UKG Workforce Central (WFC) End of Life: What Customers Should Know
Editors note: This blog was originally published on October 20, 2022. Since then, UKG Dimensions has been renamed to UKG Pro Workforce Management or UKG Pro WFM.
On October 20, 2022, Ultimate Kronos Group (UKG) announced plans to retire its Workforce Central product. Our guide below addresses common questions about the end of support for WFC and client considerations for migrating to Workforce Dimensions. For additional support or questions, complete this form to talk with one of our experts.
What is UKG Workforce Central (WFC)?
UKG Workforce Central (WFC), formerly Kronos Workforce Central, is a suite of workforce management solutions for time and attendance, absence management, scheduling, payroll, and other common WFM functions.
WFC also utilizes a mobile app for employees and managers to complete common functions, including punching in and out of work, checking schedules, and asking for and approving time-off requests.
Why is UKG retiring Workforce Central (WFC)?
UKG’s announcement of the End of Life for Workforce Central is part of its long-term strategy to migrate clients to the more feature-rich Workforce Dimensions solution. Sunsetting the WFC product allows UKG engineers to focus future development and releases on a single, best-of-breed WFM solution with a roadmap informed by the requirements of enterprise-level UKG customers.
Concurrently, UKG will retire the Kronos Private Cloud (KPC) as a hosting option for WFC clients. Workforce Dimensions is hosted on the Google Cloud, which is considered a more scalable, secure alternative to KPC.
Migrating from UKG WFC to Dimensions? Download our free guide→
When will Ultimate Kronos Group end support for Workforce Central (WFC) and how long will it be supported?
WFC customers on the Kronos Private Cloud (KPC) will have support until December 31, 2025. WFC customers that host on-premises will have support through March 31, 2027. Engineering for the product will end after December 31, 2025, signifying the end of all engineering activity for WFC. This means UKG will no longer provide service release updates, feature enhancements, patches for customer-reported defects, and version updates to embedded components. However, UKG Global Support will continue to provide technical support for customers with current maintenance agreements until End of Life on March 31, 2027. Further, certain security patches will also be made available for on-premise WFC customers that have a current maintenance agreement.
Workforce Central Retirement Timeline
Can we still use UKG Workforce Central (WFC) after 2025?
WFC customers on KPC will lose access to their cloud-hosted instance of WFC on December 31, 2025.
WFC clients that host on-premises can continue to use the solution through March 31, 2027, but product engineering from UKG will end on December 31, 2025. The practical implication is that on-premises clients that continue to use WFC into 2026 (and beyond) are at risk for a deprecated feature set, greater security concerns, and diminishing product support and resources from the vendor.
Are you WFD migration ready? Ask our experts→
Will we need to replace our Clocks?
The legacy Kronos 4500 time clock is being retired along with WFC. With the migration to Workforce Dimensions, customers will be required to use the UKG InTouch DX terminal.
Will UKG extend support for Workforce Central (WFC)?
Although occasionally a vendor will extend product support beyond an end-of-life date, in our opinion this is extremely unlikely. We are advising customers to plan around the announced retirement timeline. UKG is giving ample advance notice to allow WFC clients to migrate to Workforce Dimensions or seek an alternative solution.
Will UKG Workforce Central (WFC) customers be required to migrate to UKG Workforce Dimensions (WFD)?
WFC clients have the option to choose new WFM software, of course. But those with considerable legacy investment in WFC should benefit from a relatively smooth transition to WFD.
WFD offers a superior user experience, more functionality, and advanced AI-driven analytics and reporting compared to WFC. The migration to Dimensions will require an implementation project and some additional training, but the learning curve should be lessened by the intuitive, user-friendly nature of the WFD solution as well as the client's prior familiarity with WFC workflows and features.
When do I need to start moving from UKG Workforce Central (WFC) to UKG Workforce Dimensions (WFD)?
A ‘typical’ migration timeline from WFC to WFD is dependent on a myriad of factors that range from the client’s organizational readiness to the size of the client’s existing user base and the complexity of the requirements. To cite a range, the transition could take anywhere from twelve weeks to twelve months or longer.
With that in mind, and to allow the longest possible runway for project success prior to the WFC sunsetting deadline, we suggest starting your planning no later than Q1 2023. An advisory assessment from our UKG experts is a fast, affordable way to kick-start your plan and determine the best timeline and path forward for your organization.
Questions about WFC End-of-Life? Ask our experts→
How much does it cost to migrate from UKG Workforce Central (WFC) to UKG Workforce Dimensions?
Project costs depend on the size and requirements of the organization. WFD offers out-of-the-box features that enable efficient deployment, but additional customization may be required for clients with unique or specialized needs. Data migration and training are other considerations that add to project scope and cost.
In our view, the migration costs compare favorably to the long-term costs associated with maintaining a legacy end-of life-system or engaging in a net-new WFM selection and implementation project. WFC customers should also factor in the ROI associated with transitioning to a WFD solution that offers superior flexibility, scalability, and user experience.
Do I need a UKG Partner to implement Ultimate Kronos Group Workforce Dimensions?
Projects run more efficiently when working with a trusted UKG services partner like Healthcare IT Leaders. We're the 2022 UKG Innovator of the Year and our experts can help you meet your goals in several ways:
- We offer expert advisory services to help you assess and scope your migration, and can advise on WFD features that may be beneficial for your business.
- We have Dimensions-certified implementation consultants who have led multiple WFC to WFD projects, and who draw on that experience to ensure you meet your goals.
- Our training teams are equally familiar with the challenges of transitioning an organization from WFC to WFD and have the expertise and content to ensure change management and user adoption.
- Healthcare IT Leaders offers ongoing managed services and expert UKG consulting to ensure that your end users have support and to keep your WFD solution up-to-date and optimized for new features and releases.