The multi-year foundational phase (2017–2023) focused on planning, outreach, and procurement to modernize Massachusetts’ state operations.
Beginning with the establishment of the Advisory Committee and Program Management Office (PMO) in 2017, the program progressed through research, stakeholder visioning, and agency outreach.
Between 2021 and 2022, the initiative moved from Requests for Response (RFR) into active procurement for financial management and general ledger functionalities, ultimately concluding with a signed agreement and the selection of CGI as the Phase 1 partner in 2023.
Phase 1 – MMARS to Mosaic
BEST Program Phase 1 focused on the replacement of the Commonwealth’s core financial system of record, MMARS, with a modern cloud-based financial management and general ledger solution named Mosaic.
Beginning with its project kickoff in early 2024 and partnership with CGI, this phase involved extensive business requirements validation, configuration sprints, user acceptance testing, and comprehensive agency training. This ultimately resulted in the successful go-live of Mosaic in February 2026 to streamline daily financial operations and user experiences statewide.
Phase 2 – HR/CMS to Workday
Phase 2 of the BEST Program is dedicated to replacing the legacy Human Resources and Compensation Management System (HR/CMS) by focusing on modern Human Capital Management (HCM) and payroll functionalities.
In 2024, this phase advanced with the release of a Request for Proposal (RFR) for software and systems integration services, leading to a robust evaluation and procurement process. In April 2026, the Commonwealth selected a joint Accenture-Workday proposal as the Apparent Successful Bidder (ASB) to serve as the Commonwealth’s implementation partners and solution vendors.
The project is currently underway, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts anticipates a rollout in early 2028.
