Campus Spotlight: Madison Area Technical College

Institutional Moment

Preparing for Modernization

Institution Snapshot

Institution: Madison Area Technical College

Institution Type: Public Technical and Community College

Location: Madison, Wisconsin

Technology Initiative: Workday Student

Engagement Style: Pre-Implementation Readiness and Advisory Support

Engagement Length: Pre-Implementation Planning and Readiness Engagement

Understanding the Work Before the Work Begins

 As Madison Area Technical College prepared for its Workday Student implementation, the institution recognized that modernizing its student information system required more than implementing new technology. It also required strengthening the data, reporting, and operational practices that would support the institution long after go-live.

Through an analysis, Madison identified opportunities to improve how data was defined, managed, and used across the college. Rather than waiting for implementation to address these needs, the college chose to begin closing critical gaps in advance.

Legato partnered with Madison to support these efforts by helping develop an enterprise data and reporting strategy, establish the infrastructure needed to sustain reporting during and after implementation, and build the knowledge and capabilities of the Institutional Research and Data Management team. Work was prioritized by the project's Executive Sponsors and focused on creating a foundation that would guide implementation decisions while delivering immediate operational value.

You Might Be Here If...

• Are preparing for a Workday Student implementation and want to strengthen your data and reporting capabilities before the project begins.

• Lead or support Institutional Research, Data Management, Reporting, or Analytics and are trying to understand how your role will change in Workday.

• Have identified gaps in data governance, reporting, or operational practices but are unsure where to begin.

• Are concerned that existing reports and data definitions won't translate cleanly into a new student information system.

• Want to reduce rework by making key reporting and data decisions before implementation timelines become compressed.

The Challenge

As Madison prepared for Workday Student, the college recognized that implementing a new student information system would require more than replacing technology. It needed a clear strategy for how data and reporting would operate in the future.

The institution needed to strengthen its reporting strategy, establish a sustainable data and reporting infrastructure, and prepare Institutional Research and Data Management to support a modern student information system. At the same time, the college needed to continue serving students while planning for significant operational change.

The challenge was not simply identifying gaps. It was prioritizing them and creating a practical roadmap that would strengthen current operations while preparing for implementation.

The Turning Point

One realization shaped the engagement: successful implementations are built on strong operational and reporting foundations long before system configuration begins.

By addressing enterprise data and reporting needs early, Madison could make more informed decisions, reduce future rework, and ensure implementation would operationalize a well-defined strategy rather than create one under project deadlines.

The Partnership

Working alongside Madison's Institutional Research and Data Management team and other campus stakeholders, Legato helped address the priorities identified through the college's Enterprise Data & Reporting Gap Analysis.

The engagement focused on developing an enterprise data and reporting strategy, strengthening the infrastructure needed to support reporting during and after implementation, and building the knowledge and skills needed for Institutional Research and Data Management to succeed in a Workday Student environment.

Work was prioritized in partnership with the project's Executive Sponsors and supported through discovery sessions, workshops, documentation, educational resources, and practical planning activities that could be applied throughout implementation.

The Outcome

By investing before implementation, Madison established a stronger foundation for enterprise reporting and data management.

The college gained a clearer reporting strategy, improved visibility into future reporting and operational needs, and a roadmap for addressing high-priority gaps before implementation accelerated. Institutional Research and Data Management also developed greater knowledge of Workday concepts and a stronger understanding of how their work would evolve in the future state.

Rather than beginning implementation by defining its reporting strategy, Madison entered the next phase with a clearer vision, stronger internal capability, and a foundation that could guide implementation decisions.

Why This Story Matters

Many institutions view reporting as an implementation workstream. In reality, reporting strategy begins much earlier.

When institutions take time to understand their data, strengthen reporting practices, and build internal capability before implementation, they are better positioned to make thoughtful decisions, reduce rework, and realize greater value from their new student information system.

Madison Area Technical College demonstrates how investing in enterprise data and reporting readiness before implementation can strengthen both the implementation itself and the institution's long-term reporting capabilities.