HRIS & Payroll

What HRIS & Payroll does

Ascend, Inc. is an exclusive UKG services partner operating as a subsidiary of Argano, a diversified parent group. Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, the company was formed through the merger of HRMS Solutions and ATS Management Consulting, two established UKG implementation firms, and now operates as one of the largest exclusive UKG services partners in North America, fielding 130+ certified consultants and 300+ active client projects. Its entire service portfolio is anchored on three UKG platforms — UKG Pro Suite, UKG Workforce Management, and UKG Ready — which it does not own but implements, optimizes, and supports on behalf of clients.

The company monetizes through two primary revenue streams: professional services (launch implementation, client-side advisory, post go-live optimization, strategic consulting, and training) and managed payroll services, where Ascend's certified payroll experts run day-to-day payroll operations for clients. Engagements are quote-based and structured as multi-year enterprise contracts targeting both mid-market and enterprise organizations across verticals including energy, government contracting, food and beverage, and business services. Distribution is anchored by direct enterprise field sales, supplemented by the UKG Marketplace listing and the UKG Partner Network referral channel, with demand-generation supported by a multi-channel content program spanning blogs, gated reports, webinars, and social media.

Recognition signals include the 2024 UKG Partner of the Year award, a 2024 Inc. 5000 listing as one of America's fastest-growing private companies, and Great Place to Work / Top Workplaces certifications. Ascend's competitive position is built on UKG exclusivity, a credentialed consulting bench, and recurring managed-services revenue, though no proprietary technology, APIs, patents, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed in the source data.

Name

HRIS & Payroll

Legal name

Ascend, Inc.

Website

https://hrmssolutions.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Ascend is an exclusive UKG services partner — formed from the merger of HRMS Solutions and ATS Management Consulting — that implements and supports UKG Pro, WFM, and Ready for mid-market and enterprise customers across North America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

HCM Implementation Services

NAICS

Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)

SIC

Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

Payroll Software & Payroll-as-a-Service (SaaS) (BPACAIAB)

Keywords

• UKG implementation services
• HRIS implementation consulting
• Workforce management services
• Managed payroll services
• Human capital management consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Boulder

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Professional Services: Implementation, consulting, training, and strategic services for UKG products. Revenue generated through service engagements with certified consultants for UKG Pro, WFM, and Ready implementations.
2. Managed Payroll Services: Ongoing payroll administration and management services where certified payroll experts maintain client payroll cycles and handle day-to-day payroll operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ascend is an exclusive UKG services partner that delivers end-to-end implementation, managed payroll, and strategic support services for the UKG Pro Suite, UKG Workforce Management, and UKG Ready platforms. Offerings span launch implementation, client-side advisory, post-go-live optimization, premier dedicated resource support, managed payroll administration, strategic consulting, training, and BI reporting for mid-market and enterprise organizations.

Product overview

Ascend is a premier UKG services partner offering a services portfolio centered around three core UKG platforms: UKG Pro Suite, UKG Workforce Management, and UKG Ready. The company provides implementation and support services across the entire UKG product family, serving mid-market and enterprise organizations. The services architecture comprises implementation launch services, client-side support, post go-live optimization, Premier dedicated resources, and managed payroll services. Strategic, training, and reporting services complement the core offerings to provide comprehensive UKG ecosystem support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Launch Implementation End-to-end implementation of UKG solutions (UKG Pro Suite, WFM, Ready) deployed on time, on budget, and with strong organizational adoption. For mid-market and enterprise customers undertaking a new UKG deployment.
• Client-Side Support Advisory and guidance for new UKG customers during launch, providing practitioner-level experience, industry expertise, and a proven implementation approach.
• Post Go-Live Post go-live optimization that drives long-term UKG system success by improving utilization, strengthening user adoption, increasing data visibility, and supporting organizational change.
• Premier Services Dedicated Ascend resources acting as a one-stop hub for all UKG-related needs, continuously improving and maximizing user adoption to extract full value from the UKG investment.
• Managed Payroll Full-service payroll administration in which certified payroll experts maintain payroll cycles and schedules, adapt to organizational needs, deliver step-by-step account management, and handle payroll operations end to end.
• Strategic Services Strategic support through comprehensive methodologies covering change management, client-side implementation support, and annual system wellness checks.
• Training and Education Expertly designed training plans and programs aligned with organizational needs to increase time-to-value and improve UKG system utilization and user adoption.
• BI Reports and Analytics Supplemental BI reporting and analytics services that assess UKG system health, accelerate onboarding, and enhance reporting capabilities for organizations new to UKG or taking over existing deployments.
• Health Assessments Supplemental assessment services that evaluate current UKG system health, identify improvement areas, and help organizations plan where they want to go with their UKG deployment.
• Talent Interviewing and HCM Advisory & Vendor Evaluation Supplemental services providing talent interviewing support and HCM advisory plus vendor evaluation guidance for organizations assessing or changing HCM platforms.

