November 24, 2025

How Strong Governance Drives Contingent Workforce Success

In Part One of this series, we explored the strategic foundation for Workday VNDLY- how to define your vision, governance approach, and worker classification model. Part Two focused on execution, showing how configuration, Workday alignment, and adoption turn that vision into measurable results. In this Part Three, we shift to the ongoing “run” phase: the governance structures, decision rights, and data practices that protect compliance, preserve data integrity, and give leaders confidence in every VNDLY decision.

Building a VNDLY Governance Framework: Roles, Ownership, and Structure

A well-structured governance framework mitigates these risks by formalizing accountability and enabling visibility across every function that touches the contingent workforce program.

A successful VNDLY governance model starts with defining ownership. Governance isn’t about hierarchy, it’s about clarity. Every stakeholder, from administrators to executive sponsors, must understand their role in maintaining operational discipline.

At Helios, we often recommend a multi-tiered structure that includes:

• Executive Sponsor: Provides strategic oversight and champions the program’s alignment with business goals.
• Program Owner: Manages the VNDLY roadmap, sets KPIs, and ensures consistent adoption across the organization.
• VNDLY Administrators: Maintains solution integrity, oversees configuration changes, and manages user permissions.
• Functional Leads: Represent Procurement, HR, Finance, and Legal to ensure the system supports policy and process alignment.
• Governance Council: A cross-functional team that reviews performance, approves enhancements, and oversees escalations.

By formalizing this structure, organizations create a unified approach to decision-making. Helios can help clients document these roles within a Governance Charter, which serves as a living reference for accountability and process discipline.

Decision Rights & Escalation Paths in VNDLY

Every governance model needs a clear path for decision-making and issue resolution. Without defined escalation protocols, small problems can quickly become systemic failures.

Safeguarding Data Integrity and Compliance

Data is the foundation of every insight-driven workforce program, yet data integrity remains one of the biggest challenges in contingent labor management.

A scalable VNDLY governance model must enforce data quality standards—from field naming conventions to supplier identifiers and worker classification rules. Helios works with clients to develop a VNDLY Data Governance Model that defines:

• Data ownership: Who is responsible for maintaining key fields and integrations.
• Data validation rules: Automated controls that reduce entry errors and ensure consistent data formats.
• Audit readiness: Protocols for record retention, change tracking, and documentation.

These practices not only ensure accuracy but also support compliance with labor laws, data privacy regulations, and internal audit requirements. Clean data drives better analytics, enabling organizations to forecast demand, track performance, and identify opportunities for efficiency.

Balancing Flexibility and Control in Your VNDLY Environment

Scalability doesn’t mean rigidity. The best governance models strike a balance between maintaining control and enabling innovation.

Helios promotes a controlled agility approach, where governance establishes boundaries for change but empowers teams to innovate within those parameters. This approach might include:

• Sandbox environments for testing configuration changes before production release.
• Formal change request processes to evaluate impact, documentation, and rollback options.
• Continuous training and communication so teams understand how governance supports, not restricts, their work.

This balance helps organizations evolve their VNDLY environment without compromising stability or compliance.

Continuous Improvement and Long-Term Sustainability

Governance isn’t a one-time deliverable; it’s a living process that matures with your program. As business needs, regulations, and technologies evolve, so should your governance model.

Helios recommends establishing governance reviews on a quarterly or biannual cadence. These sessions allow stakeholders to evaluate performance metrics, review system enhancements, and adjust policies as needed. Key review components include:

• System adoption and usage rates
• Compliance and audit outcomes
• User and supplier feedback
• Data accuracy trends and reporting quality

These ongoing assessments ensure that governance evolves alongside your organization’s strategy, maintaining relevance and resilience over time.

How Helios Supports Scalable VNDLY Governance Frameworks

At Helios, our governance methodology combines strategic insight with practical execution. We help clients create governance models that are both comprehensive and adaptable—capable of evolving as their workforce ecosystem grows.

Our approach includes:

1. Discovery and Blueprinting: We assess current-state operations, identify governance gaps, and design a structure aligned with business goals.
2. Governance Design & Documentation: We define roles, decision rights, escalation paths, and data standards—often captured in a Governance Charter.
3. Change Enablement: We guide teams through adoption with training, communication, and stakeholder alignment.
4. Performance Measurement: We help customers define KPIs and dashboards to track compliance, adoption, and system health over time.

The result is a governance model that scales with confidence, ensuring that VNDLY remains a strategic asset—driving agility, compliance, and visibility across the entire contingent workforce program.

Continue Your Workday VNDLY Journey

Want to see how these best practices come to life? Watch our on-demand webinar featuring Pitney Bowes, where we share how Helios Consulting helped transform contingent workforce management with Workday VNDLY.

▶ Watch the webinar