Office-workforce software breaks the moment it meets a job site or a plant floor. Prevailing wage, shift differentials, crews in two states, three shifts, union rules. We've spent 15 years configuring HCM for exactly this, and it's a specialty for a reason.
Quick Answer: Axiom delivers UKG Ready configured for construction and manufacturing: certified payroll, job costing, shift differentials, attendance points, and union support in one system, backed by a dedicated service team. Pricing runs $5 to $10 per employee per month for software only, up to $50 to $75 for full HR outsourcing.
For construction and skilled trades
Certified payroll and prevailing wage. WH-347 reports generated from the system, wage determinations applied by job, and Davis-Bacon compliance handled in the workflow instead of a spreadsheet.
Job and cost-code tracking. Hours captured against jobs and cost codes at the punch, flowing through payroll to your accounting system.
Mobile crews. GPS-stamped mobile punch, offline mode for dead zones, and foreman crew entry. Multi-state and local tax handled when crews cross lines mid-week.
For manufacturing
Shift differentials and premiums. Second and third shift, weekend premiums, and overtime rules calculated automatically, correct on the first run.
Attendance points. Automated point tracking with supervisor alerts, so discipline decisions run on clean data.
Union and multi-plant support. Dues, multiple rates, seniority rules, and multi-EIN structures in one database.
Labor cost visibility. Overtime creep by department and line, visible before it hits the P&L. Details on our time and labor management page.
Why UKG Ready for this work
UKG is the company behind Kronos, and that workforce management DNA is why Ready handles shift-based and field-based workforces better than platforms built for salaried office staff. Ready is sized for 50 to 2,000 employees, which is exactly the range where contractors and manufacturers get ignored by enterprise vendors and outgrow small-business tools.
As a UKG Ready Preferred Partner, we implement it, configure it for your rules, and service it with a named team. No call center. No re-explaining your union contract to a new rep every quarter.
How engagements work
Three service levels. Software only at $5 to $10 per employee per month. Managed payroll, where we run processing and tax filing, at $30 to $50. Full HR outsourcing with the platform included at $50 to $75. Implementation for most companies in this range takes 8 to 12 weeks.
The math on getting this right isn't subtle. One prevailing wage violation or one quarter of unmanaged overtime creep costs more than a year of the software.
What you get at each service level
| Service level | PEPM | What Axiom handles | What your team handles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software only | $5–10 | Platform, implementation, support | Payroll processing, HR operations |
| Managed payroll | $30–50 | Processing, tax filing, certified payroll reports | HR operations, approvals |
| Full HR outsourcing | $50–75 | Payroll plus HR administration, compliance, benefits admin | Strategy and final decisions |
Common questions
Can one system handle both our union plant and non-union field crews?
Yes. Multiple EINs, pay groups, and rule sets live in one database, so a contractor with a fab shop and field crews runs everything in one place.
Does the system handle prevailing wage rate changes?
Wage determinations are applied by job. When a determination updates, the rate table updates, and certified payroll reports reflect it. See the DOL's Davis-Bacon resources for the compliance side.
How long does implementation take?
8 to 12 weeks for most companies between 50 and 2,000 employees. We time go-lives around bid seasons and production peaks, and we run a parallel payroll before cutover.
The bottom line
Your workforce is the hardest kind to manage and the most expensive to get wrong. Buy systems, and a service team, built for it.
Contractor or manufacturer with 50 to 2,000 employees? Talk to us. We'll walk your pay rules before we quote anything.
