Catch missing punches and payroll errors before the run, not after payday
A done-for-you timesheet and payroll validation automation is an AI agent that checks every timecard, pay change and deduction before payroll is submitted. It reads punches from your time system, compares them with schedules, approved leave, pay rules and the previous run, and flags anything that looks wrong for your payroll team. People approve every correction. BufferSol builds it around ADP, Paychex, Gusto, UKG or Workday and logs every check and fix.
- Live in 3 to 6 weeks
- Works with ADP Workforce Now, Paychex Flex and more
- People approve what matters
Is this you?
Payroll and HR operations teams paying hourly or shift-based staff across one or more states, where missed punches, overtime and late changes create corrections every pay period.
- Every pay period ends with a scramble to fix missed punches and unapproved timecards.
- Off-cycle checks are a regular event, not a rare one.
- Managers approve timecards without looking, then employees report short pay.
- Overtime, shift differentials or state rules are checked by memory.
- Payroll can't leave for a long weekend near a pay date.
Today vs done for you
The current way, and the new way
What your team does by hand today, and what the automation does instead, step by step.
How it works today
- Employees clock in and out in UKG, ADP, Deputy or a kiosk; some forget, some punch at the wrong location.
- Managers get an approval reminder on the last day and approve in bulk.
- Payroll exports the timecards, sorts them in Excel and eyeballs overtime, missing punches and leave.
- HR emails late changes, such as a raise, a new deduction or a termination, sometimes after the cutoff.
- The run is submitted; errors show up when employees complain, and payroll cuts off-cycle checks.
What it quietly costs you
- · Each correction costs money and time, and repeat errors erode employee trust.
- · Wage-and-hour exposure when overtime, breaks or final pay rules are missed.
- · Payroll staff burn out from deadline pressure and repetitive checks.
How it works done for you
- BufferSol maps your pay rules with the payroll lead: overtime by state, shift differentials, meal and rest breaks, leave codes, and which changes need which approver.
- Each day of the pay period, the agent pulls punches from the time system and compares them with schedules in your scheduling tool and approved leave in the HRIS.
- It flags missing punches, overlapping shifts, unusual hours, overtime without approval and punches at the wrong site, then messages the employee or manager to correct them in the time system.
- Before cutoff, it reads the draft payroll register and compares it with the previous run and with HR changes, flagging new rates, deductions and terminations that don't match an approved record.
- Payroll gets a short exception list with the evidence for each item. A payroll specialist approves or rejects every fix; the agent never changes pay on its own.
- After the run, it logs every exception, decision and approver and sends a summary of recurring causes to HR and operations.
Your people
What changes for your team
| Role | Today | Done for you |
|---|---|---|
| Payroll specialist | Scans every timecard and register line under deadline pressure, then handles corrections after payday. | Reviews a short list of flagged exceptions with evidence and approves the fixes. |
| Frontline manager | Bulk-approves timecards at the last minute and fields complaints about short pay. | Fixes a few flagged punches during the week and approves with confidence. |
The numbers
What it's worth to you
Estimate the time and cost you get back with your own numbers. We baseline the real figures in week 1 and track these KPIs from day one.
Example inputs · change them to yours
The automated share covers timecard checks, register comparison and manager reminders; approving fixes stays with payroll.
Staff time back
18 hours a month
About 0.1 full-time people freed for higher-value work
Capacity reclaimed a month
$630
A year
$7,560
An estimate from your inputs only. In week 1 we measure your real baseline, so results are tracked against your own numbers.
Corrections per pay period
Adjustments and off-cycle checks after each run, baselined from the last six pay periods.
Timecards approved on time
Share of timecards approved by the manager deadline, tracked by location.
Exceptions found before cutoff
Count of flags raised and resolved during the pay period, by type.
Payroll processing hours
Hours the payroll team spends per run, measured with a short time study before and after launch.
Employee pay inquiries
Pay-related questions and complaints after each payday, from the HR inbox or helpdesk.
$291
15 corrections
Works with the tools you already use
- ADP Workforce Now
- Paychex Flex
- Gusto
- UKG Pro
- Workday Payroll
- Deputy
- When I Work
- BambooHR
- Excel
- Microsoft Teams
Guardrails built in
- The agent never changes pay, rates or deductions. Every fix is approved by a payroll specialist in the payroll system.
