UKG Ready vs. UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
UKG Ready
Score 8.1 out of 10
N/A
Designed for small businesses where everyone wears multiple hats, UKG Ready® is an HR solution that guides users through their day-to-day HR activities. Capabilities span from HR and payroll to talent and time.N/A
UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
Score 6.6 out of 10
N/A
UKG Workforce Central (formerly Kronos Workforce Central) was a suite of HR Management offerings targeted mainly at enterprise customers with larger-scale and more complex HR and workforce management issues. The product is discontinued.N/A
Pricing
UKG ReadyUKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
UKG ReadyUKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
YesYes
Entry-level Setup FeeRequiredRequired
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
UKG ReadyUKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
Considered Both Products
UKG Ready
Chose UKG Ready
UKG is great for reporting and for having a pleasant UI. I find that Paylocity has a lot more innovation, but sometimes its reach exceeds its grasp when it comes to implementation of those features. ADP is bog standard, and it works pretty well, but there's little interest in …
Chose UKG Ready
Workforce Central was our first online time and labor maintenance system. We used it for about 10 years and though it worked, it was far too complicated for what we needed, and we overcomplicated the setup of it over the years to a degree that it was not functional. UKG Ready's …
Chose UKG Ready
Far and away a better fit for our organization than WFC.
Chose UKG Ready
Better price for the feature set across the whole HR system. But you do trade that for reduced functions for each subsection.
Chose UKG Ready
We evaluated Ceridian HCM Dayforce prior to implementing Kronos. In fact we were a Ceridian customer.
The cost of the implementation was almost five times the cost for Kronos. We believed at the time of evaluation and it has proven true that Kronos is more innovative and keeps …
Chose UKG Ready
We selected Workforce Ready for its ability to process our HR department as well.
Chose UKG Ready
All I can say about Kronos is they know timekeeping. I have used both Workforce Ready and Workforce Central for timekeeping, projects/tasks, accruals, and attendance. Kronos does a great job. I can not speak to the HR and Payroll modules of these systems as I have never used …
Chose UKG Ready
WFR beats out Workday in the area of having more sellable features. The only downside is many of those sellable features do not function properly or are limited in how they were designed. I still consider WFR a minimum viable product and many of the features are not ready for …
Chose UKG Ready
We selected Kronos Workforce Ready as it was priced right for what we intended on using it for. We selected them also because we have been using Kronos Workforce Central for manufacturing and it seemed like the right thing to do for consistency in processes for timekeeping. It …
Chose UKG Ready
We currently use Kronos Workforce central for normal business and it's extremely bulky and takes a long time (6-9 months) to implement.
UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
Chose UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
Kronos Workforce Central had a more straightforward way to use it and a more user-friendly platform. Kronos Workforce Central had better pricing than UltiPro.
Top Pros
Top Cons
Features
UKG ReadyUKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
UKG Ready
7.6
179 Ratings
3% below category average
UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
-
Ratings
Employee demographic data8.6155 Ratings00 Ratings
Employment history7.4151 Ratings00 Ratings
Job profiles and administration7.8151 Ratings00 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.7.4141 Ratings00 Ratings
Organizational charting7.0113 Ratings00 Ratings
Organization and location management7.0134 Ratings00 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)7.6111 Ratings00 Ratings
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
UKG Ready
8.0
176 Ratings
0% below category average
UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
-
Ratings
Pay calculation8.6164 Ratings00 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors7.4102 Ratings00 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment7.967 Ratings00 Ratings
Benefit plan administration7.6125 Ratings00 Ratings
Direct deposit files8.8129 Ratings00 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management8.0120 Ratings00 Ratings
Leave and Attendance Management
Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Product A and Product B
UKG Ready
7.6
162 Ratings
6% below category average
UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
-
Ratings
Approval workflow8.0147 Ratings00 Ratings
Balance details7.4154 Ratings00 Ratings
Annual carry-forward and encashment7.5131 Ratings00 Ratings
Employee Self Service
Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Product A and Product B
UKG Ready
8.1
167 Ratings
0% below category average
UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
-
Ratings
View and generate pay and benefit information8.2147 Ratings00 Ratings
Update personal information8.5154 Ratings00 Ratings
View company policy documentation8.0127 Ratings00 Ratings
View job history7.9130 Ratings00 Ratings
Asset Management
Comparison of Asset Management features of Product A and Product B
UKG Ready
8.3
61 Ratings
7% above category average
UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
-
Ratings
Tracking of all physical assets8.361 Ratings00 Ratings
HR Reporting
Comparison of HR Reporting features of Product A and Product B
