Merging Two Utilities Into UKG Pro WFM Without Disrupting Payroll For Enova Power Corp.
Client
Enova Power Corp.
HCM Solutions
UKG Pro Consolidation
UKG Pro WFM Implementation
The Project
Enova Power Corp. is a regulated electricity distribution company serving more than 165,000 residents and businesses across Kitchener, Waterloo, and the surrounding townships in Canada. As the backbone of its communities, Enova operates around the clock to deliver safe, reliable power, guided by a vision to drive what’s next in energy, sustainability, and beyond.
When Enova was formed through the merger of Kitchener-Wilmot Hydro and Waterloo North Hydro, it inherited two separate organizations, each with its own HCM systems, structures, and ways of working.
What Enova needed next was a partner who could bring their HCM technology systems together cleanly, carefully, and without disrupting a single payroll.
Key Wins
- 320 employees unified in one UKG Pro environment
- 50% reduction in system complexity
- Real-time, reliable workforce visibility
- 20-30% less manual effort through automation
- Scalable, future-read platform
“We hold our vendors to a high bar: deep technical expertise, a history of results, and pricing that makes business sense. Covalence Consulting checked every box.”
— Sara Leslie, Director of People & Culture, Enova Power Corp.
The Challenge:
Two Companies. One Deadline. No Room for Error.
When Enova Power Corp. was formed through the merger of its Kitchener and Waterloo utility operations, it became clear that it was time to streamline HR and payroll. The goal was simple: improve efficiency, move to a single system, and standardize how time is managed across the organization.
Leadership wanted to bring both companies into a single UKG Pro system and standardize timekeeping for all 320 employees.
Both utilities already used UKG Pro for HR and payroll, but their legacy timekeeping systems were different. Kitchener employees used Ultimate Time Management (UTM), while Waterloo employees used UKG Pro WFM. Enova wanted to end this split and have everyone use UKG Pro WFM as the single timekeeping system.
But the timing made the project complicated. Enova was in the middle of amajor collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiation, one that wouldreshape its organizational structure, job groupings, and reporting hierarchies. Those changes directly impacted how employees would be organized, paid, and managed inside UKG.
For a public-sector utility with a unionized workforce, payroll accuracy wasn’t optional. It was foundational. That’s where Covalence Consulting stepped in.
Enova chose Covalence Consulting for their deep technical expertise with UKG, proven experience with complex projects and migrations, and competitive pricing. Enova knew that a sensitive project like this needed both accuracy and patience.
The Covalence Solution
A Structured, Phased Approach.
Covalence focused first on protecting what was already working. Rather than starting from scratch, the team added the Kitchener employee group to the existing Waterloo UKG Pro instance, creating a unified platform without disrupting live payroll cycles.
Three detailed Smartsheets tracked every open item, data dependency, and transition activity, giving the project team a clear picture of what could move immediately and what needed to wait.
When the CBA negotiation paused the project for several months, Covalence preserved completed work, deferred only what was directly tied to the restructure, and updated the plan accordingly. When work resumed, nothing had to be rebuilt.
Once the new structure was confirmed, the full UKG Pro WFM implementation included:
- Client-managed JDE API integration between JDE and UKG Pro
- Custom BI report to export Work Order data into UKG Pro WFM
- Automated UDES processing for hands-off data movement between systems
- 7 custom-built job aids and tailored training for two employee groups
In the final stretch, Covalence validated that every employee, existing and newly merged, was correctly positioned and ready for payroll on day one.
The Results:
Two Companies. One Deadline. No Room for Error.
When Enova went live, all 320 employees were paid on time, delivering a 99.5% payroll accuracy rate on the very first run following a complex, multi-organization consolidation.
That kind of result doesn’t happen by accident. This project navigated two separate legacy timekeeping platforms, a mid-project organizational restructure triggered by a live CBA negotiation, custom system integrations, and the complexity of merging two distinct employee populations into a single environment.
The stability Enova experienced on day one was the direct result of disciplined project governance, deep UKG expertise, and a partner who anticipated every risk before it became a problem.
Key Project Results
- 320 employees unified in one UKG Pro environment
- 50% reduction in system complexity
- Real-time, reliable workforce visibility
- 20-30% less manual effort through automation
- Scalable, future-read platform
Beyond Go-Live
A Platform Built For Where Enova Is Going
The consolidation did more than improve the technology. It also changed how Enova’s internal team works. With payroll now in one system, Enova restructured its HR team, moving from two payroll administrators to a Payroll Specialist and a Total Rewards Specialist. This new setup gave the team more opportunities to grow and allowed for a more strategic approach to managing the workforce.
Productivity improved in two main areas:
- Faster Processing Time
- A unified system eliminated manual reconciliation
- Staffing Efficiency
- Clear roles freed payroll for higher-value work
“When everything flows from one data source, there’s no second-guessing, just confidence that we’re always working from the latest, most accurate picture.”
— Sara Leslie, Director of People & Culture, Enova Power Corp.
Covalence Consulting Inc. is a Human Capital Management (HCM) & Workforce Management (WFM) consulting firm focused on delivering tailored HCM software implementation services that empower clients to fully deploy their HCM/WFM systems with confidence. As a trusted HCM implementation partner to leading HCM software suppliers, Covalence Consulting Inc. specializes in workforce management, payroll, and time and attendance. Whether it is HR transformation or managed services, our approach centers on partnering with our valued clients, making their success our success.