Payroll Manager Archives

Tag Archive for: Payroll Manager

Improving Payroll Compliance and Efficiency in ECE

Less Time on Payroll, More Time for What Matters

Highlights

4-5 hours saved each month
Compliance worries removed with new software and processes
A shift has been made to allow the centre owner to move toward a fully remote review process

A Fresh Start with Big Responsibilities

When Jonathan took ownership of a childcare centre in New Plymouth in 2022, he left behind a career in finance to follow a long-held passion for early education.

But the centre he took over needed a fresh start — systems, processes, and payroll all had to be rebuilt. While his finance background helped in many areas of the business, managing payroll was an area of constant concern.

With a mix of permanent and casual staff, staying compliant and processing payroll accurately was becoming both stressful and time-consuming.

“I was constantly concerned about whether payroll was correct. Every second Friday became payroll day — it took up too much of my time.”

Balancing Cost, Support, and Compliance

Keen to free up his time and reduce the risk of non-compliance, Jonathan began researching payroll outsourcing options. Cost mattered — but so did the level of service.

“I sent out a bunch of enquiry emails. Most providers wanted to interview me for an hour before giving any idea of price. Red Office was different — I got helpful information upfront, no pressure, and they actually listened.”

A conversation with Louise at Red Office led to a scoping session with Sarah, the Head of Payroll. From there, a tailored plan came together quickly — without the paperwork overload.

“The ease of which the initial enquiry was responded to & no pressure to move forward or carry out an online interview. Other potential providers would not give me an idea of cost until they had taken an hour of my time to discuss my affairs which I wasn’t willing to do.”

The Turning Point: Software That Works

Initially, Jonathan had set up payroll software based on external advice, but it didn’t suit the unique needs of his team. He wasn’t confident it was doing everything correctly, and the manual work involved was time consuming.

Red Office migrated Tiny Smiles to PayHero, which better supported flexible rosters and casual staff — while ensuring full compliance with employment law.

“Red Office took the burden of our payroll processing away. They handled the software migration, most of the setup, and gave us peace of mind that our team is being paid correctly and on time — which is all I ask for.”

Time Saved, Confidence Gained

Today, Jonathan spends just 30 minutes on a Monday reviewing payroll — and he can do it from anywhere.

“Using Red Office has freed up a huge chunk of time. I now only spend half an hour on payroll on a Monday morning — it’s a massive shift from before.”

With a team of 11 on a fortnightly pay cycle, that’s 4-5 hours saved every month — time he can now dedicate to other areas of the business.

“I have access to a knowledgeable team, great communicators, and the reassurance that everything’s being handled properly.”

What Would Jonathan Say to Others?

“If you’re trying to run a business and constantly worrying about payroll or compliance — don’t. Talk to Red Office. They’ve made a massive difference.”

Is payroll compliance keeping you up at night?

Alleviate your payroll anxiety. Book a discovery call with our Head of Payroll today.

Back to Case Studies

May 12, 2025

Rostering and Payroll Success for Cobb Vantress

Case Studies

Rostering and Payroll Success:

How collaboration led to stronger systems and improved accuracy

Highlights

With Droppah only 1/3 integrated Cobb are seeing approx 4hours of time saved per week.
Approx. $400 save per pay cycle, plus savings with new software.

A snapshot of Cobb Vantress

Cobb Vantress is a global leader in poultry innovation, originally established in the USA. Their New Zealand operation opened in 2019, bringing a focus on cutting-edge technology, animal health, and genetics to the local industry.

Cobb Vantress NZ has been working with Red Office since 2023.
Payroll was previously managed in-house by the HR team – a time-consuming and resource-heavy task.
The team was juggling two different pay cycles (fortnightly and monthly) for just under 100 staff.
Their existing payroll software was no longer meeting their needs – causing inefficiencies and frustration.

Red Office stepped in with a smarter payroll solution – implementing new software and systems that saved both time and money.

A Collaborative Shift to Smarter Systems

Cobb Vantress’s HR department is a busy team, responsible for a diverse group of employees With many moving parts, managing payroll in-house was becoming increasingly demanding.

The HR team continued to manage the fortnightly pay cycle internally, while Red Office took over responsibility for the monthly pay cycle.
Their existing payroll software was no longer fit for purpose – it lacked efficiency, functionality, and was adding unnecessary cost to the business.
Fortnightly staff were required to clock in and out, and the rostering system in use was becoming expensive – especially when used alongside the incompatible payroll software.
Manual processes and paper trails were the norm – not because they were ideal, but because they were all the current systems could support.

When Red Office began working with Cobb, our Payroll Specialist, Sarah built a strong working relationship with the then-HR Manager. After about a year, a new HR Manager joined the team and continued the collaboration.

To address the software and system inefficiencies, Sarah recommended a shift to:

PayHero for payroll processing, and
Droppah for rostering.

This combination has already delivered noticeable cost savings compared to the previous setup – while also improving accuracy, visibility, and ease of use.

The Challenges for HR

Before partnering with Red Office, payroll processing was one of Cobb’s biggest challenges due to the payroll software not being fit for purpose. Their existing software was a major roadblock that created inefficiencies across the business.

Time was tight, and the HR team was stretched.
Key payroll data had to be manually transferred between systems – creating more room for error and delays.
Leave requests, timesheets, and reimbursements were paper-based and cumbersome.
We often received scans of multiple handwritten documents for approval – which made it difficult to interpret when handwriting was unclear.
Although the former HR Manager signed everything off, the manual format created confusion and added to the workload.

When Sam came on board as the new HR Manager, she was ready to modernise the process:

She embraced the move to digital and was keen to eliminate the reliance on paper.
Sam introduced an audit book – a monthly summary of tasks, approvals, and key information – making the workflow more transparent and structured.
She also kicked off the Droppah conversion process, working closely with Red Office to ensure a smooth transition.

