Transforming fragmented payroll into a unified, global system
Payroll teams were operating in a highly fragmented environment, with most of the work required to complete a pay run occurring outside the payroll product. Client communication relied on email, file sharing, and phone calls. Approvals lived in disconnected tools. Data arrived in inconsistent formats and required manual review before it could be entered into the system.
The existing software provided limited guidance and supported only a small portion of the end-to-end payroll lifecycle. Critical actions were scattered across the interface, making workflows difficult to learn, hard to remember, and slow to execute—especially at a global scale.
The goal of this project was to define a modern, global payroll experience that brought clarity, structure, and automation to one of the most complex operational workflows in the enterprise.
Designing the end-to-end global payroll journey
I mapped the full payroll lifecycle across HR, payroll, and finance teams to identify where users struggled, where work moved outside the product, and where errors and delays were introduced. These insights informed a redesigned experience that consolidates previously fragmented tasks into a single, cohesive flow.
The new experience brings communication, data collection, validation, review, and approvals directly into the product. Instead of juggling tools, users receive structured guidance, predictable task progression, and embedded checkpoints aligned to payroll cycles.
Key experience improvements included:
Guided workflows that replace scattered actions with a clear, step-by-step progression
Embedded approvals are integrated directly into payroll tasks
Standardized data intake paths that accommodate multiple input formats
Real-time validation to surface issues early and reduce downstream rework
This approach significantly reduced cognitive load while increasing user confidence during every pay run.
Building the core principles of a global payroll platform
Beyond individual screens or flows, this work established the foundational UX strategy for Sage’s global payroll direction. I organized and facilitated design-thinking workshops with global stakeholders to align on user needs, regulatory complexity, and long-term scalability.
Together, we defined core principles that would guide the platform forward:
Centralized, in-product communication between clients and practitioners
Rules-driven workflows adaptable to country-specific statutory requirements
Predictable, repeatable process models across regions
Clear approval and validation checkpoints aligned to payroll timelines
This foundation enabled the product to support a much larger percentage of the pay-run lifecycle directly within the system and positioned Sage to scale global payroll capabilities without increasing operational overhead.
Raising the standard for global payroll efficiency and trust
The redesigned global payroll experience reduced reliance on email, spreadsheets, and external tools while increasing the amount of work completed inside the product. Teams spend less time coordinating, correcting errors, and navigating unclear processes, and more time executing payroll with confidence.
Industry context reinforces the importance of this shift:
Global payroll complexity is a top concern for multinational organizations, with over 60% of companies citing compliance and accuracy as their biggest payroll challenges
Payroll errors can cost organizations 1–3% of total payroll spend annually, driven largely by manual processes and fragmented systems
Organizations adopting standardized, automated payroll platforms report 30–50% reductions in processing time and improved compliance outcomes
By delivering a centralized, rules-driven global payroll experience, this work helped Sage move toward a more scalable, compliant, and user-centered payroll platform, setting a stronger foundation for future innovation and growth.
