HRchitect Tech Vendor News: Cineplex Entertainment Leverages Ultimate Software’s UltiPro to Provide 11,000-Employee Workforce with HCM Technology

WESTON, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Ultimate Software (NASDAQ: ULTI) announced today that Cineplex Entertainment (“Cineplex”), one of Canada’s largest entertainment companies, is bringing a range of benefits to its large population of employees by leveraging Ultimate’s easy-to-use technology, enterprise integration tools, and partnership with Ultimate for human capital management (HCM).

In addition to operating 161 theatres with 1,630 screens in all 10 Canadian provinces, Cineplex operates numerous businesses, including food services, gaming, alternative programming, Cineplex Media, Cineplex Digital Solutions, the online sale of home entertainment content through CineplexStore.com, and apps embedded in various electronic devices.

Before using Ultimate’s UltiPro solution, the Toronto-based company was using an HRMS legacy system that had limited reporting capabilities, which in turn created redundancies and excessive work for the HR and payroll teams. The system provided service to only a portion of the company’s 11,000 employees, which added to its unique business complexities because Cineplex’s large workforce is predominantly part-time, as well as dispersed across more than 100 locations.

Executives at Cineplex wanted HCM technology that is easy for employees to use and access, that integrates well with its other third-party systems, and that would enable its HR and payroll teams to spend more time enhancing the customer experience and impacting the business—rather than completing administrative tasks or processing data. Since going live on cloud-based UltiPro in 2012, the company is now better managing the human resource complexities related to its people operations, easily consolidating workforce data from multiple solutions, and reducing the time and effort that had been burdening its HR teams.

According to Heather Briant, senior vice president of human resources at Cineplex, the entertainment company is very pleased with UltiPro and particularly appreciates the instant, 24-7 accessibility to information that managers and employees now have.

“Our business is comprised of more than 11,000 employees who are located from coast to coast, and only about 10% are at a desk. Plus, our company is made up of very diverse people who have differing skills and needs, and it’s a testament to UltiPro’s easy-to-use interface that both our managers and our employees use and like the technology,” said Briant. “In addition to seeing a high-adoption rate among our people, we have been able to make tremendous reductions in our use of paper, and we’ve automated many manual transactions. Plus, soon we will be delivering electronically about 15,000 T4s. The speed and accuracy with UltiPro is an immense advantage for us.”

Information from third-party applications and vendors can be accurately transmitted in and out of UltiPro with ease. Teams at Cineplex can control how and when the company’s people data is transferred from one system to another. And, unlike many systems, UltiPro’s enterprise integration tools require no custom coding, so Cineplex doesn’t have to work with an outside consultant or take time away from its busy IT staff. By setting up these automatic, virtually transparent integrations, the company’s teams also don’t have to manually enter data and they can instantly report on any of the data points that are stored in UltiPro.

“We like the higher level of functionality that we now have with UltiPro, and working with Ultimate Software’s people also has been a very positive experience,” said Briant. “Ultimate understands the value of long-term relationships, and it’s clear its people are dedicated to our success. Having a reliable, collaborative HCM provider is important to us.”

“Immediate access to employee information and easy-to-use, seamless technology are crucial for business success, especially when a company has an extremely large and diverse group of employees. With UltiPro, Cineplex is consolidating and managing all of its workforce information in one cloud solution,” said Greg Swick, chief sales officer at Ultimate Software. “We very pleased that Cineplex has improved its HCM operations with UltiPro, and we look forward to supporting its overall business with our deep commitment to a successful partnership.”

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To learn more about HRchitect and how we can help your organization, please visit www.HRchitect.com. HRchitect is the leader in HR systems strategic consulting.  As the premier Human Capital Management (HCM) Systems consulting firm, we offer end-to-end HR technology consulting services focused around strategic planning, evaluation/selection, project management and implementation of HR systems, Talent Management Systems, Talent Acquisition Systems, and Workforce Management software. After more than 16 years in business working on over 2000 successful engagements for more than 900 clients across the globe, HRchitect is a name you can trust as your one-stop shop for all your HR technology consulting needs.

Matt Lafata, HRchitect

HRchitect Tech Vendor News: Healthcare Products Manufacturer Leverages Ultimate Software’s UltiPro for Unified Human Capital Management, Overall Business Efficiencies

WESTON, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Ultimate Software (Nasdaq: ULTI), a leading cloud provider of people management solutions, announced today that Octapharma Plasma, a U.S.-based subsidiary of Octapharma AG, one of the world’s largest plasma products manufacturers, is leveraging the UltiPro solution to support rapid expansion, deliver strategic business intelligence to executives and managers, and achieve a range of companywide business benefits.

Octapharma Plasma, Inc. owns and operates plasma collection centers throughout the U.S. and its services are critical to the development of life-saving patient therapies used by thousands of patients all over the world. Previously, the company used multiple systems, including a payroll service bureau, to manage its 2,300 employees, but its HR, payroll, and benefits teams experienced too many restrictions to effectively handle increasing expansion.

“We were very frustrated with the limited capabilities of the service bureau, and our multiple interfaces did not ‘talk’ to each other. Plus, we have been acquiring new companies, and the disparate processes that we had been using could not support our growth. Our work was way too manually intensive,” said Aurora Smith, payroll supervisor at Octapharma Plasma. “We went live with UltiPro in July 2012 as our single, unified solution for our HCM, and right away we were able to reduce administration, deliver time savings, and increase productivity for our teams.”

One primary business advantage that Octapharma Plasma has experienced is the real-time reporting and strategic analytics that are delivered with UltiPro’s business intelligence capabilities. Octapharma Plasma’s teams can instantly pull data across all areas of HCM—HR, payroll, time and attendance, compensation, recruitment, compliance, year-end, and more—to create, modify, and distribute workforce-related reports and notifications. Because the security in UltiPro’s end-to-end platform is unified, Octapharma Plasma does not have to maintain multiple security systems. Executives, managers, and HR-related teams view only the reports they are authorized to access based on specific security profiles.

“We love the reporting functionality in UltiPro. It’s so user-friendly, and we can deliver any kind of report that is asked of us from executives or managers. The level of details, flexibility, and instant, 24-7 access that we now have with UltiPro was not available to us with the payroll service bureau or the multiple systems we had been using,” said Smith. “UltiPro Business Intelligence has been key to supporting our strategic expansion. Our managers have the ability to quickly and accurately assess the productivity of their teams, and our executives are better at analyzing labor costs. Plus, we are eliminating a great deal of paper usage and, as a result, we are seeing both time-and costs-savings.”

With its continued plans for expansion, Octapharma Plasma is also benefiting from UltiPro Onboarding—web functionality that automates and simplifies the process of assimilating new employees into its organization. The HR team can configure welcome packages for targeted employees by job or location; automate tactical logistics; standardize new hire forms and procedures; ensure compliance with up-to-date federal and state forms as well as verification of the employee’s authorization to work in the U.S.; proactively assign provisioning tasks throughout the organization; send automatic notifications to managers and HR teams to monitor the status of new hire activities; and more.

“Getting new employees set up in our company is so much more efficient and seamless with UltiPro. All the logistics, details, and communications are completed very easily,” said Smith. “By providing a positive experience for our newest employees, we have seen a range of business benefits—such as an increase in employee satisfaction, productivity, and engagement as well as reduced labor costs and administration for our HR teams.”

“Ultimate’s cloud technology has added significant value to our overall business. All of our teams are happier, and our executives are thrilled with the business results.”

“When customers that had been relying on multiple systems for their HCM operations move to UltiPro, they are often amazed at the breadth of business intelligence and analytics that can be accessed immediately with UltiPro,” said Greg Swick, chief sales officer at Ultimate Software. “We’re very pleased that Octapharma Plasma is seeing notable business benefits across its organization by leveraging our unified HCM solution, and we look forward to supporting its people with flexible, powerful technology as the company stays on course for more expansion.”

