As summer heats up, your UKG system optimization strategy should be just as hot. This season is often filled with employee vacations, leaner internal teams, and shifting project timelines, making it the perfect time to simplify, automate, and optimize. At Covalence Consulting, we believe even small changes can lead to major efficiency gains. Below are three strategic ways to reduce administrative burden and keep operations smooth while your teams enjoy some well-earned sunshine.
UKG system optimization to Vacation-Proof Your People Processes
When key HR or payroll approvers are on vacation, processes can stall unless your UKG system is ready. Now’s the time to build backup plans and stronger systems with clear task sharing, smart alerts, and smoother workflows.
Here’s what you can do:
- Configure Delegation Rules in UKG Pro: Set up temporary or permanent role delegations, allowing backup users to approve workflows like time-off requests, new hire entries, and payroll actions. Delegations can be tied to specific roles or transactions and configured with clear start and end dates to ensure compliance and control.
- Automate Alerts and Notifications: You can configure conditional alerts for unattended tasks (e.g., missed timesheets or pending approvals). Tailor these to your org chart so nothing falls through the cracks.
- Design Redundant Workflow Paths: Simplify your workflow design so secondary approvers can be added intelligently without overcomplicating your hierarchy.
Pro tip: Many clients don’t realize they can pre-set delegations seasonally or by business unit.
Beach-Read Worthy Dashboards
Most executives don’t want to spend their summer scrolling through spreadsheets. If your BI dashboards look messy, it may be time for a refresh.
Here’s what we recommend:
- BI Dashboard Cleanup: Audit your current dashboards by eliminating duplicative reports, restructuring data visuals, and consolidating key metrics into high-value summaries. This cleanup reduces noise and speeds up decision-making.
- Role-Based Access Tuning: BI Security is often misunderstood. Align report access with role security settings so users only see what’s relevant to them, and you reduce risk. For example, HR Managers might see organization-wide turnover trends, while front-line leaders only see their team’s data.
- Dashboard Ownership & Governance: Establish clear dashboard ownership and governance guidelines. Define who can build, edit, publish, and document reports. This keeps your BI environment clean, consistent, and trusted over time.
Pro tip: Don’t forget you can use BI Scheduling to automatically send dashboards as PDFs to key stakeholders weekly.
Cool Off with Quick Wins
Don’t have the capacity for a full project this summer? No problem. Let’s focus on targeted, high-impact improvements that eliminate daily friction.
Some of our favorite “quick wins”:
- Pay Group Optimization: If you’re adding new locations, roles, or seasonal workers, your pay groups may need reconfiguration. Review earnings/deduction mappings, pay frequency alignment, and system dependencies to reduce risk during payroll runs.
- Role Security Simplification: Too many role configurations cause unnecessary confusion and approval errors. Consolidate your roles, remove permissions you no longer need, and implement Role Automation to streamline access.
- Config Archiving and Cleanup: Old profiles, retired workflows, and test fields clutter the system and slow performance. Identify and safely archive unused elements using tools like the Business Rules Import Tool, UTA extractors, or audit reports.
Pro tip: Most clients see a performance boost after a simple config cleanup. You don’t need a reimplementation, just a refresh.
Ready to make your summer simpler?
Whether you need delegated workflows, streamlined BI dashboards, or a few smart system tweaks, Covalence can help with your UKG system optimization. We bring award-winning expertise in UKG Pro, WFM, UTA, and more, helping you maximize ROI without maxing out your team. Let’s talk about a summer strategy tailored to your needs. Click here to learn more!