UKG Ready
7.3
174 Ratings
4% below category average
UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
-
Ratings
Report builder7.2167 Ratings00 Ratings
Pre-built reports7.3168 Ratings00 Ratings
Onboarding
Comparison of Onboarding features of Product A and Product B
UKG Ready
7.1
114 Ratings
12% below category average
UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
-
Ratings
New hire portal7.1112 Ratings00 Ratings
Manager tracking tools7.189 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance and Goals
Comparison of Performance and Goals features of Product A and Product B
UKG Ready
7.0
64 Ratings
15% below category average
UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
-
Ratings
Individual goal setting7.057 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance tracking7.063 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance Management
Comparison of Performance Management features of Product A and Product B
UKG Ready
6.6
81 Ratings
18% below category average
UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
-
Ratings
Performance plans6.672 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance improvement plans6.767 Ratings00 Ratings
Review status tracking7.172 Ratings00 Ratings
Review reminders6.176 Ratings00 Ratings
Multiple review frequency6.761 Ratings00 Ratings
Succession Planning
Comparison of Succession Planning features of Product A and Product B
UKG Ready
5.5
23 Ratings
36% below category average
UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
-
Ratings
Create succession plans/pools6.322 Ratings00 Ratings
Candidate ranking7.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Candidate search6.63 Ratings00 Ratings
Candidate development2.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Recruiting / ATS
Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Product A and Product B
UKG Ready
6.7
89 Ratings
14% below category average
UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
-
Ratings
Job Requisition Management6.875 Ratings00 Ratings
Company Website Posting6.874 Ratings00 Ratings
Publish to Social Media5.652 Ratings00 Ratings
Job Search Site Posting6.855 Ratings00 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention6.557 Ratings00 Ratings
Applicant Tracking6.977 Ratings00 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts7.582 Ratings00 Ratings
Best Alternatives
UKG ReadyUKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
Small Businesses
Patriot Software
Patriot Software
Score 9.0 out of 10
When I Work
When I Work
Score 8.9 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.5 out of 10
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.5 out of 10
Enterprises
Infor Human Resources
Infor Human Resources
Score 7.3 out of 10
Calabrio Teleopti WFM
Calabrio Teleopti WFM
Score 7.9 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
UKG ReadyUKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
Likelihood to Recommend
8.1
(203 ratings)
6.7
(38 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
7.5
(18 ratings)
5.0
(11 ratings)
Usability
7.4
(85 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Availability
9.0
(3 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Performance
9.3
(7 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
8.2
(73 ratings)
7.1
(8 ratings)
In-Person Training
7.8
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Online Training
6.5
(4 ratings)
8.0
(1 ratings)
Implementation Rating
6.3
(10 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Configurability
8.0
(4 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
5.6
(59 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
8.0
(3 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
8.0
(3 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
8.0
(3 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
UKG ReadyUKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
Likelihood to Recommend
UKG
UKG Ready is a great time keeping system, it is user friendly and employees that do use the application, do not have many complaints. Its the access and maneuvering around the application to get to where they need to go, or find what they are looking for or accessing the application that is the issue. Once they find the location on where they need to be in order to submit the request, it is quick and easy. We are finding that we are utilizing resources to sit with these employees even after providing in person or virtual training to help navigate to what they want to do.
Read full review
Discontinued Products
This product was marketed to us as a school and several schools in our area use the program. However, the implementation team we were set-up with had limited school experience and we are still working on the best way to do some of the timekeeping issues where I know that could have been handled better. That being said from a payroll and reporting side it has been great to capture so much data (at times almost too much) and have the system do automatic allocations of salaries and general ledger reports. The reporting takes some getting used to, but overall I've been able to run reports to see and track just about anything I want. Our employees also love the self service compared to our previous products where they can make W4, direct deposit and other updates on their own without having to get HR involved.
Read full review
Pros
UKG
  • I find timesheets to be easy to use and provide good details for employees and employers.
  • I love how customizable the dashboard is. This is a time saver for someone working in HR.
  • The payroll process was easy to learn. The steps are simple to follow, and changes can be made to the pay statements with ease.
