AST Business Services makes SAP HR, payroll an attractive outsource option

AST Business Services has launched an innovative HR and payroll outsource service based on the world-leading SAP software. AST has been an accredited SAP Application Service Provider (ASP) partner for HR and Payroll since February 2001, with the first clients going live in September 2001.

"Part of AST Business Services` strategy is to assist clients in reaping benefits of sophisticated applications and practices without making large IT investments," explains Dawie Verryne, MD of AST Remuneration Services, a focused business unit within AST Business Services. "The SAP ASP option reduces the total cost of ownership of the SAP application suite through pre-configured templates, centralised SAP support centre and consumption-based hosting and software licence arrangements."

Clients increasingly focus on core business, and have limited time and resources available to devote to large-scale implementation projects. Verryne adds that a current SAP Payroll implementation project has been achieved in only six weeks - a first for the industry.

Full and partial Payroll and HR outsourcing services is offered with the SAP ASP option varying from full business process outsourcing, where AST assumes ownership for the total business processes to IT hosting, licensing and application maintenance outsourcing. The outsource models can be adapted according to each organisation`s needs and integrated with current business processes and systems.

As part of the larger AST Group, AST Business Services has access to AST ERP Solutions, currently the largest certified SAP resource pool in Southern Africa and AST Enterprise Hosting, with its demonstrable track record on off-site IT infrastructure hosting and management. This one-stop-service from a single partner makes AST`s full payroll and HR business process outsource options unrivalled in the market.