Ascentis (discontinued) vs. Trakstar Learn

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Ascentis (discontinued)
Score 7.5 out of 10
N/A
Ascentis HR uses web-based management programs to help automate complex HR processes. Ascentis’ other services included customizable payroll, time and attendance and recruiting modules. Ascentis was acquired by UKG in March of 2022, and will be discontinued.N/A
Trakstar Learn
Score 9.0 out of 10
Enterprise companies (1,001+ employees)
Trakstar Learn (formerly Mindflash) is an online training platform. Users can create courses, add quizzes and track results. Users can upload external content and access the platform via mobile devices. It also provides user management and reporting for internal and external training and scaling purposes.
$249
Pricing
Ascentis (discontinued)Trakstar Learn
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
Basic
249/mo
Advanced
599/mo
500 trainees
Pro
1,199/mo
1000 trainees
Enterprise
Call for details
Unlimited
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Ascentis (discontinued)Trakstar Learn
Free Trial
NoYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Ascentis (discontinued)Trakstar Learn
Features
Ascentis (discontinued)Trakstar Learn
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
Ascentis (discontinued)
7.1
Ratings
10% below category average
Trakstar Learn
-
Ratings
Employee demographic data6.70 Ratings00 Ratings
Employment history7.30 Ratings00 Ratings
Job profiles and administration6.90 Ratings00 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.6.70 Ratings00 Ratings
Organizational charting5.20 Ratings00 Ratings
Organization and location management8.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)8.80 Ratings00 Ratings
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
Ascentis (discontinued)
7.8
Ratings
2% below category average
Trakstar Learn
-
Ratings
Pay calculation7.10 Ratings00 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors6.10 Ratings00 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment8.30 Ratings00 Ratings
Benefit plan administration6.70 Ratings00 Ratings
Direct deposit files9.20 Ratings00 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management8.60 Ratings00 Ratings
Reimbursement management8.80 Ratings00 Ratings
Leave and Attendance Management
Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Product A and Product B
Ascentis (discontinued)
7.8
Ratings
3% below category average
Trakstar Learn
-
Ratings
Approval workflow7.90 Ratings00 Ratings
Balance details7.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Annual carry-forward and encashment8.40 Ratings00 Ratings
Employee Self Service
Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Product A and Product B
Ascentis (discontinued)
7.0
Ratings
14% below category average
Trakstar Learn
-
Ratings
View and generate pay and benefit information7.80 Ratings00 Ratings
Update personal information8.60 Ratings00 Ratings
View company policy documentation5.40 Ratings00 Ratings
Employee recognition6.00 Ratings00 Ratings
View job history7.30 Ratings00 Ratings
Asset Management
Comparison of Asset Management features of Product A and Product B
Ascentis (discontinued)
5.8
Ratings
33% below category average
Trakstar Learn
-
Ratings
Tracking of all physical assets5.80 Ratings00 Ratings
HR Reporting
Comparison of HR Reporting features of Product A and Product B
Ascentis (discontinued)
6.3
Ratings
17% below category average
Trakstar Learn
-
Ratings
Report builder7.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Pre-built reports7.50 Ratings00 Ratings
Ability to combine HR data with external data4.60 Ratings00 Ratings
Onboarding
Comparison of Onboarding features of Product A and Product B
Ascentis (discontinued)
5.1
Ratings
43% below category average
Trakstar Learn
-
Ratings
New hire portal5.30 Ratings00 Ratings
Manager tracking tools4.90 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance and Goals
Comparison of Performance and Goals features of Product A and Product B
Ascentis (discontinued)
7.2
Ratings
9% below category average
Trakstar Learn
-
Ratings
Corporate goal setting6.70 Ratings00 Ratings
Individual goal setting7.60 Ratings00 Ratings
Line-of sight-visibility7.10 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance tracking7.20 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance Management
Comparison of Performance Management features of Product A and Product B
Ascentis (discontinued)
6.0
Ratings
27% below category average
Trakstar Learn
-
Ratings
Performance plans5.60 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance improvement plans5.60 Ratings00 Ratings
Review status tracking5.80 Ratings00 Ratings
Review reminders6.50 Ratings00 Ratings
Multiple review frequency6.60 Ratings00 Ratings
Succession Planning
Comparison of Succession Planning features of Product A and Product B
Ascentis (discontinued)
5.9
Ratings
28% below category average
Trakstar Learn
-
Ratings
Create succession plans/pools6.40 Ratings00 Ratings
Candidate ranking6.40 Ratings00 Ratings
Candidate search5.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Candidate development5.80 Ratings00 Ratings
Recruiting / ATS
Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Product A and Product B
Ascentis (discontinued)
5.5
Ratings
34% below category average
Trakstar Learn
-
Ratings
Job Requisition Management5.40 Ratings00 Ratings
Company Website Posting5.20 Ratings00 Ratings
Publish to Social Media5.60 Ratings00 Ratings
Job Search Site Posting5.80 Ratings00 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention5.60 Ratings00 Ratings
Applicant Tracking5.70 Ratings00 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts5.30 Ratings00 Ratings
Learning Management
Comparison of Learning Management features of Product A and Product B
Ascentis (discontinued)
-
Ratings
Trakstar Learn
9.3
Ratings
13% above category average
Course authoring00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Course catalog or library00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Player/Portal00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Learning content00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Mobile friendly00 Ratings5.00 Ratings
Progress tracking & certifications00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Assignments00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Compliance management00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Learning administration00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Learning reporting & analytics00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Ascentis (discontinued)Trakstar Learn
Small Businesses
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.5 out of 10
iSpring Learn
iSpring Learn
Score 9.6 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.7 out of 10
iSpring Learn
iSpring Learn
Score 9.6 out of 10
Enterprises
PeopleStrong
PeopleStrong
Score 9.9 out of 10
Axonify
Axonify
Score 10.0 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Ascentis (discontinued)Trakstar Learn
Likelihood to Recommend
7.2
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
6.3
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Usability
7.6
(0 ratings)
9.0
(0 ratings)
Availability
6.7
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Performance
7.1
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
8.2
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
In-Person Training
8.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Online Training
8.3
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
8.3
(0 ratings)
9.0
(0 ratings)
Configurability
9.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
3.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
6.7
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
9.6
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
9.6
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Ascentis (discontinued)Trakstar Learn
Likelihood to Recommend
In working with Ascentis in payroll, the program makes my job so much easier. I am new to this position and the learning process has been so much easier with this product than those in the past. I appreciate the patience I am given when I call in for assistance as well.
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I believe Mindflash is perfect for corporate training in any industry. It's quick, efficient and provides an unprecedented platform to provide training information digitally. Especially when you do not have enough resources to provide in-person training that requires detailed attention covering a massive territory.
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Pros
  • Easy to use software. I have had several new HR employees comment on how easy the system is to learn!
  • Problem Solving- Ascentis is always problem solving! When we were in the process of selecting a new payroll company, we needed unemployment claims management assistance for our locations, something Ascentis did not currently offer. The sales rep went out of his way to find a unemployment claims management company that would work with Ascentis and us. That company has helped us keep an 80% win rate for our claims!
  • User conference- Engage is an awesome way to learn more about the products Ascentis has available as well and meet up with the staff you work with every day!
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  • Mindflash is very clean and user-friendly. Very easy for learners to navigate and understand.