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To learn more about HRchitect and how we can help your organization, please visit www.HRchitect.com. HRchitect is the leader in HR systems strategic consulting.  As the premier Human Capital Management (HCM) Systems consulting firm, we offer end-to-end HR technology consulting services focused around strategic planning, evaluation/selection, project management and implementation of HR systems, Talent Management Systems, Talent Acquisition Systems, and Workforce Management software. After more than 16 years in business working on over 2000 successful engagements for more than 900 clients across the globe, HRchitect is a name you can trust as your one-stop shop for all your HR technology consulting needs.

Matt Lafata, HRchitect

HRchitect Tech Vendor News: 14,000-EMPLOYEE RETAILER ENHANCES TALENT MANAGEMENT WITH ULTIMATE SOFTWARE’S ULTIPRO

Ultimate Software (Nasdaq:ULTI), a leading cloud provider of people management solutions, announced today that The Pantry, Inc., the largest convenience store chain in the Southeastern U.S., has improved HR and payroll processes, enhanced talent acquisition, and streamlined its onboarding experience with Ultimate Software’s UltiPro.

Headquartered in Cary, NC, The Pantry operates approximately 1,560 stores in thirteen states under select banners, including Kangaroo Express®, its primary operating banner. Previously, the company used a homegrown AS400 Legacy system to manage its human capital management (HCM) alongside multiple systems and spreadsheets. Challenged by integrating legacy systems and a growing distributed workforce, The Pantry’s leadership began to look for enhanced HR technology with features that would organize and strengthen the entire people management process. The Pantry selected UltiPro for its cloud-based end-to-end HR, payroll, and talent management functionality and went live on UltiPro in January 2013.

“Our previous system had been customized so much that it limited opportunities for improvements,” said Heather Clawson, HRIT manager at The Pantry. “UltiPro’s payroll capabilities are strong and employee data moves easily across all areas of HCM, from recruitment to onboarding to payroll. We also chose UltiPro for its ease of use, strategic reporting tools, and its ability to integrate well with other applications which are all important to our business. UltiPro has helped us better integrate the systems and improve processes. ”

Delivered in the cloud, UltiPro provides businesses with end-to-end HCM functionality, including HR, payroll, benefits, recruitment, onboarding, performance management and reviews, succession planning, career development, time and attendance, and 24-7 access to information for managers and employees. The Pantry now has one system of record to consolidate and manage workforce information, supported with cohesive business intelligence for fast, and extensive, reporting and analysis.

“UltiPro has strengthened and simplified our HR operations and made them much smoother,” said Clawson. “Now with UltiPro, we’re completely paper-free for our recruitment and onboarding.”

With UltiPro Onboarding, The Pantry is expediting the transition process for new employees. Preliminary new hire information captured during recruitment can be used to pre-populate required forms. This saves time for managers and HR staff, eliminates duplicate data entry, and improves the overall experience for everyone involved. Via a secure Web portal, new hires are guided step-by-step through the completion process. A legal ‘click signature’ feature makes the entire process paperless. Completed forms then are encrypted and stored in an electronic document repository.

“UltiPro Onboarding is a huge win for our business because it expedites time to productivity, puts more control in the employees’ hands, and reduces administrative time and costs.,” says Clawson.

In addition to the UltiPro solution’s capabilities, The Pantry also cites Ultimate’s support services as a primary advantage. According to Clawson, The Pantry’s teams and Ultimate worked diligently during the complex activation, including extensive planning, analysis, and project management; configuration and testing; historical and current data conversion; standard interface development; and more.

“The rollout of UltiPro was a positive, collaborative experience to deploy technology that handles every scope of HCM. We have been impressed with Ultimate’s support services throughout.

“Without a doubt, unified, end-to-end HCM is the optimal way to achieve efficiencies and elevate productivity to best support your people, especially for businesses like The Pantry that have thousands of employees, dispersed locations, and goals for more expansion,” said Greg Swick, chief sales officer at Ultimate Software. “We’re excited that UltiPro has provided this very successful retailer with powerful technology that is significantly improving its HRprocesses, and we look forward to a long, rewarding business relationship as we both grow in the future.”

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To learn more about HRchitect and how we can help your organization, please visit www.HRchitect.com. HRchitect is the leader in HR systems strategic consulting.  As the premier Human Capital Management (HCM) Systems consulting firm, we offer end-to-end HR technology consulting services focused around strategic planning, evaluation/selection, project management and implementation of HR systems, Talent Management Systems, Talent Acquisition Systems, and Workforce Management software. After more than 16 years in business working on over 2000 successful engagements for more than 900 clients across the globe, HRchitect is a name you can trust as your one-stop shop for all your HR technology consulting needs.

Matt Lafata, HRchitect

HRchitect’s HRtechnology Vendor News: Ultimate Software’s UltiPro Supports Substantial Growth and Streamlines Complex Reporting for Healthcare Organization

HRchitect includes Ultimate Software in our list of top HRIS vendors that organizations should consider. If you are looking for a new Human Capital Management (HCM) System, don’t rely solely on “recommendations” or published reports. Do yourself a huge favor and talk to HRchitect first. After 16 years, HRchitect has unparalleled knowledge of the HR, Talent Management and Workforce Management vendor community and can save you time and money in selection and implementation. Simply put, do not invest in any kind of HR technology without consulting with the experts first. HRchitect is always available to help!

Ultimate Software (Nasdaq: ULTI), a leading cloud provider of people management solutions, recently announced that Healogics, Inc., the largest provider of wound care and related disease management in the U.S., is facilitating growth, improving complex workforce reporting, and streamlining its human capital management by leveraging the cloud-based UltiPro solution.

After executives at Healogics finalized an acquisition between the market leaders in November 2011, Payroll Manager Aimee Morgan began integrating the new employees into the company’s processes, including UltiPro. Morgan had joined the healthcare company five years earlier and assisted with the migration to UltiPro from a payroll service bureau. In 2007, Healogics had deployed UltiPro for core HR and payroll in approximately 90 days and then rolled out the solution’s functionality for recruitment, onboarding, performance management, salary planning, and time and attendance. Based on Ultimate’s proven track record with its support services, Morgan knew she could quickly assimilate the new employees into the UltiPro solution.

“With the recent acquisition, we increased our employee base by 50% and had all the new employees live on UltiPro in about 30 days, which is an immense achievement for us,” said Morgan. “UltiPro played an important role in helping us manage the transition smoothly, and today we’re the largest provider of wound care and related disease management in the U.S. We knew we could count on Ultimate Software and UltiPro for the right technology and the right support during this critical period of expansion.”

Healogics has complex HCM requirements related to its unique business model, which includes thousands of employees in more than 500 of its Wound Care Centers^® as well as contract workers, temporary workers, and hospital employees. With a diverse workforce in a range of categories, the company needs to develop strategic workforce analytics on each of its locations to make important business decisions that impact the bottom line.

“Because of UltiPro’s flexibility and configurability, we can include all the individuals who work at our Wound Care Centers in our HCM solution—not just the 2,000 employees on our payroll,” said Morgan. “Because UltiPro provides us with high levels of visibility and accuracy, our teams can identify how many nurses it takes to run a specific Wound Care Center and we can report on every person who is working at each of our facilities. We also can give non-employees access to our UltiPro portal that includes a range of company information, which is very helpful in delivering communications to everyone across our organization.”

Because people-related information is unified in UltiPro, Healogics can easily gather critical business intelligence for people-focused decision making. “With UltiPro, we can quickly report on and deliver the average turnover by location or role, and instantly pull up whatever metrics we need to make sure that our operations are efficient and productive and that we have the best people in place,” said Morgan. “The configurability, ease of use, and power of UltiPro enables us to make an impact on our entire business.”

To streamline administration, Healogics is leveraging UltiPro to automate many processes that used to require significant paper usage, hours of manually intensive effort, and other resources that were costly and inefficient. With UltiPro, workflow processes like managing time and attendance are faster and more accurate than ever.

