WESTON, Fla., Dec. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ultimate Software
(Nasdaq: ULTI), a leading provider of Web-based payroll and workforce
management solutions, announced today that Elizabeth Arden, Inc., a global
prestige beauty products company with over 1,000 employees in the United
States and Puerto Rico, is experiencing the business value and dependability
of a hosted HRMS/payroll solution with Ultimate Software's on-demand model,
Intersourcing.
Before implementing UltiPro Workforce Management through Intersourcing,
Elizabeth Arden was a division of a larger business that used an enterprise
resource planning (ERP) solution for its HRMS needs and was later purchased
by French Fragrances, Inc., which used a service bureau and subsequently
changed its name to Elizabeth Arden, Inc. Company leadership soon realized
that neither the ERP that Elizabeth Arden had been using nor the service
bureau that French Fragrances was using offered the right balance of
functionality, cost-effectiveness, and reputation for service excellence to
meet their business objectives moving forward. After evaluating available
options, the new executive team at Elizabeth Arden selected Ultimate
Software's Intersourcing in June 2001. For companies that select
Intersourcing, Ultimate Software handles the hardware, software, and manpower
needed for ongoing system maintenance, backups, upgrades, and other IT
responsibilities related to UltiPro.
"When partnering with a vendor for a hosted offering such as
Intersourcing, we evaluate performance and quality of services by the people
who deliver the service," said Joel B. Ronkin, Elizabeth Arden's executive
vice president and chief administrative officer. "Ultimate Software's staff
has gone above and beyond the call of duty for us on numerous occasions, such
as during the recent hurricane that hit our offices. Ultimate Software's
people understand the value of long-term relationships and the kind of
support it takes to be truly exceptional."
On Monday, October 24, Elizabeth Arden's Miami Lakes, Florida,
headquarters was hit by Hurricane Wilma, leaving area roads littered with
debris and downed power lines. Lack of power and potable water forced the
office to close. Employees of the beauty products company who were working in
other locations called hotels throughout the South Florida region, eventually
finding a space with electricity where several members of Elizabeth Arden's
payroll team could process payroll the next day. Because Intersourcing users
can securely log into UltiPro from any Web browser, members of Elizabeth
Arden's payroll department were able to easily manage the process off-site,
allowing wages to be paid without disruption. The beauty products maker
remained without power in its Miami Lakes facility for eight days but never
missed a payroll.
"Because payroll staff could access UltiPro over the Internet, we had no
downtime as far as maintaining payroll was concerned. We were very
impressed," said Louis Nault, Elizabeth Arden's director of finance.
Nault also commented that Ultimate Software's customer relationship
management (CRM) staff contacted him within 24 hours of the storm to assess
the situation. "Our CRM wanted to make sure everyone was all right and see if
Ultimate could help us out in any way. That's a personal level of service
that you just don't see anymore. It's nice to be in a partnership where the
boundaries of business relationships and personal relationships blur, and
people really care."
About Ultimate Software
Ultimate Software, a leading provider of Web-based payroll and workforce
management solutions, markets award-winning UltiPro as licensed software, as
a hosted application through Intersourcing, and as a co-branded offering to
Business Service Providers (BSPs) under the "Powered by UltiPro" brand.
Employing approximately 500 professionals who are focused on developing the
highest quality products and services, Ultimate Software was named the 2005
Payroll Provider of the Year by the Human Resources Outsourcing Association
and listed among the 2005 Top 25 Best Medium-Sized Companies to Work for in
America by the Great Place to Work Institute and the Society for Human
Resource Management. Ultimate Software customers represent diverse industries
and include such organizations as The Container Store, Elizabeth Arden, The
Florida Marlins Baseball Team, The New York Yankees Baseball Team, Nintendo
of America, Ruth's Chris Steak House, SkyWest Airlines, and Trammell Crow
Residential. More information on Ultimate Software's products and services
can be found at http://www.ultimatesoftware.com
UltiPro and Intersourcing are registered trademarks of The Ultimate
Software Group, Inc. All other trademarks referenced are the property of
their respective owners.
For Sales Information:
Ultimate Software
Phone: (800) 432-1729
Web site: http://www.ultimatesoftware.com
SOURCE Ultimate Software