Traditionally, reducing payroll has meant laying off staff. Although this has the intended effect of cutting costs, there are negative effects as well that may counter this strategy. Centralizing certain processes can also result in a need for workers. However, other options may be available to help cut payroll costs, including converting employees to a merit pay system. Whichever option an organization determines is appropriate, careful consideration needs to be applied to the organizational goals and plans and how cuts will affect the strategies in place to achieve these. Certain product lines and strategies could be negatively affected by a reduction in payroll. Additionally, core competencies could be forever damaged. In these instances, the organization may be saving money now, but destroying their earning potential in the future.
eferences

"Consider converting merit pay raises to other rewards." Financial Executive, 15(3). p. 8.

Core competencies. (2010). etrieved March 23, 2011, from http://www.quickmba.com/strategy/core-competencies/.

Creative ways…...

mla

References

"Consider converting merit pay raises to other rewards." Financial Executive, 15(3). p. 8.

Core competencies. (2010). Retrieved March 23, 2011, from  http://www.quickmba.com/strategy/core-competencies/ .

Creative ways to cut payroll costs -- without layoffs! (13 Mar 2009). Retrieved March 23, 2001, from  http://community.peachtree.com/t5/Small-Business-Success/Creative-Ways-to-Cut-Payroll-Costs-Without-Layoffs/ba-p/6238 .

Laying off employees: expert solutions to everyday challenges.. (2009). Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business Press.

Software-as-a-Service in Accounting: Current Best Practices
IV. esearch Methodology

V. Analysis of esults

VI. Conclusion and ecommendation's

VII. Appendices and eferences

Literature Sources

The following are the literature and secondary research sources that will be used for completing this analysis. ABI Inform, Data Monitor, EBSCO Host, Hoover's, Lexus/Nexus and IBIS esearch are the secondary sources of data, which will be used for this analysis. Additionally, research from Forrester Group, Gartner Group, International Data Corporation and Ovum esearch (UK) will be used for completing the analysis as well.

Scope and Methodology

The scope will include interviews with 50 CFOs in the local region from small and medium businesses randomly selected from manufacturing, service and support industries. A total list of all small and medium businesses in the region will be defined and random number generator used to select the companies who will be contacted. Initial contact will be through personalized letters to the CFOs stating the intent of…...

mla

References

Kugel, R.. "Software for Rent: Inquire Within. " Business Finance 1 Sep. 2007:

Roberts, B.. "How to Get Satisfaction from SAAS. " HR Magazine 1 Apr. 2010

Tinsley, R.. "THE 12-STEP WAY TO REDUCE PRACTICE EXPENSES: Part 1, Staffing Efficiencies. " Family Practice Management 17.2 (2010): 38.

Root Cause Analysis and orkplace Management Studies

The study presented several interesting results. Those companies, regardless of size, that integrated a form of "Root Cause Analysis" (RCA) within their organizations were found to have increased their PM and the overall efficiency of their payroll departments. These companies were found to have higher bottom line revenue and shorter time to gross pay amounts than those companies that did not use RCA (Cheek 21). Those companies that have integrated efficient payroll protocols, the study revealed, spent less time on the day-to-day aspects of orkplace Management and therefore could focus critical resources and attention on more vital aspects of the companies business (Cheek 23). Those companies that improved the efficiency of their PM were found to use 58% less critical resources compared to other companies in their peer group (Cheek 23). As a direct result, these companies were able to generate more payroll record…...

mla

Works Cited

Cheek, Felicia. "Workforce Management and Payroll Performance." American Payroll Winter (2010): 20-31. Print.

Greengard, Samuel. "Making Global Payroll Pay." Business Finance 15 July 2006: 51. Print.

Kuegel, Robert. "Software for Rent: Inquire Within." Business Finance 1 Sept. 2001: 1. Print

Maynard, Jason. Five Benefits of Software as a Service. New York: Trumbla Corporation, 2007. Print.

Payroll Software
The most important thing a Human esources department can do, is to ensure that it is aligned with the greater organizational strategy. A solid H department will know and understand the bigger picture and be able to prescribe actions that match the intentions of those objectives set out by leadership and other powerful sources.

This essay will demonstrate a practical application of H strategy by describing the selection process of a software program that is intended to manage the organizations wage and salary benefits in-house in attempt to save money by eliminating outsourcing practices. This essay will compare and contrast two different software programs that can be used for this application and provide a selection of one of the two that best meets the organizations needs.