“Everyone, including our CEO, uses UltiPro to manage their time, and we’ve had such a positive response from our employees and managers,” said Morgan. “Within 20 minutes of being hired, new hires can have a time sheet. And if something changes for an employee, like he or she moves to a different team or terminates, we immediately see the change made in every area across the solution, which eliminates redundant data entry and the potential for errors. With UltiPro, we’ve achieved huge gains in efficiencies.”

According to Morgan, Ultimate’s customer service also ranks very highly. “Ultimate’s customer service is fantastic. Ultimate’s people are very knowledgeable, responsive, and friendly,” said Morgan. “Everyone I’ve met at Ultimate Software is ready to help and support us. You can tell Ultimate’s employees are happy to work for the company.”

“We’re very glad that we are adding value to Healogics and contributing to the success of its overall business,” said Greg Swick, chief sales officer at Ultimate Software. “The HR and payroll teams have done a wonderful job in setting up UltiPro to meet its unique business requirements, and they are truly taking advantage of UltiPro’s power and flexibility to add strategic value, automate and streamline processes, and improve the employee experience for the company’s thousands of employees.”

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To learn more about HRchitect and how we can help your organization, please visit www.HRchitect.com. HRchitect is the leader in HR systems strategic consulting.  As the premier Human Capital Management (HCM) Systems consulting firm, we offer end-to-end HR technology consulting services focused around strategic planning, evaluation/selection, project management and implementation of HR systems, Talent Management Systems, Talent Acquisition Systems, and Workforce Management software. After more than 16 years in business working on over 2000 successful engagements for more than 900 clients across the globe, HRchitect is a name you can trust as your one-stop shop for all your HR technology consulting needs.

Matt Lafata, HRchitect

Ultimate Software Ranks in Top 100 on the 2012 InformationWeek 500 List…from Ultimate Software

 

HRchitect includes Ultimate Software in our list of top HRIS vendors that organizations should consider. If you are looking for a new Talent Management System, or any HR system, don’t rely solely on “recommendations” or published reports. Do yourself a huge favor and talk to HRchitect first. After 15 years, HRchitect has unparalleled knowledge of the HR and Talent Management vendor community and can save you time and money in selection and implementation. Simply put, do not invest in any kind of HR technology without consulting with the experts first. HRchitect is always available to help!

 

Ultimate Software (Nasdaq: ULTI), a leading cloud provider of people management solutions, today announced that it ranked among the top 100 on this year’s InformationWeek 500 — a list of the top technology innovators in the U.S.

The annual list was revealed last night at a gala awards ceremony at the InformationWeek 500 Conference, which took place at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point, CA. This was Ultimate’s first year applying for and being named to the exclusive list.

InformationWeek identifies and honors the most innovative users of information technology in the U.S. with its annual 500 listing as well as tracks the technology, strategies, investments, and administrative practices of America’s best-known companies. Past companies ranked in the Top 100 have included FedEx, Intuit, Marriott International, Monster Worldwide, Dell, Verizon Wireless, Coca-Cola Enterprises, Salesforce.com, and Google. The InformationWeek 500 ranking is unique among corporate rankings as it spotlights the power of innovation in information technology rather than simply identifying the biggest IT spenders.

“To be successful in today’s technology climate, we must constantly innovate,” said Adam Rogers, senior vice president and chief technology officer at Ultimate Software. “We work very hard to continually reinvent ourselves and introduce leading-edge technology innovation into our strategy, products, and services,so we are extremely honored to receive this validation and recognition of our efforts from InformationWeek.”

One of the successes featured in Ultimate Software’s submission was a unique technology initiative called “48 Hours,” which is based on sharing concepts within a collaborative environment and facilitating the emergence of new innovation within a specific period of time. Employees, working as teams or as individuals, have two full days to develop an idea of their choice without restrictions, and then present them in a showcase that is open to all Ultimate employees. Participants then vote on their favorite concept. Many ideas that have grown from the 48 Hours initiative either have been implemented directly or have inspired other successful ideas.

“Our 48 Hours program has resulted in many innovative ideas that are yielding measureable benefits for Ultimate’s business as well as for Ultimate’s customers,” said Rogers. “The program has created synergies, increased creative output, and built motivation and collaboration within our teams.”

“The InformationWeek 500 has recognized the most innovative users of business technology for 24 years, and this year’s innovations were particularly impressive,” said InformationWeek Editor In Chief Rob Preston. “What the editors looked for are unconventional approaches — new technologies, new models, new ways of grabbing business opportunities and solving complex business problems with IT.”

Additional details on the InformationWeek 500 can be found at www.informationweek.com/iw500.

For more information on Ultimate Software, please visit www.ultimatesoftware.com

 

To learn more about HRchitect and how we can help your organization, please visit www.HRchitect.com. HRchitect is the leader in HR systems strategic consulting.  As the premier Human Capital Management (HCM) and Talent Management Systems consulting firm, we offer end-to-end HR technology consulting services focused around strategic planning, evaluation/selection, project management and implementation of HR systems, Talent Management Systems, Talent Acquisition Systems, and Workforce Management software. After more than 15 years in business working on over 2000 successful engagements for more than 900 clients across the globe, HRchitect is a name you can trust as your one-stop shop for all your HR technology consulting needs.

 
Matt Lafata, HRchitect

Rapidly Expanding Franchisee Chooses Ultimate Software’s Cloud Technology for People Management…from Ultimate Software

 

HRchitect includes Ultimate Software in our list of top HRIS vendors that organizations should consider. If you are looking for a new Talent Management System, or any HR system, don’t rely solely on “recommendations” or published reports. Do yourself a huge favor and talk to HRchitect first. After 15 years, HRchitect has unparalleled knowledge of the HR and Talent Management vendor community and can save you time and money in selection and implementation. Simply put, do not invest in any kind of HR technology without consulting with the experts first. HRchitect is always available to help!

 

Ultimate Software (Nasdaq:ULTI), a leading cloud provider of people management solutions, announced today that Henley Enterprises, the largest Valvoline Instant Oil Change franchisee in the U.S., has selected Ultimate’s UltiPro for its advanced HCM functionality, scalability, and value to the business.

Headquartered in Massachusetts, Henley Enterprises is a privately held company that owns and operates Valvoline Instant Oil Change service centers, AAMCO Transmission shops, and a transmission remanufacturing plant. Since its inception in 1989 with a single location in Somerville, MA, the company has experienced remarkable expansion through construction of new facilities as well as acquisitions. Now a coast-to-coast operation, Henley employs more than 2,000 associates, working in more than 200 facilities across 12 states.

“Our company is experiencing tremendous growth. We realized that our systems for HR and payroll were old, fragmented, and split among multiple vendors,” said Matt Kimble, director of human resources at Henley Enterprises. “Our business needed one HCM system of record to handle the expansion, deliver state-of-the-art cloud technology, and support our employees in dispersed locations.” After evaluating several vendors, executives at Henley Enterprises chose Ultimate’s UltiPro solution in March 2012.

“Ultimate’s cloud solution is a great fit for the areas that we identified as critical to our business: comprehensive HCM functionality, ease of use for employees, and a per-employee-per-month pricing structure,” said Kimble. “Our company will continue to grow at a dynamic pace, and we like that all of our needs for people management are covered under one centralized platform. We should see cost savings fall to the bottom line through UltiPro’s full functionality suite.”

When businesses must quickly adapt to fluctuations, UltiPro’s flexibility and rich reporting capabilities can be instrumental for HR and payroll teams that manage a variety of labor changes, including acquisitions that involve individuals with different benefit providers, accruals, and pay types. Because UltiPro enables companies to quickly add new large numbers of employees to the payroll, businesses like Henley Enterprises easily adapt to a changing business climate.

