NJIT Selects Workday to Power Project SPARK: New Enterprise Resource Planning Tool

New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) announced the selection of Workday, Inc., as its new enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution for HR, Finance and Student. This transformative initiative, known as Project SPARK, will modernize NJIT's administrative and operational systems, enabling the university to better serve its students, faculty, and staff for the next decade and beyond.

NJIT will be partnering with Huron Consulting Group, a leading provider of ERP implementation services, to deploy Workday Human Capital Management (HCM), Workday Financial Management and Workday Payroll.

"Project SPARK is a vital investment in NJIT's future, directly supporting our 2030 vision," said NJIT President Teik C. Lim. "This new ERP system will drive our digital transformation, foster a better workplace, and empower data-driven decisions, thereby enhancing the experience for our entire community."

An ERP system at a university acts as the central nervous system for administrative functions. For students, this can mean easier access to academic records, financial aid information, course registration and other essential services.

For faculty and staff, an ERP streamlines processes like hiring employees, managing budgets, tracking research grants, processing payroll and handling HR-related tasks. Ultimately, a well-implemented ERP allows the university to operate more efficiently, freeing up resources to focus on its core mission of teaching, research and service.

NJIT’s selection of Workday followed a rigorous evaluation process. The university chose Workday for its proven ability to meet the unique and evolving needs of higher education institutions and its commitment to innovation. Workday's cloud-based platform will provide NJIT with a flexible and scalable solution that can adapt to the university’s changing needs over time.

"We are excited to partner with NJIT on this transformative journey," said Robert Steele, group vice president of state and local government and higher education at Workday. "Workday's solutions are designed to empower universities like NJIT to optimize their operations, improve both the employee and student experience, and to drive better outcomes for students."

Project SPARK is guided by the university’s 2030 strategic plan — NJIT Makes An Innovation Nexus — and follows key principles like fostering transparency and inclusivity, prioritizing delivered product functionality over customization and perfection, modernizing policies and processes and focusing on community value.

The scheduled go-live date for the HR, payroll and finance modules is July 2026. In the coming months, NJIT will engage with its community to offer training and support to ensure a smooth transition. Planning for Workday Student implementation will begin subsequently.