Colorado Department of Personnel & Administration

COMPAS Newsletter - March 2026

Colorado Department of Personnel & Administration sent this bulletin at 03/12/2026 08:33 AM MDT

COMPAS NEWSLETTER

March 2026

Wooden blocks arranged to spell the word training on a table

End Users have Embarked on Training

Training for the payroll modernization project is in full swing! End users have been invited to complete web-based training and participate in virtual instructor-led sessions.

The project training team has deployed web-based modules covering COMPAS navigation (“Getting Started”), Position Control, Personnel Administration, and Paycheck Administration. End users with LXP access will see their assigned training directly within the platform. Those who do not work in the LXP have received an email with instructions to complete their training.

After completing their web-based modules, end users are prompted to register for corresponding virtual instructor-led practice sessions. This is where they will have the opportunity to try out system functions in the training environment.

This is a very exciting time for the project team as we begin offering more hands-on learning opportunities. We look forward to hearing your feedback and appreciate your continued time and engagement in our journey to replace CPPS!

Diverse group of people joining wooden gears together, symbolizing teamwork and collaboration

OIT Engagement with COMPAS

OIT continues to partner closely with the COMPAS team as work progresses to replace the State’s legacy mainframe payroll system with a modern, cloud-based solution. We recognize that many readers are interested in the project’s technical components, and we will begin providing monthly updates on these topics moving forward. Stay tuned for more!

WordWise

The COMPAS implementation introduces a new set of terminology that may be unfamiliar at first. That’s why we launched WordWise, a monthly segment designed to help you become fluent in COMPAS—one word at a time.

This month’s featured words: Pay Location and Work Location

COMPAS introduces two distinct location types that help entities maintain accurate organizational and reporting data.

A pay location identifies the administrative/payroll office associated with an employee’s state entity. COMPAS uses pay location primarily for internal reporting and sorting employees. Pay location codes match current mail stop codes in CPPS.

A work location identifies where an employee physically performs their job (including mobile or remote). Work location is used for emergency notifications and calculating mileage reimbursement. Work location codes are also populated from CPPS mail stop codes. If no work location is assigned, COMPAS will default to the employee’s pay location.

Here is an example for an employee whose administrative/payroll office is 1525 Sherman Avenue, but whose physical work location is IDS South Campus:

Pay Location: AAA-001

Work Location: AEA-032

These locations are separate from an employee’s address, which reflects where an employee lives. Even employees who work from home will have designated work and pay locations in COMPAS, which will differ from their home address. The employee’s address is used for tax reporting purposes.

Want to learn more? Visit the COMPAS Crosswalk for a glossary of terms and mappings from CPPS to COMPAS.

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Did you know that COMPAS now supports the creation of transactional data through spreadsheet uploads? If your entity processes large volumes of specific transactions, this feature is about to become your new best friend. Introducing UPDOCs—a powerful tool that lets authorized users upload structured Excel templates and automatically convert them into system transactions routed for review and approval.

UPDOCs is already making a big impact. Labor allocation SMEs across the state are using it to build their new Labor Distribution Profiles (LDPRs), which will replace accounting templates as the method for allocating payroll expenses. Many agencies have complex labor structures that require hundreds—or even thousands—of LDPRs. Instead of entering each profile manually, SMEs can now upload them in bulk. The time saved is significant, and our labor allocation specialists are doing a well-deserved “happy dance.”

And LDPRs are just the beginning! The COMPAS team is expanding UPDOC capabilities to support additional transaction types, including one-time payments, one-time deductions, and timesheet adjustments. More templates will be added as new business needs emerge, giving agencies even more flexibility in how they manage data entry.

Beyond speed, UPDOCs also help improve data accuracy by reducing the risk of manual-entry errors. It’s one of several new COMPAS features designed to help users work more efficiently, more accurately, and with greater confidence.

We’re excited to bring you tools like UPDOCS that reduce manual effort and free teams to focus on the work that matters most. Visit the UPDOCS page on the COMPAS website to learn more. And stay tuned — there’s much more to come!

We'd Love to Hear From You

Have ideas for future newsletter topics or office hours? Is there something you'd like to hear more about? We are all ears. Your feedback helps shape content that matters to you. SoC_COMPAS@state.co.us

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