Ultimate Software's UltiPro Streamlines Employee Administration For County Government

Self-Service and Reporting Tools Allow Organization to Grow Without Adding HR/Payroll Staff

WESTON, FL - Ultimate Software, a leading provider of Web-based payroll and workforce management solutions, announced today that because of UltiPro's robust functionality, the government of Mesa County, Colorado, has been able to almost double its monthly gross payroll without increasing the size of its payroll department.

Previously, the government of Mesa County, Colorado, had been using an in- house, nonintegrated HR and payroll solution that was slow in processing reports and required manual reconciliation of workforce data. The solution also lacked the sophistication needed to manage the government's payroll and reporting demands. Since Mesa County, Colorado, selected Ultimate Software's UltiPro, going live in October 2000 after an on-time, on-budget implementation, the governmental organization has gained easy-to-use reporting tools and Web access for the county's 750 employees, 225 of whom use the solution's manager self-service functions.

"I didn't fully realize how much we were missing from our previous solution until we had UltiPro. I really love it, and so do our employees and managers," said Kathy Hakes, applications technician/payroll for Mesa County, Colorado. "Everyone now has so much more access to information when they need it, without phone calls or e-mails to me."

In October 2001, Mesa County, Colorado, rolled out both employee and manager self-service, a feature that has reduced calls to Hakes from 50 per month to just a handful. Employees can now go online themselves to view their personal information, such as year-to-date paycheck summaries, benefits details, and direct deposit choices. In addition to information like staff compensation and employee rosters, managers can review reports over the Web, including employees' vacation balances and sick leave histories. Executives use this type of detail to closely monitor costs. Workforce management expenses are regularly scrutinized by department, by employee, and by cost center, and employer-paid benefits expenditures are evaluated in-depth.

"We work very hard to keep administrative costs low and, with real-time access to critical data, like turnover statistics, we can watch for trends and stop problems before they escalate and become excessive," said Hakes.

Hakes also uses UltiPro to track staff members whose salaries and benefits are paid through grants or special funds. With the workforce management solution, she can easily run reports that calculate accurate dollar figures to charge back to the funding agencies, while providing them with the necessary documentation.

"Before UltiPro, creating certain documents, such as our allocation report, could take hours, but with UltiPro it takes minutes. It's very easy to use. With UltiPro, I'm confident that I can develop any workforce report imaginable," said Hakes.

"Governmental organizations like Mesa County need to keep administrative costs low, produce accurate reports for upper-level management, and maintain high morale so that employees serve their communities well. We're pleased that Mesa County is using UltiPro's reporting and self-service features to accomplish those goals," 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 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.

Source: The Ultimate Software Group, Inc.