Premier Casino Recommits to UKG with Strategic Help from HRchitect

Client Background

Our Client is a premier destination in the hospitality industry, known for its expansive resort offerings, casino operations, and vibrant workforce. With a large, dynamic, and high-turnover workforce, our Client’s People & Culture team operates in a fast-paced environment that demands robust workforce management, payroll, and recruiting tools to support dynamic business needs.

The Challenge

After implementing UKG Pro, our Client continued to face significant challenges in system adoption, process efficiency, and recruiting outcomes. Many of these issues stemmed from attempts to retain legacy processes developed under older technologies, such as Infinium/AS400, while applying them to a more modern system. These outdated workflows caused friction in user experience, slowed down operations, and frustrated end users and system administrators alike, threatening the return on their UKG investment.

There was growing consideration among our Client’s leadership to potentially abandon UKG in favor of another HCM platform. However, the organization also recognized the cost and disruption associated with a full system replacement and needed expert insight to determine the best path forward.

Client Profile

• Native American Resort owned and operated by the Oneida Indian Nation of New York
• Headquartered in Verona, New York
• 4,500 employees
• Partnered with HRchitect to implement the UKG Suite
• Partnered with HRchitect to Optimize their UKG system

The Project

HRchitect’s Strategic Services team led a focused evaluation project designed to diagnose the root causes of the system and process misalignments. This began with a multi-day onsite Discovery, which included stakeholder interviews, workflow reviews, and even a “behind-the-scenes” operational tour to hear firsthand from team members and supervisors across departments.

Following this in-depth assessment, HRchitect delivered a comprehensive analysis and roadmap. The findings revealed that our Client’s issues were not due to platform limitations but rather the retention of outdated policies and processes incompatible with UKG’s modern capabilities. While a full system replacement was technically feasible, HRchitect’s assessment found that no alternative vendor could better meet our Client’s complex HCM needs than UKG.

Instead, HRchitect recommended a targeted optimization strategy, including:

• A consultative optimization project to reconfigure and streamline UKG Pro to align with current and future operational needs.
• A relaunch and reconfiguration of Virtual Roster, better integrated with broader UKG functionality.
• The introduction of Phenom as a purpose-built recruiting solution to support high-volume hiring and alleviate stress on internal HR teams.

Key Benefits

• Preserved Investment in UKG: our Client avoided a costly and unnecessary system replacement by improving existing system usage.
• Tailored Optimization: System configuration and workflows now reflect our Client’s current operational model rather than outdated legacy processes.
• Future-Ready Recruiting: Adoption of Phenom addresses high-volume recruiting challenges with a platform purpose-built for speed and scale.
• Greater User Satisfaction: Team members, managers, and HR personnel benefit from cleaner processes and a platform more aligned with real-world needs.
• Strategic Roadmap: Clear direction for short- and long-term improvement efforts, setting the stage for continued success with UKG and beyond.

The Results

HRchitect’s strategic services and consultative partnership retained our Client as a UKG customer by demonstrating that optimization, not replacement, was the best course of action. Leadership acknowledged the clarity and direction provided through HRchitect’s assessment and appreciated the hands-on, people-first approach taken during discovery.

Implementation of Phenom is actively underway, while UKG Pro and Virtual Roster optimization efforts are moving forward in alignment with the roadmap created by HRchitect. Feedback continues to be positive, reflecting trust in HRchitect’s expertise and ongoing support.

Our Client’s team expressed deep appreciation for HRchitect’s objective, practical, and strategic guidance throughout the project. The onsite engagement and transparent recommendations helped them see the real source of system issues and restored confidence in the long-term success of their UKG ecosystem.