PDS Vista vs. UKG Ready

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
PDS Vista
Score 2.0 out of 10
Enterprise companies (1,001+ employees)
Vista® is a human resource, benefits, payroll, recruiting, and self-service software. Functional elements include recruitment, staffing, position and training management, compliance, and performance and compensation.N/A
UKG Ready
Score 8.2 out of 10
N/A
The UKG Ready® software suite is a centralized HCM solution designed for small to mid-sized businesses. It automates and streamlines HR, payroll, benefits, time, talent, and scheduling processes. UKG Ready's suite of tools offer actionable insights while helping to ensure compliance. Using AI, it draws on work, people, and culture data to boost efficiency and productivity. For example, UKG Ready streamlines core HR…N/A
Pricing
PDS VistaUKG Ready
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
PDS VistaUKG Ready
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
YesYes
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeRequired
Additional DetailsLicense pricing is based on the number of full and part-time active employees within bands (e.g. 751-1,000). SaaS pricing is based on PEPM.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
PDS VistaUKG Ready
Features
PDS VistaUKG Ready
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
PDS Vista
1.9
19 Ratings
124% below category average
UKG Ready
8.5
246 Ratings
5% above category average
Employee demographic data1.018 Ratings8.9217 Ratings
Employment history1.019 Ratings8.7210 Ratings
Job profiles and administration1.015 Ratings8.4210 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.1.013 Ratings8.4197 Ratings
Organizational charting3.014 Ratings8.0161 Ratings
Organization and location management3.017 Ratings8.3186 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)3.012 Ratings8.8159 Ratings
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
PDS Vista
3.2
19 Ratings
87% below category average
UKG Ready
8.5
240 Ratings
4% above category average
Pay calculation3.017 Ratings8.7222 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors1.010 Ratings8.1135 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment4.01 Ratings8.1116 Ratings
Benefit plan administration1.017 Ratings8.6176 Ratings
Direct deposit files4.018 Ratings8.8182 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management1.014 Ratings8.8166 Ratings
Reimbursement management8.25 Ratings00 Ratings
Leave and Attendance Management
Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Product A and Product B
PDS Vista
1.0
14 Ratings
156% below category average
UKG Ready
8.1
216 Ratings
1% below category average
Approval workflow1.08 Ratings7.7198 Ratings
Balance details1.014 Ratings7.7206 Ratings
Annual carry-forward and encashment1.013 Ratings8.9177 Ratings
Employee Self Service
Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Product A and Product B
PDS Vista
2.0
18 Ratings
122% below category average
UKG Ready
8.3
229 Ratings
1% above category average
View and generate pay and benefit information4.017 Ratings8.2209 Ratings
Update personal information1.015 Ratings8.5216 Ratings
View company policy documentation3.09 Ratings7.8177 Ratings
Employee recognition1.06 Ratings00 Ratings
View job history1.05 Ratings8.5185 Ratings
Asset Management
Comparison of Asset Management features of Product A and Product B
PDS Vista
7.3
7 Ratings
9% below category average
UKG Ready
8.9
88 Ratings
11% above category average
Tracking of all physical assets7.37 Ratings8.988 Ratings
HR Reporting
Comparison of HR Reporting features of Product A and Product B
PDS Vista
2.0
17 Ratings
116% below category average
UKG Ready
8.3
232 Ratings
9% above category average
Report builder2.015 Ratings8.0225 Ratings
Pre-built reports2.017 Ratings8.5225 Ratings
Ability to combine HR data with external data2.014 Ratings00 Ratings
Onboarding
Comparison of Onboarding features of Product A and Product B
PDS Vista
1.0
2 Ratings
156% below category average
UKG Ready
7.8
161 Ratings
2% below category average
New hire portal1.02 Ratings8.0159 Ratings
Manager tracking tools1.01 Ratings7.7131 Ratings
Performance and Goals
Comparison of Performance and Goals features of Product A and Product B
PDS Vista
2.8
3 Ratings
97% below category average
UKG Ready
7.1
99 Ratings
12% below category average
Corporate goal setting1.03 Ratings00 Ratings
Individual goal setting1.03 Ratings7.191 Ratings
Performance tracking6.42 Ratings7.198 Ratings
Performance Management
Comparison of Performance Management features of Product A and Product B
PDS Vista
1.0
5 Ratings
155% below category average
UKG Ready
7.5
125 Ratings
5% below category average
Performance plans1.03 Ratings6.8113 Ratings
Performance improvement plans1.02 Ratings6.8103 Ratings
Review status tracking1.03 Ratings8.3112 Ratings
Review reminders1.04 Ratings8.4116 Ratings
Multiple review frequency1.03 Ratings7.2101 Ratings
Succession Planning
Comparison of Succession Planning features of Product A and Product B
PDS Vista
2.3
2 Ratings
109% below category average
UKG Ready
6.6
51 Ratings
17% below category average
Create succession plans/pools3.61 Ratings5.843 Ratings
Candidate ranking1.02 Ratings6.624 Ratings
