1. OutsourcingPayroll ServicesfreesCityWest
Homestofocusoncoreresponsibilities
Sage Snowdropkcs
Case study
addition to their salary. This means that
there’s a lot to handle from a payroll
perspective.”
Providing essential management
information
Alex explains why the company moved
to Sage HR & Payroll for payroll services
back in 2011, “We were with a smaller
payroll provider, and while the process
worked quite well, they couldn’t provide
the reports we needed, especially to meet
the requirements of our finance team.”
This drove the move to Sage:
“The Sage service aligned with our
requirements; they could provide
the information we need, with much
improved reporting; and they’re cost-
effective, too.”
Among the reports now available to
CityWest Homes, one of the most
important is the variance report, which
is consulted every month. Alex notes,
“Comparing the current month with the
previous month highlights changes and
helps us to spot any anomalies; for
example, it may be that an honorarium
or acting up allowance has not been
carried forward. It’s a very useful way
of addressing any discrepancies and
ensuring the correct payments and
deductions have been made so that
payslips are as accurate as possible
before they reach the employee.”
She says this also brings an additional
benefit to CityWest Homes employees:
“If the variance report highlights a
change in the tax code, we can alert the
employee to follow up with HM Revenue
and Customs and check that it is right,
so that they don’t under-pay or over-
pay tax.”
About CityWest Homes
CityWestHomesLimitedisan
award-winningpropertyservices
providerbasedinLondon.As
Westminster’sleadinghousing
manager,theorganisationmanages
over21,000homes.
SincelaunchingasanALMO(arm’s
lengthmanagementorganisation)in
2002,CityWestHomeshasexpanded
itsofferingtotheprivatesector.Its
wide-rangingbusinessactivitiesnow
includerunningaprivateestate
agencythatsellsandletsproperties
withinandbeyondtheborough,and
managingthecapital’soldest
sustainableenergyplant.
As well as achieving high standards
of service for residents and clients,
CityWest Homes features in The
Sunday Times Best Companies to
Work For 2015 list.
Complex payroll requirements
CityWest Homes employees, of whom
there are approaching 400, work within
five directorates and are involved in a
whole range of responsibilities, including
maintenance and repairs, surveying,
resident engagement, policy and
projects, and liaising with leaseholders,
as well as in support functions such as
governance, finance, IT and HR.
HR Manager Alex Dellot outlines the
impact this has on the company’s
monthly payroll, “We have a very diverse
workforce. Depending on the particular
job function, employees may be paid
allowances, commission or bonuses,
frequently on a pro rata basis, all in
Customer
CityWest Homes
Industry
Property Services Provider
Location
London
Number of locations
1
Sage Service
Outsource Payroll Services
“Over the years, it’s proved
a cost-effective, consistent
and reliable way of
handling an essential
business task. What’s
more, with the reassurance
of the Sage team looking
after our payroll, we can
concentrate on our core
responsibilities as an HR
department.”
Alex Dellot
HR Manager at CityWest Homes

2. Sage Snowdropkcs
Dedicated support and back-up
Producing the monthly payroll follows a
tried and tested process. First, the
underlying data is prepared in a
non-Sage HR system at CityWest
Homes and exported into pre-agreed
templates – around 80 pages of data –
for Sage to download and work on.
There will also be other supporting
‘paperwork’ such as MAT B1s and P45s.
The Sage payroll professional
assigned to CityWest Homes, who
has now supported the organisation
for several years, prepares the pay
run, handling calculations such as
maternity and paternity pay,
commission, bonuses, overtime,
allowances, gym subsidies and rail
ticket loans as part of the process.
As employees of a private company
within the public sector, the CityWest
Homes workforce is covered by the
Local Government Pension Scheme.
Once again, Sage helps in handling
issues such as opt-out from automatic
enrolment.
The output for the monthly pay run is
verified at several stages within Sage
before an initial run is produced for
checking by CityWest Homes.
As a member of the wider Sage HR &
Payroll team, the assigned specialist
can draw on a wealth of payroll
experience and give an informed
response to queries. The team can
also cover for any absences. This
guarantee of continuous service is
another advantage of outsourcing
the organisation’s payroll to Sage.
Forging a close partnership
Reviewing the relationship with the
Sage team, Alex says, “We do our best
at this end to get the underlying data
right and to meet the deadlines. We
maintain a dialogue and find Sage
flexible and responsive, working calmly
to often challenging timescales to
produce our monthly pay run, and
minimising the burden of payroll
administration for us. We regard the
payroll specialist who looks after us as
a virtual member of our team and also
have regular contact with our account
manager, who checks that everything is
running smoothly. It’s become a great
working relationship.”
She adds, “The Sage charging
structure is transparent. We know
exactly what it will cost us, so there are
no surprises down the line or a
disproportionate charge if we request
a change.”
Alex also values Sage’s professional
expertise and knowledge: “They
understand the requirements of HMRC
and help us to comply fully, keeping us
up to speed on the changing legal
framework. There has certainly been a
lot for employers to take on board in
recent years, with automatic enrolment
and RTI. Of course, we understand the
legislation and our obligations in broad
terms, but Sage is good at explaining
the implications for our business in
plain English. They are very patient
with us!”
Alex sums up the benefits of fully
outsourcing payroll to Sage, “Over the
years, it’s proved a cost-effective,
consistent and reliable way of handling
an essential business task. What’s
more, with the reassurance of the Sage
team looking after our payroll, we can
concentrate on our core responsibilities
as an HR department.”
How Sage HR & Payroll supports
CityWest Homes
• The administrative workload of
producing the monthly pay run is
minimised
• Reporting to meet business needs
• Employees are paid accurately and
promptly
• The overheads of training and
managing an in-house payroll team
are eliminated
• Continuous, all-year-round service
with built-in absence cover
• Access to a wealth of expertise on
PAYE, including auto enrolment and
RTI, and help to comply with all
statutory requirements
“TheSagecharging
structureistransparent.
Weknowexactlywhatit
willcostus,sothereare
nosurprisesdownthe
lineoradisproportionate
chargeifwerequesta
change.”
Alex Dellot
HR Manager at CityWest Homes
© Sage (UK) Limited 2015 06/15 HD
For more info,
visit www.sage-snowdropkcs.co.uk
email snowdropkcs@sage.com
Linkedin.com/groups/Sage-HR-Payroll @SageUKHRPayroll