RE: Payroll tax calculation program for the USA

Booth,

It's been my experience that if they've had a payroll package around that
long, it probably does EVERYTHING they would want a p/r to do.
trying to replace it with a cannned package would probably do more harm
than good.

My advice would be to pick the most brittle parts and re-write them with
some post-1980's sensibilities.

I (re)wrote a custom package for a heavy equipment services company many
years ago.  It could do tricks you wouldn't believe.  full job costing,
multi-state/local taxes, multi-union, with all the accompanying
(employer/ee paid)deductions - all in the same week!   they had crews that
could work on 3 different jobs, three different unions in three different
states in a weeks time.

A few years ago, they got bought, and "corporate" tried to switch them to
thier payroll (peoplesoft).  they estimated it would take millions in
development costs to duplicate what they have now, and would take years to
implement.  lucky for them, they were sold again.  now the new "corporate"
wants to use thier (my - or I wish it was still my) package!

Rick

----original message----
Carl, I looked at the Para Research products a few years ago but not
recently.  At that time it had the typical AS/400 growth pattern  -  lots
of
old legacy stuff, lots of RPG, lots of monolithic program designs, lots of
energy spent to solve problems that no longer exist.

I'm hoping to find something where there is a layer dealing with the data,
and a layer above that to deal with the business rules.

ADP has advantages, but it certainly isn't the blessing the ADP sales staff
would suggest.

I'd agree there are some good PC packages but in the end they don't usually
tie in well with AS/400 applications.

Besides, the client's management's position is that an application that has
run without flares, fires, disasters, or catastophes for more than 20 years
is not an application to be lightly put aside for an ever-moving target
called Windows.  There is no application I know that gets more management
attention than their own personal paycheck.  :)