Paychex Flex vs. SAP Business ByDesign

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Paychex Flex
Score 6.6 out of 10
N/A
Paychex Flex, of Paychex' Online Payroll Services, is a cloud-based human resource management and payroll platform. Paychex offers core and specialized services, and scales to meet the needs of small businesses, SMBs, and large enterprises.
$59
per month/+$4 per employee
SAP Business ByDesign
Score 7.4 out of 10
Mid-Size Companies (51-1,000 employees)
SAP Business ByDesign is SAP's cloud ERP suite offering, launched in 2007, designed for the SMB market. The product includes a broad range of capabilities including financials, human resources, sales, procurement, customer service, and supply chain. Business ByDesign is a new platform, delivered entirely through a SaaS model, with functionality that overlaps somewhat with BusinessOne, which is also an SMB product, although not a true SaaS product.N/A
Pricing
Paychex FlexSAP Business ByDesign
Editions & Modules
Paychex Go
$59
per month/+$4 per employee
Paychex Flex Service
Contact sales team
Paychex Flex Enterprise
Contact sales team
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Paychex FlexSAP Business ByDesign
Free Trial
NoYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeRequiredOptional
Additional DetailsSAP Business ByDesign is available for a monthly software-as-a-service (SaaS) subscription, based on a base package, user types, and number of users.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Paychex FlexSAP Business ByDesign
Top Pros
Top Cons
Features
Paychex FlexSAP Business ByDesign
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
Paychex Flex
6.7
247 Ratings
16% below category average
SAP Business ByDesign
-
Ratings
Employee demographic data8.0197 Ratings00 Ratings
Employment history8.1220 Ratings00 Ratings
Job profiles and administration6.8155 Ratings00 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.7.3154 Ratings00 Ratings
Organizational charting1.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Organization and location management7.9138 Ratings00 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)7.5132 Ratings00 Ratings
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
Paychex Flex
8.5
288 Ratings
6% above category average
SAP Business ByDesign
8.4
2 Ratings
15% above category average
Pay calculation9.0271 Ratings00 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment9.1136 Ratings00 Ratings
Benefit plan administration7.2156 Ratings4.51 Ratings
Direct deposit files9.2270 Ratings9.11 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management8.5193 Ratings00 Ratings
Reimbursement management7.9105 Ratings00 Ratings
Leave and Attendance Management
Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Product A and Product B
Paychex Flex
7.0
144 Ratings
14% below category average
SAP Business ByDesign
-
Ratings
Approval workflow6.3102 Ratings00 Ratings
Balance details7.5136 Ratings00 Ratings
Annual carry-forward and encashment7.3110 Ratings00 Ratings
Employee Self Service
Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Product A and Product B
Paychex Flex
8.5
249 Ratings
5% above category average
SAP Business ByDesign
-
Ratings
View and generate pay and benefit information8.6228 Ratings00 Ratings
Update personal information9.0239 Ratings00 Ratings
View company policy documentation7.7111 Ratings00 Ratings
View job history8.7168 Ratings00 Ratings
Asset Management
Comparison of Asset Management features of Product A and Product B
Paychex Flex
7.8
40 Ratings
1% above category average
SAP Business ByDesign
-
Ratings
Tracking of all physical assets7.840 Ratings00 Ratings
HR Reporting
Comparison of HR Reporting features of Product A and Product B
Paychex Flex
6.1
164 Ratings
22% below category average
SAP Business ByDesign
-
Ratings
Report builder5.8134 Ratings00 Ratings
Pre-built reports6.8154 Ratings00 Ratings
Ability to combine HR data with external data5.683 Ratings00 Ratings
Onboarding
Comparison of Onboarding features of Product A and Product B
Paychex Flex
8.0
158 Ratings
0% below category average
SAP Business ByDesign
-
Ratings
New hire portal8.0151 Ratings00 Ratings
Manager tracking tools7.9100 Ratings00 Ratings
Recruiting / ATS
Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Product A and Product B
Paychex Flex
8.5
59 Ratings
9% above category average
SAP Business ByDesign
-
Ratings
Job Requisition Management9.732 Ratings00 Ratings
Company Website Posting9.730 Ratings00 Ratings
Publish to Social Media6.823 Ratings00 Ratings
Job Search Site Posting6.730 Ratings00 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention6.828 Ratings00 Ratings
Applicant Tracking9.633 Ratings00 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts9.853 Ratings00 Ratings
Customization
Comparison of Customization features of Product A and Product B
Paychex Flex
-
Ratings
SAP Business ByDesign
9.2
5 Ratings
24% above category average
API for custom integration00 Ratings9.24 Ratings
Plug-ins00 Ratings9.25 Ratings
Security
Comparison of Security features of Product A and Product B
Paychex Flex
-
Ratings
SAP Business ByDesign
9.3
5 Ratings
13% above category average
Single sign-on capability00 Ratings9.04 Ratings
Role-based user permissions00 Ratings9.65 Ratings
Reporting & Analytics
Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Product A and Product B
Paychex Flex
-
Ratings
SAP Business ByDesign
9.2
5 Ratings
28% above category average