  • Mindflash’s reporting tool is unmatched. You can pull any type of report you could want or need.
  • Customer service is top-notch. From our Sales Executive to our CSM, all the way up to the VP, our experience has been amazing.
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Cons
  • Updating the system so it is one platform and not two.
  • Create changes to the benefit enrollment process and upgrade the system so hire dates do not need to be changed to trigger benefits for status changes.
  • Focus updates on HR Admin, mobile application, ATS and transitioning to one platform. Larger areas of focus have been on the payroll portion of the system with a few updates to other areas.
  • When something is broken, quicker turn time on fixing the issue.
  • System needs updates to support AAP reporting.
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  • Admin: They only allow one admin account, which can be a headache. Instead of logging into my personal Mindflash I log into a shared user, that makes and assigns all the videos.
  • Agent UI: It isn't the prettiest UI and can be hard to navigate for beginners.
  • Certificates: The certificates for passing a course are just dumb. I have them all turned off and I could never see that being useful.
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Likelihood to Renew
If I were given the opportunity to select a new system, Ascentis would definitely be a strong contender. It links together the functions much more seamlessly than other systems I have used. By far the best part though is the customer support after implementation, this is where many companies fail. It was very appreciated that even after every module went live the service level was still high.
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I am extremely likely to continue using Mindflash for a few reasons. One, Mindflash has increased its capabilities dramatically during the year that I have been using it. Like any good business or service provider, Mindflash seems to have the desire to constantly improve its users experience. I know in another year, Mindflash will be better than it is today. For example, I know that Mindflash is at least exploring the possibility of adding language support to its capabilities. As someone who works in many non-English speaking countries, this would be a huge benefit to me. Additionally, I have been very impressed by Mindflash's customer service. They have always been very helpful and gracious.
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Usability
Employees and Management all love this product, as the ease of use is great! The app makes it very user friendly, as things can be done from cell phones anywhere at any time! Our Field Service Technicians love that they can clock in and out, etc., from any location, and that their time can be approved accordingly.
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The interface is just so simple to understand. It's clean and efficient. We showed Mindflash off to the Safety group, who are not computer gurus and they were beyong excited to use it.
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Reliability and Availability
They normally give you notice when an update will affect the use of the system. Otherwise, when we have an error , we send a message to the support team. Sometimes someone will get right back with you and sometimes it takes a while.
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No answers on this topic
Performance
Yes, this pages do load pretty good but there are times when things are slow and I believe that's because they are sometimes trying to do updates.
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No answers on this topic
Support Rating
Support is attentive and quick to answer the call and get the answer for you. If they for any reason cannot answer right then, they are back to you within a day and always seem to have a sense of urgency. You truly get the impression that they are aiming to make you happy.
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Any problems or questions we have had with Mindflash have been handled promptly and effectively. I normally use the online chat option but have had to correspond with them through email and phone as well. We have never had an issue languish for weeks or months with Mindflash. They either fix the problem or let you know that the software isn't capable to handle the need at that point.
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In-Person Training
First, to clarify our "in-person" training was done mainly through Web-X meetings and conference calls. It was the closest thing we got to as far as an "in-person" training for this software. However, for the large majority of it, this type of training worked out well. We were able to share our screens and the trainer was able to share his/her screen. We could follow along with what we were doing in our database in real time and see how different functions worked and how manipulating our information could produce different results. It was also nice in that it provided for real-time results if something hadn't been coded correctly or we were having issues as to why something wasn't working the way we thought it should be. However, it did have some downsides in that we often had to rely on a conference phone and that made it difficult to hear people on both sides. Also, sometimes the trainers had internet difficulties when working from home and that caused issues with the WebX meetings.
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No answers on this topic
Online Training
Ascentis HR has a number of online training videos to watch on a number of different topics. I gave it a lower rating because there is not much interactivity with the videos and it seems to cater to really only one or two learning styles. Plus, one has to be pretty motivated to go to a separate area to access the videos and then pull up a specific one to watch it and then learn. From my experience, people know that they are there, many just don't take the time and effort to go find them and actually watch them - especially since the username and password are different from their normal username and password.
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No answers on this topic
Implementation Rating
It was very easy to implement, but the customization pieces should really be fleshed out in order to determine the full need of an organization at the time of implementation. I believe if a little more time was spent on the requirements, the recruiting module would not have to be customized again at a cost at a later date.
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If you're going to develop a short course to demo the product internally, don't bother avoiding your own topics. Mindflash rolls whatever content you create during the trial into your production environment when you decide to buy. The time taken to go from not having a system to being live with Mindflash is virtually instant. What you'll be wanting for is time to develop content and people to test it out.
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Alternatives Considered
Ascentis has far better customer service and the implementation experience was also better. The ability to do a lot of customization is also easier with Ascentis as it's smaller organization. The payroll has positive and negatives compared to ADP but the accuracy is the same in both. Ascentis just started their community site which doesn't have a lot of traffic but hopefully can become more like ADP's community site, which was extremely helpful to me as an administrator.
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The only other training platform similar to Mindflash that I have used is RedVector. However, we use that platform entirely differently than Mindflash. RedVector has a very large available library for our users to stay current on their PDU/education credits for their PE and PMP licenses. It does have the option to build training within it as well, but we have not used that feature because it is more focused on providing external training for others.
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Scalability
Large acquisition would be very complicated, seems more appropriate for companies under 100
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No answers on this topic
Return on Investment
  • It has been great to have all of our employee information in one central location, easy access and that the modules communicate/link together. If I change something here, it gets "pushed" to all other modules.
  • I do not maximize ESS, particularly posting information on the home page because it is so TEDIOUS.
  • LOVE the app, would love for it to be easier for employees to reset their password to whatever they want vs. the system generated password.
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  • Mindflash has had a positive impact on our business because it allows us to train more new users with less effort, and ensure that trainees have access to the course materials for a period of time after they have started using our software to do their daily jobs. Review of the course materials allows them to get answers to common questions without having to submit requests to our support team, thereby reducing the administrative burden on our resources.
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ScreenShots

