TECHNOLOGY
Will RPA help you be more strategic?
Datagraphic’s Glyn King discusses ways to use automation tools in payroll that will help you focus your time and becomemore productive
A s payroll teams look to play a more strategic role within their organisation, many will need the help of technology and automation tools to give them the time and mind-space from operational tasks to focus on the ‘human’ side of payroll. Automation is not a new concept, but it is now one of the most popular buzzwords used in the payroll and human resources (HR) industry. Once feared, people are starting to understand the benefits and embrace technology that can enhance their role within their organisation. And robotic process automation (RPA) is one of the technologies that is helping payroll teams manage their time more effectively so that they can focus on delivering high- value, strategic insight. What is RPA? Just as a reminder, RPA is software, or a set of tools, that can be programmed to use structured data and rules to complete routine tasks. It’s best suited for processes that are repetitive, time-critical, prone to error, data-driven and rules-based (predictable). That’s why RPA works so well for payroll tasks, such as payroll processing and document distribution, because these are repetitive and data-driven. It focuses on increasing the day-to-day efficiency of processes, which means as a payroll team you’re spending less time on administrative tasks and more time on building financial awareness, improving employee wellbeing and delivering a great employee experience.
How to use RPA for payroll As mentioned before, RPA is ideal for many payroll tasks, as they are repetitive and data-driven. Making sure staff are paid accurately and on-time demands accuracy, timeliness, and well-planned coordination. RPA has already been used to significant effect in many different payroll functions, with the following areas in particular seeing tangible benefits from more automated and rules- driven processing: new starters/leavers, attendance records, absence records, holiday records, deductions (pension, loans and taxes). Another area automation tools can significantly improve is the distribution of payroll documents. Let’s consider the communications – e.g. payslips, P60 certificates, and pay award letters – you send to employees. With a diverse workforce, your employee document distribution process may be fragmented, expensive and risks non-compliance with legal obligations. By automating production and distribution using RPA tools, these documents can be presented in print or digitally in a fraction of the time, releasing days of resource for you to focus on other priority projects. The role of payroll teams looks set to become more ‘human’ than ever before. You’ll be there to provide insight, to engage, motivate and inform co-workers, whilst technology like RPA will take care of the repetitive and administrative tasks that take up the majority of your workloads today. So as more payroll teams see the value of RPA, I think we’ll see a shift in the role payroll plays within an organisation, but also a change in attitudes towards payroll being a vital function that can offer strategic value. n If you’d like to read more on how RPA is transforming payroll, this article will help you: https://bit.ly/367poNR.
or foe, it’s undoubtedly shaping payroll, and you’ll increasingly use it for data entry and number-crunching, to release time for you to deliver higher-value tasks. There are many reasons why RPA should be used for business processes. It’s non-invasive technology which leads to considerable saving potentials. It can seamlessly integrate with existing business systems so that it can be developed and changed with ease. But what are the benefits for you? Payroll is known for paying people accurately and on-time, but on occasion even the most conscientious and driven employees can make mistakes. Using RPA, the right result, decision or calculation is made every time. Tasks, such as payslip distribution, that previously took your teams hours to complete can now take seconds or minutes to complete by RPA technology. So, you’ve got more time to focus on new projects, analyse employee data to provide insight into other areas of the business such as finance and HR – all without having to worry about completing the repetitive, administrative payroll tasks. Not only will automation technology help you become more productive and efficient, RPA is a low-cost, high-outcome solution. Available are SaaS (software as a service) solutions that seamlessly integrate with existing systems and can be made live in weeks, so there is no need for disruptive or lengthy change projects. This creates a strong case that will make it hard for senior stakeholders within your organisation to deny.
Why should payroll teams use RPA? Whether you view technology as a friend
...people are starting to understand the benefits and embrace technology that can enhance their role...
| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward | November 2020 | Issue 65 40
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