You’re implementing a new payroll system. The software provider tells you, “Don’t worry, we can handle the conversion for you.” Sounds like one less thing to worry about, right?
Hold that thought.
Before you mentally tick it off your to-do list, let’s dig into what that offer really involves—and why handing over your payroll data to a software upload tool isn’t quite the stress-free shortcut it claims to be.
What Software Conversions Typically Involve
Most payroll systems offering “full conversion support” will:
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Hand you a template (usually Excel)
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Send some instructions or a knowledge base link
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Possibly give you 20 minutes with a “success manager”
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Import the data once you’ve submitted it
On the surface, that sounds like support. But in practice, it assumes:
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You know exactly what needs converting
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Your data is complete, correct, and clean
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You understand leave accrual quirks, tax carryovers, and system cut-offs
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You’ll spot legacy errors, duplicated IDs, or misclassified employees
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You’ve got the time (and experience) to test the system before go-live
In short: they give you the map. You still have to navigate the minefield.
Don’t get us wrong—guided or managed implementations absolutely have their place.
If you understand payroll inside out, have clean data, and know what to look for, this can be a great option. But if payroll isn’t your day job, and you don’t know where the risks are likely to hide, a DIY+upload setup could leave gaps you won’t find until something breaks.
What We Mean When We Do the Conversion
When Admin Army handles a payroll conversion, we don’t just copy and paste—we interrogate.
We start by asking the questions most people avoid:
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Is your pay cycle structure still fit for purpose?
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Are your legacy leave balances actually accurate?
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Are entitlements recorded correctly and in line with current legislation?
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Are there risks hiding in plain sight?
Then we:
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Audit your historical data (yes, all of it)
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Recalculate where needed—especially for leave and terminations
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Build your payroll setup to support future compliance and reporting
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Validate your first pay run with you to ensure it’s not just working—it’s accurate
Because if there’s one thing we’ve learned: a clean-looking payslip doesn’t always mean clean payroll data. And errors have a nasty habit of snowballing.
“Our Payroll Is Pretty Simple” …Is It Though?
We hear this one a lot. But “simple” payrolls often include:
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Casuals never properly terminated
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Contractors paid like employees (or vice versa)
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Out-of-policy leave balances quietly carried forward
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Pay rules fudged for convenience five years ago and never revisited
We’ve yet to meet a “simple” setup that didn’t have something lurking in the background. That’s why we check. Thoroughly.
The Cost of Getting It Wrong
Let’s be blunt: bad conversions don’t always explode immediately. But when they do, it’s expensive. Think:
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Leave balances under scrutiny during a dispute
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IRD penalties for incorrect tax filings
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Staff losing trust when payslips don’t match expectations
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Auditors asking for reports your system can’t produce
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Weeks of back-and-forth unpicking “we thought this was sorted”
A few hours saved upfront can turn into days (or weeks) of downstream firefighting.
The Bottom Line
Handing your payroll data to software and expecting it to convert your system flawlessly is like giving a scanner your old filing cabinet and asking it to build an HR policy. It’ll copy the chaos—but it won’t fix it.
If your data’s perfect and your setup is clean, great—maybe software can do the job. But if there’s complexity, legacy baggage, or even a whiff of uncertainty, a human-led conversion isn’t just safer—it’s smarter.
Let’s Be Honest—You’re Already Here
You’ve found us, which means you’re already thinking about doing this the right way. So let’s skip the spreadsheet roulette and have a proper conversation.
Get in touch if you’d rather launch your new payroll setup without surprises, firefighting, or late-night panic. We’ve got this.