WESTON, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ultimate Software (Nasdaq:ULTI), a leading provider of end-to-end strategic human resources, payroll, and talent management solutions, announced today that Carolina CAT, one of the longest serving Caterpillar dealerships in the United States, has experienced dramatic improvements in human resources (HR) and payroll since going “live” on UltiPro for human capital management in January 2008.
Before UltiPro, Carolina CAT had no integration between HR, benefits, and payroll. To manage HR, the dealership was relying on outdated and time-consuming spreadsheets to track and manage information for approximately 900 employees. To run payroll, Carolina CAT was using a payroll service bureau that lacked robust reporting capabilities, benefits management, or strategic talent management features. Without an integrated HR infrastructure and shared data, the dealership was challenged by having records in different systems that were out of sync, and it was forced to handle many processes manually with paper files, e-mails, and printed forms.
To become more efficient, the company sought one provider to deliver comprehensive recruitment-to-retirement functionality with easy-to-use HR business intelligence tools. Carolina CAT selected UltiPro and, since completing implementation, the HR team has been able to improve the services it provides by:
Carolina CAT, with more than 50 managers in 12 locations, has seen instant benefits by using UltiPro’s self-service to empower supervisors with information about their teams, such as staffing reports, compensation breakdowns, performance review history, and fast access to details about employees.
“Our managers have never had anything like this before, so this was a huge hit with them,” said Tom Bell, Vice President of Human Resources for Carolina CAT. “By making this information rapidly available to managers, we are giving them the tools they need to perform their roles better than ever before.”
Similarly, Carolina CAT has begun giving its employees self-service so that they can access year-to-date payroll summaries, business forms, and company news using the UltiPro portal. According to Bell, after minimal training, employees have found the UltiPro portal a valuable resource that is very easy to navigate.
“Never underestimate the power that self-service has to make employees happy,” said Bell. “It has been a real ‘wow’ experience for them, and also ultimately helps HR because associates can get information on their own, freeing up HR time and energy for other projects.”
Now that Carolina CAT is using UltiPro, compiling metrics for executives or for external reporting demands is quick and efficient. Because UltiPro provides integrated reporting across any area of HR, payroll, and benefits, Bell and his team can generate reports to review labor costs, current headcount, or 401(k) contributions in minutes. UltiPro includes hundreds of standard and customizable reports.
“With our previous provider, all reports had to be written from scratch,” said Leah Beard, Benefits Partner for Carolina CAT. “We also couldn’t count on the reliability of the reports, since we stored employee records in a number of different databases. With UltiPro’s standard reports, I can get what I need in a snap and we know the data is correct.”
Bell is in the final stages of rolling out UltiPro Performance Management and UltiPro Salary Planning & Budgeting. He estimates that his team will gain hundreds of hours to focus on other projects by using these features. He also believes that these tools will add strategic value across the organization, helping to better manage talent and wage increases.
“It was important for us to have one all-encompassing HR solution that could deliver everything that our HR/payroll team needs now and moving into the future,” said Bell. “With its breadth of functionality, UltiPro is helping the entire organization operate productively.”
“Caterpillar dealers, with their multiple locations and distributed workforces, need a single solution with centralized data and anytime-anywhere access,” said Greg Swick, chief sales officer for Ultimate Software. “Clearly, Carolina CAT believes in improving its service to employees. We are happy that we have supported them in that important mission, while helping HR function more effectively at the same time.”
A leading provider of end-to-end strategic human resources, payroll, and talent management solutions, Ultimate Software markets its award-winning UltiPro products as on-demand services through its software-as-a-service (SaaS) offering, Intersourcing, and as licensed software. Based in Weston, FL, the Company employs 850 professionals who are focused on developing the highest quality products and services. In 2008, Ultimate Software was the first HR/payroll SaaS provider to be audited and awarded the ISO/IEC 27001:2005 Certification for security management, and its development team was named the #1 “Best Product Development Team” in the nation by the American Business Awards. Ultimate Software’s internal technology team won a first-place award for its management of Intersourcing from the American Business Awards in 2007, and its customer service team won two first-place awards in national competitions for service excellence in 2006. Ultimate Software was ranked the #1 best medium-sized company to work for in America by the Great Place to Work® Institute in June 2008. Ultimate Software has more than 1,600 customers representing diverse industries, including such organizations as The Container Store, Elizabeth Arden, Major League Baseball, The New York Yankees Baseball Team, Nintendo of America, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, and Sony BMG Entertainment. More information on Ultimate Software’s products and services can be found at 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.