“Like so many other businesses in growth mode, Henley Enterprises is turning to Ultimate because of its reputation in delivering cloud services, end-to-end HCM functionality, and rapid time to value,” said Greg Swick, chief sales officer at Ultimate Software. “Business growth doesn’t have to be painful or costly when you have a technology solution like UltiPro that streamlines people management, increases communication and collaboration, and aligns employee performance with strategic objectives. We’re very happy that our new partnership will help Henley Enterprises more effectively manage its expansion so it can achieve better business results.”

For more information on Ultimate Software, please visit www.ultimatesoftware.com

To learn more about HRchitect and how we can help your organization, please visit www.HRchitect.com. HRchitect is the leader in HR systems strategic consulting.  As the premier Human Capital Management (HCM) and Talent Management Systems consulting firm, we offer end-to-end HR technology consulting services focused around strategic planning, evaluation/selection, project management and implementation of HR systems, Talent Management Systems, Talent Acquisition Systems, and Workforce Management software. After more than 15 years in business working on over 1800 successful engagements for more than 800 clients across the globe, HRchitect is a name you can trust as your one-stop shop for all your HR technology consulting needs.

 
Matt Lafata, HRchitect

Ultimate Software Extends Global HCM, Talent Management Configurability with Spring 2012 Release…from Ultimate Software

 

Delivers major advances in payroll processing performance for very large organizations and announces new partnerships

 

HRchitect includes Ultimate Software in our list of top HRIS vendors that organizations should consider. If you are looking for a new Talent Management System, or any HR system, don’t rely solely on “recommendations” or published reports. Do yourself a huge favor and talk to HRchitect first. After 15 years, HRchitect has unparalleled knowledge of the HR and Talent Management vendor community and can save you time and money in selection and implementation. Simply put, do not invest in any kind of HR technology without consulting with the experts first. HRchitect is always available to help!

 

Ultimate Software (Nasdaq: ULTI), a leading cloud provider of people management solutions, announced recently that all of its SaaS customers are live on the UltiPro Spring 2012 release. Highlights of the Spring 2012 release include expanded global HCM capabilities, significant advances in payroll processing speed for very large organizations, more configurable talent management for richer employee performance management, extended business intelligence, and the announcement of several new additions to the Ultimate Partner Network.

 

Expanded Global HCM Capabilities

HCM enhancements in the Spring 2012 release focus on enabling broader self-service options for employees worldwide. In addition to fundamental capabilities such as managing core HR and benefits information, global HCMenhancements in the Spring 2012 release include configurable business processes for common employee information changes, such as personal name or address. The release also delivers standard new-hire Web Services, making it simple for organizations to extend global employee data and business processes to other on-premise and cloud applications.

 

Payroll Performance

With large enterprises increasingly turning to SaaS for HCM and payroll solutions, Ultimate has continued to lead the industry with new levels of performance, speed, and response time for processing complex payroll calculations in the cloud. UltiPro Spring 2012 delivers:

 

• A more than 600% increase in payroll processing speed for very large payrolls (more than 100,000 employees)
• Increased performance of Time Management connectivity, delivering up to 90% faster importing of payroll processing data, such as hours, earnings, and deductions for very large payrolls

 

Configurable Talent Management

UltiPro’s Spring 2012 release added new talent management configurability that allows organizations to deploy talent management approaches that are tailored to the needs of their people and teams. New capabilities include:

 

• New talent assessment options — Providing the ability to base performance assessments on contributions and impact, for example, rather than simply numeric scales. Organizations can measure performance with key terms, competencies, goals, and other measures to adapt performance management to their unique needs.
• Greater assessment flexibility — Allowing a manager or an employee to add additional commentary to a review beyond structured goal and competency content.
• Visual people search — UltiPro Succession Management now provides a consumer-style comparison of employees that includes key skills, experience, assessments, and other related information — designed to help leaders make informed decisions about employee capabilities and readiness for future roles in the organization.

 

Extended Business Intelligence

UltiPro Spring 2012 includes additional delivered reports and analytics to better help customers connect their people data to critical business decisions. The Spring 2012 release includes expanded business intelligence such as:

 

• New standard total compensation statements, which can be tailored to the unique needs of an organization, to facilitate communication of overall benefits and compensation to employees
• Predictive analytics to help customers forecast crucial workforce trends, including employee retention
• New delivered reports and analytics for succession management, career development, talent assessment, and global HR

 

“We continue to see organizations with more complex, global needs and larger employee populations choosing Ultimate’s solutions,” said Cecile Alper-Leroux, vice president of product strategy and development at Ultimate. “Across all of them, the common theme is a focus on people — more streamlined administration, increased visibility into data, more personalized employee performance management. These requirements are at the center of our Spring 2012 release, as we expand our capabilities for supporting large, complex organizations comprised of people working around the world.”

Additions to the Ultimate Partner Network

In Spring 2012, Ultimate added several partners to the Ultimate Partner Network, aimed at providing our customers with technologies, products, and services that allow them to extend the value of UltiPro to better integrate with their business ecosystem.

Yammer

In March 2012, Ultimate announced a partnership with Yammer, a leading provider of Enterprise Social Networks, that provides integration between the Yammer activity stream Ticker and UltiPro Performance Management. Ultimate’s Yammer connector will be delivered as part of the UltiPro Summer 2012 release.

Ping Identity

In April 2012, Ultimate and Ping Identity announced a partnership enabling Ultimate’s customers to select PingOne™ and PingFederate® to provide users with a secure, cloud-based single sign-on (SSO) connection to UltiPro and other business applications. Ping Identity’s solutions are now available directly from Ultimate as an option in the customer’s SaaS subscription.

CERTPOINT

CERTPOINT is a recognized leader in Learning Management Systems (LMS), and Ultimate and CERTPOINT have partnered to offer Ultimate customers a pre-packaged integration to connect CERTPOINT Learning Management to the UltiPro system-of-record for seamless connection between the learning management and core HCM data.

Informatica

Ultimate has been supporting connectivity between SaaS HCM and other solutions since 2002. Ultimate currently manages more than 8,000 unique integrations among its customers HCM instances, on-premise solutions, benefits providers, and other cloud-based systems. Ultimate has partnered with Informatica, leveraging the company’s industry-leading data integration platform to make connectivity even more flexible, reliable, and efficient — providing Ultimate’s customers with state-of-the-art capabilities for connecting and leveraging people data across their organizations.

For more information on Ultimate Software, please visit www.ultimatesoftware.com

To learn more about HRchitect and how we can help your organization, please visit www.HRchitect.com. HRchitect is the leader in HR systems strategic consulting.  As the premier Human Capital Management (HCM) and Talent Management Systems consulting firm, we offer end-to-end HR technology consulting services focused around strategic planning, evaluation/selection, project management and implementation of HR systems, Talent Management Systems, Talent Acquisition Systems, and Workforce Management software. After more than 15 years in business working on over 1800 successful engagements for more than 800 clients across the globe, HRchitect is a name you can trust as your one-stop shop for all your HR technology consulting needs.

 
Matt Lafata, HRchitect

3,500-Employee Hospitality Company Transforms People Management for North American Workforce with UltiPro…from Ultimate Software

 

Concord Hospitality Introduces New HCM Practices with UltiPro

 

HRchitect includes Ultimate Software in our list of top HRIS vendors that organizations should consider. If you are looking for a new Talent Management System, or any HR system, don’t rely solely on “recommendations” or published reports. Do yourself a huge favor and talk to HRchitect first. After 15 years, HRchitect has unparalleled knowledge of the HR and Talent Management vendor community and can save you time and money in selection and implementation. Simply put, do not invest in any kind of HR technology without consulting with the experts first. HRchitect is always available to help!

 

Ultimate Software (Nasdaq: ULTI), a leading cloud provider of people management solutions, announced today that Concord Hospitality Enterprises Company, a hotel management and development company with a portfolio that includes more than 80 hotels across the U.S. and Canada, has transformed its people-facing practices since deploying the UltiPro solution.