Dashboards00 Ratings8.85 Ratings
Standard reports00 Ratings9.25 Ratings
Custom reports00 Ratings9.65 Ratings
General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of Product A and Product B
Paychex Flex
-
Ratings
SAP Business ByDesign
8.7
5 Ratings
13% above category average
Accounts payable00 Ratings9.24 Ratings
Accounts receivable00 Ratings9.24 Ratings
Global Financial Support00 Ratings9.22 Ratings
Primary and Secondary Ledgers00 Ratings9.22 Ratings
Journals and Reconciliations00 Ratings8.82 Ratings
Configurable Accounting00 Ratings9.22 Ratings
Standardized Processes00 Ratings8.01 Ratings
Inventory Management
Comparison of Inventory Management features of Product A and Product B
Paychex Flex
-
Ratings
SAP Business ByDesign
9.1
4 Ratings
15% above category average
Inventory tracking00 Ratings9.24 Ratings
Automatic reordering00 Ratings10.03 Ratings
Location management00 Ratings8.03 Ratings
Order Management
Comparison of Order Management features of Product A and Product B
Paychex Flex
-
Ratings
SAP Business ByDesign
8.5
4 Ratings
9% above category average
Pricing00 Ratings9.24 Ratings
Order entry00 Ratings9.24 Ratings
Credit card processing00 Ratings4.51 Ratings
Cost of goods sold00 Ratings9.24 Ratings
Order Orchestration00 Ratings9.22 Ratings
Subledger and Financial Process
Comparison of Subledger and Financial Process features of Product A and Product B
Paychex Flex
-
Ratings
SAP Business ByDesign
9.2
3 Ratings
22% above category average
Billing Management00 Ratings8.83 Ratings
Cash and Asset Management00 Ratings9.22 Ratings
Travel & Expense Management00 Ratings10.02 Ratings
Budgetary Control & Encumbrance Accounting00 Ratings10.01 Ratings
Period Close00 Ratings9.22 Ratings
Project Financial Management
Comparison of Project Financial Management features of Product A and Product B
Paychex Flex
-
Ratings
SAP Business ByDesign
9.2
2 Ratings
19% above category average
Budgeting and Forecasting00 Ratings10.01 Ratings
Project Costing00 Ratings9.22 Ratings
Cost Capture00 Ratings9.22 Ratings
Capital Project Management00 Ratings9.22 Ratings
Customer Contract Compliance00 Ratings8.01 Ratings
Project Revenue Recognition00 Ratings9.22 Ratings
Project Execution Management
Comparison of Project Execution Management features of Product A and Product B
Paychex Flex
-
Ratings
SAP Business ByDesign
8.3
3 Ratings
19% above category average
Project Planning and Scheduling00 Ratings9.23 Ratings
Task Insight for Project Managers00 Ratings8.02 Ratings
Project Mobile Functionality00 Ratings8.02 Ratings
Grants Management
Comparison of Grants Management features of Product A and Product B
Paychex Flex
-
Ratings
SAP Business ByDesign
10.0
1 Ratings
28% above category average
Award Lifecycle Management00 Ratings10.01 Ratings
Procurement
Comparison of Procurement features of Product A and Product B
Paychex Flex
-
Ratings
SAP Business ByDesign
8.0
1 Ratings
14% above category average
Bids Analyzed and Compared00 Ratings8.01 Ratings
Requisitions-to-Purchase Orders Integrated00 Ratings8.01 Ratings
Supplier Management00 Ratings8.01 Ratings
Logistics
Comparison of Logistics features of Product A and Product B
Paychex Flex
-
Ratings
SAP Business ByDesign
9.2
3 Ratings
29% above category average
Warehouse Workforce Management00 Ratings9.22 Ratings
Manufacturing
Comparison of Manufacturing features of Product A and Product B
Paychex Flex
-
Ratings
SAP Business ByDesign
9.0
3 Ratings
18% above category average
Production Process Design00 Ratings9.23 Ratings
Production Management00 Ratings9.23 Ratings
Configuration Management00 Ratings8.02 Ratings
Work Execution00 Ratings8.02 Ratings
Manufacturing Costs00 Ratings9.23 Ratings
Supply Chain
Comparison of Supply Chain features of Product A and Product B
Paychex Flex
-
Ratings
SAP Business ByDesign
8.6
3 Ratings
17% above category average
Forecasting00 Ratings9.23 Ratings
Inventory Planning00 Ratings9.23 Ratings
Performance Monitoring00 Ratings8.02 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Paychex FlexSAP Business ByDesign
Small Businesses
Patriot Software
Patriot Software
Score 9.0 out of 10
Acumatica
Acumatica
Score 8.7 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.5 out of 10
Infor VISUAL
Infor VISUAL
Score 7.2 out of 10
Enterprises
Infor Human Resources
Infor Human Resources
Score 7.3 out of 10
Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP
Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP
Score 8.1 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Paychex FlexSAP Business ByDesign
Likelihood to Recommend
7.7
(298 ratings)
9.6
(7 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
8.9
(42 ratings)
9.0
(3 ratings)
Usability
8.0
(240 ratings)
8.0
(1 ratings)
Availability
9.3
(10 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Performance
9.1
(10 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
7.7
(245 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
In-Person Training
4.5
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Online Training
7.0
(4 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
9.4
(11 ratings)
8.0
(1 ratings)
Configurability
7.6
(8 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
9.1
(3 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
9.3
(10 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
8.9
(31 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
9.2
(32 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Paychex FlexSAP Business ByDesign
Likelihood to Recommend
Paychex, Inc.
