Mastering Vendor Selection and Partnership Management

The success of global payroll is a combination of the right internal team, their processes, and the right help from external vendors and partners.

In this presentation, you will discover:

1. How to assess your organisation's payroll needs and match them to the right vendor services
2. Key strategies for evaluating potential vendors
3. How to get buy-in from senior management
4. The nuances of sustaining effective vendor partnerships, from setting clear expectations and communication channels to regular performance evaluations
5. Real-world insights into overcoming common pitfalls in global payroll management

Tailored for payroll professionals looking to improve their global payroll operations by finding the right partners.

2. Hi! I’m Mary ??????

●Certified Payroll Professional with 25+
years of experience in Global Payroll,
Finance and Global Mobility

●Currently Payroll Evangelist at Payslip

●Previously Global Director of Strategy,
Development and Training for the Global
Payroll Management Institute (GPMI)

●Received American Payroll Association
Payroll Women of the Year in 2016

3. Agenda
➔Managing Global Payroll | Intricacies & Complexities
➔Assessing Your Needs | Services & Requirements
➔Selecting Payroll Providers | Factors to Consider, Approaches & Benefits
➔Securing Buy-In | Due Diligence & Executive Alignment
➔Establishing Effective Vendor Partnerships | From kickoff to success
➔Overcoming Common Pitfalls | Challenges & Solutions
➔Real-World Examples | With Marco Pasqualin, Head of Global Payroll at Boundless
➔Live Q&A

4. Payroll can be complex on a global scale
Explosion of
compensation
packages
Flexible work
models
Demand for pay
transparency
and equity
Varying pay
elements
Expansion of
countries, tax
laws
Upsurge of
specialised
roles
Scarce labour
pools
Varying
privacy
regulations
“Work from
anywhere”
workforce

5. What are the
intricacies of
managing global
payroll across
multiple regions?
1.Compliance with Local Laws
2.Currency Fluctuations
3.Diverse Technology Standards
4.Decentralised Operations
5.Time Zone Differences
6.Cultural & Linguistic Differences

6. So, how does one determine their
organisation’s global payroll needs?

7. How much payroll support will you need?
●How are you planning to manage tax
reporting?

●What pay structures do you need to
support?

●Do you want to support payroll across
multiple countries or a single territory?

●Are you going to need language
support?
What services do you need beyond payroll?
●Is a global payroll service enough?

●How much HR support and Finance
Support will you need?

●Full-time employees or independent
contractors?

●What are your budgetary restrictions?

Identifying services & requirements

8. How to select the right payroll
providers for your organisation

9. 1.Employment and local country
compliance expertise

2.Technological & operational
adaptability

3.Ease of implementation

4.Visibility and global reporting

5.Robust security & data privacy
practices

6.Scalability & future expansion

7.Support & service levels
What are the
key factors to
consider when
selecting payroll
providers?

10. Long-term Partnership

●Engaging with vendors on an
ongoing basis, often with
contracts that span several
years.

●Built on mutual trust and a
deep understanding of the
organisational goals and
needs.
Matching your needs with the right
approach...
Short-term Solution

●Engaging vendors for
specific, limited-time projects
or tasks.

●Typically a transactional
relationship with a clear focus
on immediate goals.
+ Expansion Capabilities

●Vendor can handle
multi-country payroll, laws,
and regulations.

●Partner able to provide
guidance in entity setup or
manage other complex
regulatory environments.

11. Long-term Partnership

●Consistency and reliability

●Cost efficiency over time

●Collaboration on product
enhancements

●Higher levels of support

●Continuous process
improvement

●Higher visibility & optimisation

What are the benefits of each approach?
Short-term Solution

●Task-specific engagement

●Rapid deployment required

●Lower levels of support

●Solves business needs quickly

Multi-vendor Approach

●Tailored services required

●Technical specialisation

●Negotiation leverage

●Selected vendors need to
meet organisation’s goals

●Must ensure accurate and
on-time delivery of payroll

12. Securing buy-in from senior
management & ensuring alignment

13. Evaluate vendor’s operational procedures,
technology infrastructure, and scalability
Review financial statements and credit reports
Verify vendor legal and regulatory compliance
Send out a Request for Information (RFI)1
Create a detailed Request for Proposal (RFP)2
3
4
5
6 Ask for references and case studies
Steps involved in the vetting process:
Due diligence &
properly vetting
payroll vendors
7 Ongoing monitoring and evaluation

14. Steps to securing executive buy-in
Strong call to action
Focus on alignment with organisational
goals and tangible benefits. Highlight
the value realisation the organisation
will receive.
Highlight value & benefits
Discuss how the right vendors can
streamline operations, reduce manual
workload, and introduce automation,
leading to improved outcomes.
Outline goals & cost savings
Provide detailed ROI analyses that
compare the costs and benefits of the
proposed vendor partnerships versus
current operations or other alternatives.
Communicate effectively
Customise the presentation to reflect the
priorities and concerns of senior leaders.
Use data and metrics to support claims.
Keep it short and to the point.
STEP 1 STEP 3STEP 2 STEP 4

15. Initiating & managing effective
vendor partnerships

16. Clearly define KPIs and
objectives
Set clear timelines and
deadlines in advance
Schedule an evaluation at
the end of the 1st month
and quarterly after that,
to ensure expectations
are met.
Comprehensive kick-off
meeting w/ stakeholders
Develop and agree on a
detailed integration plan
Initiating a Vendor
Partnership
Steps to ensuring a successful
partnership
Establish a routine of
regular check-ins
Maintain multi-channel
communication
Do they have an internal
knowledge base?
Ensure all aspects of the
partnership are legally
documented in contracts
Periodically review and
adjust contracts to fit
current needs and
objectives
Establishing Clear
Communication
Setting Mutual
Expectations
Defining Contractual
Agreements

17. Overcoming common pitfalls in global
payroll management

18. Common challenges: Solutions:
1.Integration issues
Frequent integration challenges with existing HR
and finance systems across different regions,
leading to data silos and inefficiencies.

2.Compliance risks
Complex and ever-changing landscape of local
and international payroll regulations.

3.Managing vendor relationship
Coordinating between multiple vendors across
various jurisdictions increases complexity.
1.Proactive management
Choose a vendor that offers the right technological
capabilities for your needs. Define clear timelines
and circulate feedback transparently.

2.Regular training and evaluations
Choose vendors that conduct regular trainings and
have local payroll expertise. Fine-tuning an existing
relationship is easier than starting a new one.

3.Strategic & contingency planning
Establish a cadence of regular reviews, set
performance metrics, and clear contingency plans.

19. ➔Strategic vendor selection is crucial.
There is no ideal solution for everyone. The ideal vendor depends on your needs

➔Integration and technology are key.
Nobody likes a data silo and decentralised information

➔Define communication channels and set expectations early on.
These are fundamental to ensuring successful vendor partnerships

➔Vendor and process evaluation, and adaptation never ends.
Ongoing monitoring and evaluation is key to a happy partnership
Key Takeaways

20. Get in touch!
E: [email protected]
L: irinadzhambazova
T: strawbana