Option 1: Kronos Workforce eady

According to Clancy (2013) " Workforce software provider Kronos is actively bringing human resources (H) applications once confined to larger enterprises…...

mla

References

Clancy, H. (2013). Kronos HR Software fixes Ohio company's payroll woes. ZDnet 29 Oct 2013. Retrieved from  http://www.zdnet.com/kronos-hr-software-fixes-ohio-companys-payroll-woes-7000022538/ 

Payrolllab.com (nd). "SAGE Payroll and HR Software Review. Viewed 20 Feb 2014. Retrieved from  http://www.payrolllab.com/sage-payroll-review.php

New Payroll Application Architecture
One of the most commonly automated business processes and operations in the recent past is payroll, which is also the most often used human resource solution. The increased use and automation of payroll is attributable to the need to ease and reduce the time spent in payroll processes, which is one of the first applications in the working environment. Despite the increased automation of payroll, there are several companies that are yet to migrate from spreadsheets to payroll software such as this large organization with offices throughout the United States. The company, which has one large data center with offices connected through a Wide Area Network (WAN), is developing an automated payroll program. This process requires identifying a suitable type of architecture, types of technologies to be involved, and addressing any ethical issues that could emerge with the new architecture.

Type of Architecture for the New Payroll Application

The…...

mla

References

Bragg, S.M. (2004). Accounting for payroll: a comprehensive guide. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

Erisman, A. (2006, October 1). Ethical Issues With a New Payroll System. Retrieved November 16, 2015, from  http://ethix.org/2006/10/01/ethical-issues-with-a-new-payroll-system 

Fairchild, M. (n.d.). Payroll Software Selection: A Strategic Approach. Retrieved November 16, 2015, from  http://www.payrolllab.com/payroll-software-selection-guide.php 

Furht et al. (n.d.). Internet Architectures for Application Service Providers. Retrieved from Department of Computer & Electrical Engineering and Computer Science -- Florida Atlantic University website:  http://www.cse.fau.edu/~borko/Chapter4_ic.pdf

Many employers use a simple formula to calculate net pay. The formula is as follows:
Net Payment Calculation:

Employee's gross pay = (pay rate times number of hours worked)

minus Statutory payroll tax deductions minus Voluntary payroll deductions

= NET PAY

As mentioned above employers are also required to report payroll tax obligations in accordance with federal and state law. Below is a list of following responsibilities on the part of the employer.

Federal tax deposits

Annual federal unemployment tax return (Form 940 or 940EZ)

Employer's quarterly payroll tax return (Form 941)

Annual eturn of Withheld Federal Income Tax (Form 945)

Wage and Tax Statements (Form W-2)

In regards to the accounting entry, the employer must first record the gross wages earned by the employee, which was mentioned in detail above. It must also include the withholdings of their pay and any addition withholdings which also is detailed above. This entry usually includes debits for the direct labor expense, salaries,…...

mla

References:

1) Steven M. Bragg. 2006 Essentials of Payroll: Management and Accounting. ISBN 0-471-26496-2.

2) Kennedy, Marilyn Moats / / Accountancy; Dec2006, Vol. 138 Issue 1360, p94

Literally the work of a Payroll Administrator and the staff they are a member of can make the difference between people in the company having jobs or not, or if the decision is made to shift the jobs to outsourcers or offshore to lower priced countries. In small, rapidly growing companies the Payroll Administrator has an excellent chance for advancement as they are often requested to provide financial analysis of the payroll cost breakdowns by employee and department group. The advances in analytics applications is enabling Payroll Administrators to be more adept at presenting their analyses, and as a result they are getting asked to more and more in companies seeking to manage their greatest single cost, which is payroll.
How a Payroll Administrator Would Use Quicken

With an overview of the Payroll Administrator's role, it's easy to see why Quicken chose to move in the direction of SaaS as a…...

mla

References

Yardena Arar. (2007, November). Quicken's Business Tools Help it Edge Out Money Plus. PC World, 25(11), 72.

Scott Cook. (2002, October). Software by the numbers. FSB: Fortune Small Business, 12(8), 56-60.

DeFelice, a.. (2008, March). QuickBooks Creator Bets on the Net. Accounting Technology, 24(2), 40.

Katzan, H., & Dowling, W.. (2010). Software-as-a-Service Economics. The Review of Business Information Systems, 14(1), 27-37.

Smiths to Minimize Their Total Tax Liability
Mr. and Mrs. Smith's concerns about their future income and estate tax bills are important because of their need to engage in tax planning, which can be described as organizing personal financial affairs in order to lessen taxes. In light of their concerns and current situation, there are several recommendations or ways with which the Smiths can reduce their future income and estate tax bills. Therefore, your advice to them on tax planning should be based on considerations of these various recommendations in light of their advantages and disadvantages in addressing their concerns.

