Leading Lumber Manufacturer Chooses HRchitect For Their UKG Pro Implementation

Client Background

The Client has over 1,000 employees working at five mill locations and a corporate office throughout the state of Idaho. The Client had HR teams at each mill location, and each location had their own HR processes. Management opted for a more streamlined approach, which drove the need for the client to evaluate and select a new HRIS/Payroll system that would be the system of record for all locations.

The Challenge

The company then engaged with HRchitect to lead the implementation of UKG Pro, the new HRIS/Payroll system across the company. HRchitect was selected because of our reputation as the go-to partner for mid-market clients in the process of implementing new HCM technology. Working with hundreds of UKG clients across North America, HRchitect is widely recognized as the one-stop shop for all your UKG Pro needs. Our experience includes Project Management, Implementation/Activation, Process Analysis/Redesign, Training, Healthchecks & Optimization, Report Development, Integration, Data Migration, Change Management, Client-side activation assistance, and Ongoing Support.

Additionally, the client requested that HRchitect serve as the client-side project manager for the implementation, as the Client didn’t have the necessary expertise internally. The Client also chose to have HRchitect facilitate the change management efforts around the implementation.

Client Profile

  • One of America’s largest lumber producers
  • Headquartered in Idaho
  • 1,000+ employees
  • Utilizes advanced technology to minimize waste and maximize efficiencies
  • Chose HRchitect for a UKG Pro HRIS/Payroll implementation

Why HRchitect?

  • 5x winner of the UKG Partner of the Year award
  • HRchitect has been working with the UKG Pro system since 2006
  • Senior consultants; over 50% are former HR practitioners

The Project

HRchitect’s expert consultants led the Client through the implementation in a period of six months. The Core HR and Payroll modules were implemented simultaneously. Synergy between the HRchitect consulting team and the Client’s resources resulted in an extremely smooth implementation experience. The teams were largely able to collaborate in a remote manner, keeping travel costs down. The teams met on-site for the User Acceptance Testing (UAT) phase which was conducted at each mill location, leveraging the same consultants, and HRIS Analyst from the Client to ensure uniformity for process discussion and implementation. This yielded higher user adoption because each HR team was involved in the testing process and no decisions were made in a vacuum.

Key Benefits

  • Expert-led implementation of a modern HR platform
    HRchitect guided the successful deployment of UKG UKG Pro, implementing Core HR and Payroll simultaneously to create a unified HRIS and payroll environment.

  • Experienced project management and change leadership
    HRchitect served as the client-side project manager and change management lead, providing the expertise the organization lacked internally and ensuring clear direction, stakeholder alignment, and strong adoption across teams.

  • Collaborative implementation driving higher user adoption
    By involving HR teams from each location in the User Acceptance Testing (UAT) process, HRchitect helped ensure decisions were well-informed and that employees felt invested in the new system from the start.

  • Efficient project delivery with reduced costs
    The implementation was completed in six months through effective remote collaboration, minimizing travel costs while still incorporating targeted on-site sessions to ensure successful testing and rollout.

  • Operational efficiencies and strategic HR impact
    The new system standardized HR processes, introduced online benefits enrollment, and significantly reduced payroll processing time, allowing HR teams to shift focus from administrative tasks to more strategic initiatives.

The Results

The Client benefited immensely from the implementation, project management, and change management services elected. The benefit of working with an experienced consulting firm for the implementation resulted in an implementation that was on time, on budget, and set the Client up for maximum return on investment from their new system. The Project Manager from HRchitect was able to act as the interim HR Manager, and supported a unified vision from the client side ensuring that timelines were respected. The benefit of the change management services led to maximum employee buy-in to the new system, and helped garner a smooth transition from the Client’s legacy systems to the new UKG Pro system.

Overall, the result for the Client was a standardization of systems and processes that allowed for better, more efficient employee management. Major efficiencies were driven via the implementation of online benefit enrollment capability versus the previous paper benefit enrollment, and a substantial decrease in processing times for payroll. The HR departments are now able to refocus time and attention to more strategic activities.

Client Profile

  • One of America’s largest lumber producers
  • Headquartered in Idaho
  • 1,000+ employees
  • Utilizes advanced technology to minimize waste and maximize efficiencies
  • Chose HRchitect for a UKG Pro HRIS/Payroll implementation

Why HRchitect?

  • 5x winner of the UKG Partner of the Year award
  • HRchitect has been working with the UKG Pro system since 2006
  • Senior consultants; over 50% are former HR practitioners
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