This blog is a collaboration with our friends at Points North.
If you’re performing work for government clients (like federal, state, or municipal) and need to pay and report prevailing wages, having the right certified payroll service provider will make your job easier. Whether you already have one (or you’re just starting to look), there are a number of factors you should consider before choosing a solution. Here’s our guide to help you choose the best certified payroll reporting service for your company.
Top traits to look for in a certified payroll reporting service:
Exceptional customer support—and fast response time. From the initial implementation to ongoing support, solid customer service will help you get the most out of your payroll solution.
An industry-leading feature set. When you have a payroll service with the most powerful features and functionality, you can be more efficient than ever.
A good understanding of the construction industry. Look for an experienced certified payroll reporting provider with an extensive history, long client list, and deep expertise in all the issues surrounding prevailing wages for general contractors and the specialty trades. That way, they’ll know how to help you in different situations.
Many trusted channel partners and integrations. Your payroll platform is necessary, but partnerships with each of the premier payroll providers in the industry is a sign of a solution built for compatibility.
Timekeeping functionality. Whether you currently have a timekeeping solution, or plan to use one in the future, your certified payroll reporting partner should offer integrations with leading timekeeping platforms (like Raken). This will keep manual entry to a minimum.
10 features to look for in a certified payroll solution:
Ease of use. Once set up, your payroll system should save you time and money.
An Application Programming Interface (API). Or, at least, a quick and easy file-based integration with your payroll platform.
Years of experience, and thousands of happy clients.
An experienced, responsive, and effective customer support team.
A team that will identify any form changes, and make updates automatically. Preferably, your solution would update revised forms at the federal, state or municipal level.
The ability to store and manage prevailing wage rates. Bonus points if they can do this for multiple projects, job classifications, employees, and locations.
Manages fringe rates, in addition to prevailing wages.
Unlimited data storage. Cloud storage will help you retain all reports indefinitely—and create a clean, accurate record of your payroll.
Emails reports right from the platform. With multiple distribution lists for different projects, you’ll save even more time if emailing reports is easy.
Exports your time and attendance data—without manual entry.
When selecting a payroll vendor, carefully look through all the features they provide. Each company is unique—and so are their needs. Choose a company that can fulfill your requirements in a given budget, and has experience dealing with processing tasks that you need now or later.
Interested in a reliable certified payroll partner?
Check out Points North. (We integrate with Raken, too.)