If a formula in your spreadsheet isn’t doing what you need it to do, you probably wouldn’t call Microsoft and ask them to fix your spreadsheet.
Why? Because there’s a difference between the software itself not working and how you’ve configured and used that software.
The same distinction applies to UKG.
UKG provides the platform and software support. But configuring that platform around your organization, adapting it as your requirements change, and continually improving how you use it requires something different.
And that’s where the true cost of managing UKG internally can sometimes be underestimated.
1. Maintaining specialist knowledge takes time
UKG is a sophisticated platform, and supporting it can require knowledge across different modules, configurations, and integrations.
For an internal team, particularly a small one, maintaining all of that specialist knowledge isn’t easy. And even when the knowledge exists, finding the time to use it can be another challenge.
The cost isn’t simply the number of people supporting UKG. It’s also the time they spend researching, troubleshooting, and figuring out how to make changes when that expertise isn’t readily available.
2. Changes get pushed down the list
Sometimes the team knows exactly what needs to change. They simply don’t have the time or specialist knowledge to do it.
I’ve seen requirements sit unresolved for six months because somebody doesn’t have the capacity to address them or doesn’t know where to go for the answer.
Meanwhile, the requirement hasn’t disappeared. In many cases, it has become a bigger issue.
3. Your configuration can fall behind your business
A UKG environment may have been configured perfectly for your organization five or seven years ago.
But is your organization operating in exactly the same way today?
Processes change. Requirements change. People change. And UKG itself continues to evolve.
Without the time and resources to continually review and adapt your configuration, you can end up working around a solution that reflects how the business used to operate rather than how it operates now.
4. Internal support isn’t necessarily the lower-cost option
This is why I think it’s important to look at total cost of ownership, rather than simply comparing the price of AMS with the cost of keeping support in-house.
How much internal time is being spent managing UKG? How long are changes waiting to be made? How much specialist knowledge does your team need to maintain? And what is the impact when improvements don’t happen?
AMS gives organizations access to specialist UKG expertise and additional capacity when they need it.
Because the real question isn’t simply “What does external support cost?”
It’s also “What is managing everything internally already costing us?”
If that’s a question your organization is asking, talk to one of our UKG experts to explore how AMS could support your team.
Talk to one of our UKG experts