Speed, efficiency, flexibility with improved manageability and options in the maintenance and execution of payroll systems are among the major benefits that SME businesses will derive from a new Web-browser payroll application software called PastelPayroll Online.
Developed by accounting and payroll software specialist Pastel Software in co-operation with parent company Softline, the new product is one of the first Web-based payroll packages to be marketed in SA.
"There are other packages available, but they do not have such advanced functionality," says Pastel Software managing director Terry Kier.
Due for release during the second quarter of 2002, the software package will be hosted on Pastel`s Internet servers and sold through Pastel`s extensive dealer network. Users who sign on in return for a monthly fee will have access to the application through their Web-browser and be able to conduct all of their payroll activities online.
"Payroll applications are ideally suited to an ASP or hosted server environment," says Kier. "The Internet is becoming a pervasive medium for conducting business more effectively in terms of costs, speed, overall efficiency and security. Hence our decision to use the Web to deliver products and services to customers and at the same time create new opportunities for our channel partners."
Kier points out that Pastel Payroll Online, as a Web hosted product, will always be kept completely up to date in terms of all-important SARS tax tables and tax or labour legislation changes simply by entering these changes into the program in the host server. Users don`t need to load software patches or updated versions anymore.
The major features of Pastel Payroll Online include multi-user access. This allows companies to allocate individual employees specific payroll tasks and it also caters for different branches to report their overtime details and other payroll variances while the entire payroll is still processed centrally. Branch managers can download all of their employees` pay slips, print them and hand them to employees on payday. It is a highly efficient system because all activity is conducted online and payroll information can be quickly updated and distributed to those who require it.
The online system also allows the company to offer a suite of employee self-services. "Employees with Internet access can log on, update their personal details such as address, bank account details, spouse and so on.
"They can also download for their own records their payslip history, current and historical IRP5 personal tax information, company policy documents and enter leave requests," says Kier.
Another strong feature of the program is the automatic payment and reconciliation of third-party payments such as pension fund and medical aid contributions and PAYE payments to SARS, the latter via a secure link to maintain confidentiality.
An "alerts" feature keeps track of events such as the rejection of a salary deposit by the receiving bank. Should this occur, an alert is automatically conveyed to the employee and payroll administrator. The reason for the rejection, such as an incorrectly entered branch code, is also conveyed so that the problem can be quickly rectified and payment remade.
Kier says the controlled, secure and highly stable environment within an ASP set-up is such that should an error occur during the company`s payroll run, a support consultant can be notified immediately by e-mail and a solution quickly implemented.
"For SME companies the Pastel Payroll Online option is a very cost-effective solution. It is always available to management and employees whether it be from an office or home PC, an Internet Caf'e or a laptop in a hotel room on another continent. The monthly billing is based on the number of employees within the company so there are no hidden costs."
Two other versions of Pastel Payroll are due to be introduced to the market in the last quarter of this year and the first quarter of 2003. They are Pastel Payroll Professional for companies that wish to host the software application on their own servers and Intranet and Pastel Payroll Xpress, designed for a desktop application and bundled with Pastel`s accounting programs.
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Pastel Software is SA`s largest accounting and payroll software developer. A company in the JSE-listed Softline group, Pastel has for more than a decade exported products to Africa, Europe, the US, Australia and Asia. Accounting software programs from Pastel are used by more than 150 000 companies operating in 40 countries.
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