Energy Company Transforms People Management with Ultimate Software’s UltiPro Workplace

Ultimate Software (Nasdaq: ULTI), a leading provider of unified human capital management SaaS solutions for global businesses, announced today that Explorer Pipeline, one of the preeminent providers of fuel transportation in the U.S., has transformed its people management processes by leveraging UltiPro’s unified functionality for end-to end HCM. Key factors in Explorer Pipeline’s business results include UltiPro’s ease of use as well as Ultimate’s customer service.

Headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Explorer Pipeline transports refined petroleum products through a 1,900-mile pipeline system that serves several major metropolitan markets, including Houston, Dallas, Tulsa, St. Louis, and Chicago. As the company has grown over the years, the HR team acquired several different tools to address specific HR needs. In 2009, the company found itself with a half-dozen solutions and databases for its HR and payroll processes. As a result, employees had to remember multiple passwords and logins while the HR team had to maintain multiple systems, keep these synced, and attempt to extract meaningful reporting from the disparate databases.

Since deploying UltiPro Workplace in 2010, the company has consolidated its HCM operations into one single platform, including payroll, time management, benefits management/enrollment, recruitment, performance management, and succession planning.

“Before UltiPro, each of our systems was disconnected from the other, and with different logins and user interfaces, it was confusing to everyone. With UltiPro, everything is in one system of record,” said Angel Stacy, director of human resources for Explorer Pipeline. “The quality of our data has vastly improved — including efficiency, instant access to data, data integrity, and strategic reporting. And everyone across our organization has less stress because of UltiPro.”

Since rolling out UltiPro, other benefits reported by Explorer Pipeline include:

• Streamlined processes for talent acquisition
• More and better analytics provided to managers
• Improved security for sensitive information
• Time spent on processing frequent performance-related bonuses reduced from days to hours
• Enhanced internal communication by leveraging the UltiPro portal to display HR news and company information
• Improved navigation and ease of use for employees

“It was important to us that UltiPro can make it easier for employees to access and update their personal HR data,” said Stacy. “The user interface is intuitive and easy to navigate. UltiPro works the way you think an HCM solution should work.”

Before UltiPro, customer service was another challenge. Stacy’s team had to work with multiple vendors, and issues frequently took longer to be addressed than expected as well as involved a significant amount of HR resources.

“We used to struggle with the customer service that was provided to us,” said Candace Harney, payroll and HRIS administrator for Explorer Pipeline. “But with Ultimate Software, I log a ticket, I set the level of urgency, and it’s handled in a very responsive way. Our service representative at Ultimate knows our needs, who we are, and our business because we work with her almost exclusively, which is a great asset for our team.”

Ultimate Software’s customers can quickly submit customer service requests as well as provide suggestions for product enhancements. According to Michelle Griffith, compensation and benefits administrator for Explorer Pipeline, most of the suggestions that she submitted have already been accepted and introduced in UltiPro.

“Within one year, we’ve already seen more new tools made available by Ultimate Software that we had seen in the combined history of our previous systems. Ultimate really listens,” said Griffith. “I’ve seen 99% of the feedback that I have provided incorporated into the technology.”

“UltiPro is helping expanding businesses like Explorer Pipeline make their HCM operations more effective. The company’s HR team is operating more efficiently and strategically, and its employees are benefiting from a people solution that is designed for the way they work,” said Chris Phenicie, chief sales officer for UltiPro Workplace. “Ultimate Software is fully committed to delivering a great customer experience, and we’re very pleased to count this unique energy company as another one of our many success stories.”

About Ultimate Software

Ultimate is a leading provider of unified human capital management (HCM) Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions for global businesses. Ultimate’s award-winning UltiPro^® solutions deliver the functionality businesses need to manage the complete employment life cycle from recruitment to retirement. Based in Weston, FL, Ultimate employs more than 1,200 professionals who are focused on developing the highest quality solutions and services. In 2010, Ultimate was named an Optimas Award winner by Workforce Management magazine. In 2009, Ultimate was awarded first place in the People’s Choice Stevie^® competition for Favorite New SaaS Product and was ranked the #1 best medium-sized company to work for in America by the Great Place to Work^® Institute for the second consecutive year. In 2010, Ultimate’s security practices were recertified for ISO/IEC 27001, and Ultimate was the first HR SaaS vendor to be ISO/IEC 27001 certified in 2008. Ultimate has approximately 2,200 customers representing diverse industries, including such organizations as Adobe Systems Incorporated, The Container Store, Culligan International, Elizabeth Arden, Major League Baseball, The New York Yankees Baseball Team, P.F. Chang’s, and Ruth’s Chris Steak House. More information on Ultimate’s products and services can be found at www.ultimatesoftware.com.

UltiPro is a registered trademark of The Ultimate Software Group, Inc. All other trademarks referenced are the property of their respective owners.

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