Concord Hospitality operates its hotels and resorts under such well-known brands as Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, Starwood, and Choice Hotels. After Debra Punke moved into the role of vice president of human resources, she realized she had an opportunity, with the right technology, to deliver business efficiencies while impacting the company’s relationships with future and current employees. Since activating UltiPro in July 2011, Punke and HR Director Mark Gifford have unified their companywide people management processes and improved the way the company connects with its workforce.

“The very first contact new associates have with Concord is through UltiPro, and it’s our primary method of employee interaction throughout the complete employee lifespan,” said Punke. “UltiPro has given us tools for more communication with applicants and improved collaboration between HR and hiring managers about open positions. Before UltiPro, we had 80 individual business units in the U.S. and Canada with different methods and processes for talent acquisition. Today, we are operating as one unified, synchronized business. The streamlined process with UltiPro is faster and repeatable. The overall result is we can identify and hire new associates more quickly than before, and the new hires already know a little about Concord and our culture before they have ever begun. UltiPro helps us present a much better first impression of our company.”

After being hired by Concord, employees use UltiPro to learn about the businesses processes that impact them and prepare for work. Using an online onboarding package that Concord can configure, new employees follow a step-by-step guide through the orientation process, including the completion of required government and procedural forms. UltiPro also helps manage logistical details before new employees arrive for the first day of work. Automated task notification with built-in reminders ensures a documented, auditable process — eliminating the need for HR to track down colleagues and vendors to confirm the right provisioning has been set up for the new hire.

For example, IT can be alerted to provide a computer with network access, and facilities can be notified to assign a work station and order a telephone for the new employee. Tasks can also be assigned to external vendors, such as a business card vendor or cell phone provider. By providing a positive onboarding experience for its employees, Concord Hospitality is enhancing engagement within the organization while reducing labor costs and saving time for HR staff.

“Before UltiPro, the onboarding process was rather unstructured, different from location to location, and mostly manual,” said Gifford. “By using UltiPro to quickly onboard our associates, we’re able to make them productive more rapidly, notify everyone who is impacted by the arrival of the new employee, and conduct this process very professionally and consistently.”

Concord’s thousands of employees in North America now rely on UltiPro to access their personal HR information and to initiate changes to their selections for benefits, direct deposit, beneficiaries, and more. “We have used other systems, but our employees have really bought into UltiPro because it’s very easy to use,” said Gifford. “We think adoption for Ultimate’s technology is high because our employees find UltiPro is actually beneficial to them. It truly is a people solution, not just another piece of software.”

By using UltiPro as its single solution of record to manage its people, Concord’s executives, HR team, and managers now have the advantage of complete visibility into employee information, which can be used to evaluate and improve productivity, monitor and control manpower costs, and even make forecasts about future trends or Concord’s workforce.

“We believe it’s important to use a centralized approach for HR, benefits, and payroll, especially for a business like ours with a large workforce in many locations,” said Gifford. “The comprehensive data in UltiPro combined with its flexible reporting tools allows me to have a business impact because I can slice and dice analytics and then deliver useful data for decision-making.”

“When HR makes a change in systems, it doesn’t just affect HR,” said Greg Swick, chief sales officer at Ultimate Software. “The tasks and actions that have traditionally been associated with HR are now being managed by stakeholders throughout the organization, and UltiPro was designed with this shift in mind. We have created people technology that is easy to use and navigate. And we provide HR teams and executives with the power of holistic HCM information to help them sustain and grow their business. Concord Hospitality is a great example of a company that recognizes how the latest technologies can increase employee engagement and productivity, and then add value to the overall business.”

View more of Concord Hospitality’s comments on Ultimate and its technology athttp://youtu.be/OWdD1rQq1n4

For more information on Ultimate Software, please visit www.ultimatesoftware.com

To learn more about HRchitect and how we can help your organization, please visit www.HRchitect.com. HRchitect is the leader in HR systems strategic consulting.  As the premier Human Capital Management (HCM) and Talent Management Systems consulting firm, we offer end-to-end HR technology consulting services focused around strategic planning, evaluation/selection, project management and implementation of HR systems, Talent Management Systems, Talent Acquisition Systems, and Workforce Management software. After more than 15 years in business working on over 1800 successful engagements for more than 800 clients across the globe, HRchitect is a name you can trust as your one-stop shop for all your HR technology consulting needs.

 
Matt Lafata, HRchitect

Expanding Company Selects Ultimate Software’s UltiPro Workplace for Business Gains…from Ultimate Software

 

HRchitect includes Ultimate Software in our list of top HRIS vendors that organizations should consider. If you are looking for a new Talent Management System, or any HR system, don’t rely solely on “recommendations” or published reports. Do yourself a huge favor and talk to HRchitect first. After 15 years, HRchitect has unparalleled knowledge of the HR and Talent Management vendor community and can save you time and money in selection and implementation. Simply put, do not invest in any kind of HR technology without consulting with the experts first. HRchitect is always available to help!

 

Ultimate Software (Nasdaq: ULTI), a leading cloud provider of people management solutions, announced recently that Timco Services, a provider of high quality services and tools for a wide variety of customers throughout the petroleum industry, has selected Ultimate Software’s UltiPro Workplace because of the solution’s streamlined people management, scalability, and easy-to-use workforce analytics.

Headquartered in Lafayette, Louisiana, Timco Services, Inc. offers diesel hammers and casing running systems as well as tools for rent for tubular handling. Having added several hundreds of jobs in the last year, and with more expansion planned in the next year, executive leadership realized that the company needed one comprehensive solution for effective people management. Timco Services selected UltiPro Workplace in February 2012.

“We have been handling all of our HR operations by paper, and our payroll processes have been run through an accounting system. In the last year or so, we have tripled our employees and more than doubled our locations, and it’s no longer feasible for us to continue managing HR without the right technology,” says Kevin Credeur, human resources manager at Timco Services, Inc.

“During our analysis of various vendors and technologies, we clearly liked Ultimate’s solution because it is comprehensive, flexible, and easy to use. Plus, Ultimate has a proven history of success, especially with cloud technology. UltiPro can accommodate us as we continue to experience and plan for considerable growth.”

In addition to providing economies of scale to meet business fluctuations or expansions, Ultimate’s cloud delivery provides companies like Timco with a range of business gains, such as increases in efficiency, control, savings, performance, and reliability. A crucial factor in Timco’s decision was that Ultimate Software has led the market in technology innovation with cloud-delivered HCM. Ultimate launched its first cloud solution in 2002, and today the company supports more than seven million person records in itsmulti-tenant SaaS environment.

“UltiPro makes the most sense for our business,” said Credeur. “We like that it is a state-of-the-art solution that is very easy to use for administrators, managers, and employees. With our company’s rapid expansion, our teams will definitely benefit from the cohesive reporting and workforce analytics. We’re ready to take advantage of quicker, more detailed reporting so we can better manage our people, especially related to talent management and payroll.”

“Cloud technology has enabled major advances in HCM, offering tremendous business value to organizations of all sizes and across all industries. But cloud delivery is just the platform—a cloud solution is still only as good as the depth of functionality, configurability, and user experience it delivers,” said Chris Phenicie, chief sales officer for UltiPro Workplace at Ultimate Software. “We’re proud that, after thoroughly evaluating the people management solutions available today, companies like Timco Services recognize Ultimate’s commitment to delivering comprehensive HR, payroll, and talent management tools that have a real impact on business performance.”

For more information on Ultimate Software, please visit www.ultimatesoftware.com

To learn more about HRchitect and how we can help your organization, please visit www.HRchitect.com. HRchitect is the leader in HR systems strategic consulting.  As the premier Human Capital Management (HCM) and Talent Management Systems consulting firm, we offer end-to-end HR technology consulting services focused around strategic planning, evaluation/selection, project management and implementation of HR systems, Talent Management Systems, Talent Acquisition Systems, and Workforce Management software. After more than 15 years in business working on over 1800 successful engagements for more than 800 clients across the globe, HRchitect is a name you can trust as your one-stop shop for all your HR technology consulting needs.

