Introduction
The UCSB Timekeeping Refresh Project is designed to replace our current system, Workforce Central, with a cutting-edge timekeeping solution. This change will strengthen our levels of efficiency, accuracy, and convenience in how we record and manage time.
Why Pro Workforce Management?
UCSB's current timekeeping system, Workforce Central, will reach its end-of-life on December 31, 2025. Pro Workforce Management (WFM) was selected as the next timekeeping system because its core functionality aligns seamlessly with our current product, which ensures a smooth transition for campus staff and minimal disruption to daily operations. Additionally, we are able to develop and deploy Pro Workforce Management well before our current timekeeping system's end-of-life date, which allows us to adapt gracefully to change and minimize potential challenges.
Project Timeline
Our timeline for the UCSB Timekeeping Refresh Project consists of three key phases:
- Discovery: We have completed the discovery phase, assessed our organization's unique requirements and tailored Pro Workforce Management to meet our needs.
- Build: We are currently in the build phase, where we are configuring and customizing WFM to integrate with our operations.
- Deployment: We are committed to completing this project no later than June 2025, ensuring that WFM is fully operational and ready to enhance our timekeeping processes.
Staying informed
Payroll managers and timekeepers will continue to receive email updates about the project via the Kronos Timekeepers Google Group. Announcements will also be posted to the Timekeeping website.
If users have questions or concerns that are not covered in the FAQs below, they can use a dedicated ticket in ServiceNow to contact the Timekeeping team.
Frequently Asked Questions
UKG Pro WFM Enhancements
All employees who currently use Kronos Workforce Central will transition to UKG Pro Workforce Management to record hours worked, enter leave taken, and manage timecards.
The Timekeeping team is working on developing training for payroll managers and timekeepers. The Timekeeping team is also working to update the documentation in the Timekeeping Knowledge Base.
Payroll managers and timekeepers will need to take and pass the training in order to retain their access in WFM. At this time, there are no plans for annual requirements or refresher training requirements for payroll managers and timekeepers.
No. The payroll calendar and paydays for all employee types (biweekly hourly, monthly salaried, monthly hourly) will not change.
No. Their software will be upgraded as part of the transition to UKG Pro Workforce Management, but the timeclocks themselves do not need to be changed.
In UKG Pro WFM, we will use the Reports To field on each assignment (position) to identify which manager will have visibility of the employee and ability to approve their timecard. This functionality replaces ACNs and TMAA.
Only during initial import and termination/subsequent rehire will an employee’s WFM Reports To field populate with the manager listed in UCPath as the Reports To for that position. After initial import or termination/subsequent rehire, all changes to the reporting manager for that position will need to be manually maintained by the department in WFM, like it is currently.
The current version of Kronos is able to grant multiple managers visibility of a single employee through the use of multiple, shared Access Control Numbers, but this will change in WFM. The Timekeeping team is currently working to see if the hierarchy of visibility can be established in the new system, so the manager of the manager (and so on) can see employees that report “up the chain.”
The WFM Reports To and UCPath Reports To do not have to match. In some cases they will, but there are instances across campus where the supervisor of a timecard is not the same as the Reports To manager in UCPath. Because of this, we will not be able to continuously sync the two systems, and any updates to the Reports To in UCPath will also need to be manually performed to match in WFM.
Payroll Managers and timekeepers will be configured with access in the same way they are in the current system, with an "All" Employee Group to grant visibility of their entire department(s).
In WFM, positions are called "Assignments," and they are visibly indicated on the timecard in the Assignment column. When an employee views their own timecard, the assignment column will populate with the assignments that are relevant to that employee. When managers, payroll managers and timekeepers view an employee’s timecard, the assignment column will also only populate with the assignments that are relevant to that employee. (In the current system, when managers, payroll managers, and timekeepers view an employee’s timecard, the Transfer column shows the last 5 transfers that the manager/payroll manager/timekeeper made, regardless of if they are related to the employee in question or not.)
The pay rule that is defaulted for an employee is driven by logic in Kronos. Sometimes, we do not have enough information to get the exact pay rule (lunch deductions, restrictions, etc), but we default to the best of our ability. If there are cases where a pay rule, or any other configuration item, is consistently incorrect and needs to be changed, please submit a ticket so we can examine the logic and see if there is a way to default to a better choice.
UCPath will need to be set up according to the requirements for UCPath and the relevant employment. Any changes that need to be reflected in WFM (for example, pay rule, accrual profile, Pay Code Edit profile, etc) will need to be submitted as a request, and the Timekeeping team will make the changes on behalf of the department.
Yes, it will still be possible to create and share custom hyperfind queries in WFM. However, any preexisting custom hyperfind queries in the current system will not be moved to WFM, so departments will need to create new queries as needed.
Yes, adding Schedules functions the same as it does now. We are also working to add Templates to the scheduling functionality for some standard templates like M-F 8-5. We will share more information about templates in training and how to transition schedules closer to our go live date.
Yes, WFM is more accessible than the current system. We will have additional information to share on accessibility in the next few months.
Office Hours is part of our new training program that will begin around March 2024. If you have questions or need individualized help, please submit a ticket with your issue, and request a meeting if you feel that a discussion would best suit your needs. We plan to continue Office Hours through our hypercare period after go-live.