Efficient payroll is the backbone of any successful organization, no matter what the size. Nothing boosts an employee’s morale and loyalty to a company more than being paid on time. A loyal workforce helps companies to cut down hiring costs and focus on more important issues.
Companies have realized the vitality that effective payroll plays for them. It is mainly because of this reason that conventional, manual payroll systems are slowly declining these days.
Organizations face many problems with traditional payroll processing- traditional systems are redundant, time-consuming, and subject to data loss and human errors.
This has led to a breakthrough invention of automated, cloud-based payroll software. This software is preferred because,
- It saves valuable time.
- Data security is high.
- The possibility of errors is low.
- Reduced working hours
- High efficiency
- The availability of a huge customer support base
There are many payroll software providers in the market today, and choosing the right one for your organization can be puzzling, especially if you’re a first-time buyer. Many factors need to be considered while buying payroll software, such as ease of use, customer support, transparency, etc.
For those of you who are new to the grind, we got you covered.
Below is a list of questions you should ask your payroll software provider, and we promise you, these are the only questions you ever need to ask!
- How configurable is their software? This is an important question to consider. It is an unavoidable point to ponder how easy it is to set up their software and integrate it with an already existing system and employee data.
- Can the software cater to the specific needs of your business? Several software providers customize their products depending on the kind of business they’re catering to. For example, if you own a cab business, the payroll software must understand how you pay compensation to your drivers, hourly or based on mileage.
- Can employees retrieve their payroll information at any instant in time? Transparency is an essential aspect of any business deal. Ensure that you ask your software provider if your employees will have access to their information whenever they require and about the ease of retrieving data.
- How long have they been in the market? This is perhaps the most basic question that you, as a customer, should ask your software provider. Companies that are relatively new to the industry have studied the market and know what their clients require. This knowledge of the market enables them to create sturdy and powerful software to satisfy their client’s needs.
- What is the pricing structure? Ask the software provider what the fee structure for purchasing the software is. How much is to be paid upfront? How much is to be paid monthly, and if the software charges a fee per employee per month.
- Have they managed an organization similar in size to yours? Ask and check if the software provider has already worked with customers like you. Gather as much information as possible before taking a call.
- How will an increase in the number of employees affect the pricing? The size of an organization keeps changing dynamically. It is important that the payroll software keeps up with those changes. Ask your provider how much per employee fee they charge on top of the upfront fee so that you can manage your resources when new employees join.
- How are payroll taxes handled? It is the payroll software provider’s responsibility to stay updated with the taxation system and calculate the payroll accordingly. This is to keep your organization out of legal and financial trouble. So remember to ask this question before making a purchase.
- Is the software user friendly? The software should be such that even new users are able to make their way around without getting confused. Is it that way, or does it require specific training? Ask that question.
- Is a data-transfer facility available? Many businesses initially opt for cloud-based services because it’s economical, but later switch to on-site services so that the data stays with them whenever they require. Does this specific provider assure easy data transfer?
These are some of the relevant questions to be asked before you make a payroll software purchase for your organization. Feel free to ask many more questions, and you have the right to all kinds of information before making the final decision.