Read full review
Discontinued Products
  • I personally feel like timekeeping is very well thought out and has some powerful tools built in. There is a bit of a learning curve but with strategically placed SMEs we were able to get the use and functionality we needed out of the system.
  • Workforce planning has been crucial in planning operational support in our retail and customer service centers. It is also editable and modifiable as needed.
Read full review
Cons
UKG
  • System is very complicated, which is a plus because it can handle almost any situation but difficult to learn
  • There are often several ways to complete a task and it isn't always clear the most efficient route to follow
  • Reporting can be clumsy to customize
Read full review
Discontinued Products
  • Reporting - some of the reports' names do not coincide with the data that is pulled from the system
  • System errors - the system crashes regularly on us with no real explanation why
  • Punch accuracy - sometimes the punches from the timeclocks do not feed into the system
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Likelihood to Renew
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
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Discontinued Products
Now that the system is installed and operational, the "pain is gone"...therefore we see no reason to change to a different application. There is no functionality that is missing from the system that would drive us to consider another solution at this time. Maintenance support from Kronos is sufficient and updates occur regularly.
Read full review
Usability
UKG
For the average user they do not struggle. We do have a handful of users who struggle using their own smartphones, and of course, they struggle with any technology. However, we do not let this sway us from helping them learn. Managers have found the system easy to navigate once fully trained.
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Discontinued Products
No answers on this topic
Reliability and Availability
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.
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Discontinued Products
No answers on this topic
Performance
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.
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Discontinued Products
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
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.
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Discontinued Products
Having no experience with Kronos prior to using it in March 2016, their customer service team taught me how to use it the right way after my initial training at work. I am well-versed in data analysis using Excel and Access primarily, so once I discovered that Kronos had a reporting feature built in, I've used the feature quite a few times to help our properties evaluate their production costs and make good labor decisions. I give Kronos a 10 because once a person takes the time to learn how to use the software, they'll realize that Kronos is far more effective than most, and gives users more ways to access their information where and when they want to.
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In-Person Training
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.
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Discontinued Products
No answers on this topic
Online Training
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.
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Discontinued Products
No answers on this topic
Implementation Rating
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.
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Discontinued Products
No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
UKG
UKG is great for reporting and for having a pleasant UI. I find that Paylocity has a lot more innovation, but sometimes its reach exceeds its grasp when it comes to implementation of those features. ADP is bog standard, and it works pretty well, but there's little interest in looking good, which matters a lot when it comes to the wide variety of users the systems need to handle.
Read full review
Discontinued Products
Kronos and Dayforce are the two timekeeping systems I’ve worked with in recent years. Kronos feels a little more comprehensive and is my primary timekeeping tool both for myself as well as my staff. Kronos is a great tool for a wide range of shifts, working locations, and pay codes. In this context, I would pick Kronos over Dayforce. On the opposite side, Dayforce is extremely user-friendly and has a “cleaner” user interface if that is a contributing factor for anyone. Also, for managers who oversee large teams (30-50 team members) then Dayforce is a bit more simple to approve time cards, hours, and leave. Kronos is a bit clunky with all the clicks, and managing large teams of hourly employees would be a huge time suck to go in to review/approve all.
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Scalability
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.
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Discontinued Products
No answers on this topic
Return on Investment
UKG
  • Ability to manage all HR activities within one platform
  • Built in Workflows make approval process seamless
  • UKG Ready offers a solid solution and ROI on our investment
  • Easy to navigate Time & Attendance into Payroll, making processing seamless
  • Great customer service offering several methods to contact UKG for support, fast to reply and offer a solution to the issue
Read full review
Discontinued Products
  • Kronos is much more expensive than the previous systems we were using, so at this point the ROI is negative. The idea is that it will allow us to scale and grow the company more easily so time will tell if that is the case.
Read full review
ScreenShots

UKG Ready Screenshots

Screenshot of UKG Ready® HR - A single solution for employee information that enables comprehensive people analytics and room for HR strategy.Screenshot of UKG Ready® Payroll - Facilitates pay that is quick, simple, and correct.Screenshot of UKG Ready® Time & Attendance - Streamlines time tracking with consistent, fair rules.Screenshot of UKG Ready® Talent - Tools to source, engage, develop and grow people.Screenshot of UKG Ready® Analytics - Offers proactive, practical, and guidance.Screenshot of UKG Ready® Benefits - Right-sizes benefits to match the organization and its people.