Case Study: Brown University achieves unified data, self-service HR, and mobile access with Workday

A Unified Approach Brings New Insight

Brown University, a top research institution with about 11,000 employees, faced a critical HR and finance systems challenge: a legacy mainframe (from 1991) that had been maxed out, limited access to data, paper‑based manual processes, and an inability to meet new compliance and reporting needs. The university needed a unified, accessible source of accurate data and modern self‑service tools to support faculty, staff, managers, and institutional decision‑making.

Brown implemented the Workday cloud suite (HCM, Payroll, Time Tracking, with Financials forthcoming), gaining anytime/anywhere access, mobile approvals, automated workflows, and Section 508 accessibility. The move eliminated paper processes and on‑premises maintenance, improved compliance and analytics, reallocated staff from data entry to data analysis, and delivered on time and under budget—giving leaders a single source of actionable data for better resource and strategic decisions.

Brown University

Karen Davis

Vice President for Human Resources