UKG Ready

Overview

UKG Ready is Villanova University’s time and attendance platform. It is a cloud-based application that allows staff employees to record hours worked, request leave, and view time-off balances. It also provides managers with tools to review and approve leave requests, track attendance, and ensure compliance with University leave policies, including FMLA. 

What Will Be Accomplished in UKG Phase 3?

UKG Phase 3 is Villanova’s next step in modernizing how employee time is recorded, reviewed, and sent to payroll for Non-Exempt staff. The project is designed to make timekeeping more consistent, improve pay accuracy, and reduce manual work for employees, managers, Human Resources, and Payroll. UKG Phase 3 supports Villanova’s Rooted. Restless. strategic plan by strengthening the University’s operational foundation through better use of technology and data.

Why the Change is Needed:

  • Current timekeeping and pay-related processes still rely on a mix of manual steps, local workarounds, and inconsistent practices across employee groups.
  • Phase 3 is needed now to extend the value of earlier UKG investments and address remaining groups and process gaps that were intentionally deferred from prior phases.
  • The project will help the University improve pay accuracy, create a more consistent employee and manager experience, and reduce administrative burden for Human Resources, Payroll, and departmental teams.
  • It is also an opportunity to align timekeeping practices, pay policies, and approval workflows before inconsistencies create larger operational or compliance challenges.

Timeline

  • Summer 2026: Requirements workshops, policy and pay practice review, and confirmation of employee groups and business needs
  • Fall 2026: System configuration, integration work, process design, and testing with project partners
  • Fall 2026 and beyond: Training, communications, readiness activities, and phased deployment planning. 
  • 2027: Go-live support, stabilization, issue resolution, and ongoing refinement based on user feedback

Project Team

Executive Sponsor

  • Ray Duffy, Vice President for Human Resources
  • Tim Hoffman, Vice Provost for Finance and Administration
  • Neil Horgan,  Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer
  • Tej Patel, Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer

Project Steering Committee

  • Tim Hoffman, Vice Provost, Finance/Admin
  • Lynda Buzzard,  Associate Vice President for Finance and Controller

Project Management and Change Management 

  • Liz Anderson, Assistant Director, Project Management
  • Will Marsh, Assistant Director, Digital Experience and Learning

Project Operational Team

  • Maura Ewing, Project Sponsor, Human Resources
  • Rose Emrick, Functional Leader, Human Resources
  • Lisa Eckerd, Payroll Lead
  • Nick Strekecki, Payroll Lead

Frequently Asked Questions

Phase 3 focuses on additional employee groups that were not fully included in earlier phases, especially non-exempt populations and remaining areas with more complex timekeeping or accrual needs.

Employees in scope can expect a more consistent process for entering time, reviewing balances where applicable, and following standard approval steps.

Employees in scope can expect a more consistent process for entering time, reviewing balances where applicable, and following standard approval steps.

Managers will have clearer approval workflows, more consistent processes, and better visibility into time entries that need review.

Yes. A major goal of the project is to improve how approved time flows into payroll so pay is processed more accurately and efficiently.

Yes. Training and communications are part of the project and will be shared in advance of any department-specific change.

Questions should be directed to the project team through the Human Resources, Payroll, or project communication channels that will be shared as rollout approaches.

Training & Support 

  • Managers and employees will receive communications that explain what is changing, when it is changing, and what actions they need to take.

Contact

Service requests for UKG Ready can be made by entering a ticket in the UKG Ready Service and Support Portal.