Workforce management software plays a crucial role in enhancing employee productivity, ensuring compliance, and improving operational efficiency. As organizations increasingly prioritize solutions that integrate core human resource (HR) functions, like scheduling, time and attendance tracking, and regularity compliance, the demand for comprehensive workforce management platforms continues to grow. 

Kronos Workforce Central (UKG) and Oracle PeopleSoft are two popular platforms designed for large-scale operations. Each software provides robust features aimed at specific organizational requirements.  

Kronos Workforce Central provides user-friendly, cloud-based tools for time tracking, scheduling, and workforce optimization. While Oracle PeopleSoft offers a highly configurable, enterprise-grade solution for managing complex HR, payroll, and compliance processes. 

In this Kronos Workforce Central vs PeopleSoft comparison, we will explore their key capabilities to help organizations make informed decisions. 

Kronos Workforce Central Vs PeopleSoft: At A Glance

Features 

Kronos Workforce Central 

PeopleSoft 

Time And Attendance Management 

User-friendly, mobile-enabled tracking with real-time insights and error-free payroll automation 

Powerful rules engine with complex, real-time calculation and approvals integrated across HCM 

Scheduling 

Intelligent shift matching with mobile self-service, shift swapping, and real-time forecasting 

Demand-based scheduling with real-time adjustments; lacks mobile shift-swapping features 

Risk Management 

GRC support via Risk Cloud integration; lacks built-in advanced analytics like SOD 

Native AI/ML-driven risk detection, continuous monitoring, and SOD analysis 

Leave And Absence Management 

Automates leave tracking with self-service and visibility into absence trends 

Highly configurable rules engine, 24/7 Digital Assistant, FMLA support, and team calendars 

Analytics And Reporting 

Custom dashboards, alerts, and reports; limited cross-module integration 

Embedded analytics tools (e.g., Pivot Grids), ad hoc reporting, and cross-module data access 

Pricing 

Starts from $27-$37/employee/month 

Starts from $200/user/month 

What Is Kronos Workforce Central?

Kronos Workforce Central, now rebranded as UKG Workforce Management, is a comprehensive workforce management solution. It is widely used in various industries, like healthcare, manufacturing, retail, and public services. UKG software is well-known for its excellent capabilities in time and attendance tracking, employee scheduling, payroll integration, and labor analytics. 

Unique Features Of Kronos Workforce Central 

  • Trackable Job Costing: Enables accurate tracking of employee time spent on various activities by integrating activity data directly into employee timecards. It also provides real-time visibility into labor costs associated with tasks, jobs, or cost centers 
  • Capacity Planning: Assists you with identifying optimal staffing levels, skill mix, and hiring opportunities to help you nurture and grow your workforce  
  • Intelligent What-If Scenarios: Help organizations predict and prepare for varying workforce planning scenarios by forecasting weeks, months, or even years in advance. Companies can evaluate the impact of changes, like shifts in demand, staffing levels, or organizational structure, before they happen 

Pros And Cons 

Pros 

  • It’s easy to spot issues at a glance on timecards while processing payroll and is valuable for catching and correcting errors on time 
  • The building-block structure enables easy customization to fit specific organizational needs and workflows 
  • The workforce planning module is helpful for supporting operational needs in retail and customer service and remains easily editable with changing requirements 

Cons 

  • Some users noted that the app sometimes inaccurately tracks active and paused work time when integrated with computer-based timekeeping systems 
  • Rule development can be complex and hard to manage, especially with limited technical expertise 

What Is PeopleSoft?

PeopleSoft provides companies with a comprehensive suite of business tools to manage their entire workforce, encompassing both HR and financial operations. It offers a range of features, including payroll, benefits, talent management, and supply chain management. The platform is widely used in large enterprises and public sector organizations for its deep industry-specific capabilities. 

Unique Features Of PeopleSoft 

  • eSettlements: Allows companies to streamline the settlements process via electronic invoices and payments, providing online approvals, dispute resolution, and email alerts   
  • Enterprise Learning Management: Significantly improves workforce knowledge, skills, and abilities. It helps ensure that your employees acquire new proficiencies; ELM enables you to meet your business objectives 
  • Lease Administration: Automates the whole lease lifecycle, including site acquisition, lease monitoring, compliance, and space management, to lower costs and increase operational control 

Pros And Cons 

Pros 

  • Robust reporting tools enable quick access to department-wide data, streamlining responses to data requests 
  • Real-time edit locking helps prevent simultaneous changes, ensuring data integrity 
  • Multi-screen view option enhances navigation and multitasking efficiency 

Cons 

  • The time and labor module can be complex and challenging to troubleshoot  
  • Ongoing bugs and data concerns in the benefits module sometimes impact reliability 

Kronos Workforce Central Vs PeopleSoft: Key Features Comparison

1. Time And Attendance Management

Kronos Workforce Central’s ‘Time and Attendance’ module automates time tracking, streamlines attendance management, and ensures compliance with labor regulations. It supports various clock-in methods, such as mobile devices, web platforms, and biometric scanners, and provides managers and employees with real-time insights into workforce data.

It accurately calculates hours, overtime, and holiday pay, reducing manual errors and administrative burdens. Employees can use the mobile app to manage their calendars, request time off, and check in from anywhere.

