A Payroll Software Conversion for 600 Staff
A seamless payroll software conversion for Cater Plus
Highlights
- Automated syncing and timesheet imports saved hours of manual work.
- Reduced steps in payroll workflows.
- PayHero’s updates ensure legislative alignment.
Cater Plus is a privately owned and operated leader in food service, providing high-quality catering solutions across New Zealand, from Kaitaia to Invercargill. Founded in 2006 by Paul Hodge, they have built their reputation on a passion for food, excellence in service, and a commitment to people. Their tailored solutions cater to a wide range of sectors, including corporate cafes, private hospitals, education, aged care facilities, private events, and more.
At Cater Plus, they believe that great food creates great experiences. By consistently delivering fresh, high-quality meals, they enhance customer satisfaction and foster strong, long-lasting client relationships.
“Cater Plus are big enough to deliver, but small enough to care.”
With almost 600 staff on their payroll, it’s a function that keeps the finance team challenged and engaged. It’s a busy job that Payroll Administrator, Elmari enjoys very much. She has been with Cater Plus for just over a year and says it’s a great place to work.
When it was time to move from one payroll software to another, the team knew it needed to be done with care, precision and within timelines. The payroll software conversion service from Red Office was exactly the level of support and expertise the Cater Plus team needed to keep their business going, improve payroll processes and manage a large amount of employee data efficiently.
Project Background
Cater Plus had been using a desktop-based payroll system for many years, which was due to be retired in 2025. They wanted to transition to new payroll software well before the retirement date to allow them plenty of time to learn and implement a new system without being rushed or pushed to make decisions.
One challenge they wanted to specifically address was the arduous leave set up in the previous system. This was creating additional steps and more work on top of their existing workload as they had to manually go through sick and annual leave for that week for every employee to ensure it was correct. It was a time-consuming task that added to their already busy day.
Three team members in the finance team worked together and reached out to PayHero who then referred them to Red Office and conversations began.
The Challenge of moving to new software
A payroll software conversion of this size and scope was going to be a large project on all sides.
Accuracy and care were needed to ensure all historical data for each employee was able to be transferred to the new system, including all year-to-date totals and leave balances.
Cater Plus had a deadline in mind and needed the support of a third party such as Red Office, to help make their plan a reality.
The impending retirement of the software was an opportunity for Cater Plus to review their payroll requirements while looking ahead at future needs. Cloud-based software was the way to go and meant they could address any workflow challenges they were experiencing and look to reduce any additional steps in the current process.
The Red Office approach
Why Cater Plus Chose to Work With Red Office
Red Office was recommended to the Cater Plus team through FlexiTime (product owner of PayHero), specifically to ensure a smooth transition with the implementation.
Our experience with PayHero gave Cater Plus the confidence that we could support the transfer of data accurately and securely. The high recommendation from the developer further reinforced their decision to work with us.
The decision process...PayHero stands out
While Cater Plus was exploring options, they wanted to ensure the transition could happen smoothly and simultaneously. PayHero caught their attention because it offered both timesheet and payroll integration – something other solutions didn’t provide. This made PayHero the right fit for their needs, as it offered the seamless functionality they were looking for, including the use of Droppah for rostering and timesheeting.
A team of three in the Cater Plus finance team worked with Sarah for the full software implementation. They received a plan of attack following their scoping call and were able to see the steps involved, the information and points of action that each party needed to provide.
The plan included cleaning the data to ensure accuracy before transferring it to the new system. Then, Sarah and the team conducted multiple parallel runs before the official launch. She then trained the finance team, equipping them with the confidence to train others across NZ on Droppah.
The Results
With close to 600 staff on their payroll, Cater Plus needed a smart, cloud-based system that could handle the volume of their payroll, which is what they received with PayHero.
“We started the process in April/May and did our first run live in September, meeting our target deadline. All data from the old system was successfully transferred and the whole process was smooth”.
So, how are you finding the new software?
We’re generally finding the new payroll software to be user-friendly, especially for most of the core functions. It’s also great to see that the system is updated to stay in line with legislation, which has been a huge benefit for us.
That said, there are still areas where we see room for improvement. For example, the leave approval process doesn’t currently have the hierarchical structure we need. We’re hopeful that this can be addressed in future updates.
What improvements are you seeing?
With the new system, we’ve saved a significant amount of time, especially in importing timesheets into payroll. The automatic sync feature eliminates the need for manual data entry, streamlining the process. Additionally, the system has simplified PAYE payments. While there are still some steps in the process, many of the manual tasks we had before have been automated, making the entire payroll cycle faster and more efficient.
Are you looking to migrate to new payroll software?
Moving from one payroll software to another can be a huge task on your own.
We have a comprehensive process designed to make this run smoothly.
Book a scoping call with Sarah to discuss your initial requirements and learn how we can help make it easier to move from one payroll software to another, or contact our office for a free, no-obligation chat.
