Brought to you by
keypay
KeyPay is an entirely cloud-based and automated app that eliminates the pain points associated with...
Save content
Have you found this content useful? Use the button above to save it to your profile.

CSVs: The curse of practice efficiency

6th Nov 2019
Brought to you by
keypay
KeyPay is an entirely cloud-based and automated app that eliminates the pain points associated with...
Save content
Have you found this content useful? Use the button above to save it to your profile.

                                           KeyPay CSV

Do you have a practice free from CSVs or Excel uploads? Free from manually transcribing data from one system to another? The overwhelming evidence says probably not.

CSVs and spreadsheets are the workhorses of practice and you may well use them for some - or all - of the following:

  • Submitting data to pension providers
  • Accepting payroll data from clients
  • New Joiners
  • Timesheets
  • Journal uploads (eg from payroll)
  • Passing data to e-payslip apps
  • Managing data to/from client HR platforms
  • Reports

And that’s just for starters!

But why?  We live in a cloud-based world and you’re probably already using a cloud accounting software like Xero, QuickBooks, Freeagent etc.  But what about payroll and HR solutions?

One reason is time - it undeniably takes some time to switch payroll software and every year is festooned with year ends, P11Ds, tax deadlines, legislation updates, conference seasons etc.

Easy to say that “we’ll make the change in April”, but how relaxing are March and April? In the UK we have over one hundred different payroll software solutions, while HR solutions range from the vast public sector ones through to the new start up packages for SMEs. And how many of these talk to each other?  How many will be around in 5 years?

Is there a way that you can take back control?  All the time you don’t have a solution for a client’s issues then they will choose their own software and ask you to accommodate it within your processes - and that takes your time.

I often talk to accountants about payroll and one common theme is - “do you integrate with this or that HR/timesheet/rostering/leave management software?”  And the main reason for these questions are because the client is trying to solve their own problems outside of their accountant.

Now is the time to be reviewing your payroll software options and consider moving to the cloud.

Practices that make a decision by the end of November and start their migrations early steal an enormous march.  Not only when April comes do they have the new software up and running, but they’ve also got a significant number of their director-only and small static payruns migrated over.

April then becomes the time for moving the more complex clients - but with that background experience of the software already.

A payroll software with light HR functionality - like KeyPay - puts you back in control. You benefit from integrated payroll, accounting, HMRC and pension submissions, plus can fully automate director only and small static salaries payrolls.

Your client could benefit from leave, timesheet, qualification and document management.  Maybe also from clocking in/out and rota/roster management (pub, hotel or coffee shop clients anyone?).

All of the CSV tasks listed above can be removed and you can manage more clients for the same number of staff.

But what about the cost of running two softwares?  Well, cloud softwares generally work on a pay as you go model, so you usually only pay as you use it (so you’re not covering 2 annual licenses at once).  Consider it an investment in the future and the long-term efficiency savings you will reap. 65% of respondents to the KeyPay UK Payroll Survey already use 2 or more payroll softwares!

Interested in a glimpse into the possible of the here and now before the rush?

Visit the KeyPay stand at XeroCon, contact me at [email protected] or have a free trial at keypay.co.uk.

Tags: