Payroll is essential business software, which makes it all the more important that the software companies get it right. Payroll systems are often the first software a new business purchases, the most often used piece of software, and one of the most complicated.

The payroll process requires minute calculations from time cards and careful attention to the state, local, and federal laws. Businesses hoping to reduce the manual labor associated with payroll have driven growth in automated features, meaning that the more advanced payroll systems not only save businesses time every pay period but decrease the chances of expensive payroll law violations.

The increased automation in payroll system software has driven a change within the human resources overall. HR professionals and accountants no longer spend half their working hours on payroll tasks. They can now pivot toward financial and people tasks that will make a difference in the financial future of the company, like leadership training, investments, or building company culture.

Over the past decade, cloud technology has transformed the payroll software space. Companies and individuals no longer spend time on the most time-consuming payroll tasks like time cards, printing checks, or combing through time cards for individual changes over the time period. Instead, payroll professionals ensure that direct deposits send correctly, watch for exception and edge cases, and manage automated processes.