Quantifiable outcome

• 300+ active projects demonstrate scale and trust in Ascend's UKG implementation capabilities

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• UKG (Ultimate Kronos Group)flagshipImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAscend is an exclusive UKG services partner and certified UKG partner listed on the UKG Marketplace. The company specializes exclusively in UKG Pro, WFM, and Ready implementations, offering launch implementation, managed payroll, strategic services, and post-live support. Ascend was named 2024 UKG Partner of the Year, demonstrating highest partnership status.
• ArganocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAscend is an Argano company, operating as a subsidiary or business unit within the larger Argano organization. Argano is referenced as the parent company on Ascend's website.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Accenture: Accenture operates a global HCM and cloud ERP implementation practice that includes UKG, Workday, and Oracle. It competes for large enterprise UKG deals — particularly those requiring global delivery — that Ascend's North America-only footprint cannot address.
• Cognizant: Cognizant's Enterprise Application Services practice implements and supports HCM platforms including UKG and Workday for mid-market and enterprise clients globally. Its offshore-enabled delivery model competes with Ascend on cost-sensitive UKG implementation projects.
• KPMG: KPMG's advisory practice includes enterprise HCM and payroll transformation services across multiple platforms including UKG. It competes with Ascend on mid-market and enterprise UKG deals, particularly those with compliance or change-management complexity.
• PwC: PwC's People & Organization practice delivers HCM/payroll transformation work for enterprise clients, including UKG engagements. As a Big 4 firm, it competes for the same enterprise HR transformation budgets as Ascend, typically on larger, more complex programs.
• Deloitte: Deloitte's Human Capital practice delivers large-scale HCM and payroll transformation including UKG, Workday, and SAP SuccessFactors implementations. As a Big 4 incumbent, it competes for the same enterprise UKG deals but bundles them into broader transformation programs.
• IBM Consulting: IBM Consulting delivers large-scale HR transformation and ERP/HCM implementations for global enterprises, often as part of broader cloud transformation programs. It overlaps with Ascend in the enterprise UKG segment where bundled transformation deals are pursued.

Direct peers

• OneSource Virtual: OneSource Virtual is a closely comparable services firm that built its business as an exclusive Workday/HCM partner offering managed services, implementation, and post-live support to mid-market and enterprise customers. Its business model, single-platform exclusivity, and managed services orientation closely mirror Ascend's UKG-focused approach.
• Slalom: Slalom operates a sizable HCM/Workday/UKG implementation practice serving mid-market and enterprise clients with a delivery model centered on local-market consultants. It competes directly with Ascend for UKG and adjacent HCM transformation budgets.
• Baker Tilly: Baker Tilly runs an HCM technology services practice that implements and supports platforms including UKG and Workday for mid-market clients. Its consulting-led HCM delivery model and customer overlap make it a direct competitor for UKG implementation deals.
• Crowe: Crowe provides HCM/payroll implementation and managed services through its consulting practice, competing for similar mid-market and enterprise HR transformation engagements as Ascend, with comparable UKG and competing platform delivery capabilities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HRMS1
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ascendps
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hrms-solutions

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HRIS & Payroll