Harrow cuts payroll processing time in half with AI software

The London Borough of Harrow has halved the time it takes to process payroll, allowing council staff to focus more on critical public services. 

The improvement follows the council’s adoption of Zellis, an AI-enabled HR and payroll software provider. After six months using the system, the council says the efficiency gains from the switch have been significant. Previously, payroll processing required four days each month, but through automation and reduced manual interventions, the process now takes just two days. This means payroll staff can begin work on the next pay cycle sooner, providing more time to handle any last-minute adjustments and reducing overall stress on the team.

“We needed a system that could not only meet our tight deadline but also integrate with our existing Microsoft Dynamics HR system,” said Ben Goward, Director of IT at the London Borough of Harrow. “Most importantly, we couldn’t afford any disruption - we had to ensure that our 2,500 employees and 6,000 pensioners continued to be paid on time.”

For the payroll team, the switch has delivered tangible benefits beyond time savings. Yvette Salthouse, Head of Payroll at the London Borough of Harrow, explained that dealing with last-minute payroll changes had previously been a labour-intensive process. With a large frontline workforce, the council frequently receives late notifications that impact payroll calculations. The new system’s automation capabilities have significantly reduced the manual data entry burden.

“We tend to get a lot of late notifications, which used to create a lot of manual work,” Salthouse said. “Now, with more automation, we can process payroll changes in a much more joined-up way. This has made a huge difference to our efficiency.”

Beyond immediate time savings, the new system has improved payroll accuracy, reducing the risk of errors that could impact council employees and pensioners. With fewer manual interventions required, staff can focus on resolving complex payroll queries and supporting the council’s broader HR and finance functions more effectively.

Andrew Dresner, Chief Delivery Officer, at Zellis, added: “The Zellis and London Borough of Harrow partnership is a real success story, underpinned by collaboration from the outset. Working together as one team, the payroll implementation was delivered on time, safeguarding the financial wellbeing of Harrow’s employees and pensioners.”