Workforce management can feel like trying to predict the weather — an ever-shifting landscape requiring constant adjustment.

Managing a manufacturing workforce is no different. The industry faces the persistent challenge of driving productivity, resilience, and competitiveness amidst skilled labour shortages, economic uncertainty, and supply chain disruptions. However, with people forming the core of operations cycles, manufacturers must constantly strive for the well-being of their most valuable resource — the people.

That leads to two obvious questions:

• How can manufacturers fuel operational excellence and workforce effectiveness while accommodating the unique needs and expectations of the workforce?


• What strategies must the industry deploy to face the headwinds of shifting workforce dynamics?

Let’s look at the solutions through a case study.

A prominent manufacturer in India faced significant challenges in managing its workforce schedules. The need for efficiency was palpable, and the solution lay in seamless and well-coordinated schedules. This is where our expertise in implementing UKG’s AI-driven workforce management solutions helped overcome the client’s challenges.

As a trusted workforce management partner, Blueprint Technologies extends UKG services across the globe.

Our seasoned experts at Blueprint Technologies help the manufacturer unlock the true potential of UKG Pro workforce management solutions to optimise workforce management. We empowered the client to focus on what truly matters — delivering quality products on time and ensuring schedules align with the employees’ availability and production demands.

Understanding the Challenges

The manufacturing plant already has its share of problems, such as discrepancies in time management, miscommunication, and failure to meet deadlines due to improper scheduling.

The main challenges highlighted were:

• Time Evaluation Errors: Time evaluation errors occur when there’s a mistake in recording the total hours worked by an employee. This caused inconsistencies in payroll and reduced overall productivity.


• Work Schedule Rule Errors: It was not feasible to change the work schedule for employees on any specific day due to rule-related issues in the existing system. The lack of flexibility inhibited their ability to adjust to sudden changes or emergencies.


• Time Capturing: Problems arose when there was a calendar change in the scheduled time, leading to confusion in time capturing. This significantly affected the accuracy of time tracking.


• Over Time Calculation: Accurate overtime calculation was a challenge when there was a calendar change in overtime hours. This often resulted in payroll errors and employee dissatisfaction.


• Inadequate ESS/MSS Portal Functionality: The inability of employees and managers to view consolidated month-wise overtime hours in the ESS (Employee Self-Service) or MSS (Manager Self-Service) portal was a primary concern. This lack of transparency led to confusion and disputes.


• Lack of Automatic LOP Calculation: The absence of automatic Loss of Pay (LOP) calculation resulted in inevitable errors and delays in payroll processing.

To tackle these challenges, the client partnered with Blueprint Technologies, a professional service provider with expertise in workforce management. Our experts bring a broad view of solutions and industries paired with the focused approach of our UKG-certified implementation team to solve real-world business challenges.

What makes our UKG Solutions implementation approach so unique?

Advisory Expertise – At Blueprint, our Solution Advisors stand out as differentiators with their wealth of experience. Instead of merely specializing in a particular solution or industry, our advisors are uniquely focused on providing efficient and cost-friendly problem-solving strategies applicable to diverse use cases.

Implementation Excellence – Blueprint’s implementation teams boast extensive experience implementing solutions across various industries. They are highly trained and skilled to recommend and implement solutions aligned with the unique needs of a business.

UKG: The Global Workforce Management Solution

Ultimate Kronos Group (UKG) is a renowned global workforce management and human capital solutions provider. UKG’s comprehensive suite of tools can handle all aspects of employee management, from hiring and onboarding to scheduling, time tracking, and performance reviews.

What kind of software is UKG?

UKG’s platform stands out due to its robust set of features and functionalities:

• The AI-driven scheduling capability allows for flawless shift management, keeping safety and compliance rules in mind.


• The software is designed to consider employee preferences, operational demands, and regulatory compliance factors, going beyond just scheduling.


• Its cloud-based infrastructure guarantees accessibility anytime, anywhere, positioning it as a global workforce solution.


• The platform offers real-time analytics and reporting capabilities, delivering insights into workforce productivity and trends, thereby enabling data-driven decision-making for manufacturing industries.

