Case study

Bringing Assurance into Payroll: University of Sydney Case Study

The Head of HR Services & Payroll at University of Sydney explains her journey from no visibility and a lack of governance, to bringing transparency and assurance into payroll using Paytools.

Background: A legacy of excellence

The University of Sydney is renowned for its academic leadership and research innovation. With 10,000+ employees and a complex payroll ecosystem, ensuring smooth, accurate and compliant payroll operations is no small feat.

At the centre of it all is Mel Quinn, Head of HR Services and Payroll. With over five years in this role, Mel oversees everything from onboarding, to managing their HCM and of course, the fortnightly pay run for their large workforce.

The challenge: Limited visibility and mounting compliance pressure

Before Paytools, Mel and her team were grappling with critical issues:

No clear visibility of status of payroll tasks and activities.

Difficulty tracking statutory obligations and task ownership, especially when team members were on leave.

Lack of governance — no tooling in place to ensure effective record keeping and controls.

Audit readiness was a headache, with no centralised system to track issues or document processes.

In Mel's words, there was a real need for transparency, assurance and governance – and the existing tools, mostly Excel-based, just weren't cutting it.

The solution: Why Paytools stood out

The turning point came when Paytools was introduced through a Higher Education Services engagement 4 years ago, where Mel first saw the platform. She was immediately impressed.

"We began our journey as the guinea pig for our sector. The benefits were clear from the start."

Mel Quinn · Head of HR Services and Payroll, University of Sydney

Here's what made Paytools a game-changer:

Clear and version controlled processes via checklists templates.

The ability to easily manage audit recommendations in the issues register.

Visibility and monitoring of work done via the payroll work schedule.

It wasn't just another tool. It was a dedicated solution for modern payroll operations.

The adoption journey: From resistance to real results

Change is never easy – especially in payroll, where consistency is king.

"There was resistance at the start. But with support and a bit of encouragement, our team is now loving it."

Mel Quinn · Head of HR Services and Payroll, University of Sydney

Despite initial hesitations, Paytools quickly proved itself by:

Giving leadership peace of mind that things are getting done with better oversight and a formal process for controls and approvals.

Turning skeptics into believers, especially once internal auditors started praising the system after first using the issue register and audit log.

The impact: Confidence, compliance and collaboration

The results speak volumes.

Audit-ready processes

Auditors now have self-serve access to sign-offs, checklists and documentation – all within Paytools.

Stronger collaboration

Even external teams now have visibility and can sign off via automated guest access.

Scalable adoption

The university recently expanded their licenses from 10 to 20, enabling broader team participation.

Faster onboarding

New starters can easily pick up tasks thanks to clear process documentation.

One standout feature? When working with consultants to complete a pay configuration audit, the recommendations were added directly into the Paytools' issues register. The UoS team were then able to skip the post audit manual admin, as well as track how they were resolving these issues in the register (as well as add their own issues moving forward).

By formalising this process they could easily escalate with management, and because they better understand their problems – it was much easier to resolve all identified systemic issues.

Issues register — The Paytools issues register, where audit recommendations are tracked and resolved.

Paytools has now been called out a few times by leaders as having major positive impacts for both internal and external audits.

Mel's final words: "Just do it"

When asked what she'd say to another person who's considering using Paytools, Mel didn't hesitate:

"What are you waiting for? Just do it."

Mel Quinn · Head of HR Services and Payroll, University of Sydney

For Mel, the transparency and assurance Paytools brings to payroll is non-negotiable and a no brainer. If she were to take a new role tomorrow, she says the first thing she'd do is implement Paytools.

Takeaway

The University of Sydney's journey shows that with the right tools, even the most complex payroll operations can become streamlined, compliant and audit-ready. Paytools delivered exactly what Mel and her team needed – clarity, control and confidence.

If you'd like to learn more about Paytools, book a demo today!

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