Have you ever wished that all the information concerning an employee could be found on one system? Rather than having to refer to the Payroll Department and the Benefits Department to get answers to general questions, wouldn´t it be nice to access one system that has all the information you need?

UltiPro Web provides just such an application that has integrated the needs of HR, Payroll and Benefits into one system. UltiPro Web is a web-based application that delivers powerful reporting desktops to managers. UltiPro Web is meant to free the payroll administrator, the benefits professional, the manager and the executive from administrative tasks and concentrate on the issues that are really important to the company. The key to UltiPro Web is that everyone from line managers to executives has access to key business statistics and intelligence on employee trends.

This application should be of special interest to compensation and benefits professionals because it allows access to benefits, HR and payroll information from the same program. Ultimate Software provides HRMS/Payroll integrated solutions. The application hosting is done through IBM.

Target Market

UltiPro Web targets mid to large-sized companies with 500 to 15,000 employees.

Analysis Ability

The program allows you to analyze the relative costs and most effective means to staff training, the impact of proposed salary budget changes, key factors in filling critical open positions, cost effective recruiting sources and participation and contribution levels for 401(k) to name but a few possibilities.

HRMS/Payroll Functionality

The Manger self-service component of UltiPro Web aids managers in tasks involving performance management, staff requisition management, reporting/analytics, salary planning/budgeting, and training management.

Employee self-service allows employees access to Benefits Open Enrollment, Training Enrollment, Personal HR, Job/Careers option, Benefits, Payroll and Company Information.

In the future, UltiPro Web also plans on introducing purchasing and expense reporting options.

UltiPro delivers more than 400 standard reports that cover all functional areas of the application. For example, reports like Salary Increase Projections, % of Benefits to Overall Compensation, Salary Increases and Incentive Projections should be especially helpful to Compensation and Benefits Professionals. On each report, you can define the settings according to options such as selection criteria, date ranges, sorting and grouping and output.

Advantages for Benefits and Compensation Professionals:

1. By allowing managers and employees direct access to some of the personal and protected information usually available only to Payroll and Benefits departments, a lot of general inquiries can be answer instantly and the Payroll and Benefits professional is able to concentrate on more pertinent matters.
2. UltiPro Web offers a "Paperless Benefits Open Enrollment" option. This reduces paperwork for HR and Benefits professionals since the employee can review his or her benefits options directly and forward them for approval. The cost associated with time-consuming enrollment process is also reduced. With the system being integrated with email, the benefits administrator can send due date reminders, survey employees about understanding of specific plans and provide clearer instructions where needed.
3. UltiPro Web can also improve employee relations and reduce administrative workload for HR/Payroll. Employees can get immediate security-protected access to information such as payroll check, benefits summaries, key employment dates, and salary increases and performance reviews. Employees can make changes for review and approval to things like: address/phone information, emergency contacts, direct deposit activity and benefits open enrollment. The day-to-day inquiries to the payroll department are virtually eliminated. Employees can have immediate access to their pay-related data such as their most recent paycheck, historical check detail and year-to-date pay summaries.
4. With all HR, payroll/benefits information being stored in one common area, redundancies can easily be avoided.
5. UltiPro has been designed with the manager in mind. The summaries provided by this program allow the manager to get an overview of all key dates related to an employee. This makes common date inquiries fast and easy to answer while also freeing up time for the benefits/payroll administrator.
6. UltiPro Web allows the payroll administrator to schedule payroll processing on own time. The program also allows you to process exceptions like advance VP, one time deductions, temporary override of employee allocations and gross up calculations. 
7. A number of payroll balancing and reconciliation check points ensure that most errors in payroll are avoided.  "Hassle free adjustments" make life a lot easier for the payroll administrator. The program also offers a tax management option. Most importantly, the one table design for deductions and benefits eliminates the need for reconciliation between the payroll and benefits departments.

Possible Drawbacks of UltiPro Web

1. Having an integrated system can be counter-productive in that the complexity of the information stored can be overwhelming for some people.
2. A system that is highly integrated can become inflexible and bureaucratic. Since a change in one area of the system can have implications on other departments, it becomes necessary to get basic changes approved by all persons involved in the various departments.
3. Importantly, by having most of the information related to employees on one system, the fallout of problems in accessing this information or loosing it altogether could be irreparable. The saying "don´t put all your eggs in one basket" comes to mind.
4. In terms of being web-based, Ultimate Software promises that ´airtight´ security is provided to users. Unfortunately, with large corporations (like IBM) having problems with hackers, it is difficult to accept that there is such a thing. If the wrong information gets into the wrong hands the task of doing damage control can be very costly.

Implementation/Installation

Major Competitors include ADP, PeopleSoft, and Lawson Software ERP.

Pricing

Pricing starts at $80,000

Support

National support is provided via toll-free number and through e-mail

Support staff is made up of certified professionals in the area (payroll, HR) and have 10 years of experience.

Additional note

Ultimate Software was rated the Top Solution Provider in IOMA´s Year 2000 Payroll Technology Satisfaction Survey

HR.COMmentary

The possibility of having an integrated system would be welcome news to any HR, Payroll or Benefits professional who has ever had take time out of a busy day to answer routine inquiries such as key dates or pay check questions for employees. Being able to let interested managers or employees have access to this information on their own time would free up a lot of valuable time for Compensation and Benefits professionals who can then concentrate on strategic issues.

Improved efficiency and employee relations are very valuable benefits offered by UltiPro Web. This system would be a great option for a large organization where communication may be difficult. Integration of various HR related systems could eliminate a lot of redundancies and save time. However, since a lot of sensitive employee information is involved, one has to proceed with caution and ensure that all information is secure and well protected.

If you want to get more information on this product, you are encouraged to try and contact 1-800-432-1729 or visit their website at http://www.ultimatesoftware.com/

About the Company

Ultimate Software is a leader in delivering Web-based payroll and employee management solutions to organizations of all sizes. Ultimate Software''s fully integrated, award-winning UltiPro suite enables businesses to manage human resources and payroll strategically and cost-effectively, benefiting everyone in the organization. Ultimate Software offers application hosting through IBM Global Services and a business-to-business Web portal, providing access to value-added resources via the Internet.
Headquartered in Weston, Florida, Ultimate Software employs more than 400 professionals nationwide and has licensed its software to approximately 1,000 customers, servicing more than 1,000,000 employees across the United States.

http://www.ultimatesoftware.com/about/