Workday Strategic Sourcing MCP server
Workday Strategic Sourcing is a comprehensive procurement platform that enables organizations to optimize their sourcing processes, manage supplier relationships, and drive cost savings. An AI agent with this MCP server can create and manage RFI, RFQ, and RFP events, onboard and manage suppliers, create and execute contracts, analyze spend and savings, manage supplier performance, handle compliance and risk, and generate procurement analytics. Procurement teams, sourcing managers, supplier relationship managers, and finance leaders use this integration to streamline procurement and improve supplier relationships.
Setting up an MCP server
This article covers the standard steps for creating an MCP server in AI Gateway and connecting it to an AI client. The steps are the same for every integration — application-specific details (API credentials, OAuth endpoints, and scopes) are covered in the Authentication section on this page.
Before you begin
You'll need:
- Access to AI Gateway with permission to create MCP servers.
- API credentials for the application you're connecting (see the Authentication section on this page for what to collect).
Create an MCP server
Find the app in the catalog
- Sign in to AI Gateway and select App Catalog from the left navigation.
- Search for the application you want to connect, then select it from the catalog.
- Select Create MCP Server to start the wizard.
App Configuration
Confirm the Base URL for the API, then, under Tools, select the endpoints you want to expose. Select Next.
MCP Server Setup
- Enter a Name for your server — something descriptive that identifies both the application and its purpose.
- Enter a Description so your team knows what the server is for.
- Set the log level: choose Production Mode for terser logs, or Non-Production Mode for more verbose logs that can help with debugging.
- Select Next.
Authentication
Enter the authentication details for the application. This varies by service — see the Authentication section on this page for the specific credentials, OAuth URLs, and scopes to use.
Review
Look over the summary of your MCP server configuration, then select Create & Deploy. AI Gateway provisions the server and provides a server URL you'll use when configuring your AI client.
Connect to an AI client
Once your server is deployed, you'll need to add it to the AI client your team uses. Select your client for setup instructions:
Tips
- You can create multiple MCP servers for the same application — for example, a read-only server for reporting agents and a read-write server for automation workflows.
- If you're unsure which OAuth scopes to request, start with the minimum read-only set and add write scopes only when needed. Most application pages include scope recommendations.
Authentication
Workday Strategic Sourcing uses OAuth 2.0 for secure authentication. Register an OAuth 2.0 client in Workday and create an Integration System User (ISU) with appropriate Sourcing and Procurement security groups. Replace {tenant} with your Workday tenant name. In Workday, search for the Register API Client for Integrations task to create your OAuth 2.0 client and obtain your credentials.
| Value | Setting |
|---|---|
| Auth endpoint | https://{tenant}.workday.com/ccx/oauth2/authorize |
| Token endpoint | https://{tenant}.workday.com/ccx/oauth2/token |
| Scopes | read, write, admin |
Available tools
The tools below enable AI agents to manage the complete procurement lifecycle: sourcing event creation and management, supplier onboarding and performance, contract lifecycle, spend analytics, category management, compliance, and reporting.
