Article provided by Zalaris
Payday Super is the latest reminder that payroll change is constant. Transform proactively to build a payroll function ready to adapt to what comes next.
Don’t wait for change to set your payroll agenda,
Australian payroll teams have just experienced a significant example of what happens when external change sets the timetable.
Payday Super has changed how employers manage superannuation, bringing payroll processes, data, technology and controls into sharper focus. And compliance is front of mind: 52.8% of respondents to the Australian Payroll Association’s 2026 Payroll Industry Report identified compliance risk as their biggest Payday Super concern. Australian Payroll Association
But Payday Super will not be the last change payroll leaders need to navigate. Regulation, technology, AI, rising costs, skills shortages and changing business requirements will continue to put pressure on payroll. The question is whether organisations wait for the next trigger to determine when and how they transform, or take the opportunity to change proactively.
From pain points to gain points
We continue to see payroll transformations focused on addressing immediate pain points: a compliance requirement, ageing technology, high costs, manual processes or capability gaps. These are important problems to solve. But transformation can do more than fix what isn’t working.
The same APA research found that 65.3% of payroll professionals see poor or incomplete data as their biggest payroll risk, while only 12.9% of payroll teams currently use AI tools. Australian Payroll Association Together, these findings point to a bigger opportunity. Payroll leaders can use transformation to address today’s challenges while creating a function that is simpler, more capable and better prepared to adapt. That means looking beyond the immediate trigger and considering four areas.
Cost and Complexity: Where could simplifying technology, providers, processes and manual effort reduce the true cost of payroll?
AI and Automation: What could be automated today, and are your data, processes and technology ready to take advantage of AI as it evolves?
People and Capability: Do you have the skills and capacity you need, and where could specialist expertise strengthen your capability?
Operating Model: Is the way you run payroll still right for your organisation? Could In-house, Hybrid or Managed delivery provide a better balance of control, cost, capability and flexibility?
Transform on your terms
The goal isn’t transformation for transformation’s sake. It is to solve today’s pain points while creating tomorrow’s gain points. Payday Super is a timely reminder that change will keep coming. Rather than waiting for the next requirement to set your payroll agenda, start by understanding where you are today.
The Payroll Transformation Scorecard provides a self-diagnostic view of your current payroll landscape, looking at how well payroll is working today and how ready it is to adapt to what comes next. It can help identify where there may be opportunities across Cost and Complexity, AI and Automation, People and Capability, and your Operating Model.
The right time to transform payroll? Your time. Payroll. On your terms.
CTA: How ready is your payroll for what comes next?
Take the Payroll Transformation Scorecard