Candidate search1.02 Ratings7.230 Ratings
Candidate development3.61 Ratings7.025 Ratings
Recruiting / ATS
Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Product A and Product B
PDS Vista
1.4
4 Ratings
138% below category average
UKG Ready
7.5
130 Ratings
2% below category average
Job Requisition Management1.04 Ratings7.5111 Ratings
Company Website Posting1.04 Ratings7.9106 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention1.92 Ratings7.384 Ratings
Applicant Tracking1.04 Ratings7.8112 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts2.02 Ratings7.2120 Ratings
Publish to Social Media00 Ratings7.283 Ratings
Job Search Site Posting00 Ratings7.589 Ratings
Best Alternatives
PDS VistaUKG Ready
Small Businesses
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.5 out of 10
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.5 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.7 out of 10
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.7 out of 10
Enterprises
PeopleStrong
PeopleStrong
Score 9.9 out of 10
PeopleStrong
PeopleStrong
Score 9.9 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
PDS VistaUKG Ready
Likelihood to Recommend
1.0
(24 ratings)
8.6
(223 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.1
(7 ratings)
7.1
(18 ratings)
Usability
2.0
(3 ratings)
8.6
(105 ratings)
Availability
9.5
(2 ratings)
9.0
(3 ratings)
Performance
10.0
(1 ratings)
9.3
(7 ratings)
Support Rating
8.2
(3 ratings)
7.6
(74 ratings)
In-Person Training
-
(0 ratings)
7.8
(2 ratings)
Online Training
9.0
(2 ratings)
6.0
(4 ratings)
Implementation Rating
7.3
(1 ratings)
6.0
(10 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(4 ratings)
Ease of integration
-
(0 ratings)
5.8
(76 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(3 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(3 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(3 ratings)
User Testimonials
PDS VistaUKG Ready
Likelihood to Recommend
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
As Vista HRMS is fully customizable to suit your needs, a company should determine if they have a current employee who can do the work themselves otherwise they will need to consider the additional cost of asking PDS to do the customizations for them. There are additional modules that we aren't currently making use of, but each company should learn about the functionality of each of them as some may be more beneficial than others. When gathering your questions, ask all potential users of the system what they would want to see in an HRMS. We did so before selecting Vista HRMS and we got pages and pages of questions and comments and made sure that each item was addressed beforehand and was something that we would be able to incorporate into the system. You have the option of taking the system in house or being a hosted client. Make sure you figure out what resources your IT department has available. If you have a dedicated administrator who will do all the upgrades and enhancements great, otherwise you may need PDS to help out and having PDS host may be a better option
Read full review
UKG
There’s not much for me to share here other than multiple mobile apps for employees to download for different functions. We have the learning function activated and employees had to download a second mobile app (HCMToGo Learning) to be able to access the Learning portal on the go. Concerned that if we continue to add more functionality, there will be more apps to download.
Read full review
Pros
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
  • Vista HRMS is very flexible, it does everything we need for HR, benefits and payroll. It’s user-friendly and intuitive to use, when we roll out new self-service items our employees have no problems and require minimal training or documentation.
  • PDS has excellent customer service and support. We get answers to the majority of our questions and problems quickly, within the day that we call. More complex issues that may require PDS’ technical support are usually addressed within a few days. We were upgrading our production servers to Windows 2012 over a weekend and a key person in our organization was on leave. When we checked with PDS to see what cost would be involved if we needed their help, they said it was included in our regular maintenance, no extra cost.
  • The PDS User’s Conference is an excellent learning opportunity for training on everything Vista does, including using Crystal Reports for custom reporting. You also get to meet and talk to the executive and development staff and have direct input into the future product development.
Read full review
UKG
  • Support—UKG support, from the Account Managers to CSMs to Ready Support, is amazing. They are always willing to help!
  • Documentation—UKG has built-in online documentation, which is a live, easy-to-use version of a very lengthy manual.
  • Ease of use- the system is intuitive, easy to train others to use.
Read full review
Cons
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
  • Typical of any system built for the unknown requirements of hundreds or thousands of customers with varying needs, PDS sometimes doesn't fit our processes precisely out of the box. However, this con is far outweighed by the ability to configure and customize the system.
