Workday Adaptive Planning Licensing | White Paper

The Short Version

If you read nothing else

Bottom Line

Adaptive Planning is licensed by user type, with Modeler, Contributor, and Read Only at very different price points. Most enterprises over assign Modeler licenses to users who only need Contributor. The playbook is to audit by use case, right size aggressively, and negotiate Adaptive in the Workday renewal as a unit priced product, not a bundle.

Key Takeaways

Five conclusions

User types matter. Modeler is the expensive license. Contributor and Read Only are far cheaper. Audit assignments by use case.

Modeler is over assigned. Most Modeler users only need Contributor. The right sizing is the largest savings.

Bundle masks unit price. Adaptive bundled with Workday Financials masks unit pricing. Demand the unit price.

Sandboxes count. Adaptive sandboxes and instances each have entitlements. Audit at signature. Audit at renewal.

Renewal is the lever. Workday renewals include Adaptive. The renewal is the moment to right size and negotiate.

Recommendations by Role

What to do this quarter

Chief Information Officer

Audit Adaptive user types by use case before every renewal
Right size Modeler assignments aggressively
Refuse to bundle Adaptive without unit pricing

Procurement

Demand unit pricing for Modeler, Contributor, and Read Only
Cap renewal uplift on Adaptive specifically
Negotiate sandbox and instance entitlements in writing

Finance Owner

Document Adaptive use cases per user
Identify Modeler users who can downgrade to Contributor
Track Adaptive utilization per quarter

The Framework

Eight ideas

1. The User Type Mechanics

Adaptive licenses by Modeler, Contributor, and Read Only. Modeler builds models. Contributor enters and edits data. Read Only views. Pricing differs significantly.

2. Modeler Right Sizing

Most Modeler users only need Contributor. The over assignment is the largest savings. Audit by use case quarterly.

3. Bundle Mechanics

Adaptive bundled with Workday Financials masks unit pricing. The bundle simplifies but inflates. Demand unit price visibility.

4. Sandbox Entitlements

Each Adaptive instance includes a defined number of sandboxes. Audit at signature. Audit at renewal. Reclaim where unused.

5. Multi Instance Math

Some enterprises run multiple Adaptive instances. Each has separate licensing. Validate the business need per instance.

6. Integration Considerations

Adaptive integrates with Workday Financials, HCM, and external systems. Each integration is a license touch point. Document each one.

7. Renewal Negotiation

Adaptive renewals occur with Workday master renewal. Right size before negotiation. Demand unit pricing. Cap uplift.

8. The 3 Year Plan

Year one: 10 to 15 percent compression. Year two: 5 to 10 percent more. Year three: 5 percent more. Compound to 20 to 30 percent total.

Reference

Acronyms

MSAMaster Subscription Agreement

OFOrder Form

EEEmployee count

FP&AFinancial Planning and Analysis

EPMEnterprise Performance Management

TCOTotal Cost of Ownership

Methodology & Sources

This white paper draws on Redress Compliance engagements, public vendor documentation, and the active Redress benchmark program.

About the Author

Morten Andersen

Co Founder, Redress Compliance

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Workday Adaptive Planning Licensing: A Buyer Playbook

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