Anyone who’s worked with a UKG system long enough knows it evolves over time. Business rules grow more complex, roles shift, reports pile up, and workflows adjust to meet changing needs. It’s a sign of a system being used, adapted, stretched, and shaped to support real people doing real work.
Sometimes that evolution happens fast, like after an ambitious go-live. Other times, it’s the result of years of smart, necessary changes made on the fly. Either way, it’s easy to reach a point where things feel more patched together than purposeful. challenge.
In fact, a recent survey by UKG and HR.com found that over a third of small to mid-sized businesses are still primarily focused on basic HR functions, such as payroll and record-keeping, and haven’t fully optimized their HR tech to meet strategic needs.
If you’re there right now, you’re not alone. We’ve helped many teams navigate that moment when it’s time to pause, take stock, and tidy things up. Since it’s spring, what better time to freshen up your UKG system and clear out what’s no longer serving you?
Step One: Make Space for Honest Discovery
Spring cleaning starts by pulling everything out of the closet, and the same goes for your UKG system. What’s working? What isn’t? Are the people using it getting what they need, or have they built shadow processes to survive? The technical review matters, but so does listening to your users. This step isn’t about blame, though; it’s about clarity.
Step Two: Focus on What’s Causing Your UKG System the Most Pain
It’s tempting to fix everything at once, but the most successful UKG system cleanups start with the highest-impact changes. Maybe that’s rebuilding BI security so report access finally makes sense. Perhaps it’s simplifying role logic to remove manual provisioning. Or maybe it’s clearing out years of outdated business rules so your system is easier to test and maintain. Whatever the pain point is, that’s your starting place.
Step Three: Document the Fixes So They Stay Fixed
Just like labeling your storage bins during spring cleaning, documenting your UKG system fixes helps them last. Create a map: how things work now, why they were changed, and who needs to know. This turns one-time fixes into long-term improvements.
Step Four: Build a UKG System That Can Handle Change
A clean UKG system isn’t about perfection; it’s about flexibility. Change is constant, with new policies, people, and workflows. When your configuration is resilient, and your team is equipped, you won’t need to start from scratch each time something shifts. That could mean creating reusable templates, scaling automation, or making things easier to update.
Final Thoughts
No system starts out messy. It gets that way over time, usually for good reasons. But when your UKG system starts feeling more frustrating than functional, taking a step back is okay.
Spring is all about fresh starts. If your UKG system could use a little cleanup, we’re here to help.