- Pay rules are written down and signed off by payroll and HR, and versioned when laws or policies change.
- Bank details, tax IDs and pay data are read inside your systems and never sent to chat or email.
- Every flag, message, approval and change is logged with a timestamp and user, ready for audits.
- If a data feed fails or a check can't run, payroll is told before cutoff instead of the run going ahead unchecked.
Why it hurts today
What teams say about this work
Common complaints from operators, reviewers and industry research.
A typical company makes many corrections every pay period, and missing or incorrect time punches are the most common error employees make.
Payroll staff describe strict deadlines with little room for error, and say the repetitive accuracy checks can lead to burnout over time.
Costs vary sharply by error type, and unentered sick time and tax setup mistakes rank among the most expensive payroll errors to correct.
Done for you
Live in 3 to 6 weeks
We do the build, the integrations and the rollout. Your team gives us access, reviews the pilot and approves go-live.
- 1
Week 1
Discovery and access
We map the workflow with your team, agree the outcomes and KPIs, measure today's baseline and get secure access to your tools.
- 2
Weeks 2–3
Build and connect
We build the agents and connect your systems, with your rules, approval steps, permissions and logging.
- 3
Weeks 3–5
Test and pilot
We test on your real history, then run a pilot on live work while your team reviews what the agent does.
- 4
Weeks 4–6
Go live and hand over
We roll out in stages, train your team, hand over dashboards and runbooks, and keep improving it with you.
Executive Ask: ask your business anything
One plain-English assistant connected to every system you run: CRM, helpdesk, ERP and accounting, HR, inbox and docs. Leaders get sourced answers in seconds and can trigger actions with approval. It respects everyone's existing permissions and logs every answer.
See Executive AskAsk it, for example
- How many payroll corrections did we make last quarter, and what caused most of them?
- Which locations have the most missed punches or late timecard approvals?
- How much overtime did we pay this month that wasn't approved in advance?
Does the agent change anyone's pay?
No. It reads timecards, schedules, leave and the draft register, then flags what looks wrong with the evidence. Employees and managers fix punches in the time system, and a payroll specialist approves every change in the payroll system. The agent has read access to payroll data and write access only to its own notes and exception list.
Can it handle state overtime and break rules?
Yes, as long as we write them down together. During setup we document the rules you follow by state and country, such as daily overtime, meal and rest breaks, and shift differentials, and your payroll lead signs them off. The agent checks against that written set. When laws change, payroll updates the rule and the change is versioned.
Which payroll and time systems do you connect?
Common ones are ADP Workforce Now, Paychex Flex, Gusto, UKG Pro and Workday for payroll, and UKG, Deputy, When I Work or ADP time for punches. We use official APIs or scheduled report exports where APIs are limited. During scoping we confirm what each system exposes before we agree the plan.
How long does it take to go live?
Most teams are live in 3 to 6 weeks. We map your pay rules, connect the time, HR and payroll systems, then run the agent alongside your normal process for at least one full pay period. Payroll compares its flags with what they found by hand, we tune the rules, and then the exception list becomes part of every run.
What does it cost?
It is quoted after a short scoping call. The main factors are headcount, pay frequency, how many states and pay rules apply, and which time and payroll systems we connect. You get a written quote with a fixed scope before any work begins, so you can compare it with the time your team spends on corrections today.
Pairs well with
HR & Recruiting
HR & Policy Helpdesk
Employees get policy, PTO and benefits answers in minutes, HR keeps the hard cases
See the outcomeHotels & Restaurants
Staff Scheduling & Shift Swaps
Build schedules and fill shift swaps without the group-text scramble
See the outcomeFinance & Accounting
Expense Report Audit
Every expense report checked against receipts and policy before it is paid
See the outcomeSources
- Employers make 15 corrections per pay period on average, costing thousands annually, EY says, HR Dive
- good - Payroll Specialist Brahma Employee Review, Glassdoor
- EY survey Payroll errors average $291 each impacting the economy, Business Wire (EY survey for Paycom)
Get Timesheet & Payroll Validation done for you
Tell us about your volumes and tools. A senior engineer replies within one business day with scope, timeline and cost.
Live in 3 to 6 weeks · Priced after a short call · Company emails only