Building materials and hardware
Payroll software for hardware shop staff
A warehouse keeper who opens at seven, counter staff who stay till eight, a driver who asks for an advance every other month. Pay them from one monthly run that reads attendance and writes the books.
In short
SimpleERP is payroll software for hardware and building material shops. Counter staff, warehouse keepers and drivers get monthly payslips from structures and attendance, with advances recovered, a Christmas bonus and deductions set per person.
Illustration of a payslip with Basic salary, Allowances, Bonus and net pay of 4,440.
A payroll day at Lekki Cement and Hardware
Lekki Cement has twelve people on the payroll: four counter salesmen, a warehouse keeper and his assistant at Ojodu, two van drivers, a truck driver, a cashier, an accountant and a supervisor. The warehouse opens at seven so contractors' trucks can load cement bags and rebar before the site day starts; the shop runs from nine to eight for masons and walk-in buyers. Unloading gangs are paid per tonnes moved and stay outside payroll.
Drivers and warehouse staff take advances often, usually before a family event or a holiday. At month end the accountant generates the run, SimpleERP recovers each advance's monthly share and pro-rates pay for absences, and the owner approves after a look at the flagged rows.
What does a hardware shop's salary structure look like?
Each person gets a structure once: Basic, a housing allowance, a fixed allowance where it applies, and the deductions that apply. Changes take effect from a date, so a raise in April leaves March's payslips as they were.
- Percent of Basic for housing and pension, fixed amounts for the rest.
- A preview of gross, net and cost to company as you build it.
- Christmas bonus on the seeded Bonus component, paid in full.
| Component | Counter salesman | Warehouse keeper | Tempo driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shift | Shop, 9:00 to 8:00 with a 90-minute break | Warehouse, 7:00 to 5:00 | Warehouse, 7:00 to 5:00 |
| Basic | $600 | $650 | $560 |
| Housing allowance at 40% of Basic | $240 | $260 | $224 |
| Fixed allowance | None | $40 for keys and opening | $80 driving allowance |
| Pension at 8% of Basic | −$48 | −$52 | −$44.80 |
| Income tax | Amount the tax tables give | Same | Same |
| Advance recovery | If any | If any | $60 a month until cleared |
How does the warehouse staff's early start count?
Put the warehouse team on a shift from 7:00 to 5:00 and the shop team on 9:00 to 8:00. Each shift has its own break and grace minutes, so the keeper checking in at 7:10 is on time and a salesman at 9:25 is late.
- Check in on the phone browser at the warehouse or shop.
- Mark all present, then fix the few who were absent.
- Sunday as the weekly off for everyone, set on the shift's working days.
Illustration of the daily attendance sheet on a phone with a Mark all present button.
How do I recover the drivers' advances?
Record the advance from cash or bank with a monthly recovery amount. Each run deducts it as its own line until the balance is cleared, and the driver sees what is left in self-service.
- Advances report with paid, recovered and due per person.
- Recovery stops itself once the balance reaches zero.
- A second advance can be given while the first is still being recovered.
What happens after I approve the run?
Approval posts salary expense, deductions payable and salaries payable to the ledger. Marking it paid from bank or cash clears what is owed, and every payslip opens on the employee's phone as a PDF.
- Payroll register per run with every component, exported to CSV.
- Add a line on the draft for overtime hours or arrears.
- A negative net pay stops approval until it is corrected.
One system
What it connects to
Attendance and advances feed the run, and approval writes salary expense and the payables to the books.
Building materials and hardware
Mixed-rate invoices, stock by warehouse and shop, and contractor credit with ageing.
See howInvoicing & tax
Tax invoices with VAT, GST or sales tax on every line, numbered by fiscal year and posted in one step.
See howInventory for hardware shops
Cement, steel, pipes and paint by warehouse and shop, in their own units, at average cost, with a reorder level for every size.
See howAccounting for hardware shops
Contractor credit and ageing, dealer payables, cheque receipts and month-end checks, built from posted bills.
See howPayroll
Salary structures, monthly runs and payslips with your earnings and deductions, posted to the books.
See how
Honest limits
What SimpleERP does not do yet
- Income tax withholding is not computed from government tables; you set the deduction per employee
- Social security, pension and end-of-service amounts are components you set, not statutory calculations
- No biometric device integration: attendance is marked on the phone or entered by HR
- No per-load or daily wages: unloading gangs and loaders are paid as expenses, not through payroll
- No overtime calculation from check-out times; add the overtime amount as a line on the run
Getting started
Start with payroll
Sign up with your email
Name, email and a password. No card for the seven-day trial.
Tell us about the business
Pick your country and, if you are registered, type your tax number. Accounts, tax rates, units, roles and numbering are seeded for that country.
Add your people
Add the counter staff, warehouse team and drivers with their shift and joining date, then give each a structure with Basic, housing, any allowance and pension.
Run the first payroll
Attendance and leave feed the run; payslips post to the books and staff see them on their phones.
FAQ
Questions, answered
Can I pay the unloading gang through payroll?
No. Payroll in SimpleERP is monthly and needs a salary structure. Pay gangs per load as an expense, with the slip photo attached, and the cost still lands in the P&L under the category you choose.
My driver wants another advance before the first is cleared. Can I give it?
Yes. Each advance has its own recovery amount, and each run deducts both until they are cleared. The advances page shows the two balances separately.
How do I pay the Christmas bonus?
Add a Bonus line to each payslip in the December run, or to the structures for that month. Bonus is not pro-rated, so someone with two days of leave still gets the full amount.
Does SimpleERP compute income tax on salaries?
No. You set the tax amount per employee from the tax tables, and every run deducts it and posts it to a payable. Paying and filing it stays with you or your consultant.
Related
Keep reading
Building materials and hardware
Mixed-rate invoices, stock by warehouse and shop, and contractor credit with ageing.
Read moreInvoicing & tax
Tax invoices with VAT, GST or sales tax on every line, numbered by fiscal year and posted in one step.
Read moreAccounting for hardware shops
Contractor credit and ageing, dealer payables, cheque receipts and month-end checks, built from posted bills.
Read more
See how payroll works in SimpleERP for building materials and hardware
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