Frequently Asked Questions

Sightline is a multi-year program across Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Health System. Sightline aims to modernize business processes and introduce advanced technology solutions that support better ways of working across key mission-supporting functions such as human resources, finance, procurement/supply chain, and sponsored projects. Workday, the chosen technology platform, streamlines the user experience. Read this overview to learn more about how and why these changes are being implemented. 

Work has already begun! Review the Sightline program phases timeline. Workday is planned to go live at Johns Hopkins in the latter half of 2027. 

• Empower and engage people 

• Prioritize mission-critical needs 

• Provide a modern and intuitive user experience 

• Embrace culture of change 

• Strive for simplicity 

• Drive standardization 

• Receive trusted, integrated data and analytics more easily 

• Elevate accountability, service quality, and compliance

• Reach out to the Sightline team with specific questions: [email protected]  

• Review open positions and consider joining the Sightline team  

• Stay in touch by registering for email updates. Sightline will share opportunities to participate in engagement sessions, the Readiness Network, and training opportunities as they arise  

• The Sightline team will reach out to various stakeholders for engagement opportunities throughout the program 

External support for SAP is scheduled to end in December 2027, and technology has evolved significantly since SAP was implemented in 2007. A new technology platform is needed to take full advantage of the considerable updates to business-support solutions. 

Updating business processes in step with the introduction of a new technology platform will ensure that Johns Hopkins is fully maximizing and leveraging the tools and strengths of modern cloud-based technology, which requires simplification, standardization, and ease of processes. These business process updates will also create new ways of working that improve the experience of users across the enterprise, prioritize mission-critical needs, drive standardization, and elevate accountability, service quality, and compliance.

All Sightline transformations, whether related to process changes, Workday technology, or other optimization opportunities will be implemented in a manner that interacts with other JHHS and JHU initiatives within the HR, Finance, Supply Chain/Procurement, and Sponsored Projects functions.

Workday will provide opportunities for a better user experience, streamlined and intuitive processes, automation, and improved data management and governance. 

Across JHU and JHHS, the areas of HR, Payroll, Finance, Sponsored Projects, Supply Chain/Procurement will be impacted by Workday.

View the Sightline leadership team, comprised of leaders and subject matter experts from across Johns Hopkins. 

Sightline is led by the following executive sponsors: Laurent Heller (Executive VP for Finance & Administration, JHU), Kevin Sowers (President, Johns Hopkins Health System & Executive VP, Johns Hopkins Medicine), and Rich Mendola (VP & Chief Information Officer). The Sightline Steering Committee is comprised of leaders from across Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Health System. Sightline also has a group of Communications and Engagement Advisors and Faculty Advisors providing guidance.

Here is the proposed Sightline timeline:   

• September 2023-August 2024: Planning & Readiness 

• September 2024-March 2025: Prepare  

• April 2025-March 2026: Design & Build 

• April 2026-March 2027: Test & Educate 

• April 2027-June 2027: Train & Deploy  

• July 2027: Go Live 

• July 2027+: Production Support 
   

Review a detailed breakdown of these program phases.

Workday is anticipated to go live in the second half of 2027.

Workday training for end users will begin approximately three to six months prior to the implementation date, depending on the user’s role. However, other learning opportunities around Workday and key process changes will be shared throughout the program to ensure varying users and stakeholders understand the changes and benefits of Sightline before training is implemented.

Participants will be provided with support during the implementation period and will receive ongoing resources and assistance from the Sightline team through the period of stabilization. More details will be provided as Sightline approaches the last implementation phases prior to go-live.

Workday training and resources will be provided for an extended period of time after go-live.

• Benefits 
• Compensation 
• Contingent Workforce 
• Employee Data 
• Labor Relations 
• Learning 
• Organizational Relationships 
• Performance Management 
• Reporting and Analytics 
• Talent Acquisition and Onboarding 
• Unified Engagement Layer 
• Workforce Planning 

HR leaders who evaluated the Workday demonstrations say it will bring an enhanced employee experience through its ease of use and reduction of manual tasks. This benefits both HR practitioners who pull reports and review HR information regularly and for employee services like accessing pay stubs and W2s. It’s also an integrated technology solution.  

In the current state, HR practitioners move in and out of systems. Everything is connected in the future state, including onboarding, recruitment, employee experience, and data. This connection leads to a reduction in errors and greater ease of processing and receiving pay.   

• Accounts Payable 
• Finance Accounts Receivable 
• Acquire to Retire and Capital Projects 
• Banking and Cash Management 
• Close and Consolidate 
• Gift and Endowment Management 
• Master Data Management 
• Planning, Budget, and Forecasting (limited to integration or functionality not in current solutions) 
• Reporting and Analytics 
• Tax 
• Travel Management and Expense (potentially limited to integration) 

For the finance team, a critical and early step for the Workday implementation is the design of the foundational data model, also known by the abbreviation FDM. Beyond a traditional chart of accounts, the FDM will serve as a core structure of the Workday platform, supporting transaction processing and reporting. Because the FDM is crucial for all functions, including HR, Supply Chain, and Sponsored Projects, the design will require a collaborative effort involving a diverse and cross functional group of stakeholders.  

Payroll, including some systems currently outside of SAP.

Broadways Services (BSI) and Kennedy Krieger Institute (KKI) payroll will remain outside of Workday.

• Closeout Activities 
• Data Collection & Reporting 
• Execute Funding Activities 
• Pre-Award Preparation 
• Receive and Account for Funds 
• Sponsored Program Administration 
• Sub-Recipient Monitoring 

 The sponsored projects integration team is currently reviewing all research administration systems that interface with or exist outside of SAP. The goal is to optimize integrations with Workday and reduce reliance on external systems when possible. Examples include integrations with Fibi, the pre-award platform, and Maximus, used for effort reporting. 

Workday will introduce exciting reporting and dashboards to the community. The Sightline program places a strong emphasis on user experience, with a commitment to developing intuitive reporting, dashboards, and metrics that are clear to faculty and staff. These tools will be accurate, updated in real time, and designed to support decision-making and the management of sponsored projects. 

• Inventory 
• Logistics 
• Master Data Management 
• Procurement 
• Reporting and Analytics 
• Sourcing & Contracting 
• Strategy & Execution 

Customizations can make software platforms difficult to maintain and upgrade. Modern software packages like Workday keep choices limited with configuration, allowing Johns Hopkins to more easily manage software updates and quickly adopt new capabilities released by Workday. Best-of-industry choices are continually enabled in Workday because it is hosted in the cloud. Customizations should be thoughtfully considered and deployed where there is truly a unique need and advantage for Johns Hopkins.  

Workday offers advanced analytics capabilities. Johns Hopkins will leverage those tools to collaboratively create template reports and data governance principles for administrative work that ensure data integrity.