For the next round, get ahead of the game and plan early for your Payroll Financial Year. Here are Ten Critical Questions to ask your existing or new Payroll Software Provider.
Remember - Not all payroll systems are the same…
1. Is your software desktop based?
Cloud based payroll systems are the way of the future. They let you access your payroll from anywhere, on any device, and at any time — and you don’t need to be concerned about back-ups. You also don’t need to invest in hardware updates, or ever need to purchase your providers newest software upgrades. Insist that your new provider has a reputable cloud solution.
2. Is your software pricing usage or user based?
Paying a license fee each year is old school. You often end up paying a license fee on top of a software license fee – which are often based on inflexible and complicated calculations dependent on the size of your payslip groups. Only pay for the active payslips that you process each month. Pay for what you use and not for what you don’t need.
3. Do you offer realtime support?
Cloud based solutions mean that you can get immediate support because your provider can directly access your system and offer you direct support in real time. Support is a big differentiator. Make sure that you can communicate to real people, in real time – who have full remote access to your problem – so that they can give you real help.
4. Do you offer an employee self service portal (ESS)?
Employee Self Service saves you time and aggravation. It takes complex issues and makes them painless and paperless. It allows your employees to self-manage a range of actions on their own.
5. Can I manage my leave and workforce easily?
The administration surrounding Leave, Legislation and Company Policy can be one of the most frustrating processes of any company trying to manage their workforce especially when trying to run a tight ship. In many cases Leave is abused just because there is no proper control over how what and when.
Our Labour laws are constantly evolving as the South African government seeks to balance stronger protections for employees with the need to create a business friendly climate.
It’s difficult enough to keep up with the latest legislation with regards to Leave and annual leave. The administration surrounding the complexities of company leave policies can be a nightmare to manage. Your payroll solution should automatically manage this for you.
6. Is it in sync with legislative compliance updates?
Legislative compliance updates regarding PAYE, UIF & SDL are difficult enough to understand, never mind to keep up with. You cannot always be sure what is new and what has been gazetted. Make sure that your payroll system alerts you and automatically includes all newly gazetted updates.
7. Is it in sync with medical aid increases?
It makes sense to invest in a Payroll system that changes as your medical scheme change. Medical Plans for various medical schemes are frequently updated and having a payroll that manages this for you and applies the required legislative components is a no brainer.
8. Will it seamlessly assist with IRP5 submissions?
Make sure that your payroll solution has built-in validations to help minimise complications during the submissions process – and that you have access to expert advice to guide you through the process!
9. Can it easily switch between entities?
Are you tired of having to login and logout between payroll entities? A good payroll solution should allow you to access your complete history across multiple periods.
10. Is it multi-tenanted?
A multi-tenanted payroll system allows one login access to multiple companies – this is the ideal environment for any payroll bureau service. It also allows you to give your accountants access to manage your director’s salaries, while your payroll department manages your other employees
Any one of these questions could make a big difference to your company, and if you don’t get given the right answers, change to a better payroll solution - it’s easier than you think, just give us a call!
