The City and County of Denver launches Workday Strategic Sourcing
Published on May 27, 2025
Modernizing the city’s procurement processes
The City and County of Denver is pleased to announce the initial launch of Workday Strategic Sourcing, a new centralized system designed to streamline and enhance the city’s procurement processes. The project, spearheaded by Denver Technology Services and the Department of General Services, began in July 2024 and was successfully launched in February 2025. Initially, the new tool is being used by a limited number of purchasing and contracts teams within General Services, Denver Public Library, and the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure.
“The introduction of Workday Strategic Sourcing simplifies our procurement processes by modernizing and streamlining sourcing activities, improving supplier collaboration, and driving cost savings,” said Lance Jay, Denver’s Chief Procurement Officer. “This enables efficient collaboration within the platform which in turn produces consistency amongst projects.”
Prior to the launch of Workday Strategic Sourcing, solicitation requests within the city were managed through disparate systems. The implementation of Workday Strategic Sourcing provides a unified platform for requesting, tracking, and executing on various solicitation types, including Requests for Proposals (RFPs), Invitations for Bids (IFBs), and Documented Quotes (DQs). This initiative was driven by the need to reduce manual and offline efforts and establish a standardized system to support citywide procurement processes.
“This project is a great example of digital transformation in the public sector, showcasing how technology can enable process improvement and human efficiency,” said Suma Nallapati, Denver’s Chief Information Officer. "While we are currently serving a limited number of users, our vision is to expand this project citywide to further streamline our procurement processes and empower teams with greater visibility and collaboration capabilities which will ultimately lead to more efficient and effective city operations."
The implementation of Workday Strategic Sourcing brings several key benefits to the city and its stakeholders:
- Standardized Processes: All participating agencies will now follow the same streamlined process when collaborating with General Services Purchasing buyers.
- Enhanced Visibility: Stakeholders who submit solicitation requests now have unprecedented visibility into the progress of their requests. The system provides real-time updates on the solicitation process, including the current stage and any required approvals.
- Improved Collaboration: Workday Strategic Sourcing features a built-in chat functionality, enabling seamless communication between stakeholders and buyers directly within the system. This reduces reliance on emails and Teams messages, centralizing all relevant information in one easily accessible location.
- Ad Hoc Reporting Capabilities: The new system offers robust ad hoc reporting functionality, allowing for the creation of custom reports based on various data points. This eliminates the need for manual spreadsheet maintenance, providing valuable insights and improving data-driven decision-making.
Since its go-live in February 2025, Workday Strategic Sourcing has seen significant adoption, with approximately 146 active users and around 45 solicitation requests already received through the new platform. This successful implementation marks a significant step forward in the city’s commitment to utilizing technology to help modernize operations, improve efficiency, and foster greater transparency.