defines your general responsibilities (e.g., Manager, Reviewer, Initiator), while your security group determines the specific tasks, actions, and data you can access. Security governs: What fields and data you can view What actions you are allowed to take (edit, submit, approve, etc.) What tasks appear in your inbox or dashboard For example, you might be able to submit a requisition but not approve it. This is intentional—not a system error—and reflects appropriate access controls in support of SoD. How Workday Enforces SoD Workday automates Separation of Duties through several built-in mechanisms: Restricted Role Combinations: Workday can prevent users from holding conflicting roles—such as being both the initiator and approver for the same process. Automated Approval Routing: Tasks like expense reports or purchase orders are routed based on defined business process rules, ensuring the correct individuals review and approve them. Audit Trails: All actions in Workday are logged, providing transparency and accountability for compliance and audits. Security Groups: Role-Based vs. User-Based Workday manages access by grouping users into security groups, each of which carries a set of permissions. There are two primary types: Role-Based Security Groups Assigned based on job function or organizational role (e.g., "Cost Center Manager," as seen below) Automatically updated as roles change Scalable and consistent across the organization User-Based Security Groups Assigned directly to individuals for special access needs outside of standard roles. Manually assigned Best for exceptions or unique cases Why This Matters for You As a standard user, you are not expected to manage roles or configure security settings. However, understanding how access is structured can help clarify why: Certain options or tasks may not be visible or available to you Specific steps in a process must be completed or approved by someone else Access may vary between individuals, even within the same department If you encounter a situation where you are unable to perform an expected action or access particular information, it is likely related to your assigned role or security group. In such cases, your manager can assist with reviewing your access and reaching out to the proper contacts within Stevens if role and security updates are needed. Experiencing an issue or need additional support? Contact our OneIT Team by Opening a support ticket or Call us at 201-216-5500  If you need assistance with Workday Financials-specific issues, contact Finance Support. 

This guide will instruct users on understanding and using spend categories in Workday. Understanding Spend Categories Spend Categories in Workday Finance are used to classify types of expenditures for goods and services. They provide a granular view of expenses, helping our organization track and analyze our spending patterns. Spend Categories are like Object Codes in Kuali - they describe the nature or purpose of the transaction. Assigning the correct Spend Category ensures that expenses are categorized accurately for reporting, budgeting, and compliance purposes. Examples of Spend Categories Spend Categories can vary widely depending on the organization's needs. Here are some common examples: Spend Category Description Office Supplies Expenses for items like paper, pens, and other office materials. Professional Services Fees paid for consulting, legal, or other professional services. Utilities Payments for electricity, water, gas, and other utility services. Equipment Purchases of machinery, computers, and other equipment. Maintenance Costs for maintaining buildings and equipment. Advertising Expenses related to advertising, promotions, and other marketing activities. Common Uses of Spend Categories Spend Categories are required on many finance-related tasks in Workday, including: Requisitions: When ordering goods or services. Supplier Invoice Requests (SIRs): When requesting payment for goods or services from suppliers. Journal Entries: For recording financial transactions. How to Select the Appropriate Spend Category When creating a financial transaction, it is important to choose the most appropriate Spend Category. Look for the option that best describes what is being purchased or recorded. For example, use “Office Supplies” for stationery, not “Miscellaneous” or “Other.” If you are unsure which category to use: Use the search function in Workday to explore options. Refer to any available category crosswalks or cheat sheets. Check with your department’s finance contact. Choosing the correct category helps ensure transactions route correctly and appear in the appropriate reports. Using Spend Categories for Reporting Once Spend Categories are assigned to financial transactions, they become valuable tools for filtering and analyzing spending data. For example, you can run reports to view all transactions linked to a specific Spend Category, which helps you better understand how funds are being spent. This allows you to: Spot spending trends over time Compare expenditures across departments or projects. Make more informed budgeting decisions. Benefits of using Spend Categories Enhanced Reporting: Provides detailed insights into spending patterns. Budget Management: Helps track and manage budgets more effectively. Compliance: Ensures expenses are categorized correctly for regulatory reporting. Cost Control: Identifies areas where costs can be reduced or optimized. How Spend Categories Affect Workflow and Approvals In Workday, the Spend Category you select can influence how your transaction is routed for review or approval. Certain categories may trigger specific workflows or compliance reviews. For example, selecting “Capital Expense” may require additional approvals due to contracting or policy requirements. Be sure to choose carefully; the category not only affects reporting but can also determine how quickly your transaction moves through the system. Experiencing an issue or need additional support? Contact our OneIT Team by Opening a support ticket or Call us at 201-216-5500 If you need assistance with Workday Financials-specific issues, contact Finance Support.