UltiPro won me over!
Updated February 05, 2019
UltiPro won me over!
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Overall Satisfaction with UltiPro
Our company deploys UltiPro in the domestic United States and are in the process of implementing it in Canada as well. We use it for HRIS, timekeeping, payroll processing, recruiting, and performance management. Because our operations are so wide-spread, with many users out in the field, UltiPro's web-based system allows for ease-of-access across multiple platforms, be it workplace desktop, personal laptop, tablet, or even phone. This is critical, as a third of our employee population are drivers.
Pros
- The greatest strength of UltiPro is its accessibility and easy customization. Our employees can access it anywhere they have internet access. (This is also important from a disaster recovery perspective, operating in the tornado belt, as we do. If need be, I don't have to be at the office to process my payroll, which gives me peace of mind.)
- The easy customization of the UltiPro home page allows me to target specific employee groups with focused messages - whether that's in regards to special instructions for time entry, or reminders about open enrollment.
- The reporting capability built into UltiPro is remarkable, and the expanded Business Intelligence module - and the knowledgeable community contributors' stockpile of additional reports - meets almost any reporting need.
- UltiPro's user guides, quick tours, "Things I Can Do" ... all combine to provide as much information as possible to the end user, to give them the answers they need, BEFORE they have to call the help desk!
Cons
- Additional customizations for the UltiPro Home Page (color, better additional graphics functionality) would be welcome.
- While there is mobile phone application support for some elements, I welcome the continued expansion of Time Management options for mobile devices.
- The "Standard Reports" are designed to be PDs. Much of the time, when you select Excel, there's clean up you have to do, before you can start using the data - deleting graphics, unmerging cells, etc. It's all about form, less about function, which is frustrating.
- Costs savings
Yes. Moving to UltiPro from Oracle saves us a quarter of a million dollars each year. So we absolutely have had a positive in that regard.
I used ADP at a previous company, and I do feel that UltiPro has a more streamlined, simple payroll processing module - however, I do wish that it had ADP's functionality for some features: For example, there are reports that we have to run each time a payroll process is closed. Having them run automatically would be helpful, but UltiPro doesn't seem to have that functionality.
UKG Pro Feature Ratings
Upgrading UltiPro
Yes - UltiPro releases twice annual major updates in Spring and Fall. Inevitably, these do have minor impacts, which can range from a previously created report no longer functioning properly, to a change in access that has to be reset. One of the ways UltiPro could improve its update process is to make readily available a list of Known Issues once they are discovered. Instead, individual customers have to create cases, provide their information, and then are told about the known issue. I understand no company likes to admit what's going wrong with a product - but being more up front about that would better the customer experience.
- The most recent upgrade did not functionally affect us in a major way.
- None at this time.
UltiPro Training
When we moved to UltiPro, we were all required to go through training classes (in my personal case, I had 12 hours of classes to complete) before they would move forward with implementation. This was frustrating, because we didn't have a test environment to practice in. (You can purchase a test environment for a sizeable sum). The initial instruction was fairly dry stuff. Much of UltiPro's functionality IS fairly intuitive, and they do have an extensive "UltiUniversity" in which you can take additional classes. I do feel that they need more entry-level introduction to the Business Intelligence system, and some means of searching for a needed field, rather than having to scroll through hundreds of options.
- Online training
Using UltiPro
600 - * Individual User (Time Management / Performance Management / Benefit Enrollment)
* Managers & Leadership (Time Management / Performance Management / Recruitment)
* Managers & Leadership (Time Management / Performance Management / Recruitment)
4 -
* System Administrator - highly organized and exceptionally detail oriented. UltiPro has moved towards a user-based control mechanism, rather than a UltiPro controlled mindset since we came on board with them. So the System Administrator actually creates new pay codes, pay types, schedules, etc.
* Benefits Adminstrator - our Benefits administrator has to create and set up the Open Enrollment event each year within UltiPro, and then guide users through that process.
* Payroll Administrators - We have two payroll admins to support user questions about making changes to tax withholdings, direct deposits, time card and accrual questions, etc. While UltiPro does make available a number of Quick Tours and Tips, and step by step guides, our end users tend not to use them as its easier to pick up the phone and call.
All four individuals also have the ability to reset passwords (a daily request) for users and to re-open access for end users who have locked themselves out.
- Time Management: UTM streamlined that process significantly, and allows for customization to some degree.
- Integration: We used to have separate modules for Performance Management and recruitment. With UltiPro, we were able to integrate them.
- Nothing unexpected.
- Developing widgets for the home page to provide a better dashboard environment for users.
UltiPro Support
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Knowledgeable team Problems get solved | Slow Resolution Escalation required Slow Initial Response |
Yes - No. We reported a bug back in October with regards to changing Oklahoma tax withholdings, and it is still broken. We have to open a case any time an employee in the state wants to change their withholdings, and UltiPro has to update it on their end, which I really don't like.
Using UltiPro
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Like to use Easy to use Technical support not required Quick to learn | Not well integrated |
- UltiPro Time Management is simple and easy to use from a payroll perspective and from a user standpoint. However, because Time Management is a separate module from Core, there are sometimes disconnects with regards to PTO accruals. Also, when you cancel a PTO request, those amounts are not immediately added back onto your accrual totals - they load back after the next payroll processing, which is unnecessarily clumsy.
- Whomever thought that a modern payroll office prefers PDFs over Excel spreadsheets should be taken out and pilloried in the public square. Several "Standard Reports" are simply unusable in Excel format - or one must take extra time to remove merged cells, cutesie graphics, etc. They are focused on form, not function. The Business Intelligence module is helpful, but only if you have advanced training in using IBM Cognos - which I don't. Sometimes they update items on their end, which breaks existing reports one has built.
- Having the ability to import a payroll and run a gross-up calculation should be simple and easy - it's a function that is so common, it should have been available from the get-go. For several years, we had to do this completely manually, employee by employee. (Finally, this past year, a member of the support team was able to help us get it down to a one day process for one person, instead of a two day process for two.)
Yes - The mobile app is available, however, for some reason known only to their management and perhaps aliens, they decided to focus on performance management instead of time management, first. (Because yeah. Everyone needs to hop on their cell phones and get in that self-appraisal.... No. They need the ability to quickly and easily enter their time.) (Time management IS now available, but it took them a LONG time to get there. The focus was entirely in the wrong direction). We've reported some issues in which it doesn't function as expected, and received back the reply that it was intentional. We are rolling it out to our employees in a few months, even though it was released two years ago, as it finally has the core items we need.
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