How PEER reduced
its payroll headcount
by 50% by partnering
with Astute by Deel
Results at a glance:
Automation of timesheet interpretation using the Rules Engine
Host employers can authorise timesheets quickly and effectively
Payroll headcount reduced from three full-time roles to two part-time roles
Reducing risk by introducing automatic calculations rather than manual ones
Meet the company
PEER is a non-for-profit organisation based in South Australia that offers training and apprenticeship placements to thousands of workers in the construction, mining and manufacturing sectors.
As a relatively large organisation that manages multiple stakeholders – students, apprentices, employees and host employers – administrative duties used to be quite cumbersome.
It needed a solution to help maintain compliance and offer a better experience to its clients (the host employers) and apprentices.
From fax to functional
PEER's old payroll process was ripe for human error, as it required a range of cumbersome manual updates.
"We were using carbonated books and fax machines for timesheets, and there was no online timesheeting capability, so we had to manually enter all the data into the system," says Michael Watters, PEER's General Manager for Corporate Services.
"When we had a new starter, we were collecting paper tax declarations and paper superannuation forms. So someone had to set all that up.
"When you're doing that for 470 apprentices, there's a lot of manual effort involved. These sort of administrative processes just weren't working for us and there was a duplication of effort," he says.
It also led to issues around managing customer relationships, as the inevitable human error that crept into PEER's manual processes would sometimes lead to host employers questioning the information they were receiving, such as timesheet data.
Then PEER partnered with Astute Payroll by Deel and a world of efficiency and compliance opened up.
"One thing Astute has given us, with online timesheets, is the ability for the host employer to approve timesheets, which means we're circumventing any dispute issues with our customers by having them sign off and agree to the timesheet.
"Then an invoice is automatically approved. That gave us better customer-focussed outcomes," says Watters.
"One thing Astute has given us, with online timesheets, is the ability for the host employer to approve timesheets, which means we're circumventing any dispute issues with our customers by having them sign off and agree to the timesheet.
Michael Watters,
General Manager for Corporate Services, PEER
Integration is key
PEER's old payroll system was siloed from the rest of the business operations.
"When we were making employment decisions, that information wasn't flowing through to our payroll system."
A feature of Astute Payroll by Deel that really stood out to them was the ability to integrate with other systems.
"The API [application programming interface] was a key driver for us. We're now able to integrate with some of the other digital HR software that we use. We get 200-300 job applicants a month and we can connect other software to streamline that screening and onboarding process.
"Then when we flag someone in that software as being a successful candidate, their information is automatically sent down to Astute which then sends them a notification to welcome them," says Watters.
The new hire can then fill in all their important information, such as superannuation forms, online. This makes for a much smoother onboarding process.
"And as their work anniversary comes up, we get an automatic response through the API that shifts them from first-year pay rates to second-year pay rates. Before we used to have to keep a calendar record of everyone and tick them off and manually change it in the payroll system."
What were the
results?
PEER's payroll team has been able to make a fundamental shift from data entry to quality assurance
Partnering with Astute Payroll by Deel has driven efficiency and accuracy to the point where they were able to reduce their payroll headcount by 50%, and can now focus on quality payroll rather than manually keying data.
Since introducing Astute Payroll by Deel, PEER has been able to reduce headcount from three full-time payroll employees to two part-time roles.
"The work they do now is more around quality assurance rather than data entry," says Watters.
"Before it was about keying all the information in, but now payroll can look into things like, 'Are workers claiming their right allowances? Were they at trade school? Have they got their certificates right?' It becomes a better experience than just making sure someone gets paid at the end of the day."
From a compliance perspective, he was also impressed with the quality and outcomes of the award interpretation functionality, such as having the appropriate allowances and pay rates available to the right people.
"It was a real win for increased accuracy."
Watters was impressed by the ability to have everything connected in one system.
"You're about to link your payroll directly through to your invoicing process and you're automating the interpretation of timesheets through your rule groups. This takes manual decision-making out of the process.
"That's one of the biggest wins for us."
Have you got a similar challenge
that needs addressing?
Book a free demo today to learn how Astute Payroll can help.