 
Matt Lafata, HRchitect

Canada-Based Insurer Selects Ultimate Software’s UltiPro for Strategic People Management…from Ultimate Software

 

HRchitect includes Ultimate Software in our list of top HRIS vendors that organizations should consider. If you are looking for a new Talent Management System, or any HR system, don’t rely solely on “recommendations” or published reports. Do yourself a huge favor and talk to HRchitect first. After 15 years, HRchitect has unparalleled knowledge of the HR and Talent Management vendor community and can save you time and money in selection and implementation. Simply put, do not invest in any kind of HR technology without consulting with the experts first. HRchitect is always available to help!

 

Ultimate Software (Nasdaq: ULTI), a leading cloud provider of people management solutions, announced recently The Co-operators Group Limited, one of Canada’s leading insurers with 6,500 employees, has selected the UltiPro solution to consolidate its people-centric operations, improve the precision and delivery of workforce data, and elevate its strategic talent management capabilities.

The Co-operators is a Canadian-owned and -operated company that has been using separate systems for HR and payroll as well as other in-house systems to fill functional gaps. With eight business entities, the insurance company needed one HCM solution that could handle the entire employee lifecycle for its multiple business units and that included a strong payroll engine and talent management features. To achieve its objectives, The Co-operators HR team selected UltiPro in December 2011.

“In addition to having one technology provider that manages the entire scope of our people management processes, we especially needed advanced functionality for strategic talent management,” said Christopher Perkins, director of change management at The Co-operators Group. “UltiPro delivers the recruitment, performance management, and succession management features to more effectively attract and retain the best possible workforce for our business.”

In addition to elevating its strategic talent management, The Co-operators is also planning to improve HR effectiveness and efficiencies across the organization by centralizing employee information into one cohesive solution, improving the accuracy and integrity of its data, and using workflows to expedite and standardize workforce changes.

“We participated in a year-long RFP process that compared dozens of HCM and technology vendors, and in the end, UltiPro stood out as the right solution to provide the functionality, usability, and overall value that will support our business,” said Perkins.

“Ultimate Software is very pleased to offer businesses in Canada a comprehensive technology solution for HR and payroll that gives them control over their information, immediate access to centralized business intelligence, and tools that take talent management to a strategic level, not just the administrative process of submitting an employment application or completing an annual performance review,” said Greg Swick, chief sales officer at Ultimate Software. “The ability for a company to effectively manage and strengthen its talent sets it apart from its competitors, and achieving this goal has become a model of good business practices for top companies like The Co-operators Group. We welcome this organization to Ultimate Software’s family of business partners, and we look forward to a relationship that will provide long-term results.”

For more information on Ultimate Software, please visit www.ultimatesoftware.com

To learn more about HRchitect and how we can help your organization, please visit www.HRchitect.com. HRchitect is the leader in HR systems strategic consulting.  As the premier Human Capital Management (HCM) and Talent Management Systems consulting firm, we offer end-to-end HR technology consulting services focused around strategic planning, evaluation/selection, project management and implementation of HR systems, Talent Management Systems, Talent Acquisition Systems, and Workforce Management software. After more than 15 years in business working on over 1800 successful engagements for more than 800 clients across the globe, HRchitect is a name you can trust as your one-stop shop for all your HR technology consulting needs.

 
Matt Lafata, HRchitect

Leading Manufacturer Saves More than $100,000 per Year with Ultimate Software’s UltiPro…from Ultimate Software

 

HRchitect includes Ultimate Software in our list of top HRIS vendors that organizations should consider. If you are looking for a new Talent Management System, or any HR system, don’t rely solely on “recommendations” or published reports. Do yourself a huge favor and talk to HRchitect first. After 15 years, HRchitect has unparalleled knowledge of the HR and Talent Management vendor community and can save you time and money in selection and implementation. Simply put, do not invest in any kind of HR technology without consulting with the experts first. HRchitect is always available to help!

 

Ultimate Software (Nasdaq: ULTI), a leading cloud provider of people management solutions, announced today that Columbia Forest Products, North America’s largest manufacturer of hardwood plywood and hardwood veneer, has reduced its costs by more than $100,000 annually while improving the effectiveness and efficiency of its HR operations and services.

Prior to deploying UltiPro in January 2011, Columbia Forest Products wanted to improve its people-centric processes, but faced a costly upgrade with the payroll service bureau it had been using in order to achieve this business goal. Subsequently, the company investigated other options and found that Ultimate Software’s UltiPro delivered a comprehensive HR, payroll, and talent management solution that could effectively manage Columbia Forest Product’s workforce in both the U.S. and Canada. Don Carter, vice president of human resources at Columbia Forest Products, said UltiPro provided the right technology to dramatically improve people-centric processes and services while contributing to the company’s bottom line.

“With UltiPro, we are saving well more than $100,000 in hard costs compared to our prior vendor, andUltimate’s cloud delivery for HCM delivers so much more than what we previously had,” said Carter. “Now all information related to our North American employees is easily accessible in one centralized platform. We have visibility into our entire workforce, we have functionality to extend our talent management processes, and we are supported by Ultimate’s expert customer service.”

In addition to the reduction in annual costs, Columbia Forest Products has condensed the staff needed to process payroll from nine to two and made substantial cuts in expenses related to the printing, storage, and mailing of thousands of pieces of paper.

“Columbia Forest Products is a long-standing leader in environmental sustainability, so one of my primary goals has been to migrate to paperless HR. Now, our entire company can access UltiPro and make appropriate updates directly in the solution without paper consumption. Plus, UltiPro’s workflows move information to approvers quickly and automatically,” said Carter. “It’s only been a year, and already UltiPro has been so well received by employees and managers that it has opened the doors for more strategic projects that will provide additional business gains, like recruiting and retaining an engaged workforce.”

As a result of UltiPro’s configurability, Columbia Forest Products’ HR team is saving money because HR is not paying for expensive customizations to make changes to the system, as was the case with the payroll service bureau.

“With UltiPro, we have so much more control and flexibility as well as instant access to business intelligence and workforce metrics,” said Ben Vann, HRIS and payroll manager at Columbia Forest Products. “Our HR and finance executives are pleased about UltiPro’s integration with our general ledger (GL), which is improving data integrity and reporting. In addition to configuring the integration to our GL, we have been able to set up numerous alerts in UltiPro and created many tailored reports to help us stay on top of our evolving workforce. With UltiPro, I feel like I’m no longer working blindfolded.”

“UltiPro delivers a tremendous amount of strategic value because the solution provides a comprehensive HR feature set that is backed by in-depth workforce analytics,” said Greg Swick, chief sales officer at Ultimate Software. “By delivering a configurable product that includes HR, payroll, and talent management, Ultimate Software has contributed to the bottom line of many businesses. We’re very excited about how Columbia Forest Products has converted its HR goals into actions that are impacting the overall business.”

For more information on Ultimate Software, please visit www.ultimatesoftware.com

To learn more about HRchitect and how we can help your organization, please visit www.HRchitect.com. HRchitect is the leader in HR systems strategic consulting.  As the premier Human Capital Management (HCM) and Talent Management Systems consulting firm, we offer end-to-end HR technology consulting services focused around strategic planning, evaluation/selection, project management and implementation of HR systems, Talent Management Systems, Talent Acquisition Systems, and Workforce Management software. After more than 15 years in business working on over 1800 successful engagements for more than 800 clients across the globe, HRchitect is a name you can trust as your one-stop shop for all your HR technology consulting needs.

 
Matt Lafata, HRchitect

American Nurses Association Leverages UltiPro Workplace for Business Efficiencies, Corporate Sustainability, and Strategic HR…from Ultimate Software

 

HRchitect includes Ultimate Software in our list of top HRIS vendors that organizations should consider. If you are looking for a new Talent Management System, or any HR system, don’t rely solely on “recommendations” or published reports. Do yourself a huge favor and talk to HRchitect first. After 15 years, HRchitect has unparalleled knowledge of the HR and Talent Management vendor community and can save you time and money in selection and implementation. Simply put, do not invest in any kind of HR technology without consulting with the experts first. HRchitect is always available to help!

