As an expert UKG Pro implementation consultant I regularly see how enthusiastic end-users and system administrators are to get their UKG Pro system. And why not? UKG Pro is a robust HCM software filled with unparalleled capabilities. It is designed to improve the employee experience, make HR processes such as time off approvals and performance reviews easier for managers, and streamline business insights and decision making for your company. As a premier cloud-based HCM software, UKG Pro is top-notch. There are key ways in which clients can maximize the value their organizations and teams get from their UKG Pro software. The most important is this: full-feature use.
It may sound obvious – but there are several key elements to full-feature use that are often overlooked. Here I outline how to attain the sometimes elusive full-feature use once you have your UKG Pro software.
You Probably Have Underutilized Features.
You may think that you have configured and implemented the UKG Pro features you believe you need. However, sometimes HCM implementation projects can be time-sensitive and rushed. As a result, often only the base level capabilities of your UKG Pro system are activated, leaving a world of possibilities untouched. Commonly organizations underutilize many features in UKG Pro, not knowing that there is a larger amount of functionality that they can take advantage of.
Let’s take Business Intelligence as an example. Business Intelligence is a powerful reporting tool in UKG Pro that allows you to gain tremendous insight into your company. During the launch process, a lot of customers determine the reports that they will need to run their business. Usually, HCM software system administrators activate the running of the same reports that they have always used prior to getting UKG Pro such as the reports in their previous payroll system.
It’s really important for UKG Pro clients to take a pause after go-live and think about what key business and strategic objectives they wanted to initially get out of their new HCM system. You have a real opportunity to determine the reports that will provide your organization with insight into business processes. Profitability reports, budgeting reports, hours, and dollars paid for overtime are just some of the robust reports that UKG Pro users can build in Business Intelligence. Think of how powerful these deep insights into your business’s profitability, budgeting, etc. can be for your CHRO, CFO or other senior management.
It’s important to note that running such reports in Business Intelligence isn’t a tedious task which will create extra work. There is additional functionality available to schedule these reports to run automatically and to deliver them to those who need to see them in an automated setup.
Using Business Intelligence as an example it is clear that there are a host of features in UKG Pro that may have been overlooked. Looking at such features available to you and ensuring you take advantage of them is key to unlocking its full potential.
Now Let’s Look At Unutilized Features.
After looking at your current features and whether you are utilizing them fully, it is time to look at what features you are currently not using at all. UKG Pro offers system capabilities that many businesses do not deem as important for their use at the time of implementation. But after you have gone live and are getting more comfortable with the use of UKG Pro, it is time to revisit that functionality and determine whether your organization can utilize it to bring value to your investment in UKG Pro.
I want to use the healthcare industry as an example and look at the Employee Licenses and Education functionality in UKG Pro. In healthcare, it is incredibly important to keep licenses and certifications up to date. This is because they determine the jobs the employees such as nurses, RNs, technicians, etc. can do, and the rates at which they get paid. Clearly ensuring that staff are up-to-date on training and certifications is incredibly important to remain compliant for healthcare organizations. Tracking those allows UKG Pro healthcare customers to run reports on the licenses, to give employees pay rate adjustments when needed, and even to send out reminders to employees on upcoming license expirations. Not having such a feature configured and activated would clearly result in much manual work to keep track of certifications, sacrificing productivity.
Are there such key features in UKG Pro that apply to your specific industry or organization? It’s important to find out and utilize these features to get maximum value back from your organization’s investment in UKG Pro. Remember, I am part of a stellar HCM team that can help you and your team assess your current UKG Pro configuration and decide if optimization is needed – contact us!
Are You Missing Out? Looking At Additional Modules Is Key.
So you have gone live, stabilized your system, looked at your current available functionality, and increased feature utilization. Well done! Now it is time to expand on that and look outside to all the modules that UKG offers in addition to your HR/Payroll or Time and Attendance solutions. UKG offers an entire suite of HCM modules that are designed to integrate and work seamlessly together.
Your UKG Pro implementation project may have entailed configuring the base features you’ve been asked for – and that’s fine! But looking at what additional modules are already available in UKG Pro is how a good optimization starts – and optimizing is key to continually ensuring your organization is getting ROI from your HCM system. Remember your business needs yesterday are not what they will be tomorrow – assessing how your configuration is working for your organizations today and tomorrow is key.
Let’s look at the Talent Acquisition module as an example. It is an additional module that comes with UKG Pro which can provide a lot of additional use to your business. This module is made up of Recruiting and Onboarding which specifically provides personalized and convenient experiences for your candidates and new hires. With the use of the Recruiting module, recruiters can easily post opportunities, configure processes, and establish candidate groups. Candidates can easily search and apply for jobs. With Onboarding, new hires can proactively stay ahead of the onboarding tasks, and managers can easily review the onboarding process for their new hires. Does your company have a use for Talent Acquisition? I’m sure it does! Often it is these ‘nice to have’ modules, which you already have access to in UKG Pro, that provide real value and innovation.
Introducing new modules to your HCM software suite allows you to emphasize the employee experience at your company, it allows you to gain deeper insight with analytics, trends, and forecasting that was not previously available to you and it allows you to streamline your business operations. All of these provide you and your organization the opportunity to truly gain the full value of the investment that you have made in your UKG purchase.
If you have any questions about full-feature use in UKG Pro don’t hesitate to reach out or follow me on Twitter! I’m always happy to have informative chats on all things Human Capital Management and UKG Pro. Let’s connect!