Armstrong Watson: Scaling securely as a Bacs Approved Bureau
Whenever we've needed to adapt processes, introduce changes or respond to new requirements, AccessPay has been there to support us. They've helped us continue to grow confidently, knowing we have a dependable payment platform and an experienced team behind us."
For over a decade, Karen Thomson has led the payroll function at Armstrong Watson through a period of sustained growth. Her role is to ensure delivery of a high-quality, compliant and efficient payroll service to clients while supporting the continued growth and development of the department.
About Armstrong Watson
Armstrong Watson is a leading accountancy, business advisory and financial services firm with offices across the North of England and Scotland. Founded over 155 years ago, the firm has built a long-standing reputation for supporting their clients through generations of change.
They support a variety of businesses, helping them achieve prosperity, a secure future and peace of mind through a wide range of specialist services including accountancy, tax, payroll, financial planning and business advisory services.
Armstrong Watson has been a Bacs Approved Bureau for more than 25 years, providing secure payroll payment services throughout that time. The firm’s payroll service supports organisations of every size and sector, from owner-managed businesses with a single director through to organisations with more than 1,000 employees. Its client base spans professional services, manufacturing, charities, healthcare, education, NHS organisations, agriculture, construction and more.
Under Karen’s leadership, the payroll service now supports around 2,500 clients, producing approximately 28,000 payslips each month and processing well in excess of 200,000 payroll transactions every year.
The Challenge
Before implementing AccessPay, payroll payment processing at Armstrong Watson was largely manual. For a bureau supporting thousands of clients, that meant every payment run depended on manual checks and interventions, leaving more room for delays and human error, and adding pressure on the team to hit payroll deadlines with little margin for error. And because Armstrong Watson processes payroll on behalf of thousands of other businesses, any error or delay risks more than internal disruption, it can affect client trust and the firm’s reputation.
The biggest challenge was the manual nature of the process. As transaction volumes increased, so did the potential for inefficiencies and operational risk.
Karen has seen the payroll function grow significantly at Armstrong Watson over the last decade, both organically and through attracting new clients. Client numbers, employee volumes and transaction levels have increased year on year, which is why having robust and scalable technology partners has become increasingly important.
We recognised that a more secure, automated and scalable approach was needed to support both our existing clients and future growth plans.
Why AccessPay
AccessPay offered a modern, secure and streamlined approach to payroll payments and bank connectivity, a significant improvement over the manual processes Armstrong Watson was using at the time.
In 2015, they decided to make the move to AccessPay.
The transition was straightforward and AccessPay worked closely with us throughout the process, helping us move from a manual approach to a much more efficient and secure solution.
But for Karen, the platform itself was only part of the decision. What’s kept AccessPay in place for a decade is the strong relationship behind it.
What has really made [AccessPay] stand out over the years, is the quality of the support and partnership. Technology is important, but having a provider that is responsive, knowledgeable and willing to help when challenges arise is equally valuable.
The Solution
A decade on, AccessPay sits at the centre of Armstrong Watson’s payment processing. Providing the secure link between their payroll operations and banking network. Day to day, it’s a solution Karen barely has to think about, which, for a bureau processing hundreds of thousands of transactions a year, is invaluable.
The solution is reliable, straightforward to use and fits seamlessly into our payroll payment processes. It enables us to process payments efficiently while maintaining the security and controls required for a large payroll bureau operation.
Security & Compliance
As a Bacs Approved Bureau handling large transaction volumes, security, governance and auditability are extremely important. AccessPay provides confidence that payment files are being handled securely and that appropriate controls are in place. This helps support our compliance requirements and provides peace of mind for both our business and our clients.
For a firm that’s held Bacs Approved Bureau status for more than 25 years, and that processes payroll for clients across sectors as sensitive as healthcare, NHS and education, that level of control is vital. AccessPay gives Karen’s team the audit trail to evidence it, and the day-to-day reliability so those controls don’t slow the team down.
Resilience when payroll is on the line
That level of assurance was put to the test when an issue outside AccessPay’s control threatened to disrupt payroll altogether.
One example involved an issue with our bank, where our Bacs service was inadvertently switched off. As you can imagine, this created a significant challenge because payroll payments could not be processed.
Although the issue originated with the bank, AccessPay immediately supported us throughout the incident. Once the bank had reactivated the service, AccessPay worked closely with us to ensure everything was restored and functioning correctly.
What stood out was not just the resolution itself, but the support we received throughout the process. AccessPay was there every step of the way, which helped minimise disruption and provided reassurance during a potentially critical situation.
The Results
Since implementing AccessPay, Karen’s team have seen some major benefits including:
- Improved efficiency through reduced manual processing
- Greater security and control over payroll payments
- Reduced operational risk
- A scalable platform capable of supporting significant business growth
- Increased confidence for both their teams and clients
But perhaps the largest impact has been on Armstrong Watson’s clients, that are at the heart of their business.
Clients expect payroll payments to happen accurately and on time. AccessPay helps us consistently deliver that expectation. Whilst clients may not see the technology directly, they benefit from the reliability, security and resilience it provides behind the scenes.
A long-standing partnership
Ask Karen what’s mattered most over the past ten years, and it isn’t just the technology.
For me, this is where AccessPay really differentiates itself. Over the last decade, whenever we have needed support, whether for process changes, operational queries or unexpected issues, AccessPay has been there to help.
The relationship feels like a genuine partnership rather than simply a software supplier relationship. The support team understands the importance of payroll and recognises that every payment run matters. That level of service gives us confidence as we continue to grow.
Next steps
Armstrong Watson’s focus is on continued sustainable growth while maintaining the high levels of service and client care that they are known for.
Within payroll specifically, their goal is to continue growing our client base, embracing new technologies that improve efficiency and accuracy, and providing even greater value to clients through a scalable, secure and future-focused service. This aligns with the wider firm’s ambitions for organic growth and strategic expansion.
Looking ahead, Karen is clear about what the payroll bureau needs from its technology partners as it continues to grow.
We expect our payroll service to continue growing and evolving as client expectations, technology and legislation continue to change. As we expand our client base and increase transaction volumes, we need trusted partners who can scale alongside us. Based on our experience over the last decade, I am confident that AccessPay will continue to support us through that growth, helping us maintain the efficient, secure and reliable payroll service our clients expect.
Her advice to other accountancy firms considering a similar move:
Look beyond the technology itself and consider the quality of the relationship you’re building. A solution needs to be secure, scalable and efficient, but it’s equally important to work with a provider that understands your business, supports you when challenges arise and can grow with you over the long term.