 

Ultimate Software (Nasdaq: ULTI), a leading cloud provider of people management solutions, announced today that the American Nurses Association (ANA) has improved people management processes, reduced environmental waste, and increased HR’s strategic contributions to the organization since it deployed Ultimate’s UltiPro Workplace.

When Susan Coe began her employment as the senior director of human resources at the American Nurses Association in October 2010, she very quickly determined that the payroll service provider the organization had been using was not effective or efficient. She immediately assembled a team represented by finance, HR, and business operations to review options for improving people management processes. Within only a few months, the team narrowed their search and selected UltiPro Workplace in December 2010.

“Now that we have UltiPro, we’re using technology to improve the employee experience as well as improve our payroll processing,” said Coe. “We want the ANA to be an employer of choice, and part of achieving this objective means leveraging person-centric technology that lets employees accomplish activities when and from wherever it’s convenient for them. We like that UltiPro brings benefits to our entire organization—not just HR.”

One of the ways that UltiPro is positively impacting the ANA is by supporting the company’s goal to reduce its environmental footprint. By alleviating the need for dozens of forms associated with changes, updates, recruitment, and time management, the nonprofit is spending significantly less on paper, managing its operations more efficiently, and supporting eco-friendly initiatives.

“As an advocate for high quality healthcare, we believe that when we support the environment, we are supporting people’s health. It’s really all connected,” said Coe. “We are also very pleased about the many business benefits, such as cost savings and time savings, that UltiPro is delivering by allowing us to move away from paper.”

With the extra time gained by automating so many tactical activities, ANA’s teams can now move their focus to strategic initiatives that impact the overall organization, such as fostering collaboration. By encouraging more dialogue and discussion to enhance innovation, the time that employees spend in meetings has been reduced by 30% and results from innovation are on the rise.

“Innovation is extremely important to successful organizations, and UltiPro has been key in giving us the tools and time to grow new company initiatives that nurture innovation champions within the ANA. Our managers and employees are infusing their learning and experience into their ongoing work, which is building stronger capabilities across our organization,” said Coe. “I am glad Ultimate also values innovation and believes in constantly thinking out of the box to improve its technology. As a result, all of us are becoming more effective.”

“UltiPro is a smart way for organizations to deliver business improvements, achieve sustainability goals, and stay current with the latest in HR’s best practices,” said Chris Phenicie, chief sales officer of UltiPro Workplace at Ultimate Software. “We’re very pleased that, within a few months of deployment, the ANA has experienced a range of companywide benefits with UltiPro Workplace. UltiPro’s fast time-to-value is one of the reasons the solution is such an excellent fit for companies that want to make dramatic changes to their people management.”

For more information on Ultimate Software, please visit www.ultimatesoftware.com

To learn more about HRchitect and how we can help your organization, please visit www.HRchitect.com. HRchitect is the leader in HR systems strategic consulting.  As the premier Human Capital Management (HCM) and Talent Management Systems consulting firm, we offer end-to-end HR technology consulting services focused around strategic planning, evaluation/selection, project management and implementation of HR systems, Talent Management Systems, Talent Acquisition Systems, and Workforce Management software. After more than 15 years in business working on over 1800 successful engagements for more than 800 clients across the globe, HRchitect is a name you can trust as your one-stop shop for all your HR technology consulting needs.

 
Matt Lafata, HRchitect

Gunn Automotive Selects Ultimate Software’s UltiPro Workplace to Centralize HCM on One Cohesive Platform…from Ultimate Software

 

HRchitect includes Ultimate Software in our list of top HRIS vendors that organizations should consider. If you are looking for a new Talent Management System, or any HR system, don’t rely solely on “recommendations” or published reports. Do yourself a huge favor and talk to HRchitect first. After 15 years, HRchitect has unparalleled knowledge of the HR and Talent Management vendor community and can save you time and money in selection and implementation. Simply put, do not invest in any kind of HR technology without consulting with the experts first. HRchitect is always available to help!

 

Ultimate Software (Nasdaq: ULTI), a leading cloud provider of people management solutions, announced today that Gunn GP, LLC selected Ultimate Software’s UltiPro Workplace in February 2012 to centralize employee information in one system of record, gain easier and faster access to workforce analytics, and improve services to employees.

San Antonio-based Gunn Automotive is ranked 59th in Automotive New Top 100 Mega Dealers and was voted the 7th best place to work in San Antonio’s Top 50 Private Companies. The company operates dealerships that sell Acura, Buick, Chevrolet, GMC, Honda, Infiniti, and Nissan vehicle lines. Prior to selecting UltiPro, Gunn had been using a payroll service bureau combined with manual spreadsheets to handle its HR information. As payroll, HR, and compliance requirements have become more complex over the years, executive leadership at Gunn Automotive decided that the company needed a more efficient and effective way to manage its people-related processes and information.

“It’s almost impossible to stay on top of reporting needs, workforce changes, and payroll when employee information is spread across multiple systems. Our current and previous providers did not keep pace with changing technology, reporting, or compliance requirements,” said Cindy Rowley, HR and payroll director for Gunn Automotive. “UltiPro will afford us a single HR system of record, one where our workforce data will be centralized and immediately available from one location, giving our teams the time and tools to focus on our growing and developing workforce.”

“Our company has not had an efficient or truly accurate way to track and report on employee information, so our executives and managers are thrilled to have UltiPro as our centralized source of workforce information,” said Rowley. “When we need real-time data or analytics, we want to have it easily available and then have the security that we don’t need to double check the info for reliability.”

As a company that leverages technology to drive and support its core business, Gunn Automotive will now have access to a state-of-the-art, person-centric solution that lets employees quickly view and update their information with user-friendly Web capabilities.

“Most people are accustomed to going online to find information or conduct transactions,” said Rowley. “We are excited to give our people the ability to easily access and update a range of detailed information that affects them. UltiPro will give our employees the ability to make updates when needed, regardless of when or where they work. Our workforce wants simple sophisticated technology, and they will really appreciate the flexibility and control that UltiPro provides.”

“When you look at software or technology from the perspective of people rather than systems, the end-user’s priority is that the most important information they need to access every day is instantly and easily available online,” said Chris Phenicie, chief sales officer for Workplace at Ultimate Software. “By giving employees access to a broad range of information that is relevant to them—not just a paycheck—businesses like Gunn Automotive can improve engagement, drive efficiencies, and improve the accuracy of their people information. We’re thrilled that Gunn Automotive has joined the expanding list of customers that are leveraging UltiPro Workplace, and we look forward to seeing how UltiPro will deliver multiple business benefits to this successful organization.”

For more information on Ultimate Software, please visit www.ultimatesoftware.com

To learn more about HRchitect and how we can help your organization, please visit www.HRchitect.com. HRchitect is the leader in HR systems strategic consulting.  As the premier Human Capital Management (HCM) and Talent Management Systems consulting firm, we offer end-to-end HR technology consulting services focused around strategic planning, evaluation/selection, project management and implementation of HR systems, Talent Management Systems, Talent Acquisition Systems, and Workforce Management software. After more than 15 years in business working on over 1800 successful engagements for more than 800 clients across the globe, HRchitect is a name you can trust as your one-stop shop for all your HR technology consulting needs.

 
Matt Lafata, HRchitect

Ultimate Software Customers Expand Knowledge, Network with Peers at 5th Annual Connections Conference…from Ultimate Software

 

HRchitect includes Ultimate Software in our list of top HRIS vendors that organizations should consider. If you are looking for a new Talent Management System, or any HR system, don’t rely solely on “recommendations” or published reports. Do yourself a huge favor and talk to HRchitect first. After 15 years, HRchitect has unparalleled knowledge of the HR and Talent Management vendor community and can save you time and money in selection and implementation. Simply put, do not invest in any kind of HR technology without consulting with the experts first. HRchitect is always available to help!

