The continued growth of web (intranet / internet) enabled Payroll software and systems, including:

• Employee Self Service (ESS) within Payroll software eg to view personal data, pay history, benefit details, amend bank account details
• Access to selected pay information via employee portals, PC’s, kiosks
• Digital pay slips / pay stubs
• Web interfaces eg from time and attendance, absence planning and reporting
• Workflow functionality eg automated time sheet submission and leave requests
• Online connectivity enabling organisations to outsource part of their payroll systems and still access their required information
• Improving reporting, analytics and business intelligence eg the ability to slice and dice labour costs, analyse project labour costs real-time
• Online tax reporting and filing

Non-web payroll software trends - continued growth of:

• Regulatory compliance
• Integration of Payroll software and Human Resource software
• Integration with Time and Attendance (time recording and tracking of employee hours)
• Integration with ERP systems, tax reporting systems
• Payroll software capable of handing ‘international pay’ eg paying staff in UK, USA, Australia
• Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) / BACS / direct deposit into employee bank accounts (and reduction of cheque / cash payments)
• Payroll debit cards for employees without bank accounts
• Emphasis on improving payroll efficiency / reducing costs such as by consolidating payroll processing, minimising pay cycles eg weekly to monthly, increasing usage of electronic payments

Payroll market trends - continued growth of:

• Outsourcing Payroll software and functions to bureau or outsourcing providers
• Organisations looking at Payroll outsourcing, but who ultimately do not proceed due to a variety of reasons, such as wishing to maintain confidentiality or use employee / payroll information within HR functions
• Migration by organisations to web based Payroll software
• HR and Payroll software market consolidation

Payroll benchmark:

• Payroll being run with one payroll person per 800 employees paid

For an impartial guide to the ‘key criteria of good Payroll software’ visit: Payroll Software Criteria

Or, for other software trends, click: Accounting software trends / CRM software trends / HR software trends