Ruby Olsonoski, CPP 2016 Northstar Statewide Conference

Agenda  Definition of Strategic Partner  Know Your Company  Current State of Payroll Department  Musts For A Strategic Payroll Department  Strategic Planning  Presenting Your Plan to Leadership  Identifying Strategic Partner Opportunities  Getting a Seat at the Table

Definition – BusinessDictionary.com What is a Strategic Partner? A collaborative agreement between two or more parties in which all involved agree to work together to achieve a common goal. Partners commonly share risks, responsibilities, resources and resulting benefits.

Company’s Vision to Increase Revenue Growth CompanyChallenges Acquisitions Open New Locations Acquiring Talent RFP – RFI Service Center Model Technology Career Growth Lack Of Business Processes Growing Employee Population Competitive Markets Few Internal Resources (SMEs) Not Part of Current Structure Outgrowing Current Systems Opportunities

Company’s Vision to Increase Revenue Dividend CompanyChallenges Cost Control Change Management Process Improvement Downsizing of Employees Technology Career Growth Do More With Less No Resource to Build Case Study No Investment For Change Moral No Investment Less Opportunity

State of Payroll Department – ~20 Years Ago

Strategic~ 20 Years Ago PaperlessTransactional Documented ProceduresReactive Change AgentRigid – Resists Change Part Of The Larger TeamIsolated Team Supported By TechnologyLack Technology CommunicationLast To Know Celebrate SuccessThankless Job Building TalentHiring Succession PlanNo Plan

Musts For A Strategic Payroll Department:  Show Value  Develop Staff  Identify Key Players  Succession Plan  Job Descriptions  Career Growth  Empowerment  Crisis Management  View Change As Opportunity  Set For Success

Strategic Planning  Define Goals and Objectives ◦ Be specific of what is included in project  Show How Project Aligns With Company Initiatives  Document Current State ◦ Include Workflows and System Integrations ◦ Identify Gaps  Intersections with Other Departments ◦ Understand how change will affect them ◦ Be willing to make adjustments to your plan  Get Approval (Buy In) From Manager or Project Sponsor  Identify Team Members  Training Needs  Establish a reasonable timeline

Presenting Your Plan To Leadership  Be Prepared For Meeting ◦ Agree on metrics that will be used during meeting ◦ Show costs, savings, improvement and value in your presentation  Review Materials  Dry Run(s) with Team that will be presenting  Schedule Appropriate Time For Meeting ◦ 25 minutes for presentation ◦ minutes for questions  OK to say “I don’t know at this time”. I will have the answer to you by ….. ◦ 5-10 next steps or getting approval to move forward with implementation  Deliver!

Payroll RolesPartners 1.Consultation 2.Policy 3.Controls 4.Compliance 5.Employee Service 6.Standardization 7.General Ledger 8.Performance 9.Salary Reviews 10. Governance Cross Functional Teams Company – create/maintain Sarbanes Oxley Federal/State/Local Agencies Employees – Excellent Service Payroll Team Accounting Human Resources/Talent Team Compensation Risk/Legal Teams

Getting a Seat at the Table  Earn Trust and Respect of Leadership ◦ Demonstrate How Payroll Brings Value ◦ Understand Departments Impact “On Bottom Line” ◦ Ensure Compliance with Federal, State and Local Law ◦ Drive Strategic Decisions About Payroll Functions ◦ Consultative and Collaborative ◦ Establish Service Level Agreements With Partners ◦ Build Talent ◦ Embrace Mobile Technology and Remote Workspace ◦ Document Department Procedures ◦ Schedule Periodic Reviews/Updates with Internal Audit

Are you ready to take Payroll to the next level?

Additional Reading: April 2016 – PAYTECH Magazine How to Get a Seat With the Executives Barb Muellerleile, CPP The Boys in the Boat 1936 Berlin Olympics in Nazi Germany Daniel James Brown

Ruby Olsonoski Payroll Project Consultant Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc.