Fraud, waste, abuse and error prevention in public sector ERP

Fraud, waste, abuse and error prevention: What every government leader should know

Guarding public resources is about more than compliance—it’s about encouraging confidence in government. As digital transformation reshapes operations, government leaders face increasing risks from fraud, waste, abuse and error, which threaten both financial integrity and public trust. 

Addressing these risks is a strategic move for public sector organizations operating in complex, high-volume environments where even routine transactions can mask subtle—and potentially costly—fraud, waste, abuse and error activities. Sophisticated schemes, insider threats and evolving technology make detection and prevention a continuous challenge. Strengthening controls and increasing transparency can help protect assets, build trust and allocate resources appropriately.

A Workday ERP implementation presents an opportunity to enhance fraud, waste, abuse and error prevention with technology designed for proactive prevention, improved foresight and enhanced compliance. This also increase operational efficiency and workforce effectiveness, further enhancing Workday’s transformational value.

Streamlining fraud, waste, abuse and error prevention in Workday ERP

During a Workday implementation, Deloitte works closely with organizations to strengthen internal controls, clearly separate transaction initiators and approver duties, and establish audit trails for ongoing protection. This often involves redesigning business processes and enhancing workflow monitoring to optimize case management and investigations—enabling both the identification of inappropriate payments before they occur and more efficient recovery of lost funds. This transformation also allows shared services or centralized data centers to monitor for fraud, waste, abuse and error across multiple entities, giving agencies the flexibility to quickly implement and adjust controls to boost productivity and limit unintentional fraud, waste, abuse and error.

Additionally, Workday’s features provide built-in regulatory support and compliance tools, including customizable dashboards with real-time insights from data analytics and monitoring. Its advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) detection capabilities—encompassing both agentic AI and Generative AI (GenAI)—enable examination of patterns, irregularities and digital identities. This empowers organizations to work towards audit-readiness, continually refining their control environment and monitoring practices. 

Overall, Workday enables and automates fraud, waste, abuse and error monitoring across an organization at scale—supporting both current operations and future growth. Deloitte enhances this value by bringing additional tools and methodologies to identify organizational inefficiencies, workforce development gaps, and strategic restructuring opportunities, all aimed at helping federal agencies strengthen resilience and responsiveness to potential fraud, waste, abuse and error activities. 

Why government leaders must act on fraud, waste, abuse and error prevention

“Digital transformation presents a dual opportunity: to dramatically increase business value and reduce outdated administrative burdens—both critical for improving fraud, waste, abuse and error compliance and preventing improper payments,” says Matthew Cornelius, Managing Director, Workday Government. “The dynamic partnership between Workday and Deloitte continues to deliver HR and finance transformation for customers, quickly elevating operational readiness, enhancing data visibility and reducing wasteful spending.”

Risk mitigation and cost savings realized through ERP implementation, especially when prioritizing fraud, waste, abuse and error detection and prevention, exemplify proactive stewardship. While addressing fraud, waste, abuse and error may require an initial investment, this investment is small in comparison to the potential losses and reputational harm that can result from even a single high-profile incident. 

Today, ERPs are an increasingly attractive target for external actors due to the significant opportunities for high-volume, high-value fraud. The advent of predictive AI and GenAI has further increased the sophistication of fraud, waste, abuse and error attempts. As a result, the collaboration between people and technology is more vital than ever for organizations striving to discern and protect the authenticity of their data. Prioritizing fraud, waste, abuse and error mitigation—including investments in modern technology and continuous workforce upskilling and reskilling—can yield significant savings, improved accuracy, and greater accountability throughout the organization. 

For public sector organizations, ongoing risk management and a commitment to transparency are essential to maximizing the value of public funds and maintaining trust within the communities they serve. No investigation into fraud, waste, abuse and error is predictable—every inquiry reveals unique insights, from opportunities for minor policy enhancements to uncovering major vulnerabilities. Deloitte offers a full suite of services—spanning Human Capital, Financial Transformation, Workforce Development, HR Consolidation, Cybersecurity and more—to help government leaders proactively address fraud, waste, abuse and error and build lasting public trust. 

We are ready to support your Workday implementation.