 

Ultimate Software (Nasdaq: ULTI), a leading cloud provider of people management solutions, announced today that more than 1,200 people attended the company’s fifth annual customer and partner forum, held March 28-30 at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas.

The 2012 Connections event brought together hundreds of HR, payroll, and talent management leaders to learn about industry best practices, technology trends, Ultimate Software’s strategic roadmap, upcoming enhancements toUltiPro, and more. Each attendee had a unique opportunity to participate in hands-on lab sessions, network with other customers, interact with Ultimate’s leadership, and meet industry analysts and influencers.

“The Connections Conference has been fantastic,” said Pat Stram, SPHR, HR manager for Ripley’s Entertainment, an entertainment leader for more than 90 years and known for the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! brand of museums, cartoons, television shows, and books. “We really enjoyed expanding our knowledge about UltiPro and Ultimate Software while sharing information and meeting with our peers. I am very excited to get started using the information I have learned at Connections.”

During the conference, Ultimate also announced a new partnership with Yammer, the leading provider of enterprise social networks. This collaboration seamlessly connects Yammer to Ultimate’s HCM solution, enabling businesses to integrate the rich data about their people housed within UltiPro with the natural, continuous feedback on employees’ work, achievements, progress, and cross-functional collaboration shared on Yammer.

“In addition to broadening its HR feature set, Ultimate’s plan for the future includes social and mobile technologies, which indicates the company is on a clear path to sustaining its place in the market as the leader in people management cloud technology,” said Stephanie Stevenson, AVP, compensation and benefits for Quicken Loans, Inc., the fifth largest retail mortgage lender overall in the U.S. and the largest online.

Ultimate also presented its 2012 Customer Innovation Awards, which recognize customers that have gone above and beyond in managing, motivating, and rewarding their people. Each category singles out a customer that has excelled in a particular area of HCM through its partnership with Ultimate Software. The following organizations received a 2012 Innovation Award at the Connections conference:

 

• Yamaha Corporation of America for Strategic Talent Management
• Groupon for Use of Analytics for Measurable Returns
• Callaway Golf for Achievement in Technology
• Buffalo Wild Wings for Teamwork
• Flow International for Global Impact
• Wente Family Estates for Supporting and Meeting Major Corporate Goals
• Camden Property Trust for Supporting and Meeting Major Corporate Goals
• United Stationers Inc. (USI) for Achievement in Return on Investment/Cost Savings
• Explorer Pipeline for Partnership

 

Some of the event’s sponsors included Certpoint Systems, IBM, Wise Consulting, SHRM, Ping Identity, Sterling Infosystems, and Trion Group.

“With Ultimate Software, we have a relationship with people, not just a vendor,” said Mark Gifford, HRIS manager at Concord Hospitality, a hotel management and development company with a portfolio that includes 83 hotels in the U.S. and Canada. “This was my first Connections conference, and it was a wonderful event where I learned much more about the HR industry and how to leverage UltiPro to make more of a difference for my company. I am definitely looking forward to returning to this event next year.”

“We know that Ultimate’s decades of growth could not have been done without our customers. These partnerships are what strengthen our business,” said Scott Scherr, president, CEO, and founder of Ultimate Software. “Across our company, our employees know we have a responsibility to help our customers achieve success. From our beginning, Ultimate Software has been focused on people—both our employees and our customers—and we thank those who traveled from around the world so that we could all come together to collaborate, expand our knowledge, and deepen these valuable relationships.”

For more information on Ultimate Software, please visit www.ultimatesoftware.com

To learn more about HRchitect’s expertise in HR technology strategy, selection and implementation services, and how HRchitect can help your organization, please visit www.HRchitect.com

 
Matt Lafata, HRchitect

Ultimate Software and Yammer Bring Together Collaboration and Workforce Performance Management…from Ultimate Software

 

Integration between the UltiPro Human Capital Management Solution and Yammer’s Enterprise Social Network Enables Greater Insight into People Performance

HRchitect includes Ultimate Software in our list of top HRIS vendors that organizations should consider. If you are looking for a new Talent Management System, or any HR system, don’t rely solely on “recommendations” or published reports. Do yourself a huge favor and talk to HRchitect first. After 15 years, HRchitect has unparalleled knowledge of the HR and Talent Management vendor community and can save you time and money in selection and implementation. Simply put, do not invest in any kind of HR technology without consulting with the experts first. HRchitect is always available to help!

 

Ultimate Software (Nasdaq:ULTI), a leading cloud provider of people management solutions, announced recently that it has partnered with Yammer, the leading provider of enterprise social networks, to seamlessly connect Yammer to UltiPro HCM. The integration combines the rich data about people housed within UltiPro with the natural, continuous feedback on employees’ work, achievements, progress, and cross-functional collaboration shared on Yammer.

UltiPro serves as the hub for all of an organization’s people information and workforce intelligence — from recruiting through career development, job history, compensation, payroll, and performance. By connecting the HR system of record with Yammer’s real-time collaboration solution, the two companies are working to foster better employee engagement while also capturing organic performance management information for the business.

“Ultimate is focused on designing people management solutions for the way people really work. Static, once-a-year performance appraisals don’t capture the full picture of an individual’s contributions, strengths, achievements, and opportunities for growth,” noted Pat Pickren, VP of product management for Ultimate. “By combining the rich data on all aspects of an employee’s career with the ongoing feedback from the Yammer corporate social community, Ultimate and Yammer can enable companies to better understand how their people work, collaborate, and succeed — and, more importantly, act on that intelligence to strengthen business performance.”

The first phase of UltiPro and Yammer integration will be available in UltiPro’s Spring 2012 release. Key points of integration on the 2012 plan include:

• Recognition from Yammer published within the  UltiPro talent profile—Managers and HR staff will see the comprehensive, continuous picture of employee performance in one central place, as UltiPro seamlessly captures praise from Yammer into the performance      management record.
• Team collaboration view—Managers will be able to view a filtered stream of their team members’ collaboration from Yammer as part of the UltiPro Talent Gateway, making it easy to review both performance information and real-time activity in one place.
• Single sign-on from UltiPro to Yammer—This feature will provide a seamless, yet secure, login experience.
• Work milestones—This will enable people to tag accomplishments relative to a company, team, or individual goal within Yammer and have these milestones captured in UltiPro’s goal management capability.
• Cross posting and messaging—Jobs posted in UltiPro will automatically post to Yammer, and administrative alerts or actions can be part of an individual’s activity stream.

“Ultimate focuses on capturing comprehensive information about a company’s people in one place — and Yammer focuses on helping those people actively participate, collaborate, and drive company performance, so this partnership was a natural extension for both of our organizations,” said David Sacks, founder and CEO, Yammer. “We’re looking forward to joining forces with Ultimate to help companies and their employees become more effective.”

An Open Approach to Collaboration and Performance

The connection with Yammer is the first step in Ultimate’s approach to open the HCM system of record to collaboration platforms and work management systems in the enterprise. Through standards-based connectors, UltiPro will instantaneously collect and publish people data across social tools, activity streams, and work management platforms. This integration will make it easier for individuals and teams to work in ways that are natural while still capturing information vital for understanding and managing organizational performance.

“Because UltiPro is the master system-of-record for all data on the people in an organization, our solution captures the most comprehensive data on an organization’s talent in one place,” said Adam Rogers, chief technology officer for Ultimate. “The value of capturing that depth and breadth of data lies in UltiPro’s unique ability to allow customers to synthesize their workforce information and make decisions on it for more effective talent management, employee engagement, and talent retention. With the addition of integration to work collaboration tools, UltiPro will provide our customers greater understanding of what makes their talent successful.”

For more information on Ultimate Software, please visit www.ultimatesoftware.com

To learn more about HRchitect’s expertise in HR technology strategy, selection and implementation services, and how HRchitect can help your organization, please visit www.HRchitect.com

 
Matt Lafata, HRchitect