[October 16, 2008]

Alfa Laval Improves -HR with UltiPro Delivered through SaaS

By Anuradha Shukla

TMCnet Contributing Editor

Alfa Laval, a global provider of specialized products and engineering solutions, has improved its human resources and payroll processes with UltiPro delivered through Ultimate Software's software-as-a-service (SaaS (News - Alert)) option.

Ultimate Software and Alfa Laval have been associated since 1998 and according to company’s officials, the global manufacturer’s HR/payroll team was highly satisfied with UltiPro’s functionality and customer service.

Alfa Laval, which had been supporting UltiPro as on-premise software on its own servers, experienced significant growth that overburdened the company’s internal IT resources with new projects. In an effort to free IT to focus on other core business projects, Alfa Laval switched from UltiPro as on-premise software to SaaS in 2002, which allowed HR to manage growth more efficiently, and gave Alfa Laval’s HR/payroll team and employees 24-7 Internet access to UltiPro.

Barbara Cuttino, human resource information system (HRIS) and payroll manager for Alfa Laval explained that their IT team was extremely busy, and thus they had to wait in line for things like having them install UltiPro's quarterly tax updates, causing some real issues.

She noted that having UltiPro delivered through SaaS has addressed that problem. Ultimate Software now performs their upgrades for Alfa Laval and maintains the hardware, so they can all focus on other projects.

Cuttino likes knowing that their data resides safely and securely in Ultimate’s state-of-the-art data center, and she can access that data any time she needs to.

Ultimate Software pointed out that Cuttino has to react quickly and is sometimes faced with the need to import large numbers of employees rapidly. Following a recent acquisition, Cuttino imported records for hundreds of newly acquired employees and had them live with access to UltiPro's self-service within only two weeks.

Earlier it her about 8 hours to export data for 300 employees from their previous human resource management system, format it, import it into UltiPro, and audit it. She finds UltiPro very easy to use and flexible, and noted that within 10 days of the acquisition, employees were live on self-service and receiving a paycheck. Because UltiPro streamlined the process of adding new employees, the transition was smooth, benefiting everyone involved.

Ultimate's SaaS model provides online access for administrators, managers, and employees. Ninety eight percent of Alfa Laval’s employees have chosen to view their information using UltiPro rather than needing hard copy paychecks, forms, and handbooks. The company has thus minimized their dependence on paper, reduced costs, and helped the environment.

As a growing business, the company also appreciates UltiPro's Web functionality because it allows them to scale in size with fewer associated expenses, stated Cuttino.

Ultimate Software is very pleased that, by switching to SaaS, Alfa Laval and its HR team have been able to reduce their reliance on internal IT resources and achieve maximum value from UltiPro with self-service, according to Greg Swick, chief sales officer for Ultimate Software. The company looks forward to being a part of Alfa Laval's continued business success and supporting them as it grows.

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Anuradha Shukla is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Anuradha’s article, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Mae Kowalke

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