One of the ways through which the Smith's can minimize their total tax liability is through giving annually, which will help lessen future estate taxes. As of 2015, the federal estate gift and estate tax exemption amount was $5.43 million, which implied that taxable estate exceeding this amount would be subject…...

mla

References

Bischoff, B. (2015, March 5). 5 Ways to Give Your Home to Your Children Tax-Free. Retrieved June 29, 2017, from  http://www.nextavenue.org/5-ways-give-your-home-your-children-tax-free/ 

First Republic Investment Management. (2017, March 20). Gifting to Family Members: Pitfalls and Benefits. Retrieved June 29, 2017, from  https://www.firstrepublic.com/all-articles/life-and-money-plan-your-legacy/gifting-to-family-members-pitfalls-and-benefits 

Kohler, M.J. (2015, June 18). Why You Should Hire Your Kids This Summer. Retrieved June 29, 2017, from  https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/223968 

Massachusetts Financial Services Company. (n.d.). Minimize Taxes with Estate Planning and Gifting. Retrieved June 29, 2017, from  https://www.mfs.com/wps/FileServerServlet?servletCommand=serveUnprotectedFileAsset&fileAssetPath=/files/documents/heritage/hp_epgift_flye.pdf

Centralized application and client management allows efficient solution of application management, access, performance, and security. Below is figure one taken directly from Citix Systems (Server-Based Computing, 1999).
The new architecture will have various types of technology implemented throughout the system. The main component will be the internet which provides the foundation for the architecture. Other web related technologies such as HTML, and communications protocols are also used. The architecture first begins at the presentation level. In regards to payroll this would consist on online paycheck review, or benefits review. At the presentation level, there is the client system, which is used to view Web page information. The client contains both presentation and application logic components. At the content level, there is a Web server that provides interactive view of information from a relational database. Finally, at the data and service level, there is a relational database system, which provides data…...

mla

References:

1. "Server-Based Computing," Citrix Systems, white paper, www.citrix.com, 1999.

2. P. Dreyfus, "The Second Wave: Netscape on Usability in the Services-Based Internet,"

IEEE Internet Computing, Vol. 2, No. 2, March/April 1998, pp. 36-40.

3. "Software Development for the Web-Enabled Enterprise," Sun Microsystems, white paper, 1999.

Accounting Information System
Improving Transactional Processing in Accounting Information System (AIS)

Propose two (2) innovative technology changes that would be appropriate for a firm's:

evenue (sales to cash collection) cycle

evenue cycle represents the description of the financial progression of a business entity in relation to the accounts receivable from the point of acquisition of products to the stage when the company or business organization receives full payment for the products (omney, 2012). One of the innovative technological changes that can transform the revenue cycle is leverage technology. This technology would allow the company or business entity to adopt appropriate way of providing crucial information to essential parties in relation to consumers or market audience. Application or adoption of this technology would allow the company to maximize consumer relationships and production or profit levels. The other innovative technological change is automation of the management systems of the firm or organization. It is crucial to…...

mla

References

Dolgui, A., & Proth, J.-M. (2010). Supply chain engineering: Useful methods and techniques. London: Springer.

Hall, J.A. (2011). Accounting information systems. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.

Langevin, A., & Riopel, D. (2005). Logistics systems: Design and optimization. New York, NY: Springer Science+Business Media.

Romney, M.B., & Steinbart, P.J. (2012). Accounting information systems. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

UltiPro is an industry leader in HCM, delivering more out-of-the-box functionality than any other provider. UltiPro's continuous H and talent management functionality includes recruitment, onboarding, payroll, worker and manager self-service, benefits administration, compensation management, performance management and reviews, succession management, talent retention tools, time and attendance, workforce scheduling, rich reporting and analytical decision-making tools, and more. UltiPro's Web portal can serve as a company's communications center and the fundamental gateway for business activities because it conveys functionality for everyone in the company, from H and financial departments as well as executives, staff managers, and individual staff. With the UltiPro portal, H/payroll staff, managers, and administrators can complete daily worker administration tasks, administer benefits, manage staff, and access reporting in real-time, all from one central location. Managers and executives can access frequently requested reports and analyze workforce statistics and trends on-demand. Employees can access pay and benefits information, get questions answered,…...

Human Resources Technology
Castle's Family Restaurant Business Plan: Stage III

Item

This section should be written last. It provides the reader with an overview of your business plan. This section includes a brief description of the business, the goal of your business plan, your customer's market/clientele, their current "like" competition, and current business operations, and potential fiscal plan (fiscal plan may be assumed based on current manual process compared to pricing of automation).

Introduction provides sufficient background on the topic and previews major points. Conclusion is logical, flows from the body of the paper, and reviews the major points.

Company Review

This section should summarize the information from your Stage I paper. Provide a basic industry outline. Is it a growth industry? What changes do you foresee in this industry, and how is this company poised to take advantage of them? Take the information from your Stage I paper and analyze the data. What is your…...

The initial recommendation comes from the employee's direct supervisor and is then discussed with the general director and the payroll manager.
At the fourth stage, the performance review, the employee and his direct supervisor come once again face-to-face to discuss the outcome of the performance appraisal process. The employee is informed of the managerial decision regarding future remunerations, and a date for a new meeting is set. The new meeting will establish goals for the following year, ergo the cyclic characteristic of the appraisal system (Grote and Grote).

