Transforming payroll for a growing aged-care provider

Heritage Lifecare is one of New Zealand’s largest residential aged-care providers, supporting over 3,000 people across 42 sites from Whangarei to Invercargill. 

As the organisation expanded rapidly, growing from 500 to 3,000 employees in just 18 months following a series of acquisitions, their existing payroll system couldn’t keep up. Outsourced to a single external resource, payroll was riddled with inaccuracies, lacked visibility, and involved time-consuming manual processes. 

To reduce risk, increase control, and prepare for future growth, Heritage Lifecare turned to Affinity with a fully managed payroll service. 

“There was no visibility of our payroll system whatsoever, and our reporting was inaccurate.” 

“Due to incorrect processes, it was quite a challenge to decipher. Our reports could only be checked months later.”  

Margaret Crozier, General Manager People and Culture, Heritage Lifecare  

With their payroll handled externally, Heritage Lifecare faced a growing list of complications: 

• Inaccurate reporting led to compliance risks and financial discrepancies—issues that modern cloud payroll could have mitigated
• Delayed verification meant errors were often discovered months after processing
• Fragmented systems made it difficult to manage data following acquisitions, underscoring the need for a unified workforce management system
• Manual data intervention masked issues and delayed resolution
• Lack of documentation left no audit trail or centralised repository
• Operational misalignment resulted in poor communication and inconsistent processes

“We wanted a system that could provide innovation and future-proof our technology—something more than just basic payroll software.”

“We weren’t going to make this change and then have to do it again in five years’ time. We needed a scalable, modern payroll system that would grow with us.”

Margaret Crozier, General Manager People and Culture, Heritage Lifecare   

To overcome these challenges, Heritage Lifecare needed a comprehensive solution that would: 

• Capture more than just payroll data to improve insights and decision-making through integrated workforce management software
• Deliver fully managed payroll services to alleviate administrative load 
• Provide robust reporting for compliance and operational clarity 
• Automate manual tasks to boost accuracy and save time 
• Scale with growth using flexible and modern cloud payroll technology 

“We needed a solution that did more than just capture payroll data—we needed a smarter, more strategic payroll system that could scale with us.”

“The Affinity Payroll system increased our compliance and best practice without needing to implement an additional HRIS immediately. Their payroll software Australia delivered exactly what we needed.”

Margaret Crozier, General Manager People and Culture, Heritage Lifecare   

Affinity implemented a fully managed payroll solution tailored to Heritage Lifecare’s complex and rapidly evolving needs.

Key features included:

• Increased compliance with payroll regulations and industry best practice 
• Dedicated Payroll Manager embedded in the business for daily support 
• Enhanced data accuracy through automated collection and reporting, powered by advanced cloud payroll
• Competency gap analysis for proactive issue resolution—enabled by integrated workforce management software and real-time insights from your payroll system
• Adaptable processes to support changing operational needs 

“We’ve improved our data collection and external reporting thanks to our new payroll system and integrated workforce management software.”

“It used to take weeks and weeks for one FTE to go through that information. Having Affinity Payroll has enabled us to reduce the time it takes and the potential for human error through accurate, efficient cloud payroll services.”

Margaret Crozier, General Manager People and Culture, Heritage Lifecare   

• Improved managerial control with better visibility into payroll processes 
• Reduced risk through stronger compliance and fewer manual errors 
• Greater trust and transparency via standardised, consistent workflows supported by a leading workforce management system
• Clearer information visibility that supports better decisions and resource use with integrated workforce management software and insightful payroll review
• Stronger relationships thanks to an embedded, reliable payroll expert 
• Accurate financial reporting to strengthen budgeting and strategy 
• Elimination of paper-based systems through a centralised digital repository 

For over 40 years, Affinity Payroll has helped mid-market and enterprise organisations across Australia and New Zealand reimagine payroll. As one of the leading payroll companies ANZ offers, we combine people, processes, and cloud payroll technology to transform payroll from a cost centre into a strategic asset. Our integrated workforce management system and advanced payroll software Australia solutions streamline operations, reduce risk, and improve decision-making.

If your business is growing or facing complexity, let’s talk. We’ll show you how our tailored payroll solutions drive efficiency, compliance, and insight so your team can focus on what really matters.