How Payday Helped a UAE Real Estate Giant Cut Payroll Costs by 40% (Without Replacing Their HCM)

How Payday Helped a UAE Real Estate Giant Cut Payroll Costs by 40% (Without Replacing Their HCM)

Key Takeaways

  • 40% Reduction in Payroll Costs: The company eliminated per-user licensing fees by decoupling blue-collar payroll from their enterprise HCM system.

  • Payroll Cycle Time Cut by 70%: Processing time dropped from 4–5 days to less than 1.5 days through automation and streamlined workflows.

  • Over 90% Fewer Payroll Anomalies: AI-driven validations flagged issues like duplicate entries and missing bonuses before processing.

  • 100% Compliance Achieved: Built-in support for WPS, GOSI, and EOSB ensured region-specific compliance with zero manual intervention.

  • 2,000+ Site Workers Onboarded via Mobile ESS: A multilingual, mobile-ready portal improved adoption and experience across the blue-collar workforce.

A leading GCC based real estate conglomerate streamlined payroll for over 2,000 blue collar employees using Paydaysuite. The company achieved full compliance, improved accuracy, and eliminated per user licensing costs all without disrupting their enterprise HR platform. 

The Industry Problem No One Talks About 

In the construction and infrastructure sectors, payroll systems often split along workforce lines. White collar employees are managed within enterprise HCM systems. But large, site based blue collar teams present a unique challenge and a significant cost. 

One UAE-based real estate firm with over 3,500 employees discovered that extending coverage to their blue-collar workforce on a top-tier HCM system came with a sky-high price tag. 

To avoid this, they moved blue collar payroll outside the system. The workaround involved spreadsheets, manual approvals, disconnected tools, and custom scripts for compliance files. 

This approach introduced delay, error, and risk. Every payroll cycle became a high stress event involving multiple departments and manual interventions. What started as a cost saving tactic had turned into an operational liability. 

What They Needed Wasn’t a Replacement.It Was a Fix 

Replacing their enterprise HCM was not an option. It was already functioning well for white collar operations. What the company needed was a complementary solution that could: 

  • Integrate seamlessly with their existing HCM stack 
  • Run payroll for thousands of blue collar workers without additional licensing fees 
  • Support regional compliance requirements such as WPS, GOSI, and EOS 
  • Automate approval flows, validations, and reporting 
  • Scale securely across sites while remaining mobile friendly 

After evaluating several providers, they selected Paydaysuite

Why They Chose Paydaysuite 

Paydaysuite delivered more than just payroll software. It provided a modular payroll engine built for enterprises across the GCC. The platform offered flexibility, automation, and control without asking the client to rebuild their infrastructure. 

Key Features Included: 

  •  Seamless integration with their HCM platform 
  •  A pricing model based on payroll records, not user count 
  •  AI driven validations that detected errors before processing 
  •  Built in compliance for WPS, SIF, EOSB, and GOSI 
  •  Configurable maker checker workflows for multi level approvals 
  •  Multilingual, mobile ready employee self service portals 

For this real estate firm, it meant gaining payroll control without additional system complexity.  

Phased Rollout That Didn’t Disrupt a Thing 

The implementation was executed in four stages to avoid operational downtime: 

Phase 1: Discovery and Data Mapping 

Relevant fields from the enterprise HCM were mapped and pulled into Paydaysuite using a lightweight connector. 

Phase 2: Configuration and Localization 

Multiple pay groups, currencies, and rules were configured, including site specific overtime, regional EOS policies, and grade based allowances. 

Phase 3: Workflow and AI Setup 

Custom approval flows were created for each business unit. AI engines were enabled to catch duplicates, suspicious spikes, and invalid encashments. 

Phase 4: Training and Full Rollout 

After two weeks of team training, a pilot site went live. Full deployment across major sites followed in week three. 


Real Wins from AI in Action
 

  • Overtime Fraud Detected in Real Time: When three managers submitted overlapping overtime for the same crew, Paydaysuite flagged the issue immediately. This prevented overpayments and saved over AED 28,000. 
  • Bonus Omissions Caught Automatically: During a bulk exit process, statutory bonuses were unintentionally excluded. Paydaysuite detected and corrected the error before final payroll was run.
  • 90 Percent Reduction in Payroll Anomalies: By the second month, pre processing checks and AI validations had reduced anomalies by more than 90 percent. 

Results That Mattered

Key Results of Payday

  • Efficiency: The payroll cycle dropped from four to five days down to less than 1.5 days. 
  • Accuracy: Manual validations decreased from over 50 to fewer than 10. 
  • Cost Savings: The company avoided additional user licensing fees and reduced processing effort across departments. 
  • Compliance: Automated scheduling and region specific validations ensured 100 percent compliance with WPS, GOSI, and EOS requirements. 
  • Visibility: Real time dashboards improved oversight for HR, finance, and leadership teams. 
  • Employee Experience: ESS adoption surged thanks to mobile access and support for Arabic and English. 

Voices From The Team

With Paydaysuite, we’re no longer choosing between cost and control. We didn’t replace our system we just made it smarter. Now HR and payroll operate like one team.
Head of HR OperationsUAE Real Estate Firm
I used to dread payroll week. Now it’s practically invisible. Approvals roll in, validations run automatically, and all we do is check the dashboard and click confirm.
Payroll Lead, Site OperationsUAE Real Estate Firm

Why It Worked

Paydaysuite delivered real value by enhancing not replacing the company’s existing setup. 

  • No migration or system overhaul was needed 
  • Automated rules replaced spreadsheet work 
  • Errors were prevented, not patched 
  • GCC compliance was embedded by design 
  • Every user group from HR to employees benefited 

Could This Be You? 

If you’re still running payroll outside your HCM to avoid licensing costs or complexity, you’re not alone. 

Paydaysuite is designed to work alongside your existing systems. It helps enterprises scale payroll securely and affordably without compromising on compliance, speed, or control. 

Connect with our experts to see how Paydaysuite can help you simplify payroll without disruption. 

*Note: The client featured in this case study has been anonymized for confidentiality.*

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How Payday Helped a UAE Real Estate Giant Cut Payroll Costs by 40% (Without Replacing Their HCM)
How Payday Helped a UAE Real Estate Giant Cut Payroll Costs by 40% (Without Replacing Their HCM)
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