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Online Payroll Is Getting Big. Many Companies Have Switched To An Online Payroll Software Program Because It Lets Them
he trend is moving towards a complete shift from spreadsheet-based payroll to going online for all requirements. Having an effective payroll software for your organization is no longer just an option, but a critical necessity for smooth operation of various functions. The benefits of a cloud payroll solution such as anytime anywhere access, ease of use, employee collaboration and higher efficiency make it a very attractive option.
As striking and feasible moving to an online payroll system sounds, choosing one can be quite challenging. There are hundreds of payroll tools out there in the market, which make selecting the right one a daunting task. The needs of every organization are different so the payroll tool needs be to such that fits the unique needs of a company.
To make your task easier, we have combined some of the things a business should look at while purchasing a cloud payroll system –
1. Ease Of Use
Most organizations have some sort of payroll system already in place. If they make a switch to a new one, the ease of integration should be given utmost importance. Running payroll in itself can be very demanding and complicated. The number of workflow activities and checks required before disbursing salaries are enormous. As such, if new software is being implemented, it should make the already existing processes smoother and simpler, rather than inviting more complicacies. Activities like leaves, attendance, full and final settlements, loans and other processes should be conducted painlessly. The new payroll system should allow easy importing of data from the existing system. Running to IT every time there is a change to be made is not something that HR managers would want. Instead, the payroll software should make the life of an HR or finance person easy with simple user experience for even the most complex of compliance processes. Hence, the use of the software should be trouble free and designed in such a way that a non-technical person can also handle it.
2. Simple Workflow
There are many activities that require attention before actually running a payroll process. These activities include reconciling leaves, attendance, tracking employee exits, reviewing salary increments, bonus payments, and approval of expenses. The payroll software that you use should be able to provide a consistent flow to managing and maintaining all these processes with the maximum efficiency. Going to 10 different places to get 10 different things process will definitely need to a bitter experience. Hence, the workflow needs to be simple and provide a holistic solution to managing all payroll needs.
3. Support From Vendor
After sale support matters the most in most products and payroll is no different. Before making an investment in any payroll software, it is important for any business to ensure that the quality and availability of support is not compromised once the purchase is made. 24 hour support through a website and calls can be very helpful for management to ensure efficiency and success of payroll software implementation. The availability of local support should also be considered as it can help companies avoid costs that may be incurred by the company representatives travelling long distances to onboard or train for usage of the system. Payroll in itself is a complex process and there are always cases where companies require help during setting the whole system up and using it. Such support should be readily made available.
4. Happy Employees
Understanding taxes and other payroll processes can be very overwhelming for employees, as these are terms they do not really understand. Since employees are any company’s assets, the payroll tool should also have features that make the life of the employee very easy. Through the payroll patform, the employee should be made aware of the context of his/her own actions and be able to engage actively in decision making, so that the employee’s sense of ownership and importance increases. Most employees aren’t well aware of different sections and tax saving mechanisms or investments that are available. Make sure the payroll not only makes these terms easy to understand, but also easy to make calculations and useful for employees. In addition, the salary structures and information of break-up of various components should be presented to employees as a neat package. Expense reimbursement is another painful process for employees and the finance team, if done manually. The whole process should be simplified by payroll software that has the ability to capture scans straight from the camera of a mobile phone.
5. Mobile-Friendly
We live in a mobile world. The manufacture, use and preferences of mobile devices has seen a massive rise across all generations, more particularly the millennials in the last decade. With more than 4 billion mobile phone users globally and 66% of those users accessing the internet through their mobile devices at least once a day, the whole world understands why the utmost important solution is to be mobile friendly. There is no solution that does not have an application on a mobile phone. So why should you settle for a payroll software that does not let you view, operate and function on a mobile screen? The software that you choose should empower your employees to self-manage with the right tools with an intuitive user interface. HR managers should be able to manage employees and assign tasks to them from anywhere in the world with any device.
