The conversation around modernising tech has shifted. Budgets are under pressure, expectations are higher, and executives want to see clear, defensible return on investment from every major decision. In that environment, it’s no longer enough for HR and payroll technology to promise innovation or capability. It must deliver measurable value – quickly, transparently and sustainably. 

The hidden premiums behind ‘keeping the lights on’

For organisations running long-standing on-premise HR and payroll systems, support deadlines are driving difficult decisions. Yes, extended support is available, but it comes at a premium, meaning organisations are sometimes paying more simply to maintain their current position. Not because they’re gaining new capability, but because change has been deferred. 

That dynamic tends to land heavily in boardrooms. Not because it is unaffordable in isolation, but because it raises a question no one can avoid. What are we actually getting for this money? 

In these situations, the value often lies in having a partner with the specialist implementation expertise, who takes the time to understand how your organisation operates today, your future ambitions, and the pace of change that makes sense, so any transition is grounded in real operational need rather than imposed timelines. 

Real ROI looks very different

True return on HR and payroll tech investment doesn’t come from adopting a new platform because the support clock is ticking. It comes from systems that: 

  • free your teams from repetitive firefighting 
  • reduce costly payroll errors 
  • automate complex payroll calculations and validations, reducing time spent on off-payroll checks and Excel-based reconciliations 
  • give you real-time insights into your workforce 
  • remove the need for heavy customisation and workarounds 
  • scale up or down as your organisation moves 

And here’s the important part. ROI should appear in months, not years. 

We see it all the time. One organisation cut its month-end close from 10 days to 3. Another reduced payroll queries by 80% through AI-enabled self-service. 

Those aren’t abstract benefits. They go straight to your bottom line. 

Why some market-led upgrades fail to deliver progress

Once you define ROI in those terms, it becomes clearer why some upgrade programmes across the market fail to feel like progress. 

In certain technology models, upgrades are driven primarily by underlying platform change rather than business outcomes. Organisations can find themselves rebuilding systems, recreating existing processes and revalidating customisations simply to remain supported – often with significant effort and disruption, but limited new capability. 

When change is driven by platform lifecycles rather than outcomes, progress can feel limited despite the time and cost involved.  It’s an expensive way to stand still and pay for the privilege. 

Transparent value, without disruption

This is where the choice of partner makes a real difference. With Zellis, organisations have clear visibility of what they’re paying for, how costs will evolve, and the value they can expect in return. There are no hidden premiums, escalating maintenance fees or pressure to buy unnecessary functionality – just transparent pricing that supports confident budgeting and deliberate investment. 

Progress shouldn’t come at the expense of stability. A modern HR and payroll platform should improve continuously through regular, incremental updates rather than disruptive upgrade programmes. New capability should arrive smoothly, compliance should be built in as standard, and innovation – including AI-enabled functionality – should enhance accuracy, efficiency and insight without destabilising payroll. 

Designed specifically for the UK and Ireland, ZellisONE already understands the local payroll and compliance landscape. This enables quicker implementations, minimal disruption and continuous updates, giving organisations the flexibility to modernise at their own pace while retaining control over timing, cost and direction.

Extending value beyond technology with Managed Pay

For some organisations, the greatest opportunity to unlock additional value in HR and payroll sits not only in the technology itself, but in how payroll is operated. Our insights show that 65% of organisations say they complete some or all of their payroll processes manually. 

Zellis Managed Pay allows organisations to reduce operational overheads by removing the need to maintain large in-house payroll teams, while still retaining visibility, control and accountability. Instead of carrying fixed internal costs, organisations pay for the level of service they actually need, scaling as requirements change. 

Combined with a modern, UK and Ireland-designed payroll platform, this approach can lower risk, ease skills pressures and free internal teams to focus on more strategic priorities -delivering additional ROI without compromising accuracy or employee experience. 

The bottom line is that value should be visible

As organisations approach the 2027–2030 window, many are weighing whether to pay rising premiums simply to delay disruption. For some that’s a pragmatic choice, but it’s rarely a satisfying one. 

At its core, the question is simple: Is your HR and payroll technology an investment that gives something back, or an expense you feel forced to accept? 

With ZellisONE, you get a modern, UK and Ireland-native platform with predictable monthly costs, continuous updates and faster time-to-value. One that delivers progress without the disruption, complexity, or hidden fees associated with more rigid upgrade models on the market. 

That’s what value really looks like.