It has been a busy year at Snow Technology and both of our business platforms, Quantum Payroll and UKG Pro, have seen some significant advances. We have been helping businesses throughout Ireland to improve their productivity since 2001 and it is hard to think of a busier year since then for us than 2024. Let’s take a moment or two to look back at some of the highlights of the last 12 months and what we have in the pipeline for the coming year. We think that you will be impressed by just how much we have developed our groundbreaking payroll outsourcing system as well as our state-of-the-art workforce management solution. Right now, let’s start at the beginning and review some of 2024’s undoubted highlights.
The Launch of Quantum Web
2024 saw the launch of an exciting addition to the Quantum Payroll family of products. This came in the form of Quantum Web – or QWEB as we tend to call it – a browser extension to our Enterprise payroll software. For the first time, this meant that our subscribers were able to access their payroll system and perform any necessary tasks or changes from any device. So long as the device concerned has internet access, QWEB makes the Enterprise payroll system accessible. Crucially, it does so without compromising security and safeguarding against unauthorised access. For some, the main advantage of QWEB wasn’t so much that it allowed users access to their payroll system from a mobile device, thereby freeing them up in terms of their geographical location, but the fact that the browser-based service allowed users to do what they needed to from any screen size and orientation. Since QWEB is built for tablets and smartphones, it operates just like any other browser-based tool, enhancing the user experience even if it is used in the office and not from a remote location.
Key features worth knowing about QWEB are that it works well on any operating system. Since it is built into a browser interface, this means it works just as well on iOS tablets as it does on desktop PCs running Windows, for example. Another strong aspect is that it is responsive, adapting to user preferences and even offering customisation options for more efficient data retrieval or system navigation, among other options. Users have also praised its full replication of Enterprise. This is no cut-down or limited version of our payroll suite, one that provides full functionality. Indeed, QWEB integrates well with other web-based services and even APIs so it can meet all types of demands and organisational requirements.
It is also worth noting that QWEB makes use of Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) for authentication purposes. This is important because it enhances the security of the system during the user login process. SAML provides single sign-on (SSO) capabilities. In turn, the need for multiple passwords and further authentication steps is lessened while ensuring robust protection is maintained. Of course, this level of security is especially important among businesses that need to prioritise data security when using cloud-based solutions, such as those engaged in government contracts, for example.
Not only does QWEB boast a thoroughly modern-looking design, but it is a scalable solution, too. The whole idea is to provide greater convenience for smaller enterprises where the person responsible for payroll may also undertake many other tasks each month which see them out of the office frequently. Nevertheless, QWEB is just as useful for larger businesses and those in-between which are growing due to its inherent scalability. This factor has also been informed by the way Irish businesses tend to operate nowadays with more and more people working from home or operating in a hybrid way. Employees and HR personnel can access QWEB – specifically the parts of it that are relevant to them – from their home devices. While employees might want to access their old payslips digitally, something QWEB can provide for them, HR professionals might want to run some real-time reports or generate tracking information on certain employees. Again, this is all built into the fabric of QWEB once a secure link has been established by an authorised user.
We’re proud of the advancements in QWEB and how it is designed not only for the convenience of our clients today, but also in the way it future-proofs their organisations for the evolving business landscape of tomorrow.
QHR Upgrades
Quantum Enterprise Enhancements
QWEB may have been a big new offering from Snow Technology in 2024 but it didn’t mean we took our eye off the ball when it came to one of our core solutions, Quantum Enterprise. We have been developing our digital payroll system since it was first launched and this means it is now trusted by organisations throughout Ireland. In 2024, we wanted to keep adding to the functionality of the system and we think we achieved everything we set out to.
Firstly, we took steps to improve Enterprise’s automated functions. The idea here is to help users minimise the type of errors that can occur from manual inputs to the system. Not only does automation save time (and, therefore, money) but it also keeps workforces happier due to fewer payroll errors. Due to the changes to the rules in statutory sick pay in Ireland, we knew that updating the automation of Quantum Enterprise in this area would be beneficial to numerous users. The required updates were rolled out seamlessly, helping many payroll and HR professionals who use our system.
In a related area, we also set about adding a new full-time equivalent (FTE) function to Enterprise payroll. To do this we added a new field which now covers calculations for holidays, sick pay and timesheets. Crucially, the calculations are then based on whether the employee concerned has an FTE status. Simply put, all of the number-crunching required for FTE employees is done in the background with accuracy every time. This new feature for 2024 provides a more accurate representation of workforce capacity. For HR professionals, this means correctly calculated data is now included in the system’s reporting functions to better determine headcount values.
