Greener Office

Progress

There is much progress being made, some from advancements in technology and some from the HMRC’s initiatives. The internet has made taking steps towards reducing paper production far easier, with the availability of e-payslips, online timesheets and clocking systems, HR self-service for absence recording and authorisation. Early adopters of these practices have experienced massive approval from their employees and a marked decrease in the number of employee queries into HR and payroll offices. Open access to the data held about them and easy run down of payslip history gives control and ownership back to the staff. The HMRC have helped the online revolution first with tax year-end returns, then in-year notices such as tax code changes. With RTI coming along for full reporting to the Revenue every month, tax year-end and P45s will eventually become a thing of the past.

So how can SaaS help?

Cloud computing heralds the end of the software dinosaur of the last century. For too long software needed complicated IT hardware, maintenance, upgrades, training, technical staff and expense to run. One of the worst effects of this was to prevent small businesses having access to good quality systems that made a clear measurable effect on bottom line. Let’s count the ways Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions can help you cut costs for your business:

• No hardware – if you have access to the internet, you can run SaaS on-demand
• Power use drastically reduced
• Risk management is a no-brainer – nothing is maintained by you
• Back-ups and storage – your SaaS provider is responsible for these
• Printers and toner cartridges – less printing
• No expensive payslip stationery – e-payslips
• Less paper – online reports mean you can retrieve your data for any period, any time. No need to print anything
• Happy employees, more time to spend focussed on your core business