Home Bargains, the privately-owned discount retailer known for its operational efficiency and loyal customer base, has successfully delivered a full-scale payroll transformation in just three months. This rapid project was completed in partnership with Zellis, the UK and Ireland’s leading provider of AI-enabled payroll and HR software, without disruption to pay following the sudden withdrawal, due to unforeseen circumstances, of support from Home Bargains’ previous payroll provider.
Since the implementation of Zellis, Home Bargains has already seen dramatic improvements in payroll efficiency and reliability.
98% reduction in onboarding time — from 23 hours to 30 minutes per week
39.5 hours saved per pay run through streamlined data handling
Automated HMRC integration, reducing manual effort and error risk
End-to-end digital payroll processing accessible from anywhere
Cloud-based platform enabling enhanced business continuity and future scalability
Faced with the unexpected risk of payroll disruption for a workforce of more than 30,000 employees — half of whom are paid weekly — the business launched an accelerated vendor selection process starting on 1st December. Zellis stood out as the clear choice, not only because of its considered and realistic approach to what could be achieved within the timeframe, but also because Home Bargains placed strong value on the people behind the product—demonstrating trust built throughout the selection process. A contract with Zellis was signed on Christmas Eve, marking the beginning of a race against time to ensure payroll continuity.
To meet the tight timeline, the teams adopted a minimum viable product (MVP) approach, focusing on replicating the existing system as closely as possible while deferring non-essential enhancements to a future phase. This strategy helped reduce implementation risks and delays while still allowing for meaningful improvements, including a successful integration with a new applicant tracking system.
Zellis assembled a dedicated delivery team in early January, working on-site and in close collaboration with a lean internal team at Home Bargains. Zellis’ Parallel Assistance Service (PASS) and Application Management Services (AMS) also played a critical role in supporting business continuity and supplementing internal capacity to ensure a successful delivery of this project.
To stay on schedule, communication was intensified, including daily stand-ups and co-located working sessions between the two teams. The joint effort demonstrated Zellis’ agility and unwavering commitment to the project’s “zero error, zero delay” mandate.
“This was a project with no margin for error,” said Tom Morris, senior technology innovation manager at Home Bargains. “What made the difference was trust, adaptability, and a shared mindset. Payroll is critical for Home Bargains and with Zellis, it wasn’t just about the technology. It was about the people. That alignment created an exceptional partnership we’re proud to build on.”
“This payroll transformation was prioritised above other major company projects. It shows just how critical payroll is to our business and how much we value getting it right for our employees” Morris added.
“The onboarding process, which used to take an average of 23 hours per week, now takes just 30 minutes — a 98% reduction,” said Kelsey Lea-Smith, Payroll Manager at Home Bargains. “Manual data entry has also been reduced by nearly 40 hours per week thanks to bulk upload capabilities. Plus, we’ve moved from a standalone payroll machine to a fully online process that can even be run remotely if needed. That flexibility is a huge leap forward.”
James King, strategic director at Zellis, added: “This project was an outstanding example of teamwork and focus. We embedded our experts directly into the Home Bargains team, which we knew would prove vital to delivering such a critical system on time. We’re proud to support their growth with a solution that’s built for scale.”
With the platform now live and stable, Phase 2, which will be launching this autumn, will focus on process optimisation. Zellis consultants are working closely with the payroll team to identify automation opportunities and further reduce manual work during the high-pressure Monday–Wednesday payroll cycle. This next phase is expected to deliver even greater operational gains, in line with Home Bargains’ long-standing lean principles.