That’s not all, however, because, thanks to our 2024 enhancements, subscribers can now process multiple net-to-gross payments and do so within a single payroll run. Designed to simplify complex payroll scenarios, such as bonus distributions or adjustments, this upgrade feature handles the gross pay calculation that is required to output the desired net pay award of a worker. With enhanced employee selection options, we’ve also introduced more filters and selection criteria. This allows authorised personnel to group employees based on chosen attributes such as their department, role or employment status. As such, targeted payroll processing and reporting are now improved. Lastly, the constraints that affected the number of payments and deductions per employee were removed as a part of Enterprise’s upgrades in 2024. Users now enjoy greater flexibility in payroll configurations in a variety of ways.
QHR Upgrades
Our human resources module, Quantum HR, has also gone through a similar level of enhancement processes over the last 12 months. Perhaps the most significant is the commercial partnership Snow Technology engaged in with Ultimate Kronos Group (UKG) Pro Workforce Management in Ireland. This has allowed for a closer integration between QWEB and UKG with significant benefits for our clients. For one thing, UKG integration allows for the seamless data exchange of workforce information in real-time. In short, there are now continuous updates made between our workforce management system (WFM) and our payroll system which means salary, sickness and overtime information – among other aspects of payroll – are always up-to-date and ready for whenever the next payroll is due. For some, the fact that there is now a streamlined process between the two systems means they operate more like one system, a true business solution.
In terms of HR onboarding processes, QHR is now even simpler for HR professionals to use. Electronic signature integration means that paperwork processes are more straightforward than ever before while email templates, which remain fully customisable, make it easy for HR departments to disseminate vital information to newly hired workers. In addition, our intelligent notification system helps the onboarding process to stay on track, thereby assisting with a raft of compliance matters in certain setups.
There’s a similar letter template system also new to QHR in 2024 which is designed for official employee notifications. Like the email template system, it is fully customisable, with options for personalised touches while maintaining professionalism in employee communications. Even better, our HR Data Builder, a key feature of QHR, also underwent a significant upgrade. Again, the versatility of the service was improved by adding customisable options. HR professionals can now access custom fields for searches and reports. We’ve also introduced custom panels which optimise workflows and mean that individual HR teams’ priorities can be better managed.
What’s Coming in 2025?
With so many things to cheer about in 2024, Snow Technology is set for an even more impressive year in 2025. Want to know what we have planned for the next 12 months in terms of upgrades, improved working practices, automation and other enhancements to our software? Read on.
To begin with, there are planned Quantum Enterprise improvements already in the pipeline for 2025. Note that since the launch of QWEB, all of these enhancements will also be available on that platform, too. We expect to have an annual salary field ready to go soon which will assist with the rapid working out of period values. Another Enterprise enhancement in our road map is pro-rata payment calculation and processing, something which will be of benefit to many users. Sorting and searching for employees and RPN will be improved while additional costing levels are going to receive an upgrade. Beyond that, we expect to have leaver payment and deduction processes simplified plus an improved payslip pin and notify service that will be more automated. Finally, Quantum Enterprise and QWEB will see improvements to the way scheduling and sending reports and payslips is handled.
QHR will also undergo a similar enhancement process in 2025. Feature-level notifications and counts are planned which will make it easier for users to see which features notifications relate to. On top of this, we have plans for improvements to our knowledge base with more multimedia links, images and articles, plus greater mobile search functionality. We’re also going to improve company notices, mobile organisational charts and news feed options, so there is a lot going on in terms of information access and sharing. A big improvement is underway for QHR’s diary integration, too. This will make it more straightforward to add links and media to diaries with improvements to calendar views through mobile devices
Improved mobile services are also at the heart of the planned upgrades to Quantum Pay (QPAY), our employee self-service mobile application. All of the key features of QPAY, such as payslip access and expenses management, will remain, but we want it to offer more. In 2025, we want these services to be even more user-friendly. We also plan on using the app for new employee onboarding to make life easier for workers and HR professionals alike. Enhanced data management, employment documentation, company notices and organisational charts are all planned for QPAY so this app is very much part of our upgrade strategy for the near future and beyond.
Finally, it is worth mentioning that Snow Technology remains a member of the Payroll Software Developers Association (PSDA). This means we are actively involved in all PSDA calls, particularly those concerning auto-enrolment, one of the most significant changes to Irish employment law in years. As 2025 unfolds, we will ensure that we are at the forefront of the latest discussions and requirements as they occur. In short, auto-enrolment remains a high priority for us and constitutes a big feature in our ongoing development roadmap.