Workday unveils new platform to boost custom AI development

Workday has announced Workday Build, a developer platform designed to enable customers and partners to create, share and scale enterprise-grade AI solutions within the Workday ecosystem.

The new platform provides access to Workday's applications, data and artificial intelligence, and is aimed at supporting users in customising Workday's products and developing bespoke AI-powered tools for their businesses using secure and familiar infrastructure.

New capabilities

Workday Build introduces the Workday Flowise Agent Builder, a low-code development tool. This feature is intended to simplify the process of building, deploying and managing custom AI agents directly within Workday. These agents leverage organisational data held in Workday to help teams develop business-specific AI solutions efficiently and securely.

"The era of one-size-fits-all enterprise software is over," said Peter Bailis, Chief Technology Officer, Workday. "With Workday Build, customers go from consuming AI to creating with it, giving them the power to build intelligent solutions directly on their most trusted people and financial data. This transforms how they do work, within the security of the Workday platform they already depend on."

Workday Build expands upon previously released developer tools, including Workday IlluminateTM, and brings these into a unified developer platform. This consolidation aims to support developers in designing and connecting a wider range of AI apps and agents compatible with Workday's existing products.

Platform features

The new developer platform includes several capabilities:

• Workday Flowise Agent Builder – a low-code builder for creating and managing AI agents, from conversation bots through to more complex workflow solutions, all secured and integrated within the Workday environment.
• AI Developer Products and Tools – a suite of tools supporting the development of applications, intelligent agents and orchestrations, including a generative AI-powered Developer Copilot to assist with productivity, and Agent Gateway for connecting AI agents via MCP-compliant APIs to Workday's Agent System of Record.
• Workday Data Cloud – enabling zero-copy access, intended to help customers connect HR and finance data with other enterprise data platforms to draw deeper insights and create advanced, context-aware solutions.
• Marketplace and Partner Programs – providing access to a selection of pre-built, vetted solutions developed by Workday and partners across various industries and regions. This also incorporates the 'Built on Workday' and other related partner programmes.
• Developer Community – a global network for developers to learn, obtain certifications and collaborate, with the aim of growing a pool of talent certified in Workday technologies.

Product availability

According to Workday, the Flowise Agent Builder will become available to customers using Workday Extend Professional in the first half of 2026. The Workday Data Cloud will be introduced initially to early adopter customers during the same period, with general availability to follow later in the year.

Workday's broader suite of tools, including the Build platform, is positioned to enable businesses to develop custom AI and data-powered solutions that integrate with HR and finance functions, supporting organisational efficiency and decision-making.

The company stated that the developer platform will make it possible for its global customer base, across all industries, to leverage Workday's data architecture to drive new solutions and adapt more quickly to changing business requirements.