How a Manufacturing Company Streamlined Payroll Processing
A manufacturing company with 300 hourly employees reduced payroll processing time by 90%, eliminated errors, and passed a DOL audit with perfect documentation using automated time tracking.
Company Overview
A mid-size manufacturing company producing industrial components with three production facilities across the Midwest. The company employs 300 hourly workers across multiple shifts, including production staff, quality control, warehouse workers, and maintenance teams.
- Hourly Employees
- 300
- Facilities
- 3 locations
- Pay Periods
- Bi-weekly
- Industry
- Industrial Manufacturing
The Challenge
Manual Timesheet Chaos and Compliance Risk
- Timesheet Collection Nightmare
The HR team spent 20+ hours every pay period collecting paper timesheets from three facilities, manually entering data into ADP, and chasing down missing or illegible submissions. Late timesheets created constant payroll delays and overtime pressure on HR staff.
- Payroll Errors and Disputes
Manual timesheet entry led to frequent errors—miscalculated overtime, incorrect hours, and rounding mistakes. Each pay period resulted in 15-20 employee disputes requiring investigation and correction checks. These errors damaged employee trust and morale.
- Overtime Compliance Concerns
The company had no real-time visibility into overtime hours. Managers couldn't prevent unplanned overtime, leading to budget overruns. Worse, poor documentation created significant exposure during Department of Labor audits.
- Audit Trail Gaps
Paper timesheets provided no verifiable audit trail. During a pending DOL audit, the company couldn't prove hours worked, break compliance, or overtime accuracy. The legal and financial exposure was substantial and growing.
The Solution
Automated Time Tracking with ADP Integration
The company implemented WorkComposer's automated time tracking system across all three facilities, replacing manual paper timesheets with automatic time capture, verification, and direct integration with their existing ADP payroll system.
- Automatic Time Capture
Employees' work hours were automatically tracked when they logged into their workstations. The system captured clock-in/clock-out times, breaks, and overtime without any manual entry. No more paper timesheets, no more forgotten entries.
- Real-Time Overtime Monitoring
Managers received automatic alerts when employees approached overtime thresholds. This gave them visibility to make staffing decisions in real-time, preventing unplanned overtime costs while ensuring adequate production coverage.
- Direct ADP Integration
Time data flowed directly from WorkComposer into ADP with one-click export. The HR team no longer manually entered timesheet data—eliminating transcription errors and reducing payroll processing from days to hours.
- Audit-Ready Documentation
Every work hour was backed by verifiable records with activity logs and optional screenshots. Complete audit trails documented all time worked, breaks taken, and overtime hours—providing bulletproof compliance documentation.
Implementation
The rollout was completed in just three weeks with minimal disruption to operations.
Started with one facility (80 employees) to validate the system and train managers on the approval workflows and overtime monitoring features.
Deployed to all three facilities (300 employees total). Configured ADP integration and conducted employee training sessions at each location. Set up overtime rules and break compliance monitoring.
Processed the first automated payroll using WorkComposer data. HR team completed payroll in 2 hours instead of the usual 20+ hours. Zero errors reported. Employees received accurate paychecks on time.
Successfully passed Department of Labor audit with perfect compliance documentation. Auditors praised the detailed work records, break tracking, and overtime documentation. Zero violations, zero penalties.
The Results
Transformational Payroll Efficiency
- 90%Reduction in Payroll Processing Time
- HR team cut payroll processing from 20+ hours per pay period to just 2 hours. Automated time capture and ADP integration eliminated timesheet collection and manual data entry entirely.
- 0Payroll Errors in 6 Months
- After implementation, the company experienced zero payroll errors over six consecutive pay periods. No miscalculations, no disputes, no correction checks. Employees received accurate pay every time.
- 100%Timesheet Completion Rate
- Eliminated the chronic problem of missing timesheets. Every employee's hours were automatically captured and ready for payroll processing—no more chasing down late submissions before payroll deadlines.
- ✓Perfect DOL Audit Compliance
- Passed Department of Labor audit with zero violations. Complete documentation of hours worked, break compliance, and overtime calculations satisfied all regulatory requirements. Eliminated legal and financial exposure.
- $85KAnnual Cost Savings
- Saved $60K in HR labor costs from reduced payroll processing time plus $25K from eliminated overtime overruns. Real-time overtime monitoring enabled proactive staffing decisions preventing budget overruns.
- ↑Employee Satisfaction Improved
- Employees appreciated receiving accurate paychecks without disputes or errors. The HR team redirected their time from administrative tasks to employee development and talent initiatives, improving overall workplace satisfaction.
"WorkComposer transformed our payroll operations from a constant headache into a seamless process. We went from spending 20+ hours chasing paper timesheets to completing payroll in 2 hours with zero errors. When the DOL audit came, we had perfect documentation for every hour worked. The system paid for itself in the first month and eliminated compliance risk that kept me up at night. I only wish we'd implemented this years ago."
Related Solutions
Explore WorkComposer solutions that helped this manufacturing company succeed.
Payroll Processing
Automate accurate payroll with precise time tracking, eliminate timesheet errors, and ensure compliance.
Compliance & Audit
Maintain audit-ready records, ensure regulatory compliance, and document activities comprehensively.
Employee Accountability
Build employee accountability with transparent time tracking and fair performance measurement.
Let’s get you started
Start tracking time, monitoring productivity, and generating insights in just minutes. WorkComposer is designed for ease, speed, and real results.
- ✓ Automatic and manual time tracking
- ✓ Real-time productivity reports
- ✓ Web and app usage monitoring
- ✓ Screenshots and attendance tracking
- ✓ Easy team onboarding
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