Apr 2016
4
Preparing for your move to BrightPay - Useful Guidance
Moving from one payroll software to another can sometimes be a daunting task, but with preparation this needn't be.
To help with this preparation, we have put together the following guidance to assist you with the migration to BrightPay from a previous payroll software:
Check if your current software allows the exporting of employee information
BrightPay facilitates the importing of employee information in CSV format. Therefore if your current payroll software allows the export of employee information in CSV format (or to Excel, which can subsequently be converted to CSV format), BrightPay's import utility can be used. Should your current payroll software not allow the export of employee information, then employee details will need to be set up manually within BrightPay.
Allow yourself enough time
It is important to allow yourself enough time to perform an import before your next payroll run is due for the company. Performing the import well in advance of your next payroll due date will allow you to review and check the employee data you have brought in and also to manually enter in additional employee information, if required.
Allowing yourself enough time is also particularly important if you are required to manually set up your employees (and if applicable their mid-year cumulative pay information), due to your current payroll software not allowing the export of employee data.
Choose a convenient time to migrate to BrightPay
For most companies, the easiest time to migrate to a new payroll software is at the start of a new tax year, as this only requires the importing of employee details. As employees will start the new tax year with zero balances, there is no requirement to import across mid-year cumulative pay information.
If migrating to BrightPay at the start of the tax year isn't viable, then an import of both employee and their mid-year pay information can be performed in BrightPay at any point in the tax year (should your current software allow the export of such information). If migrating to BrightPay mid-year, then it may be more convenient to perform this task after a tax period end, to avoid split P32 records. Make sure to select the option 'Continue Partway in the Tax Year' when setting up your employer details in BrightPay, to facilitate the mid-year import.
Familiarise yourself with BrightPay's terminology
Payroll software providers can often differ slightly on the terminology they use within their software - for example, what is known as 'works number' in BrightPay may be known as 'employee number' in another payroll software. Before performing a CSV import into BrightPay, it is therefore recommended to familiarise yourself with the terminology used in BrightPay and to find its equivalent in your existing software, if different. This will assist at the import stage, when matching columns to the data it represents. Please click here to view a list of the terminology used in BrightPay.
Still have access to your previous software at time of import into BrightPay
It is advisable to still have access to your previous payroll software when performing your migration to BrightPay - this is in case you need to create a new export file in your previous software (for example, employee data hasn't exported out correctly, mid-year totals are for the wrong period etc.) or you wish to cross-check employee data after import. If your previous software licence has expired and a new export file is needed, you may be left with having to manually set up your employee information.
Run a parallel payroll with your previous software
If you do still have access to your previous software, then a useful exercise is to run both your old payroll system and BrightPay side-by-side for a period of time. This is a good way to determine that everything has been set up correctly in BrightPay and there are no inaccuracies.
Important note: if running parallel pay runs, ensure that only one RTI submission is submitted, from either your old or new system.
Follow BrightPay's dedicated support documentation
BrightPay currently has dedicated support documentation to assist you with migrating to BrightPay from SAGE, IRIS, Moneysoft and HMRC Basic PAYE Tools.
If you are migrating from another payroll software, please refer to our support documentation on Importing using a CSV File - Other Software and Importing using an FPS File - Other Software
