Owing to the complexity of the work and the likelihood of making mistakes, until recently, payroll wasn’t considered a profitable service for firms. However, things have taken a turn for the good in the last few years. The cloud-based payroll software was the leading cause behind this revolutionary change in the payroll sector.
Over the past few years, the HR and payroll software industry witnessed a whopping growth globally. Be it large businesses or small ones, all sorts of companies are gradually shifting from legacy payroll systems to cloud-based payroll software to increase efficiency and cut down costs.
What is Cloud-Based Payroll Software?
A cloud-based payroll management system allows employers to access, operate, and control all aspects of payroll remotely. This means that even when working from home, the payroll department can onboard employees, ensure compliance, and handle exit processes using a computer connected to the internet.
The cloud-based payroll software provides employees with access to information from any location while maintaining the security of sensitive data through stringent security protocols that prevent data breaches or unauthorized access. Such a system offers valuable support to employers still working remotely while ensuring the safe and secure management of payroll transactions and data.
Advantages of Cloud-Based Payroll Software
Now that we know what is cloud-based payroll software, it is time to move on to the next step- how can using this software help a company? Well, there are many advantages, but ultimately all of them come down to one major perk- automation. Have a look at some of the top key advantages of using cloud-based payroll software for businesses.
1. Real-time data
Cloud-based payroll software provides real-time access to consolidated payroll metrics, insights, and information without requiring separate business intelligence systems or data warehouses. This software allows users to easily view consolidated payroll expenses and overall tax liabilities in just one click, eliminating the need for manual data collection and analysis.
This streamlined approach to payroll management saves time and reduces the potential for errors, making it a valuable tool for businesses of all sizes.
2. Automated and Simplified Employee Onboarding
Employee onboarding is one of the most critical yet time-consuming processes for any organization. However, with cloud-based payroll software firms can breathe a sigh of relief. This software serves as a great employee onboarding tool.
Thanks to it, new joiners can upload all the required documents like employee contracts, Aadhar, degrees, bank account details, and more in just a few clicks. Moreover, even the HR team can automate common checklists and necessary processes from the software. All of this makes the process quicker and more efficient.
3. Integration of business process
Any organization’s HR, payroll, and finance teams must work together to ensure a smooth and error-free payroll process every month. The employee’s personal information, tax details, attendance, leave data, bonuses, and other related information must be seamlessly integrated into the payroll system.
Previously, different business departments worked in isolation to gather and merge this information, but cloud-based payroll software has made integrating complex business processes much more manageable.
Single sign-on functionality allows staff to switch between multiple systems without remembering numerous passwords, while secure access controls facilitate cross-department collaboration without sacrificing security or usability. In addition, cloud based payroll software has made real-time information flow between departments effortless.
4. Centralised Employee Records and Data
The HR department of a company handles a huge volume of employee data, from their onboarding, attendance, and compensation to salary revision and investment declarations.
Sometimes managing all this information gets challenging for the HR team. However, with cloud-based HR and payroll software, employee records are centralized. In other words, the cloud-based payroll software enables the payroll department to handle all the employee data and information from one centralized data source.
5. Centralized employee data
Cloud payroll software provides a centralized data source for tracking and managing all employee lifecycle events, including onboarding, benefits, salary revisions, leaves, and investment declarations.
It also allows for managing all employee communications from one location, ensuring that all necessary information is recorded and up-to-date. By streamlining the payroll process, cloud payroll software ensures accuracy and compliance, making it an invaluable tool for businesses.
6. Automated Compliance
Cloud-based payroll software offers the advantage of adaptability to changes in compliance regulations. Unlike legacy software, the cloud-based payroll system enables businesses to handle regulatory changes more efficiently. In India, compliance regulations are subject to frequent updates, such as new budget announcements and revised deduction percentages.
These changes can now be implemented more rapidly. A single update to the central server ensures that the business remains compliant with all statutory compliance laws. This streamlines the compliance process, saving businesses time and effort and ensuring they remain up-to-date with regulatory requirements.
Conclusion
Cloud-based payroll systems offer several benefits over traditional methods such as spreadsheets or on-premises payroll software. With the automation provided by cloud-based payroll software, organizations can transform themselves.
By reducing workload, cloud-based HR and payroll software frees up employees’ time to focus on high-level advisory work. This results in more accurate, efficient, and error-free work. Overall, cloud-based HR and payroll software can be a significant game-changer for businesses of all sizes and types.