While PayHero is already fully implemented and running smoothly, the Droppah rollout is being done in stages:

We’ve completed successful testing with one department of our business – the Hatchery, and supported Hatchery Managers to ensure they fully understand the system
This phased approach gives the team time to build confidence and ensure the system works effectively before rolling it out to all staff.

Previously, rostering was undertaken on an Excel spreadsheet. With Droppah and PayHero in place, significant time savings are already emerging – not only for Cobb’s internal team but also for Red Office.

Collaboration - the key to success

Collaboration has been key to the success of this partnership. From the beginning, Cobb – and especially their HR Manager Sam – have been proactive, open to change, and focused on creating a more efficient payroll process.

Together, we found a rhythm that works for both teams.

Sam quickly identified ways to streamline communication and improve how payroll information was shared with us each month.
We worked closely to reduce manual processes, including phasing out spreadsheets and paperwork in favour of integrated, cloud-based systems.
The introduction of PayHero and the ongoing staged rollout of Droppah have already delivered noticeable efficiencies.
Time data is now pushed directly from the rostering system into the payroll system – no more double handling or need for manual entry
By testing Droppah with the leadership team first, we ensured the setup was correct and any issues could be resolved early, without disrupting wider operations.
This thoughtful rollout has helped build confidence in the new systems and ensures long-term success.

Jules, a key team member at Cobb, previously exported data manually from their old system into PayHero. Now, with Droppah in place, approved time entries flow straight into PayHero automatically – saving time and improving accuracy.

We’re proud of the strong working relationship we’ve built with Cobb, and it’s clear the feeling is mutual:

“If you are looking for professional but friendly payroll support, definitely reach out to Red Office. They are always happy to help, and always get our payroll processed on time and accurately. It is nice having that peace of mind that we are meeting our legal obligations. They have really built a great working relationship with us, and feel like an extension of our team!”

Sam Irvine

HR Manager, Cobb Vantress NZ

Results and Improvements

Since partnering with Red Office, Cobb Vantress has seen clear improvements across their payroll and rostering functions. By combining the right tools with strong collaboration, the results speak for themselves:

Reduced manual workload

Key payroll data now flows automatically from rostering (Droppah) to payroll (PayHero), eliminating double handling and time-consuming data entry.

Significant time savings

Both the HR team and Red Office have saved valuable time through streamlined processes, better systems, and fewer errors.

Improved accuracy and compliance

Payroll is now consistently processed on time and with greater accuracy, giving the Cobb team confidence that their legal obligations are being met.

Cost savings

Moving away from their old software and rostering systems has already resulted in measurable cost savings.

Stronger systems and visibility

With the introduction of an audit book and digital processes, the monthly payroll workflow is now clear, structured, and transparent.

Phased rollout success

By testing Droppah with the leadership team first, the rollout has been smooth and controlled – ensuring confidence in the system and allowing early resolution of any issues.

A true partnership

Red Office has become a trusted extension of the Cobb team, providing professional, friendly support that’s both responsive and reliable.

"..Being able to contact the team with any little payroll questions - just that reassurance that we were doing things the right way has been really helpful.”

Sam Irvine

HR Manager, Cobb Vantress NZ

Ready to simplify your payroll?

If your business is spending too much time on manual payroll tasks or struggling with outdated systems, we can help.

At Red Office, we take the time to understand how your business operates – and tailor a solution that works for you. Whether you’re looking to save time, reduce errors, improve compliance, or just want payroll to run more smoothly, we’re here to support you every step of the way.

Let’s talk about how we can become an extension of your team – just like we have with Cobb.

Back to Case Studies

April 29, 2025

Outsourced Payroll Management for 450 staff

Case Studies

Services utilised: Payroll

Who they are

National food retail business
450 staff
75 stores nationwide
This nationwide restaurant group focuses on providing healthy choice meals and drinks
They moved their payroll from an internal, sole charge position to a fully outsourced model at Red Office, with 4 payroll professionals.

The Background & Challenge

Historically, this business had always employed someone for their payroll processing. This was a sole-charge, full-time role reporting to the CFO.

With payroll being a weekly task the relentless schedule for this as a sole charge role, meant staff turnover every 12 months.

This created workflow planning challenges, continuous cost of recruitment & training, and ongoing risk for the business in staff absence.

At the last staff resignation, this business instigated a full payroll review via an external payroll consulting company.

When the review was completed, they decided to explore outsourcing options. They learned about Red Office through a recommendation from their Payroll Software Provider.

The Solution

It was important this business got a full-service relationship, 5 days per week, to provide accurate, timely payroll information that their leadership team could rely on.

Our team proposed a custom solution that would meet all their requirements and mitigate their risk.

Sarah, Head of Payroll Services at Red Office, put together a senior team to complete an online handover with the consulting team.

She ensured her team was all trained to run the payroll, review the payroll, and manage the inbox queries.

Results & Benefits

With a payroll team in place, the risk relating to staff absence from a sole charge role was instantly mitigated.
They returned to full management of the payroll inbox Monday to Friday vs. Monday to Wednesday. This has meant staff and managers receive daily feedback on their pay enquiries.
There is confidence that any queries raised by managers are reviewed and answered using a collaborative team-based view vs. a sole charge opinion.
Our four-person team has reduced the amount of time that the CFO spends overseeing payroll.
Across 450-500 pays, staff queries have reduced considerably to just a handful per week.
In addition, we have removed all recruitment, training, certification, and management costs for this business with a fully managed service in place.

The most significant benefit to me was moving from payroll processing to a payroll partner.
If you are considering a move to an outsourced payroll provider, I would highly recommend a scoping session with Louise and Sarah.