How to Integrate UKG Pro and Workday HCM Without Gaps

How to Integrate UKG Pro and Workday HCM Without Gaps

To integrate UKG Pro and Workday HCM well, decide which system owns each data domain first, then connect them with supported APIs or integration tools on both sides, and monitor every sync. Most failures come from unclear ownership of worker, job and pay data, not from the technology moving it.

This guide is for HRIS, payroll and IT teams running both platforms after an acquisition, during a phased migration or by design.

Disclosure: The author works at CloudApper, which makes CloudApper AI for HCM Extensibility and Personalization, discussed in this article.

Key takeaways

  • Organizations run both systems after mergers, during phased migrations or when UKG handles workforce management alongside a Workday HCM core.
  • Write down a system of record for every data domain before you build anything.
  • Both vendors offer APIs and integration tooling; choose based on volume, timing and who will maintain each flow.
  • Error handling, reconciliation reports and change control matter as much as the initial build.

Why do organizations run UKG Pro and Workday together?

Three situations come up again and again. After an acquisition, one business unit runs UKG Pro and the parent runs Workday, and leadership still wants consolidated headcount and labor cost. During a migration, a company moves HR to Workday in waves while UKG keeps handling payroll or time for some groups. And some employers deliberately keep UKG Pro Workforce Management for scheduling and time while Workday serves as the HR core.

If your main concern is time data feeding Workday Payroll, our walkthrough of how UKG Pro time data syncs to Workday Payroll covers the earnings and deductions detail.

Which system should own which data?

Data domainTypical ownerFlows to
Worker identity, hire, terminationWorkday HCM (if it is the HR core)UKG Pro
Job, position, organization, cost centerWorkday HCMUKG Pro
Schedules, punches, accrualsUKG Pro WFMWorkday (as approved time or summaries)
Pay ratesWhichever system runs payrollThe other system for costing or display
Payroll resultsPayroll systemFinance and reporting

The owner is the only place users edit that data. Everything else is a copy. Publish this table to HR, payroll and IT, and enforce it with security roles so nobody edits a copy by mistake.

A situation we see often: a manager changes an employee's cost center in UKG because that's the screen in front of them, Workday overwrites it at the next sync, and labor costing is wrong for a whole pay period. Mid-period job and cost center transfers are the classic trouble spot, which is why our guide to job and cost center transfers across HCMs is worth reading before you finalize the table.

What integration options exist on each side?

UKG

The UKG Developer Hub documents APIs for UKG Pro HCM (people, benefits, payroll, talent and HR data) and UKG Pro WFM (punches, shifts, scheduling, accruals and time data). Under the UKG Pro platform it also lists webhooks for event-driven notifications when UKG data changes, and UKG Flow for ready-to-use third-party integrations.

Workday

Workday describes Workday Orchestrate as a low-code capability built into its platform, with thousands of public APIs and a marketplace of prepackaged connectors. It also names Enterprise Interface Builder and Workday Studio as integration tools, and Workday Extend for building custom apps and agents that run natively in Workday. Our comparison of Workday EIB, connectors and Studio helps you pick the right tool for each feed.

Middleware and extension layers

An iPaaS or extension platform can sit between the two systems, handle mapping and retries in one place and add workflows neither system offers natively. The trade-off is one more vendor and contract. It tends to pay off when you have many flows or expect to retire one system later; for one or two simple feeds, native tools are often enough.

Integration build checklist

  1. Agree on a single unique worker ID shared by both systems.
  2. Map job codes, locations, cost centers and pay codes, and assign an owner for each mapping table.
  3. Set timing per flow: near real time for hires and terminations, scheduled batches for time summaries.
  4. Define what happens when a record fails: retry rules, alerts and who fixes it.
  5. Build a daily reconciliation report comparing headcount and key fields across systems.
  6. Test edge cases: rehires, transfers, mid-period rate changes and retro adjustments.
  7. Put both vendors' release calendars into change control so updates don't break mappings.

Rehires deserve extra attention. If one system issues a new ID and the other reactivates the old one, you'll get duplicate workers that quietly break reconciliation. The hidden work behind these steps is covered in our piece on what actually happens in HRMS and payroll integration.

Where CloudApper AI fits

CloudApper AI for HCM Extensibility and Personalization is an AI layer that sits on top of an existing HCM, including UKG and Workday, and adds workflows, apps and integrations without replacing it. The product page lists pre-built and custom integrations, automation of complex rules such as multi-state compliance and union pay rules, dashboards and real-time alerts, and an extension layer that can be carried across HCM vendors during a migration. That last point matters when UKG and Workday coexist during a phased move.

Questions to ask any integration vendor

  • Which UKG and Workday APIs or tools do you use, and are they vendor supported?
  • How are failed records surfaced, retried and audited?
  • Who maintains mappings when job codes or pay codes change?
  • How do you test against vendor releases on either side?
  • Can the integration be reused if we retire one system later?

Frequently asked questions

Can UKG Pro and Workday HCM share data in real time?

Both platforms offer APIs, and UKG offers webhooks for event notifications, so near real-time flows are possible for events such as hires and terminations. Not every flow needs it. Time summaries and payroll results usually work better as scheduled batches with reconciliation. Choose timing per data domain based on business need and system limits.

Should we consolidate onto one HCM instead of integrating two?

Consolidating cuts integration cost and data conflicts, but migrations take time and carry risk. Many organizations integrate as a bridge while they plan consolidation, or keep both when each serves a distinct need. Compare total cost of ownership, contract terms and user impact over several years before deciding.

Who should own the integration after go-live?

Name a business owner in HR or payroll for data quality and a technical owner in IT or the HRIS team for the integration itself. Both should review reconciliation reports, approve mapping changes and sign off on release testing. Integrations without clear owners tend to degrade quietly until payroll errors appear.

What to do next

  • Draft the system of record table and get HR, payroll and IT to sign it.
  • List every data flow between UKG Pro and Workday with its timing, tool and owner.
  • Build the daily reconciliation report before adding any new features.
  • Decide between native tools, middleware or an extension layer based on who will maintain each flow.

Last reviewed: October 2026.

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