Off-the-shelf payroll software is designed to meet the needs of standard company types and industries. This means whether you’re a recruitment agency or an in-house payroll team, there will be a solution that meets legislation and structure requirements.
However, businesses with unique processes often struggle to operate payroll seamlessly, requiring multiple integrations and unnecessary workarounds. This is where bespoke payroll software can really help to streamline operations and maximise productivity.
Will I benefit from bespoke payroll software?
Most businesses don’t require bespoke software built from scratch. However, if you answer yes to the following three questions, it’s worth considering the possibility.
- Does your current provider offer ‘workarounds’ for your processes that impact your user experience?
- Do you find yourself having to take time-consuming steps to complete payroll?
- Is your company’s structure / industry niche?
With bespoke payroll software, you can eliminate any frustrating workarounds with a system that aligns with your business. It also means you can cut down your tech stack and keep everything in one system, eliminating the number of contracts you’re tied to.
A potential shortfall of bespoke payroll software is that you’ll need to choose a trusted provider that will be able to continue supporting your changing needs. At Codapay, our HMRC-approved software is continually evolving with automatic, free updates.
Weighing up the costs
With a bespoke solution, development and setup costs will typically be much higher than that of an off-the-shelf solution due to the design and development required to meet your exact requirements.
It’s important not to be discouraged in your decision making by the initial costs. Take note of the following factors when making your decision:
- Upfront costs – can your business absorb the initial development charges? Or, can it afford not to? There may be other money-saving opportunities as a result, for example; less operational hours required from team members if efficiency is improved.
- Recurring costs – has the software provider outlined the monthly recurring costs for licensing, support or additional feature enhancements? It’s essential to consider how these stack up to your current costs and whether the efficiencies outweigh the costs.
- How is the solution being delivered to you? Is it an on-premise project, meaning you are responsible for the infrastructure it’s sitting on? As this could be a costly option, the other route is a bespoke cloud-based system. Cloud software benefits from increased flexibility and accessibility and reduced ongoing maintenance.
What about amending an existing solution?
Depending on your provider, you may be able to request bespoke amendments to your payroll software. If you have a common business type and a solution that works relatively well but has elements that could be optimised, custom development may be a worthwhile undertaking.
If your provider doesn’t offer custom development, let them know about your recommendations for improvement and they may consider working them into future updates if they prove beneficial for other clients.
Tell me more about Codapay
At Codapay, we have the resource to provide bespoke payroll software for any company type. Our knowledgeable team will guide you through the options and create a functional specification to outline the technical requirements. Then, our UK-based development team will get to work on bringing it into reality.
What’s more, we’re a compliant provider with plenty of partnerships to prove it, from APSCo to Professional Passport. Our core focus points are time-saving technology and great customer service, which is why our clients love us.
If you’d like to find out more, visit our bespoke payroll software page and get in touch providing information on your requirements.