Balancing High Production Targets and Employee Satisfaction with UKG Pro Workforce Management Solutions

Here’s how Blueprint Technologies integrated various UKG Pro workforce management solutions to transform the manufacturer’s work landscape:

Recruitment, Payroll, and Management

UKG Pro workforce management solutions provided a comprehensive and unified workforce management suite to transform the plant’s HR processes. This platform facilitated streamlined recruitment and payroll activities, enabling efficient sourcing of skilled talent and effective workforce management. By integrating all these components into one system, UKG helped the plant reduce administrative tasks, freeing time for strategic initiatives.

Automating Time, Attendance, and Leave Management

The modern workforce management suite automated time tracking, attendance monitoring, and leave management at the manufacturing plant. This all-encompassing system eradicated manual errors, ensuring accurate record-keeping. It provided a user-friendly dashboard where employees could clock in and out and request time off, and managers could oversee these activities in real time.

Supporting Employee Requests and Life-Work Moments

The comprehensive solution is designed to support employees during significant life-work moments. From managing leave balances and addressing payroll queries to aiding in personal development plans, their automated processes allowed the HR team to provide timely, personalized support to each employee. This approach improved work-life balance and fostered increased employee satisfaction.

Enhancing Operational Efficiencies and Control Over Costs

Our implementation empowered the manufacturing plant with real-time visibility into labor reporting and analytics, a crucial factor in enhancing operational efficiency. This data-driven insight assisted the plant in identifying inefficiencies, monitoring labor costs, and making informed decisions. The ability to optimize workforce scheduling and manage overtime costs led to significant cost savings.

Post-Implementation Value Additions & Improvements

Eliminating scheduling errors: Implementing the UKG Pro workforce management solutions significantly improved workforce management by eliminating scheduling errors. This was achieved through its artificial intelligence that automatically corrects scheduling conflicts.

Real-time punches: The system enabled tracking employee hours more accurately by implementing real-time punches. This improved payroll accuracy and reduced administrative overhead.

Holiday based on shift group: The solution also offered a feature where holidays were assigned based on shift groups. This prevented confusion and ensured all employees were getting their deserved time off.

Ceiling limits for overtime based on the group: Workforce planning & analytics helped set ceiling limits for overtime based on the group. The solution helped manage labor costs and prevent staff burnout.

Shift swapping facility: The shift swapping facility provided flexibility, empowering employees to trade shifts amongst themselves. This improves employee morale and reduces absenteeism.

Warning on violation of policies: The system also schedules warnings based on violation of policies, such as consecutive days worked, or hours worked. This helped ensure compliance with labor laws and company policies.

Better visibility of data: Implementing the UKG Pro workforce management solutions improved data visibility. Managers now have real-time access to workforce data, allowing them to make informed decisions swiftly.

Overtime calculation: The accurate overtime calculation feature eliminated errors in overtime pay and ensured employees were paid correctly and promptly for their additional work.

Impact of UKG Implementation

Here are the key improvements that highlight the significant impact of our UKG Pro workforce management solutions implementation:

• Employees who have time off during a week when there is a public holiday need not work overtime.


• Employees who work for two consecutive weeks will be given time off during the second week. If they work beyond their regular shift time, these extra hours should be recorded separately and can be converted to overtime upon approval from HR.


• Requests to work from home must be made for at least one day.


• The UKG Pro workforce management solutions introduced a new overtime rule for non-supervisory employees. They will be eligible for overtime pay if they work before or after their scheduled shift.


• Implementation and adoption of touch-free identification for devices.


• Multiple reports and data views to ensure better analysis and visibility.

Conclusion

UKG is poised to revolutionize the manufacturing landscape significantly. By integrating cutting-edge technology with workforce management, UKG is pioneering the future of work through advanced automation, AI-driven insights, and a people-centric approach to digital transformation.

Fuelling this transformation is Blueprint Technologies, a trusted UKG partner offering complete workforce management solutions. Blueprint’s expertise helps global clients streamline digital capabilities with innovative ERP and IT solutions for SAP and Kronos (UKG). Experienced consultants at Blueprint Technologies are dedicated to delivering tangible business benefits across implementation, migration, and support while meeting client requirements.

Contact us to learn more about our services.