The Town of East Fremantle, Western Australia, has furthered its reputation as an early adopter of technology and innovation by being one of Perth’s first councils to deploy an entirely digital payroll system.
In a project devised and implemented by Council’s Corporate Services team, efficiencies and savings are already being experienced since its introduction in late 2020.
Executive Manager Corporate Services, Peter Kocian, said, “Altus Payroll has delivered some huge efficiencies for all staff in terms of introducing payroll by exception (timesheets are only required for staff who work variable hours and outdoor staff) and digital leave approvals (single source of truth for all leave taken).”
This latest project reflects the unwavering commitment from the entire team to introducing new technological solutions.
This commitment to innovation also paid dividends for Council during COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 and early 2021 where all services were delivered remotely with no interruption in service quality and availability.
The key to the rollout of the ‘Definitiv’ system, Kocian explained, was the introduction of mobile tablet devices for Council’s Operations team, enabling the outdoor crew staff to record their time against work activities, in real time.
This presented the opportunity to review works cost centres, with a view of capturing more accurate data on the types of works activities undertaken when out in the field, providing a truer picture of service levels.
This informs the scheduling of maintenance activities, allowing for adjustments where necessary for ongoing improvement.
The introduction of technology has allowed Council to leverage further advantages such as capturing, receiving and actioning maintenance and service requests while out in the field.
“Altus Payroll, therefore, has brought a transformational shift in the Town’s operations.”