Oracle’s ‘PeopleSoft Time and Labor’ feature is an enterprise-level time and attendance solution that centralizes time data across a company and integrates easily with PeopleSoft HCM, financials, and supply chain applications. It provides configurable time entry options across multiple platforms, including desktops, tablets, and smartphones, to accommodate various employee roles and reporting needs.

At its core, there is a robust rules engine that allows the real-time application of complicated, organization-specific rules for reporting, verifying, and calculating payable time. This allows for immediate feedback and streamlined approvals. The system incorporates user-friendly self-service pages for employees and managers, as well as a dedicated ‘WorkCenter’ that provides analytics, warnings, exceptions, and interactive maps to help visualize reporting locations.

Winner: It’s a tie. Both platforms offer robust time and attendance features. However, the final choice depends on your organization's needs. Kronos shines with an agile and user-friendly approach, while PeopleSoft is more powerful for complex enterprise environments.

2. Leave And Absence Management

Kronos helps businesses achieve automation, accuracy, and visibility in managing employee leave and time off. It ensures adherence to company policies and labor regulations while streamlining processes, including accrual calculations, leave tracking, and policy enforcement. The platform provides real-time insights into absence trends and their impact on productivity, ensuring proactive decision-making. It also offers self-service capabilities, allowing employees to request time off and check their balances, thereby reducing administrative strain on HR professionals.

Oracle PeopleSoft provides a comprehensive, rule-based solution for automating absence processes and managing global leave policies. To meet various legislative, industrial, or organizational needs, it offers versatile configuration options for defining entitlement and eligibility rules. Employees and managers can request, review, approve, and cancel absences from any device via its mobile self-service features.

It also features a ‘Digital Assistant’ that is available 24/7 to assist with tasks and questions related to absences. Integrated analytics support workforce planning and provide insights into absence trends. There is also an Extended Leave framework for overseeing programs like the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and team and peer calendars for improved schedule coordination are included in the solution.

Winner: Oracle PeopleSoft wins this round with deeper customization, a 24/7 Digital Assistant, and advanced leave frameworks like FMLA, which Kronos lacks.

3. Scheduling

Kronos Workforce Central Scheduling intelligently automates shift planning by matching labor to company needs, improving coverage, and minimizing compliance risks. The system enables proactive scheduling through real-time visibility and forecasting features.

Employees can benefit from mobile self-service tools for managing availability, requesting time off, and switching shifts, which improves engagement and reduces absenteeism.

Oracle PeopleSoft Workforce Scheduling enables companies to design efficient, demand-driven schedules that align staffing with business demands while adhering to labor regulations and employee preferences.

It enables real-time adjustments, reduces overtime, and effortlessly integrates with other PeopleSoft HCM modules to ensure accurate time tracking and payroll. The platform helps businesses enhance labor efficiency and reduce scheduling conflicts.

Winner: Kronos Workforce Central outperforms PeopleSoft by offering mobile self-service, shift swapping, and real-time forecasting features.

4. Analytics And Reporting

Kronos Workforce Central provides real-time, role-based insights into workforce data, allowing for enhanced decision-making. It includes visual dashboards, customizable reports, and drill-down options for analyzing critical workforce metrics.

HR professionals can utilize proactive alerts and forecasting technologies to monitor trends, enhance compliance, and refine workforce planning.

Oracle PeopleSoft provides real-time operational insights through tools such as Pivot Grids, Simplified Analytics, and PeopleSoft Insights. These features are embedded within the application, enabling users to create contextual dashboards, produce ad hoc reports, and visualize data trends without requiring additional licensing.

Reporting is integrated across modules, allowing for data-driven decisions directly within the workflow.

Winner: Oracle PeopleSoft takes the lead with more advanced, embedded analytics, seamless module integration, and licensing flexibility that Kronos Workforce Central lacks.

5. Risk Management

Kronos Workforce Central offers risk management capabilities that automate and enhance governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) procedures by integrating workforce data with the UKG Risk Cloud platform.

By dynamically combining risks, controls, assessments, and evidence, Kronos improves accountability, visibility, and efficiency in risk management. Automated workflows for policy formulation, review, approval, and employee acknowledgment reduce manual effort while improving compliance.

Oracle offers a comprehensive suite of solutions to help companies manage risk and compliance across their financial and operational processes. It utilizes advanced technologies, such as machine learning and artificial intelligence, to enable proactive risk detection, continuous monitoring, and automated compliance management.

Key aspects, including automated risk assessments, continuous transaction and process monitoring, access restrictions, and segregation of duties (SOD) analysis, help detect and resolve conflicts in user roles and responsibilities.

Winner: Oracle PeopleSoft wins for its built-in AI-driven risk detection and SOD analysis, while Kronos Workforce Central relies on third-party integration and lacks native advanced risk analytics.

Summing Up: Kronos Workforce Central Vs PeopleSoft

Kronos Workforce Central and Oracle PeopleSoft offer comprehensive workforce management solutions, but each serve distinct operational goals.   

Kronos is ideal for businesses seeking user-friendly, mobile-first solutions with robust scheduling and time-tracking features. PeopleSoft, on the other hand, distinguishes itself with advanced configurability, embedded analytics, and enterprise-grade compliance and risk management tools. The decision ultimately comes down to whether you value ease of use and agility or depth of features and integration.