Aside for meeting the three scopes previously identified, performance appraisals also present the company with several benefits. For instance, they create a context in which the employee is introduced to his own core competencies and limitations, based on which he can better direct his future formation. Then, the employees take an active role in their own evaluation and get to know themselves better…...

mla

References:

Armstrong, S., Appelbaum, M., Stress-free performance appraisals: turn your most painful management duty into a powerful motivational tool, Career Press, 2003, ISBN 1564146863

Coens, T., Kenkins, M., Block, P., Abolishing performance appraisals: why they backfire and what to do instead, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2002, ISBN 1576752003

Falcone, P., Sachs, R.T., Productive performance appraisals, 2nd edition, AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn, 2007, ISBN 0814474225,

Grote, D., Grote, R.C., the performance appraisal question and answer book: a survival guide for managers, AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn, 2002

Communicatioon in a Project
Importance of Communication in a Project

Effective communication is the key component for successful implementation of any project. The root cause of the project failure is that there is no integration of communication plan in the project lifecycle. Communication is a vital way to manage a project. Depending on the type of project, a project manager needs to plan the method to implement effective communication in advanced before a project starts. Typically, effective communication platform minimizes the project risks, and the failure to implement effective communication in a project could serve as a threat to the success of a project.

The objective of this report is to discuss the importance of a communication within a project. The paper demonstrates the importance of communication in the Personnel, Payroll, and elated Systems (PPAS) project.

Overview of PPAS project

The origins of the PPAS was dated back in 1995, when it was envisage…...

mla

References

Health Service Executive (2005). Development of Human Resource Management System

for the Health Service (PPARS). Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General. Government of Ireland.

Pinto, J.K. & Slevin, D.P. (2007). Critical Success Factors in Effective Project implementation. University of Pittsburgh.

e. An amount that is about 1% of GDP) to ensure that the current PAYGO system is solvent for the next 75 years. Thus, 10 trillion dollars problem is not as large and scary if we start acting today to fix the current system).
It is totally manageable."

ut the official plan is somewhat different. ush's administration is trying to introduce private account systems where a fraction of payroll tax will be transferred to private accounts and managed by the future retirees themselves, thus, giving them chance to invest this money into stocks, which have proven to give on average higher rates of return than the Treasury ills which generate rather moderate income.

The opponents of this idea state that this is just a shell-game, where no capital is accumulated and investments are not increased. The overall national capital is not increased, but this plan will cause enormous transactions costs which are estimated…...

mla

Bibliography

1) Kinnan, Chris Trustees Report: Social Security Collapse Quickening, 2004 available on web:  http://www.cse.org/processor/printer_press.php?press_id=780 

2) Allen, Mike Semantics shape social security debate, Article the Washington Post. Washington, D.C. Jan 23, 2005.pg. a. 04

3) Roubini, Nouriel Social Security Privatization as the Mother of All Con-Man Smoke-and-Mirrors Shell-Games, available on web: http://www.roubiniglobal.com/archives/2004/11/social_security_1.html

....

The Anatomy of Fraud in Local Government: A Deeper Dive into the Anatomy of Corruption

Introduction:
Fraud in local government, a persistent and insidious problem, erodes trust and undermines the integrity of public institutions. This essay delves into the anatomy of fraud in this critical setting, exploring its multifaceted nature and proposing novel approaches to combat it.

1. The Anatomy of Fraud:

Types of Fraud:
Procurement fraud: Inflated bids, kickbacks, collusion
Financial statement fraud: Misreporting or concealing financial information
Payroll fraud: Unauthorized payments to fictitious or ineligible individuals
Motivations for Fraud:
Greed and personal enrichment
Pressure to meet financial targets
Lack of accountability....

1. Increase the retirement age: One way to ensure the long-term sustainability of Social Security is to gradually increase the retirement age. This would allow the program to support a growing number of retirees without placing undue strain on the system.

2. Increase payroll taxes: Another option is to gradually increase payroll taxes to ensure that Social Security has enough funds to support future generations of retirees. This could involve increasing the rate of the payroll tax or increasing the income cap on which the tax is levied.

3. Reduce benefits for higher-income individuals: One way to ensure the long-term sustainability of....

Social Security: Securing its Longevity for Future Generations

Social Security, established in 1935, is a linchpin of America's social safety net, safeguarding the financial well-being of millions of retirees, survivors, and the disabled. As the population ages and traditional sources of funding diminish, ensuring its long-term sustainability has become a paramount concern. Here are several measures to address this challenge:

1. Gradual Increase in Retirement Age:

One step toward sustainability is gradually raising the full retirement age. Currently set at 67 for individuals born after 1960, it could be incrementally increased to 68 or even 69 over time. This would extend the period....