  • The most significant pet peeve of our users is the necessity for so many clicks to navigate between different areas or the system or to review applicants. These items are being addressed based on feedback from the user community in an upcoming release.
Read full review
UKG
  • We have had ongoing issues with our accruals.
  • Auto generate timesheets in the "Team Timesheets" view.
  • Granting manager access is cumbersome - access needs to be given in multiple places.
  • The sync between Pro and Ready in my opinion is terrible and needs much improvement.
  • Auto assign Employee Time Zones based on work location.
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
I feel so invested in Vista HRMS that I don't really want to try other options. I know we as an organization are not using this product to it's full potential and that is just due to us lacking the resources to be able to invest the time into breaking it apart and making it work to the best ability for us. The system works great as is, but there are a lot of implementations we can put into place to help us out even more. For example, we would love to start using Workflow to create more efficiencies. I personally have a very good relationship with our hosted vendor who supports Vista HRMS and can help me with any issues and concerns, this is a big part of the reason that I would renew with this product and continue to be an advocate for Vista HRMS.
Read full review
UKG
We plan to renew our support and use of UKG Ready each year unless it becomes unavailable or the district seeks another vendor. As of now, there are no plans to changes vendors. The district staff is now familiar with using UKG. Another vendor will need to meet the same expectations we have come to enjoy with using UKG
Read full review
Usability
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
In my line of work, PDS Vista doesn't fit. I recruit and manager talent pipelines, as well as all onboarding aspects of 11 companies. I spend more hours getting data configured and searching for information within this software than I spend with my candidates. Theres an abundance duplication, and there isn't a single stream of information shared across screens. I have to input the SAME details into several screens for them to match up. Nothing is intuitive, and its certainly not end user friendly
Read full review
UKG
The few challenges we have encountered have been with creating reports for the organization, managing performance goals and creating service tickets for urgent matters. Overall we have found UKG Ready to be super helpful and it has streamlined many of our HR processes for us but there could be some improvements on the items listed
Read full review
Reliability and Availability
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
No answers on this topic
UKG
The system seems very stable. Being hosted in the cloud, we are vulnerable to internet speeds and busy times. The system has been down a couple times over the 3 months we have been live, but Kronos resolved the issues very quickly. To have access from a desktop, tablet, time clock, or phone app is one of the best features....users have almost NO REASON they can't clock in.
Read full review
Performance
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
No answers on this topic
UKG
We were always told that Kronos was the best, but there are reports that we got out of ADP and other payroll providers that we cannot get out of Kronos. One example is a report of Productive/Non-productive hours by department. We also need the dollar amount associated with the hours. This is information that is required on our cost report and we were told that that report is unavailable. It is very frustrating when I can't get what I need.
Read full review
Support Rating
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
PDS has excellent customer service and support. We get answers to the
majority of our questions and problems quickly, within the day that we
call. More complex issues that may require PDS’ technical support are
usually addressed within a few days
Read full review
UKG
If I was only rating support itself that would be a 10. Every support case I have entered has been addressed efficiently and with the desired result. On the implementation and transition to support there were multiple issues that those doing the implementation or transition could not answer or workflows and various settings left undone only to be discovered later. We implemented 3 different modules and the expertise we got for each one varied widely.
Read full review
In-Person Training
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
No answers on this topic
UKG
Our in-person training was a hybrid. Live online training with an instructor. They were very knowledgeable of the product & the area they were training on. I asked several specific questions and if they didn't know the answer immediately they followed up after class.
Read full review
Online Training
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
The resources and online tools that PDS provide are extremely thorough and helpful in our training and learning.
