Beyond the Review: El Car Wash Implements UKG Full HR Suite in 8 Weeks with HRchitect

HRchitect specializes in human capital management (HCM) and offers expertise throughout the entire lifecycle of HCM technology. They’ve assisted over 4,000 organizations worldwide in crafting strategies and in selecting, implementing, and supporting a comprehensive range of HR and workforce management solutions.

During a recent discussion, Jia Kruger, Director of People and Culture at El Car Wash, and Jasmine Noyce, Senior Implementation Consultant at HRchitect, provide insights into El Car Wash’s recent successful UKG implementation with HRchitect.

Here are some key takeaways from our conversation:

About El Car Wash, a premier services business in Florida with 700+ employees

Currently, El Car Wash stands as the premier car wash in Florida. Originating as a self-service car wash with just four locations, it has rapidly expanded to 45 outlets. 

With two decades of experience in HR, specializing in mergers and acquisitions, Jia Kruger is accustomed to building departments from the ground up, often starting with no employees and scaling up to 5,000-6,000. Upon joining El Car Wash in January last year, Jia Kruger oversaw significant growth, with the employee count increasing from 250 across 21 locations to 730.

What drove El Car Wash to consider implementing a new system? Why was UKG chosen as the HR solution?

The first challenge Kruger encountered was managing over 200 El Car Wash employees with their old system, which was designed for smaller organizations of 0-50 people. 

Recognizing the critical need for better technology systems and reporting capabilities, concerns arose about scaling the company to 2,000 employees without suitable technology in place. 

Upon meeting with Jessica Kaplan from UKG and witnessing the platform’s capabilities in organization and management, Kruger was impressed and decided to proceed with UKG. However, the challenge remained of managing the implementation process alone. To address this, discussions began regarding the engagement of an implementation partner.

Initially implementing UKG Pro Payroll, employee management, and applicant tracking systems, Kruger and the team anticipated an intense 6-8 week process. However, as they delved deeper into the UKG ecosystem and discovered additional modules, they opted to incorporate the entire suite of products. 

What were the decision factors that lead El Car Wash to choose HRchitect as a partner?

Following just one conversation with HRchitect, Kruger was convinced. HRchitect’s hands-on approach and availability were exactly what she needed. 

HRchitect stepped in, providing invaluable support and guidance every step of the way. Despite the challenging timeline, the team worked tirelessly, fostering a sense of camaraderie as they navigated the implementation journey together. With their assistance, Kruger’s concerns about managing the implementation alone vanished. It was clear that choosing HRchitect was the right decision—they were the best of the best. They seamlessly integrated with her team and became an indispensable extension of El Car Wash’s workforce.

What services did HRchitect provide?

HRchitect assisted El Car Wash with the implementation process, which later expanded to include support with Business Intelligence. Recognizing the strength of their partnership, Kruger made the strategic decision to invest new hire funds into furthering their collaboration with HRchitect. 

With their unparalleled service and unwavering commitment, Kruger concluded that no alternative could surpass the value provided by HRchitect. 

What were challenges El Car Wash faced during this implementation?

Jasmine Noyce served as the system consultant for the project, adopting a phased approach to address key concerns. The primary focus was on scalability—how the implemented system would evolve alongside the company’s growth trajectory. Central questions revolved around ensuring the system’s ability to scale effectively and seamlessly accommodate the organization’s expansion, particularly when reaching the milestone of 5,000 employees. 

Strategies were devised to future-proof the processes, ensuring they could adapt and scale in tandem with the company’s evolving needs.

What made the project successful?

Noyce emphasized that Jia and her dedicated team consistently met or exceeded every deadline provided to them, solidifying a true partnership. El Car Wash also participated in all scheduled calls and even went above and beyond when additional meetings were requested. 

She also believes that project success is greatly enhanced when clients are fully committed to achieving their goals and explained that Kruger and her team exemplified this commitment. Moreover, El Car Wash demonstrated remarkable decisiveness, swiftly addressing any issues without encountering red-tape roadblocks that could slow progress.

Were the goals met for this project?

Kruger’s goals were ultimately achieved, despite initial doubts and unforeseen challenges along the way. She emphasized that the assistance provided by HRchitect in the eleventh hour proved to be invaluable. Although the journey may not have been entirely smooth, HRchitect remained committed to equipping El Car Wash with the necessary tools for success with a “whatever it takes” attitude.

The experience surpassed Kruger’s expectations, solidifying a genuine long term partnership between El Car Wash and HRchitect.

Would you choose HRchitect as a partner again in the future?

While Kruger emphasized the importance of a strong partnership like the one forged with HRchitect for successful implementation of UKG, she also highlighted the need for partners who genuinely desire the client’s success, advising others to consider HRchitect for their support needs. According to Kruger, with HRchitect, clients won’t feel alone or uninformed; instead, they’ll experience a true partnership that leads to success.

Noyce also advised approaching the project with the readiness to make tough decisions. Recognizing that implementation adds to the workload, she encouraged clients to rely on HRchitect for support and partnership throughout the process.

About HRchitect

HRchitect is a name you can trust for all your organization’s HCM technology-related consulting needs. HRchitect, a 5-time winner of UKG’s (Ultimate Kronos Group) Worldwide Partner of the Year award and the 2020 UKG Strategic Alliances Pinnacle Partner of the Year, is the only consulting firm that specializes solely in Human Capital Management and delivers expertise around the full lifecycle of HCM technology.

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