Business silos have their purpose, but they are not effective. Connect the dots, and the results pay handsomely. This wisdom can revolutionise payroll operations and employee relationships. What should companies know about integrating payroll (or other operations)?

The case for integration

In Charles Duhigg’s award-winning book Habits, he tells the story of Tony Dungy, the first African-American head coach to win the Superbowl, the peak of competitive American Football. Dungy’s success hinged on a central principle: keep practising the team until their plays became reactions. The team that doesn’t have to think to respond is quicker than the one that does. The more integrated the team is, the better it performs.

Sports teams are a fitting comparison for organisations. They rely on their players’ individual skills and talents, yet those players don’t succeed if everyone is isolated and there are significant delays between them. Businesses call these ‘silos’. Silos are not bad. Like a talented player, a silo creates a safe space for people and processes to flourish. But if they are too isolated, they quickly lose their effectiveness.

The answer is integration, says Warren van Wyk, Director at PaySpace, “Silos are important but have their limits. It’s tempting to try and remove those silos, but that is often the wrong approach. It’s much more effective to integrate silos by connecting them through special channels. The concept works well in business, and it works incredibly well in modern technology.”

Today’s digital systems thrive through integration, often called the ‘API economy’. An API (application programming interface) is software that translates instructions between two systems. For example, rather than multiple applications having copies of a database, they can all draw information from a central database via its API, cutting down on duplication and confusion.

Integration forms the modern digital economy’s backbone, along with the cloud and broadband internet. When businesses integrate their primary systems, they produce substantial benefits.

Payroll that works for everyone

Payroll systems offer a practical example of this dynamic. Payroll is typically isolated. Though it might share some connections with other business systems, such as HR and finance, the information is often added manually and usually by a handful of people who crunch payroll runs at monthly intervals.

This is labour-intensive, prone to errors, opens opportunities for fraud, and stops payroll from becoming a living part of the organisation. Yet payroll is crucial to every company. Miss a salary run or miscalculate remuneration, and you quickly have angry employees. Isolated payrolls also drag down the speed of leave applications and are often marginalised in financial discussions.

“An isolated payroll system is not a benefit,” says van Wyk. “Even if it works, I can guarantee it is still inefficient and lacks visibility. Many CFOs and other finance professionals have a very hands-off relationship with payroll, which doesn’t make sense as it’s often their biggest and most complicated expenditure. But the reason they end up there is because it’s easy for payroll to fall into a silo rut.”

Getting payroll integration right

Integration overcomes the silos and marginalised operations in a business. It can be a complicated journey but with great benefits. Smooth the transition with these tips:

Look for an HR, finance or ERP platform that offers payroll integration options. Outdated and legacy software struggles with integration, while new-generation cloud-native platforms are natural. These platforms can partner with other modern software, such as cloud-native and multi-tenant payroll platforms with native API capabilities.

Embrace APIs. Some providers work around integration shortcomings by using flat files or other tricks. However, an API approach is the only truly effective and long-term way to invest in integration for payroll or any other business area.

Involve the system’s users. The departments and people who use those systems are crucial to helping plan and design the relevant processes and data. Manage integration through collaboration, not dictation.

Take stock of in-house skills. Larger enterprises with substantial IT skills may have some of what they need for integration projects. Using these skills will help reduce project costs and improve delivery times. But integration is specialised—don’t make the mistake of thinking in-house technologies can do it all. They will need complementing partner skills and experience.

Explore Integration Platform as a Service (iPaas) Tools. These toolsets enable you to rapidly build powerful applications, data and API integrations from a single interface in minutes using a low code integration platform. This could result in substantial savings if you have the in-house technical skills that are not necessarily specialised back-end sleepers.

Vet your integration partner. An integration partner brings experience and skills to the table. They should be able to demonstrate their project history and provide reference sites. Select partners that do their homework, especially towards understanding the specific systems you want to integrate.

Go cloud-native. Genuine cloud-native systems support integration, digital workflow design, and business process management. The best sign of a cloud-native system is a single-instance, multi-tenant platform, meaning one cloud software serves multiple customers. This model powers SalesForce, Slack, Microsoft 365, and other cloud-era giants. Cloud-native software is more affordable, faster to integrate, and future-proof.

Not sure where to start? Contact specialists such as PaySpace to discuss your payroll integration options, and start making this crucial business silo a team player in your enterprise.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of PaySpace.

For media queries please contact Jacqueline Mayer at jacqueline@innocomm.co.za.

