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Date Posted: 12/07/2005
Lumber Businesses Use Intersourcing to Reap Benefits of Ultimate Software's IT Services
WESTON, Fla., Dec. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ultimate Software (Nasdaq: ULTI - News), a leading provider of Web-based payroll and workforce management solutions, announced today that Coastal Forest Resources and Coastal Lumber have streamlined employee-related processes since implementing Ultimate Software's UltiPro Workforce Management delivered through its hosted model, Intersourcing, in October 2004.
Coastal Forest Resources of Havana, Fla., which specializes in the manufacturing of plywood and treated lumber, and Coastal Lumber of Weldon, N.C., which focuses on the manufacturing of hardwood lumber, were once one company, but after the announcement that they would begin operating independently, each realized that it needed a new HRMS to replace the "homegrown" system it had been using. They both selected Intersourcing last year and are experiencing business benefits as a result of:
* Ultimate Software's service offering, Intersourcing, that eliminates the need for internal technology support
* UltiPro's ease of use that expedites a quick ramp-up for staff new to the system
* UltiPro's functionality, creating efficiencies and time savings
Ultimate Software's hosted solution made sense for the two businesses for different reasons. Coastal Lumber's IT department was already swamped with other projects, so the company chose Intersourcing since Ultimate Software buys the hardware and software for the system, manages it day to day, and installs the upgrades for its on-demand customers. Because Coastal Forest Resources didn't have an IT department at all, Intersourcing provided the in- house control the lumber company was accustomed to without requiring them to hire staff to maintain the solution.
"I am not a technical person, so Intersourcing has simplified the payroll process for me. Because it's Web-based, I can log in from any computer to enter a new hire, run a report, or process a payroll, and I don't need technical experience. Ultimate Software handles the upgrades so I can spend my time using the software, rather than taking care of it," said Stephanie Chapman, benefits and payroll manager for Coastal Forest Resources.
Chapman added that, prior to her current position, she did not have a formal background in payroll, and UltiPro's intuitive navigation eased the transition to her new job responsibilities.
Similarly, Melinda Speight, payroll manager at Coastal Lumber, learned to use UltiPro with little formal training.
"After our conversion, which went very smoothly, Ultimate Software staff remained available to address any questions that I had until I became proficient with UltiPro, and there was a short learning curve for me to get up to speed with it," she said. "Although I process the payrolls for Coastal Lumber, our remote offices print their own checks and direct deposit advices, and training them to perform those tasks has been pretty simple. If there's a problem, UltiPro allows me to 'shadow' them, meaning that I can log in to see what they are doing as they use the solution. That makes it really easy for me to help them."
Speight runs weekly, biweekly, and monthly payrolls, in addition to supplementary weekly and quarterly bonuses for 900 employees. She has been able to streamline the payroll process -- including managing reports, administering payroll exceptions such as voided/reissued checks, and handling year-end -- alleviating the overtime hours that used to be a regular part of her job.
"With UltiPro, I'm able to use my workday to handle more than just processing payroll, such as generating reports for managers, and that's beneficial for me as well as my company," said Speight.
"Organizations can have a number of different reasons why they prefer to use our IT services team to manage UltiPro. As with Coastal Forest Resources and Coastal Lumber, they may have no IT staff available or no IT department at all. Other key motivations to use Intersourcing include leveraging Ultimate Software's experience with its own product, taking advantage of our predictable per-employee-per-month pricing, alleviating the need for large upfront capital expenses, and the transparency of system upgrades," 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. Employing approximately 500 professionals who are focused on developing the highest quality products and services, Ultimate Software was named the 2005 Payroll Provider of the Year by the Human Resources Outsourcing Association and listed among the 2005 Top 25 Best Medium-Sized Companies to Work for in America by the Great Place to Work Institute and the Society for Human Resource Management. Ultimate Software customers represent diverse industries and include such organizations as The Container Store, Elizabeth Arden, The Florida Marlins Baseball Team, The New York Yankees Baseball Team, Nintendo of America, 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 .
UltiPro and Intersourcing are registered trademarks of The Ultimate Software Group, Inc. All other trademarks referenced are the property of their respective owners.
For Sales Information:
Ultimate Software
Phone: (800) 432-1729
Web site: http://www.ultimatesoftware.com
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Source: Ultimate Software
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