Overview

About Ahead

Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Chicago, AHEAD is a leading IT services and consulting company specializing in cloud platforms, data and analytics, enterprise automation, and integrated security. With nearly 3,000 employees across nearly 40 global locations, AHEAD partners with organizations to accelerate their digital transformation and to do so in a way that creates significant and sustainable business impact.

Challenge

AHEAD’s previous compensation planning software had several drawbacks: ever-increasing pricing, an outdated and clunky interface, inefficient administration, and a tendency to lose historical data.

• Pricing Structure: AHEAD’s previous compensation planning software charged per manager and per month, which meant that if the compensation cycle extended beyond the originally planned 3-month duration, the cost increased by 33%. This lack of flexibility in pricing created financial risk, especially as the company continues to grow and manage ever-larger and more complex Merit cycles.
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• Outdated User Interface: The previous tool was built on an outdated, spreadsheet-like interface reminiscent of early 2000s Excel. This outdated design made it difficult for managers to navigate efficiently, and the tool lacked modern features that are standard in contemporary compensation software. The interface not only appeared dated but also functioned in a way that required extensive manual effort to complete even routine tasks.
  
  
• Complex Permission Management: Managing access was a time-consuming process, as it required navigating multiple layers to update permissions. Whenever a manager needed custom access during a cycle, administrators had to manually find the relevant section, update the user’s permission coding, which could accommodate only whole-day-based permissioning. This cumbersome process increased the likelihood of errors and the burden on a lean team.
  
  
• Unreliable Audit Trails: One of the most critical challenges was the lack of reliable audit tracking. Whenever bulk data uploads occurred mid compensation cycle, the system would lose the entire audit history, leaving no record of who made changes or when. This made it impossible to investigate who had made changes and why.
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• Lack of Customization Flexibility: Competing products either offered rigid workflows or overwhelming customization options that complicated administration. AHEAD needed a solution that could balance customization without sacrificing efficiency.
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Solution

AHEAD implemented Pequity to address these pain points with a modern, efficient approach.

• Transparent and Predictable Pricing: Pequity offered clear and consistent pricing that did not increase based on the number of managers, the length of the compensation cycle, or the number of cycles. This eliminated unexpected budget spikes, allowing AHEAD to plan confidently.
  
  
• Simplified Access Management: Pequity’s intuitive interface allowed admins to update permissions easily through a single toggle, significantly reducing administrative workload. This streamlined approach meant that updating access took only seconds.
  
  
• Modern UI: Pequity’s modern UI replaced the outdated, spreadsheet-like design, offering a clear, organized, and visually appealing interface.
  
  
• Reliable Audit History: Pequity maintained comprehensive audit tracking even after data uploads, ensuring data integrity and compliance at all times. This reliable tracking was crucial for maintaining transparency and accountability.
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• Efficient Configuration: Pequity balanced customizability with ease of use, allowing AHEAD to maintain their unique processes without facing overwhelming complexity.
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“I’ve had many happy managers email to express how much they liked the new system, both visually and functionally. This is a really big improvement both for our internal customers and for us on the administration side. ”

Chris Young
Senior Director of Compensation and People Analytics, Ahead

Results

• 36% Cost Savings in 2025 Alone: In exchange for a more modern user friendly platform, with greater functionality and broader applicability.
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• Enhanced Manager Experience: Feedback from managers indicated high satisfaction with the improved system usability and efficiency. Managers could navigate more intuitively, reducing time spent on routine tasks.
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• Effortless Permission Management: Admins significantly reduced the time spent updating permissions, cutting administrative workload and improving overall efficiency. This streamlined process allowed more focus on strategic tasks (such as market benchmarking, matrix application, and custom recommendation conversations) rather than routine access management.
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• Enhanced Compliance with Comprehensive Audit Trails: Pequity’s reliable audit tracking preserved data integrity even after updates, allowing AHEAD to maintain transparent and accurate change history and audit trails This proved invaluable during audits and compliance checks, reducing the risk of errors or data loss.
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• Custom Configuration Made Simple: The flexible setup allowed AHEAD to implement their unique processes without unnecessary complexity, resulting in smoother compensation cycles and more efficient management.
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Summary

By partnering with Pequity, AHEAD successfully overcame the challenges posed by their previous compensation planning software. Pequity's modern, user-friendly platform provided fair and transparent pricing, efficient permission management, reliable audit tracking, and the flexibility to accommodate AHEAD's unique processes. As a result, AHEAD streamlined their compensation cycles, saved administrative time, and significantly improved manager satisfaction. The positive feedback from managers highlighted the platform's impact on usability and efficiency, reinforcing Pequity as a strategic partner in modern compensation management.