About PaySpace (www.PaySpace.com):
Cloud-native from inception, the PaySpace proprietary technology was developed to operate in a highly secure and operationally efficient manner. It was specifically designed to provide multi-country payroll and HR functionality with built-in compliance for organizations of all sizes and industry sectors. It provides a single truth for payroll and HR data – and the tools to make strategic decisions at every level. PaySpace has expanded into 40+ African countries as well as the Middle East, with an imminent launch in the United Kingdom (UK) and Brazil. It is scalable, configurable, highly secure, and easy-to-use allowing anytime, anywhere access to empower payroll and HR teams, driving organizational development.

Avsos, a leading innovator in technology solutions for the aviation industry, proudly participated as an exhibitor at the recently concluded Gitex 2024 Africa (https://GITEXAfrica.com) in Marrakesh. This prestigious event provided a vital platform for Avsos to showcase its suite of advanced operational solutions, including its inflight retail product, Avira Connect, TMAN, Crew Mate, Crew Guru, and the latest addition, Aviro Pair, engaging with global technology leaders.

Avsos introduced its flagship inflight retail product, designed to streamline buy-on-board processes through a powerful AI engine that optimizes load management and reduces wastage. It features comprehensive functionalities like warehouse management, order management, order planning, commission calculation for crew, and revenue reporting, supported by Android-based mobile POS devices.

The company also showcased Avira Connect, its innovative iPaas solution tailored for airline companies, which features a unique integration layer compatible with various technologies and a built-in AI module that predicts operational disruptions.

Adding to its impressive portfolio, Avsos presented TMAN, a specialized tool for optimizing and managing airline turnaround processes. TMAN includes a built-in collaboration module that enhances communication among all parties involved in the turnaround process, improving efficiency and reducing delays.

Furthermore, Avsos launched Crew Mate, a super app designed specifically for flight crews, and Crew Guru, a comprehensive management platform for Crew Management departments, managing all essential tasks for crews, including performance evaluations and payment information.

Newly introduced at Gitex was Aviro Pair, a cloud-based solution for crew pairing that leverages powerful optimization algorithms to minimize the total cost of crew operations. This system handles pair generation from flight data efficiently, ensuring optimal scheduling and cost-efficiency.

“Our participation at Gitex 2024 Africa was an exhilarating opportunity to not only introduce Avsos and our innovative solutions to a broader audience but also to connect with other industry leaders and experts,” said Salih Enver Yurter, CTO of Avsos. “Our products are in use by some of the biggest carriers, demonstrating their effectiveness and reliability in enhancing operational efficiencies and customer service across the airline industry.”

Avsos’s exhibition booth attracted numerous visitors, including potential clients, investors, and technology enthusiasts, eager to learn about the company’s latest innovations and explore ways to incorporate these advancements into their operations.

For more information about Avsos and its comprehensive range of products, please visit https://www.Avsos.ai/

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of GITEX Africa.

Contact:
Ahmet Herekoğlu, CEO

The African Energy Chamber (AEC) – the voice of the African energy sector – will host a reception in London on 11 July 2024. Serving as a prelude to the African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energy conference – taking place later this year in Cape Town -, the reception will connect foreign investors with African project opportunities. In line with the AEW: Invest in African Energy (www.AECWeek.com) mandate to make energy poverty history by 2030, the reception aims to kickstart discussions and deals that will be continued in Cape Town from November 4-8. 

Taking place at the Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane from 17:00 to 21:00, the London reception will support European investment opportunities across Africa, allowing participants to explore new avenues in energy project financing across the continent’s mature and emerging markets. During the reception, investors and energy leaders will be given a platform to support energy initiatives that drive economic growth and human development across Africa. 

The reception will showcase Africa’s enormous potential, with sub-Saharan Africa alone boasting over 140 billion barrels of oil equivalent, ready for development. Of this staggering figure, only one-third is developed, thus offering immense opportunities for companies to participate in the continent’s oil and gas drive. According to independent energy research and business intelligent company Rystad Energy, Africa’s greenfield upstream spending is expected to boom during the coming decade, reaching $37 billion by 2025 and $50 billion by 2030. As such, participants at the London reception can expect insights and update into the sector, networking opportunities, presentations and discussions as well as deal flows and access to investment opportunities. 

The reception aims to foster a dynamic business environment between international firms and investors navigating Africa’s vibrant energy landscape. Dedicated to cultivating a robust oil and natural gas market across the continent, the reception also offers a platform for domestic trade and investment while streamlining market barriers for new entrants eager to collaborate with well-established businesses and companies active in the African energy industry.  

Access to affordable and reliable energy is paramount for development, underscoring the urgent need to balance energy development while navigating the complexities of the global energy landscape. Against a backdrop of Africa’s concerted efforts to alleviate energy poverty, which affects over 600 million people lacking reliable and affordable electricity and nearly 900 million lacking access to clean cooking solutions, the reception presents invaluable opportunities that include gas-to-power projects, frontier oil exploration, infrastructure developments and more.  