Sourcing Events
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| Create sourcing event | Set up an RFI, RFQ, RFP, or reverse auction |
| Read sourcing event | Get event details, status, and bidder information |
| Update sourcing event | Modify event configuration and deadlines |
| List sourcing events | Retrieve events by status, category, or date |
| Create evaluation criteria | Define bid evaluation weights and scoring |
| Read bid | Get supplier bid details and responses |
| Update bid | Record bid clarifications and modifications |
| List bids | Retrieve all bids for an event with scoring |
| Create bid comparison | Generate bid evaluation matrix |
| Communicate with suppliers | Send messages and clarifications to bidders |
Supplier Management
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| Create supplier | Register a new supplier in the system |
| Read supplier | Get supplier profile and qualification status |
| Update supplier | Modify supplier information and attributes |
| List suppliers | Retrieve suppliers with filtering and search |
| Create assessment | Conduct a supplier risk or capability assessment |
| Read assessment | Get assessment details and scores |
| Update assessment | Modify assessment findings |
| Get performance | Calculate supplier performance metrics |
| Create scorecard | Generate supplier performance scorecard |
| Maintain preferred list | Update preferred supplier status and tier |
Contract Management
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| Create contract | Generate a contract from a sourcing award or template |
| Read contract | Get contract details, terms, and obligations |
| Update contract | Modify contract terms and status |
| List contracts | Retrieve contracts by supplier, status, or date |
| Route approval | Send contract through approval workflow |
| Track amendment | Log contract modifications and change orders |
| Monitor compliance | Track contract obligation fulfillment |
| Monitor spend | Compare actual spending to contract limits |
| Get renewal status | Identify contracts expiring soon |
Spend Analytics
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| Analyze spend | Show total spending by category or supplier |
| Get savings | Calculate sourcing event cost reductions |
| Track trends | Analyze spending trends over time |
| Identify maverick spending | Find off-contract or unauthorized purchases |
| Consolidation analysis | Find opportunities to consolidate suppliers |
| Tail spend analysis | Identify high-transaction, low-value spending |
| Find duplicates | Locate duplicate or variant supplier records |
| Generate ROI report | Calculate procurement function ROI |
Category Management
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| Create category strategy | Define sourcing approach for a category |
| Read category | Get category details and metrics |
| Update category | Modify category strategy and status |
| List categories | Retrieve all categories with filtering |
| Market analysis | Research category market trends and pricing |
| Category plan | Set spend goals and sourcing initiatives |
| Identify suppliers | Find potential suppliers in a category |
| Category report | Generate category performance report |
Supplier Discovery
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| Search suppliers | Find suppliers by type, location, or capability |
| Find certified suppliers | Identify minority-owned or diversity suppliers |
| Verify certifications | Check supplier qualifications and credentials |
| Assessment questionnaire | Send qualification questionnaire to supplier |
| Review financials | Assess supplier financial stability |
| Assess capacity | Evaluate supplier capability and capacity |
| Supplier segmentation | Classify suppliers by strategic value or risk |
Procurement Collaboration
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| Send communication | Message bidders or suppliers during sourcing |
| Request information | Ask suppliers for clarifications or details |
| Share updates | Notify stakeholders of event status changes |
| Track negotiations | Log negotiation rounds and offers |
| Collect requirements | Gather business unit input for sourcing |
| Route for evaluation | Send to technical or business reviewers |
Compliance and Risk
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| Verify policy | Check contract compliance with procurement policies |
| Check clauses | Verify mandatory contract clause inclusion |
| Check authority | Validate approval authority against contract value |
| Check competition | Verify competitive bidding requirements met |
| Diversity tracking | Monitor diversity supplier spend commitments |
| Trade compliance | Verify trade and country of origin compliance |
| Sustainability | Track environmental and sustainability criteria |
| Generate audit log | Create sourcing event audit trail |
Reporting and Analytics
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| Pipeline report | Generate sourcing event pipeline summary |
| Active events | Show all active sourcing events by status |
| Time-to-award | Analyze sourcing cycle time metrics |
| Supplier report | Generate supplier performance dashboard |
| Spend analysis | Create supplier spending report |
| Contract report | List all contracts and expiration dates |
| Risk report | Show supplier and category risk indicators |
| Compliance report | Generate procurement compliance report |
Tips
Establish clear evaluation criteria before launching RFP events by defining weighted scoring criteria upfront so all evaluators use consistent standards and decisions are defensible.
Use supplier segmentation for tiered management by focusing intensive relationship management on strategic suppliers while using automated processes for transactional suppliers.
Monitor contract compliance continuously by tracking supplier performance against contract terms and obligations rather than waiting until renewal to identify issues.
Automate renewal notifications by setting up alerts for contracts expiring in 90, 60, and 30 days to allow adequate time for renegotiation or re-sourcing.
Leverage spend analytics for negotiations by using historical spend data and market intelligence during negotiations to support realistic pricing targets and value propositions.
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