Auto Run

A Payroll can automatically be processed, with or without customer input, for payment on a scheduled contractual pay date with little or no Moorepay involvement. Likewise, any individual key part of the Auto Run process can be switched on to automate any key section, as required (i.e. by the Implementation or Technical Delivery Team).

All Payroll Types (not just pure "Auto Runners") are accommodated for Auto Run. Nonetheless, this concentrates only on any Payroll having standard processing schedules and do not have any special workflow arrangements with Moorepay. It should not be used where a Payroll has regular Supplementary runs.

Full Auto Run

The Key Stages of a Full Auto Run Payroll are:

Lockdown (not Bureau) - must be set to 'Y'
Calculate & Release Preview
Complete & Process - must be set to 'Y'
Cleardown - must be set to 'Y'

Before the Auto Complete, the Auto Lockdown and Calculate & Release Preview functions will update the status in the Management Control File to ensure that no manual Suspend has been placed in the process.

Selective Auto Run

The Key Stages of Selective Auto Run Payroll, with or without Preview (not true Full Auto Run), where individual elements can be switched on/ off are:

Lockdown (not Bureau)
Preview
Release Preview (only when Preview is 'On')
Complete & Process
Cleardown

The Selective Auto Run is on menu-selection basis where any item from the Auto Run menu may be selected to be switched on as required. This applies to all Payroll other than on Pure Auto Runners. Every Stage is dependent on the previous action, and will validate or Suspend the process if not completed.

A Manual Suspend is provided to Managed Teams. This Manual Suspend will halt the Full Auto Run process or individual auto process, unless released to continue, once checking has been completed. Otherwise, this will be placed under manual control including the Complete and Cleardown (Period End). Any Payroll calculated in this manner will automatically have a Preview Stage in One-Step, but not configurable. Afterwards, it will move to the Complete & Process Stage.

A Non-Preview Payroll will be auto released for Complete & Process provided that there are no diagnostic errors. A Payroll with Preview will require a Preview Release which will be automatically released according to Workflow unless a Manual Stop is placed.

For any scheduled automated function performed prior to the automated scheduled function taking place (i.e. 'Lockdown', 'Calculate/Preview & Preview Release', 'Complete & Process', and 'Cleardown'), the system immediately cancels/removes the automated step from the scheduled cycle for that pay period. Moreover, in the case that an automated scheduled task has automatically been activated on its scheduled day, the manual equivalent of this in MPHR will be disabled and the following warning message will be displayed:

"Auto Lockdown/Calculate/Complete or Cleardown has been submitted and cannot be re-submitted for this payroll manually."

When a particular automated step has been deleted, the following statement will be displayed in the Management Utility:

"Process completed manually by User XXXXXX".

Setting

The setting up of Auto Run indicator and Pay Date rules is done on Payroll's Payroll Controls screen where the Auto Run field must be set to 'Y'. Doing this automatically triggers a sequence of automatic jobs each pay period dependent upon which elements are switched on:

Auto Run - This will switch on the four steps for a Full Auto Run Payroll.
Auto Lockdown - This is a Yes/No Option for Non-Auto Run Payroll. This is taken from Pay day parameters.
Auto Preview - This is a Yes/No Option for Non-Auto Run Payroll.
Preview - This is a Yes/ No Option and where clients require a Preview.
Preview Release - This is available only when Preview has been switched on.
- Where Preview or Preview Release is part of an Auto Run Process, this will be automatically released in accordance with the workflow.
Auto Complete - This is a Yes/No Option for Non-Auto Run Payroll. This is taken from Pay day Parameters
Auto Cleardown - This is a Yes/No Option for Non-Auto Run Payroll. This is Payday + N (according to the Pay Frequency as a default working days configurable)

The Contractual/ Regular Pay Date are being referenced from the system once the Pay Date has been entered on the Payroll Control (Payroll) and Employer Details screens.

Exceptions for Payroll Suspend

There are a number of exceptions or diagnostics that would put a Payroll on Suspend. If there has been any temporary or permanent input, the possibility of a Suspend may occur. Some sample scenarios below, once recognised, will suspend the payroll process:

Negative Net Pay calculated
Negative Taxable Pay YTD
Negative Gross Earnings for NIC's YTD
Negative Pension YTD
Address Line 1 & 2 not present for New Starter
Pay Frequency missing

The above list only relates to items which would cause the RTI/FPS to fail. There are more Diagnostic errors which would cause the Payroll to be suspended from Auto Run and will then mean that Managed Teams (and Bureau if applicable) should check their Diagnostics reports and correct as applicable.

Whenever a Suspend has been encountered, an Email Alert will be immediately sent to the appropriate teams. The Email Alert is setup on Alert Setup screen where a template 'Autorun Suspended' has been configured. On this Template, the user may be able to select the recipients who will be given the alert message on Auto Run Suspend. Alert Templates for Auto Run and Complete have also been created.

Auto Complete & Process

This will take place after the Calculate & Preview Release stage in accordance with the Turn Around Time (TAT) held in Workflow on Option 2.10 of Payroll and printed on the PR notes. For example, a Payroll with a TAT of 5 days will mean 2.5 days for input and 2.5 days to check and before Complete & Process runs at 2pm on that date where print parameters 'B' or 'P' are set in Print parameters of Payroll. Otherwise, they will process overnight.

Other considerations

The Release Preview will be following a predetermined preview period.
The Preview Step will involve the initial calculation/ Start Payrun Stage.
Please take note that Moorepay staff will still need to perform the 'managed function' (i.e. input, checking and report exceptions/ diagnostics for Managed Payrolls), and likewise, Bureau Clients should check the Preview Reports. This is to ensure that the payroll is ready for the next phase of running at the scheduled time where activated. Payrolls that have Preview switched on will also have a Release Preview Stage.
Where a Reverse Payroll has been performed, this will automatically release the Auto Suspend. Thus, the Auto Run continues, provided there is a time within the automated schedule to do this from Auto Preview. If this is not possible, the Payroll remains on Auto Suspend but can be subsequently released manually, where each step is also manually performed up to Cleardown (Period End) as key dates have elapsed.