Digitising Complex, Multi-Entity Payroll and Workforce Operations
Overview
Payroll and HR operations were highly fragmented across its multiple business units and countries of operation. The shipping vertical posed distinct challenges—such as maritime labor compliance, multi-currency settlements, and day-based tax residency—that could not be addressed with standard enterprise tools. Manual processes further introduced risks of delays, errors, and compliance gaps, particularly for seafaring employees who often faced limited access to HR services. The need for a scalable, intelligent, and maritime-sensitive HR and payroll solution was imperative.
Our Client
Our client is a diversified industrial conglomerate with a strong presence in Chemicals, Engineering, Metals, and Shipping. With active operations across India, Egypt, and the U.S., the Group manages a complex, geographically distributed workforce—ranging from land-based factory employees to maritime crew—each governed by unique statutory, operational, and compliance obligations.
AscentHR helped us digitise and unify complex payroll across land and sea. With SailPay and AI-driven tools, we’ve reduced errors, improved compliance, and delivered a consistent HR experience.
Challenges
• Multi-Entity, Multi-Country Complexity
Each business unit and geography operated with its own statutory rules and payroll cycles, requiring a unified yet configurable system.
• Shipping Sector Complexity
Crew payroll needed to comply with maritime laws (MLC 2006), handle multi-currency processing, and compute day-based international tax obligations.
• Manual, Siloed Operations
Excel and email-based workflows limited agility, traceability, and compliance control across all HR/payroll functions.
• Employee Experience Disparity
Offshore employees had inconsistent access to HR services, leading to delayed query resolutions and reduced transparency.
Solution
Solutions implemented by AscentHR:
1. SailPay – Maritime Payroll Engine
A specialised version of PowerPay tailored for the Shipping vertical, handling:
• MLC 2006 and DG Shipping compliance
• Multi-currency disbursements
• Day-based tax residency rules
• Voyage-linked pay cycles and leave rotations
2. PowerPay – Enterprise Payroll Core
Deployed across non-shipping entities with tax-compliant configurations, automated pre-disbursal checks, and audit-trail generation.
3. StoHRM – Unified HRMS
Centralised HR operations with multi-location attendance, performance tracking, and unified employee records.
4. IMDR – Machine Learning–Based Payroll QC
Deployed anomaly detection and trend analysis for payroll validation before disbursal, reducing error rates.
5. Tia – Conversational HR Assistant
A multilingual chatbot activated across land and ship-based teams to handle FAQs and improve service turnaround.
6. GenAI OCR for EPSF/ITDF
Automated document extraction and validation for shipping records, improving compliance readiness and audit throughput.
7. Tru HCM Companion – Co-Pilot Interface
Equipped HR and operations with an intelligent dashboard to monitor crew lifecycle events, compliance, and onboard/offboard status.
Outcomes
The outcomes from the engagement were:
- Achieved 95% automation in crew payroll, minimizing manual processing.
- Realized 30% reduction in payroll errors through ML-based quality checks.
- Improved compliance agility, enabling faster readiness for MLC and DG Shipping audits.
- Achieved 60% faster query resolution for both land and maritime staff via Tia.
- Built higher employee trust through timely, transparent payroll across currencies and geographies.
Conclusion
By partnering with AscentHR, the group transformed its complex, multi-entity, and multi-country HR and payroll landscape into a digitised, intelligent, and scalable framework. With specialised tools like SailPay and AI/ML-powered enhancements such as IMDR and GenAI OCR, the group now ensures not just operational efficiency but also maritime compliance, employee confidence, and future-ready workforce management.