Automotive Retailer Builds UKG Pro Expertise and Self-Sufficiency with HRchitect

Client Background

Our client, a leading U.S. automotive retailer, had been using UKG Pro for more than 20 years. However, the organization’s UKG environment had never received the level of ongoing maintenance, optimization, and strategic attention needed to take full advantage of the platform.

When the current HR leadership team joined our Client’s internal team, many of the employees who had originally implemented UKG were no longer with the company. The original implementation had also been led primarily by Finance and IT, with limited HR involvement. As a result, the HR team had inherited a system that was functional but underutilized and difficult to manage. Many foundational UKG practices were not understood, including system maintenance, role management, organizational hierarchies, reporting, and Business Intelligence (BI). Additionally, the new Director of HR had no previous UKG experience.

Our Client initially connected with HRchitect through its UKG account executive while preparing for a UKG Pro Workforce Management implementation. However, when the UKG Pro WFM implementation was placed on hold, HRchitect adapted to the Client’s changing priorities and shifted focus toward optimizing the UKG Pro environment already in place. This created an opportunity to address long-standing system challenges while helping the organization’s internal team build the skills needed to manage UKG independently.

The Challenge

After more than two decades of using UKG Pro, our Client had significant opportunities to improve how the platform was configured, maintained, and utilized. The organization’s HRIS team was relatively new, and there was limited institutional knowledge surrounding the existing UKG environment. The team needed both technical expertise and practical guidance to understand what the system could do and how to use it effectively.

Challenges the team faced included:

• Limited knowledge of UKG Pro functionality and best practices
• An environment that had not been consistently maintained or optimized
• A lack of foundational BI and People Analytics knowledge
• Inefficient payroll processes
• An overly complex role structure with approximately 60 roles that had accumulated over time
• Opportunities to improve General Ledger processes
• A need to establish a more effective PTO process
• Limited ability to use UKG data proactively to support business decisions

One of the team’s biggest priorities was becoming self-sufficient. Rather than simply having HRchitect complete tasks, our Client wanted to understand how to use and maintain UKG. As the Director of HR explained, the team wanted to learn how to “catch the fish” rather than continually rely on someone else to do it for them.

Client Profile

• 2,000+ employees
• 90+ automotive dealerships across 12 states
• Headquartered in Arkansas
• Serving customers primarily across the South-Central United States
• UKG Pro customer for 20+ years

The Project

HRchitect provided post-go-live system support through its Accelerate support model, giving the Client access to specialized UKG expertise while allowing the internal HRIS team to build its own capabilities. The engagement included recurring weekly meetings, hands-on consulting, troubleshooting, system optimization, reporting, and knowledge transfer.

Building BI & People Analytics Expertise

One of the organization’s biggest areas of opportunity was UKG Pro Business Intelligence. The HRIS team had a general understanding of the tool but lacked the practical knowledge needed to use it effectively. An HRchitect consultant worked directly with the team to build its skills and confidence. Rather than simply creating reports on the Client’s behalf, the HRchitect consultant demonstrated the process behind the work, including:

• Understanding BI fundamentals
• Building and using filters
• Developing reports
• Accessing and interpreting workforce data
• Applying UKG data to real business questions
• Following reporting best practices

The HRchitect consultant also developed reports alongside the Client, giving the team hands-on experience it could apply independently. One report in particular was developed to help the team get ahead of overtime, allowing HR to take a more preventative approach rather than reacting after costs had already increased. This approach allowed the HRIS team to move from simply having access to data to actually using that data to inform business decisions.

Reflecting on the support provided, the HRIS team commented on the experience with its HRchitect consultant, saying: “Our HRchitect consultant has been incredible. He has a way of breaking information down so that it is digestible. He is a great teacher and has accelerated our HRIS team’s learning.”

System Cleanup & Process Optimization

HRchitect also helped address foundational system and process issues that had accumulated over years of limited maintenance. A second HRchitect consultant worked with the Client to improve areas including:

• General Ledger processes
• Payroll processing
• PTO configuration
• Overall system cleanup

The engagement helped the Client move away from outdated and inefficient processes while establishing a stronger foundation for ongoing UKG administration. After working with HRchitect, the HR team said: “Our HRchitect consultant is one of the most intelligent HR professionals I have ever encountered. She is a creative problem solver, and she is nothing short of incredible. HRchitect is so lucky to have her.”

Simplifying Role Management

HRchitect also identified significant opportunities to simplify the organization’s UKG role structure. Over time, the Client had accumulated approximately 60 roles within UKG because new roles were being created whenever a new requirement arose. The team had not been given the foundational guidance needed to understand how UKG roles and hierarchies should be structured and maintained. The organization’s HRchitect consultant helped rebuild the role structure and establish a more sustainable approach. The organization expects to reduce its approximately 60 roles to roughly 10–12 core roles.

Solving Problems in Real Time

The engagement also provided the Client with access to on-demand technical expertise. During one weekly meeting, the HRchitect team helped resolve an issue involving a Workers’ Compensation report within the scheduled session. After that meeting, an employee of our Client told the HRchitect team: “We could have never done this without you.”

Beyond scheduled meetings, our Client could also reach out with questions or issues as they arose, with their HRchitect consultant jumping in to provide timely assistance.

Key Benefits

• Greater UKG Self-Sufficiency: HRchitect’s focus on knowledge transfer has helped the HR team develop the skills and confidence needed to manage UKG independently rather than relying on external resources for every task. 
• Effective Use of Workforce Data: The team has gained practical BI and People Analytics knowledge, enabling everyone to access, analyze, and apply UKG data to support more informed business decisions.
• Proactive Decision-Making: New reporting capabilities help the organization identify workforce trends earlier, including potential overtime increases, so HR can take preventative action before costs rise.
• Streamlined System Administration: HRchitect is currently helping our Client simplify its UKG role structure, improve system organization, and establish better practices for ongoing maintenance.
• Improved Payroll & HR Processes: System cleanup and process optimization helped modernize outdated payroll practices, improve GL processes, and establish a more effective PTO configuration.
• Flexible, On-Demand Expertise: The Accelerate support model gives our Client access to specialized UKG expertise when needed, whether through scheduled weekly meetings or additional support requested during the week.

The Results

HRchitect’s support has helped our Client transform its relationship with UKG Pro from simply maintaining a longstanding system to actively maximizing its capabilities. The engagement has saved the HR team significant time while giving its HRIS team the knowledge and confidence to work more independently. Instead of spending hours trying to understand how the system works or troubleshoot issues without the necessary expertise, the team can now leverage UKG more effectively and make decisions based on meaningful workforce data.

The Client team has also become increasingly self-sufficient. HRchitect’s consultants have intentionally focused on teaching the team how to accomplish tasks themselves, while remaining available when more complex technical support is needed. As the Director of HR shared: “The HRchitect SMEs are incredible. The work they’re doing makes a powerful difference to the service my team and I are able to provide for our organization. Connect with the amazing talent at HRchitect ASAP!” – Director of HR, Automotive Retailer Client

The success of the engagement has created a strong foundation for a long-term partnership. The Client continues to use its remaining support hours and maintains a weekly cadence with HRchitect while reaching out throughout the week as additional needs arise. Looking ahead, our Client hopes to reengage HRchitect when it is ready to resume its UKG Pro Workforce Management implementation. Most importantly, HRchitect has helped the organization move toward its long-term goal: mastering its UKG environment internally while having trusted experts available when they need them.