Silent Install Workday OfficeConnect with SCCM / MECM

Deploy Workday OfficeConnect through Microsoft Configuration Manager (SCCM/MECM) with silent install switches, detection methods, and required user-rights handling.
Tags:
For admins & power users This is an IT admin / power-user task. Requires Microsoft Configuration Manager (the product formerly known as SCCM, now MECM) admin access and a working software distribution channel.

Microsoft Configuration Manager (MECM, formerly SCCM) is still the dominant on-prem software-deployment tool in many organizations. This guide packages Workday OfficeConnect as an Application in MECM, with silent install, supersedence-aware upgrade behavior, and reliable detection.

For Intune, see Intune Win32 Packaging. For tenant configuration after install, see Deploy Tenants via Registry.

What you’ll need

  • MECM admin access with Application creation rights
  • The latest Workday OfficeConnect installer (MSI or EXE) from your Workday community download
  • A distribution point that target devices can reach
  • A test machine with the MECM client healthy

Step 1 — Stage the installer in MECM source

1
Create a versioned source folder On your MECM source share: \\mecm-source\Apps\Workday\OfficeConnect\2026R1\ (use the OfficeConnect release version, not your internal app version). Drop the installer in.
2
Add a deployment script (optional)

For installers that need pre/post actions (registry tweaks, log capture), wrap the install in a PowerShell script:

# install-officeconnect.ps1
$ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"
$installer = Join-Path $PSScriptRoot "OfficeConnectSetup.exe"
Start-Process -FilePath $installer -ArgumentList "/quiet /norestart" -Wait -PassThru | Out-Null
exit $LASTEXITCODE

Otherwise, the installer can be called directly in the MECM install command.

Step 2 — Create the Application in MECM

3
Console → Software Library → Applications → Create Application Use the Manually specify the application information option (not the auto-detect from MSI, since the installer often does additional work the auto-detect misses).
4
Application Information
  • Name: Workday OfficeConnect 2026R1
  • Manufacturer: Workday
  • Software version: match the installer
  • Optional reference: internal Jira ticket or change number
5
Add a Deployment Type Type: Script Installer. Click Next.
6
Content settings
  • Content location: \\mecm-source\Apps\Workday\OfficeConnect\2026R1\
  • Persist content in client cache: unchecked unless you have a specific reason
7
Install command
OfficeConnectSetup.exe /quiet /norestart

Or if using the PowerShell wrapper:

powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File install-officeconnect.ps1

Uninstall command:

OfficeConnectSetup.exe /uninstall /quiet /norestart
8
Detection method

Add a detection rule based on the installed file:

  • Setting Type: File System
  • Type: File
  • Path: %ProgramFiles%\Adaptive Insights\OfficeConnect\
  • File or folder name: OfficeConnect.dll
  • Detection criteria: The file system setting must exist
  • Optionally add a version comparison if the DLL carries a version stamp matching the release

Avoid registry-based detection alone — registry keys for OfficeConnect aren’t fully reliable across versions.

9
User Experience
  • Installation behavior: Install for system
  • Logon requirement: Whether or not a user is logged on
  • Installation program visibility: Hidden
  • Maximum allowed run time: 30 minutes (generous)
  • Estimated installation time: 5 minutes
10
Requirements Add a requirement: Operating System is Windows 10 (64-bit) or Windows 11. Filter your collection separately if you have additional constraints.
11
Distribute content Right-click the application → Distribute Content → push to your distribution points.

Step 3 — Deploy

12
Right-click the application → Deploy Choose your target Collection (typically a Finance Users collection or a device-based collection for finance laptops).
13
Deployment settings
  • Action: Install
  • Purpose: Required (mandatory) for the primary rollout; Available for opt-in pilots
  • Schedule: As soon as possible (test deploys) or per a maintenance window
14
User experience
  • User notifications: Display in Software Center and only show notifications for computer restarts (avoid noisy popups)
  • Suppress device restarts: unchecked — OfficeConnect typically doesn’t require restart but the option keeps you safe

Step 4 — Handle upgrades with Supersedence

When the next OfficeConnect release ships:

15
Create the new version application Repeat Steps 1-2 for the new release in a new source folder (e.g., \\mecm-source\Apps\Workday\OfficeConnect\2026R2\).
16
Add the new version as a Supersedence On the new application’s properties → Supersedence tab → add the prior version. Set Uninstall = unchecked (let the new installer handle upgrade in-place).
17
Re-deploy Distribute and deploy the new version. MECM identifies machines with the old version and upgrades them on the next policy refresh.

Verify on a test machine

On the test machine:

18
Trigger Software Center policy refresh Open Configuration Manager Properties → Actions → Application Deployment Evaluation Cycle → Run Now.
19
Watch AppEnforce.log for the install execution Monitor C:\Windows\CCM\Logs\AppEnforce.log to confirm the install runs successfully.
20
Open Excel and verify the OfficeConnect tab Launch Excel on the test machine and confirm the OfficeConnect tab appears in the ribbon.

Common gotchas

  • Detection method too narrow: A registry-key-only detection often misses upgrade scenarios. File-based detection is more reliable.
  • User vs system install: If users complain OfficeConnect is missing despite the deploy succeeding, the installer may have run per-user instead of per-machine. See Per-User vs Per-Machine Install (coming soon).
  • Conflict with other Excel COM add-ins: A successful install on a machine that already has think-cell loaded can mask refresh failures — see think-cell Conflict.
  • Workday version compatibility: Make sure the version you’re deploying is accepted by your Workday tenant. See the Version Compatibility Matrix.

Result

Workday OfficeConnect deploys silently across MECM-managed devices, upgrades cleanly on each release via supersedence, and is detected reliably on subsequent inventories.

Next steps

Last modified May 19, 2026: Rename 'Get Started' section to 'Wiki' site-wide (6ebea16d)