Advancing a bold agenda for the African energy sector, the AEC strives to unite governments and credible businesses to spur growth under international business practices and position Africa to capitalize on energy investment through strategic partnerships and trade. The reception will serve as the premier platform for international dignitaries, executives and companies to participate and operate in Africa’s energy sector, while simultaneously showcasing the pressing need to balance all forms of energy development to ensure a just energy transition. 

“The London reception offers a unique platform to engage with key stakeholders, explore investment prospects and forge strategic partnerships. From oil and gas exploration to renewable energy projects, we want participants to discover the potential for growth and impact in Africa’s rapidly evolving energy landscape. Don’t miss this chance to be part of Africa’s energy revolution and join us in unlocking the gateway to sustainable development on the back of energy investment,” states AEC Executive Chairman NJ Ayuk. 

Register now at https://apo-opa.co/4ccuzLe or contact register@aecweek.com.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Week (AEW).

Ethiopia’s Minister of Water and Energy Habtamu Itefa Geleta will speak at the African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energy 2024 conference – scheduled for November 4–8 in Cape Town. The event is the biggest of its kind in Africa and the participation of Minister Geleta underscores Ethiopia’s commitment to advancing its energy sector through significant investments and strategic international partnerships.

Ethiopia’s current installed power generation capacity is measured at 5.2 GW, with plans in place to increase this figure to 17 GW within the next decade. While renewable energy constitutes a primary energy source for the country, the confirmation of seven trillion cubic feet of natural gas in the Ogaden Basin by the government in 2022 has opened up new investment avenues for energy companies. A largely undeveloped sector, natural gas stands to transform both the country and broader region’s energy matrix. During the AEW: Invest in African Energy conference, Minister Geleta will unpack the country’s potential in this area, engaging with investors and regional counterparts.

AEW: Invest in African Energy is the platform of choice for project operators, financiers, technology providers and government, and has emerged as the official place to sign deals in African energy. Visit www.AECWeek.com for more information about this exciting event.

Ethiopia has the potential to generate over 60 GW of electricity from hydroelectric, wind, solar and geothermal sources. Hydropower remains the dominant source in the country, contributing over 90% of the country’s electricity, exemplified by projects like the 6 GW Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and the 2.1 GW Koysha Hydro Power dam by the Omo River. In January 2024, the dam was 94% complete, and once operational, it will become the largest hydroelectric power plant in Africa.

Meanwhile, Ethiopia’s wind sector is growing with projects such as the Ashegoda and Adama wind farms – generating more than 350 MW in total. The state-owned Ethiopia Electric Power (EEP) signed a $600 million deal in December 2023 for a new 300 MW wind farm in the eastern Somali region with UAE-based project developer AMEA Power. In the solar industry, the EEP signed an agreement with the International Finance Corporation to advise on developing up to 500 MW of solar power under the World Bank’s Scaling Solar program – an initiative that supports solar expansion worldwide. The government views private sector collaboration as a catalyst for project development and companies are invited to join the market through public-private partnerships and independent power producer programs.  

Alongside wind and solar, the country’s geothermal potential is estimated at over 10 GW. There is a projected $35 billion investment pipeline planned for Ethiopia and Kenya to develop geothermal in the East African Rift, highlighting the potential in this area. By 2050, these two countries are expected to produce 90% of the planned 13 GW of geothermal energy in Africa.

Meanwhile, the African Development Bank (AfDB) recently allocated $8 million this month to support Ethiopia’s Renewable Energy and Agriculture Modalities mini-grid program, developed in collaboration with the Global Alliance for People and Planet and key Ethiopian government bodies. This initiative aims to integrate mini-grids with agribusiness operations, with up to 50% of the program’s funding sourced from the AfDB-managed Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa, providing concessional loans, grants and risk mitigation. Additionally, the AfDB has approved a $104 million grant for a transmission project aimed at enhancing Ethiopia’s electricity supply. The project involves constructing 157 km of transmission lines and associated substations near the cities of Harar, Jijiga, and Farem.

“Ethiopia is taking a proactive stance in fostering sustainable energy development and collaboration with international stakeholders. The country is leading a just energy transition, prioritizing the development of all available energy resources. Offering a wealth of opportunity for natural gas and renewable energy players alike, Ethiopia stands to play a central role in meeting East Africa’s demand for energy in the long-term,” states NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber.

During AEW: Invest in Africa Energy 2024, Minister Geleta will participate in high-level panel discussions and spotlight sessions, showcasing Ethiopia’s investment potential and highlighting the government’s proactive approach towards sustainable energy development.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.