Leading Pasta Manufacturer Experiences Business Benefits With Ultimate...

WESTON, Fla., March 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ultimate Software
(Nasdaq: ULTI), a leading provider of Web-based payroll and workforce
management solutions, announced today that American Italian Pasta Company, the
largest producer and marketer of dry pasta in North America, is experiencing
strategic business benefits and efficiencies since implementing UltiPro. 
   
American Italian Pasta supplies branded pasta to marketers and distributors such as Mueller's, Golden Grain, Mrs. Grass, Ronco, Luxury, R & F, Global A1, Pennsylvania Dutch, and Anthony's. Before selecting UltiPro, the pasta manufacturer was using a payroll service bureau but found that the outsourcer couldn't provide the integrated functionality and technology that American Italian Pasta needed to remain lean and efficient. Since going live on UltiPro in January 2000, the company has experienced benefits from:

    * UltiPro's business intelligence reporting
    * The solution's self-service functionality for employees and managers
    * Ultimate Software's hosted service model, Intersourcing

Many manufacturers are faced with the need to quickly adapt to changing
market demands. When American Italian Pasta found itself in that situation, it
leveraged UltiPro's business intelligence reporting to glean information that
helped the company better understand its manpower and related cost
implications in order to control those expenses.
   
"We have three United States manufacturing facilities in addition to sales
staff in 24 states. We use UltiPro for everything from payroll processing,
general ledger interface, and benefits to management information that enhances
decision making," said Valerie Finney, director of human resources for
American Italian Pasta. 
   
By modifying business processes and production to align with industry
changes, American Italian Pasta has been successful in sustaining a business
that owns 40% of industry market share. The company adopted UltiPro's self-
service for managers and employees as another way to transform its practices
and improve efficiencies. Using the UltiPro portal, employees in American
Italian Pasta's Kansas City headquarters, for example, can log in to UltiPro
for data like benefit deductions and year-to-date payroll information that
used to require phone calls or e-mails to employee management staff. Managers
can use UltiPro to view performance appraisal due dates, compensation history,
and home contact information for their staff. Because of these efficiencies,
the human resource and payroll staff has maintained its workload, although its
department headcount has dropped by 20%. 
   
"By moving from paper processes to electronic processes, we've been able
to automate many manual tasks, helping us do more with less," said Karen
Sanders, HRIS/payroll manager for American Italian Pasta. "I used to work with
a large enterprise resource planning software solution for a previous
employer, and I think that UltiPro can do everything that it could do. I'm
very impressed. UltiPro has excellent functionality and is a state-of-the-art
solution."
   
American Italian Pasta is taking advantage of UltiPro's technology by
using Internet technologies available through Intersourcing. Ultimate Software
handles all of the IT responsibilities associated with UltiPro, like upgrades
and backups, for its Intersourcing customers. Users can access UltiPro via a
Web browser, so the solution is available anywhere and at anytime. With
UltiPro hosted through Intersourcing, organizations receive the best of both
in-house and outsourced HRMS/payroll advantages, including complete access to
critical employee data, a Web portal for managers and employees, business
intelligence tools for executive decision-making, and comprehensive
HRMS/payroll functionality.
   
"Intersourcing has been marvelous," said Sanders. "We have had no downtime
or system issues, and I have been able to devote my time to other projects,
such as headcount analysis and departmental budgeting."
   
"To make strategic changes, companies need real-time workforce data at
their fingertips. American Italian Pasta is demonstrating agility in using
that information for bottom-line business improvements," said Greg Swick,
senior vice president of sales for Ultimate Software.

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. The
Company employs approximately 450 professionals who are united in their
commitment to developing trendsetting solutions and delivering quality
service. Ultimate Software customers represent diverse industries and include
such organizations as Benihana Restaurants, The Container Store, Elizabeth
Arden, The Florida Marlins Baseball Team, The New York Yankees Baseball Team,
Omni Hotels, 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  The Ultimate Software Group, Inc. 
    -0-                             03/30/2005
    /CONTACT:  Darlene Marcroft, Ultimate Software, +1-954-331-7444, or
darlene_marcroft[at]ultimatesoftware.com/
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              PRN Photo Desk, photodesk[at]prnewswire.com /
    /Web site:  http://www.ultimatesoftware.com /
    (ULTI)