Read full review
UKG
Pretty good online training, you have many how to options and can watch them several times. It can be hard at times to dig through the amount of data online but can usually find what you are looking for. Also you can download documentation for setting up the profiles and policies.
Read full review
Implementation Rating
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
Ask lots of questions, ensure you fully understand the functionality (particularly history records) and train, train, train the users for correct and complete utilization of the system.
Read full review
UKG
Make sure the people who are doing the build have extensive knowledge on employment law and asking the right questions. I would bet that the people who helped with our builds did not read any of our employment contracts or ordinances; and when I asked questions about how other companies handled certain basic dictates from federal employment laws, they didn't have any idea what FMLA, FLSA, etc were.
Read full review
Alternatives Considered
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
I've used Peoplesoft HCM in the past. The products have some similarities, but they are marketed to different sized companies, so it's a bit of apples to oranges. Peoplesoft was very complex and challenging to manage and support. Vista HRMS should require fewer technical resources and still provide robust features for HR and Payroll. We selected Vista HRMS because it met the majority of our requirements and was priced to enable us to purchase and implement it within our budget. Also, it's an integrated system (although not truly one system when you count Vista Time) which is an improvement over our current state.
Read full review
UKG
We currently use Paycom and are extremely dissatisfied with the lack of functionality and poor customer service. Rippling and ADP were other vendors we evaluated who performed well and offer a lot of functionality but we decided UKG was the best fit for our needs now and to scale with our strategic growth plans.
Read full review
Scalability
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
No answers on this topic
UKG
Thus far we are able to add as many users as necessary, implement 3 different bargaining units, 5 different types of user groups. Very flexible.
Read full review
Return on Investment
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
  • Positive impact would definitely be self-service for both employees and managers to view and update selected data.
  • Through some analytics our managers are able to track turnover for their site/department by many criteria (length of service, reason, etc) and can view a number of other analytical reports such as headcount and demographics which help them to make informed decisions about their department.
Read full review
UKG
  • This is basic, but we finally know how many employees we have! It sounds ridiculous, but prior to UKG Ready we were on a payroll system that's reports were only as accurate as the last payroll cycle, so they were always 2 weeks behind and static. UKG Ready allows for realtime, daily reporting of information.
  • We are able to get salary data for our various locations to be able to compare them to each other, as well as across our "competitors" and external competition.
  • The data provided allows us to be able to understand the trends at individual locations including attrition, advancement, raise information, and other data points that we haven't historically done comparisons on
  • We can see the demographic and geographical information for our employees and the benefits that they elect
Read full review
ScreenShots

PDS Vista Screenshots

Screenshot of employee data, which is the heart of a corporate knowledge base. Within Vista, an organized database of employees, applicants, jobs, and positions can be created and maintained. The product’s flexibility allows users to structure corporate data as simply or as complicated as business needs require.Screenshot of Vista Payroll, which is designed to strike the perfect balance between power and simplicity. It is designed to process large volumes of data within tight time constraints, whether U.S., Canadian, or Caribbean.

Vista Payroll is focused on its main tasks of calculating pay, creating paychecks, producing payroll registers, and federal, state, local, and provincial tax reports.Screenshot of the included Vista Benefits features, which can include unlimited plans and coverage levels, automated benefits eligibility, auto-housekeeping of valuations and premiums.Screenshot of Vista Recruiting, which presents critical applicant information in an efficient manner for both human resources professionals and hiring managers, alike.

Vista Recruiting gives HR departments command over the entire hiring process for each department in every location while more easily tracking and controlling costs, improving applicant management, strengthening relationships with applicants, and reducing paperwork for the HR team.

UKG Ready Screenshots

Screenshot of the employee mobile interface.Screenshot of trust index survey results.Screenshot of the manager dashboard.Screenshot of payroll analytics.