UKG, a leading global AI platform for HR, pay and workforce management, today announced a record number of Innovation Award winners at UKG Aspire. The awards honor 16 organizations using UKG solutions to achieve measurable business impact — from cutting costs and boosting efficiency to transforming culture and collaboration — across seven categories, celebrating innovation, implementation, and people-first results.

“This year’s Innovation Award winners showcase how UKG customers are using our technology to turn data into action, drive measurable results, and shape the future of work,” said Bob DelPonte, Chief Customer Experience Officer at UKG. “We’re proud to partner with these exceptional organizations leading the way through innovation.”

This year’s winners are:

ROI/Measurable Results 

• Children’s Hospital Colorado unified staffing data across four hospitals with the UKG Pro Workforce Management™ suite, driving rapid, data-driven decisions that saved more than $1 million in labor costs while improving operational efficiency and collaboration.
• YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas used advanced reporting in its UKG Ready® suite to build detailed budget models and confidently raise the minimum hourly wage for workers and also saved 600+ hours over several years by streamlining workflows and automating processes such as payroll and benefits enrollment, allowing HR to focus on strategic employee support.

Exceptional Implementation

• Primark replaced fragmented legacy systems with its AI-powered UKG workforce management solution in locations across nine countries, achieving 100% on-time delivery and zero payroll disruption while completing the implementation nearly 20% under budget.
• Micro-tronics used UKG Ready to streamline HR operations, cutting payroll processing time from 2.5 hours to one hour, saving 2-3 hours a week with digital self-service tools, and reducing internal errors 95% by eliminating manual workflows.
• The NFL migrated to the UKG Pro Workforce Management suite under intense time pressure at the start of the 2025 season, with zero disruption to payroll and scheduling for more than 4,000 employees during one of the most operationally demanding times of the year.

Innovation in Culture Strategy

• Black Hills Works transformed its staffing model with UKG Ready, reducing unplanned overtime and manual scheduling across 30 residential homes, while improving coverage, boosting staff satisfaction, saving administrative time, and restoring financial predictability by turning overtime into a planned, budgeted expense.
• Schlegel Villages added workforce management to its UKG Pro® suite using a phased, people-first approach with strong change management — including early engagement, tailored training, and a superuser network — that improved payroll accuracy, delivered rapid time-to-value, and elevated the organization’s operations and morale.

Innovation in Payroll Strategy

• GRAND Mental Health automated payroll for 24/7 staff coverage with UKG Ready, cutting monthly processing time from 30+ hours to 4 hours, eliminating manual errors, improving accuracy, saving $10,520 annually in labor costs, and enhancing employee satisfaction.
• DeckersBrands used UKG to automate timekeeping, scheduling, and accrual management across 15+ countries and 25 U.S. states, turning payroll from a manual, back-office task into a strategic partner that improved compliance, cut administrative work, and gave employees mobile access to real-time payroll information.
• The George Washington University modernized payroll operations with UKG, reducing time spent on audits and reviews from 12 to 3 hours, cutting weekly student position processing by 4.5 hours, automating a six-day holiday pay review, and improving accuracy, compliance, and scalability

   

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