The case against Microsoft's Excel as a payroll program:

    1.       As easy as Excel is to manipulate to make your payroll process easy, it’s equally easy for just about anyone to do the same….manipulate. It can be a security nightmare. Your payroll system can be compromised if it hasn’t been already.

2.       Excel is easy to manipulate but a challenge to make simple structural changes (add a new allowance, remove a deduction, give a general salary increase). Such changes required an advanced level knowledge of Excel and opens your payroll system to user manipulation and error

3.       Excel can’t produce your Annual TD5 forms at a click of a button or two…not even 5 clicks

4.       Excel doesn’t send an automatic email to the Accountant, CFO or manager a complete audit report; details comparison between last completed pay cycle and the current

5.       Excel doesn’t produce professionally looking pay slips

6.       Excel doesn’t allow you to save by emailing pay slips instead of printing and placing in envelopes

7.       Excel can’t apply the local tax laws to automatically calculate taxes, NIC

8.       Excel doesn’t allow you to retrieve consolidated (by period, by dept, by branch, by designation) reports for analytics

9.       Excel doesn’t have any provision for simultaneously sharing the payroll spreadsheet while retaining strict security protocols

10.   Excel’s spreadsheets are too delicate, formulas can get easily corrupted