SHAKIR ANSARI
Transforming Payroll with Innovative Workflow Automation Success
Key Takeaways
- Workflow Automation dramatically reduces payroll processing time, cutting it from 9 hours to just 20 minutes.
- The integration of various systems—Hello Note, Excel tracking sheets, and Paychex—into one platform simplifies data management and access.
- A centralized solution allows employees to view historical payroll data, increasing transparency and trust within the organization.
- Improved communication between admins and employees enhances collaboration and ensures that important information is easily accessible.
- Utilizing Google Sheets and App Script streamlines management, automating tasks while maintaining security and data integrity.
- The structured development process, from initial consultation to ongoing support, ensures that the system meets the clinic’s specific needs.
Business Type
Adult Speech Therapy clinic
Live On
Google sheets
Location
Orlando, FL
Work
Workflow Automation, Automation Tools & Business Process Automation
Categories
Transforming Payroll: Client Goals and Challenges
The adult speech therapy clinic needed help with its payroll process. It took a lot of time and had many mistakes. The clinic wanted to automate this process using workflow automation.
They had several goals:
- Automate payroll to save time.
- Extract data from Hello Note.
- Create a simple API or web interface for easy access.
- Integrate Hello Note, Excel tracking sheets, and Paychex into one dashboard.
Working closely with the owner was important to gather needs and give updates. The payroll process took 8 to 9 hours and was filled with errors.
Each visit needed one of the twelve payment types assigned. They also needed to figure out mobile visits, travel pay, no-show payments, and late cancellations. Employees were different types:
- Commission-based
- 1099
- Hourly
- Salary
Each employee had a unique pay rate and accrued Paid Time Off (PTO). They wanted employees to see their weekly payroll data. Tracking PTO, holiday, and bereavement hours was essential. They also needed a central location for communication between admins and employees, plus historical data.
The clinic faced several challenges in reaching these goals.
Recognizing Key Challenges in Payroll Automation
- They encountered several hurdles in the payroll automation project:
- Unable to get API connection with Hello Note.
- Need to keep PHI information secure to protect patient data.
- There were hundreds of variations of CPT codes. They needed to classify these into twelve visit types correctly.
- Each employee had a different pay rate for each visit type. This made accumulation of PTO complex.
- Data for individual employees was stored in silos, making it hard to view and analyze.
These challenges created obstacles to achieving an efficient payroll system. The clinic’s need for an organized and automated process was urgent.
Innovative Solutions for Workflow Automation Success
To tackle the challenges, the team came up with a strong solution. They aimed to create a system that would result in better workflow automation.
The main components of the solution included:
- Creating a business flow that reduces manual processes.
- Building the system entirely within Google Sheets.
- Utilizing complex formulas and App Script to automate tasks.
- Designing tables to hold historical and master data related to therapists, payroll notes, PTO, bonuses, and reimbursements.
- Establishing a key to handle hundreds of different CPT combinations and the corresponding billing types.
They set up three separate sheets to process raw data from Kantime, visits, and therapist reports. Employees could access their own workbooks, or “employee portals.” These portals allowed for specific data views, where they could leave notes and approve or flag submitted payroll.
Additionally, the system sent automated emails to notify employees when their payroll was ready for viewing. A single dynamic view was created to display all different employee payrolls, both current and historical.
This streamlined approach made the workflow much clearer and easier to manage.
Technologies Powering Workflow Automation
The project relied on various technologies to achieve effective workflow automation. Each tool played a critical role in designing the solution and improving payroll processes.
The key technologies used were:
- Google Sheets: served as the foundation for the entire system. Its flexibility allowed for easy data manipulation and organization.
- App Script: automated many manual tasks, saving time and reducing errors. With App Script, complex formulas streamlined data calculations.
- IMPORTRANGE: function was used to pull data from multiple spreadsheets, ensuring all information was centralized.
- Google service accounts: facilitated secure access to necessary data, maintaining compliance and protecting sensitive information.
- Automated and manual triggers: were set up to notify users and manage workflows effectively.
By leveraging these technologies, the team built a comprehensive workflow automation system that addressed the clinic’s needs. This greatly improved the efficiency and accuracy of the payroll process while keeping the complexities of various payment structures manageable.
The Journey of Implementing Workflow Automation
The development of the workflow automation system was a structured process. Each phase was designed to ensure the project met business needs effectively. Here’s how it unfolded:
- Initial Consultation: In this phase, the team assessed workflows and identified the main pain points. They discussed existing tools and how they could be integrated into the new system.
- Planning and Design: Next, they crafted the system architecture. This included task flows and triggers essential for business processes. They planned custom workflows to fit specific needs.
- Development Phase: During development, the team built the solution. They implemented integrations and automated tasks to streamline processes. Continuous testing ensured that workflows served their purpose.
- Testing and Quality Assurance: After building the system, thorough testing was conducted. This ensured reliability and performance. Validating data integrity was crucial to maintain security and compliance.
- Deployment: The solution was then deployed in the live environment. The integration with existing systems was confirmed, and security protocols were put in place.
- Ongoing Maintenance and Support: Finally, the team monitored system performance and provided regular updates. They also offered support to scale features and optimize workflows as needed.
The clear, organized approach resulted in a highly effective workflow automation solution. This structure helped the clinic achieve its goals rapidly and efficiently.
Remarkable Outcomes from Workflow Automation
The results of implementing workflow automation were impressive. The project significantly transformed the payroll process at the clinic. Key impacts included:
- Reduced payroll processing time: The payroll run time was cut down dramatically from 9 hours to just 20 minutes. This saved valuable time for both administration and employees.
- Access to historical data: Employees now had a centralized place to access their historical payroll data. This increased transparency and trust within the organization.
- Improved communication: The system enhanced communication between admins and employees. Important notes and information were recorded in one central location. This made it easier for both parties to stay informed.
Overall, the clinic benefited significantly from the workflow automation system. The new processes saved time, reduced errors, and increased employee satisfaction. These outcomes showcased the power of effective workflow automation in simplifying complex business processes.
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