Ascentis (discontinued) Screenshots

Screenshot of Access all of your details including, paychecks, personal file, timeclock, etc via our mobile app.Screenshot of Punch-in and punch-out on the go.Screenshot of Centralized location for everything related to a user or admin.Screenshot of Every employee has access to their personal information in one location.Screenshot of Pre-built reporting along with Ad Hoc reporting gives you the ability to understand your business as a whole.Screenshot of Benefit enrollment made easy for your employees.

Trakstar Learn Screenshots

Screenshot of Trainer home - Get key information on how a program is doing with real-time graphs on the new Trainer Home. From here, viewers can dive into the details on users, courses and series using the convenient and persistent left navigation bar.Screenshot of Personalize the view - On every grid, the settings cog can be used to select the columns to view. This will be the new view even when logging in from a different computer. To maximize the content, collapse the left navigation bar to reveal just the icons.Screenshot of Filters - Advanced filters on users, courses, series and catalogs help get to just the list of items to focus on.Change, reset or keep these filters while moving across items.Screenshot of Bulk Actions - Once the list is filtered down to just the trainees to focus on, a couple of clicks a couple of clicks are required to take actions like setting a new deadline, reminding or dropping users.Screenshot of Export - Extract the whole list or the filtered list of trainees to Excel for further analysis.Screenshot of Trainer Photo - Take a photo in Mindflash and use it as a trainer photo.