In my experience, Paychex Flex is well suited for small to medium sized businesses. It has been helpful in streamlining the onboarding process and it is easy to update and maintain employee profiles and records. It has worked will in a non-profit environment where there is clergy pay and housing, which can get quite complicated. I cannot think of a scenario where it would be less appropriate.
Read full review
SAP
Do you plan on going public at some point? If so, this may not be the best solution for you
Read full review
Pros
Paychex, Inc.
  • I like I can enter payroll and if I need to leave the program, I can resume at a later time and my information is saved.
  • I like the analytics & reports features.
  • I like how all my employees have easy access to their portal.
Read full review
SAP
  • I like the ease of use and the implementation methodology.
  • With SAP Business ByDesign you can integrate other systems with Web Services, and data technology to get information easy and fast.
  • SAP Business ByDesign includes an Analytics Module to create new reports in regards to your needs.
Read full review
Cons
Paychex, Inc.
  • Reporting writing is difficult to figure out
  • Employee turnover inside Paychex was a problem, until we were assigned to Neil Williams - since that time it has settled down
  • Pressure to convert personal connection with payroll advisor to using automated service
Read full review
SAP
  • Time off request could be better. Right now, there is no option for sick time
  • It crashes often
  • Customization could be better
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
Paychex, Inc.
Overall I like the features that Paychex Flex offers. I am sure that there are other features that I am unaware of, so I am excited to see if there is more that Flex is capable of to make my job easier. The basic features are really user friendly and easy to access. If there ever is an issue customer service is great
Read full review
SAP
SAP BYD work centers are consistent and easy to navigate once you understand one work center. The document flow tab that is in each window allows one to see all related transactions. Document flow is important because one is able to see the flow of transactions and can therefore reverse transactions by following the document flow in reverse. It is possible to group items in each overview screen to see what items are open. The system is working as hoped.
Read full review
Usability
Paychex, Inc.
Some things could be streamlined. For example, we could do custom options for the "add items" tab which has so many options that we never use. "Medical Pay" could be something that the system remembers for the applicable employees. Salaried employees' salaries should definitely be auto-filled. Overall the system works well but I think it could be improved to be easier to use and read.
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SAP
Because SAP Business ByDesign allows us to improve our work, reduce the operational steps, implement audit controls, allows us found standard reports or it allows us to create new ones if you need more than the exists are enough for your work or your needs. Overall, SAP Business ByDesign allows us to standardize our operations, enhance our work, improve our skills, work over a web environment or mobile interface.
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Reliability and Availability
Paychex, Inc.
We have not experienced any difficulties with unplanned outages. Notifications are always made for outages, and they do not effect normal business operations.
Read full review
SAP
No answers on this topic
Performance
Paychex, Inc.
Unless there is lag time within the internet, the Paychex Flex website loads exceptional fast, pages load quickly and reports that I need to print or download load quickly. If I need to create a specialized report, once I complete it I receive an e-mail telling me my report is ready to be downloaded. Changing between web pages is fast as well.
Read full review
SAP
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
Paychex, Inc.
Our dedicated representative is one of the main reasons we are sticking with Paychex Flex. If it were not for this person, other platforms could provide the same/similar functionality. It is the ability to speak with someone that understands our business and is willing to get questions answered in a timely fashion that keeps us with Paychex Flex.
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SAP
The Business ByDesign support is stablished since you contract the service with SAP. SAP resolves according to the service level agreement. Currently, we continue with the service and we are using the support channels available. We are receiving the support. The SAP support gets an incident and after that, they contact us to resolve the incident, if necessary, they set the meeting to understand it or we explain the incident
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In-Person Training
Paychex, Inc.
We did online training only
Read full review
SAP
No answers on this topic
Online Training
Paychex, Inc.
It was easy to understand and follow along. I do like the informational videos that we can utilize before we opt to call in for customer service support. It has made a difference since sometimes that resolves the issue I may have had and saved myself a phone call to Paychex support.
Read full review
SAP
No answers on this topic
Implementation Rating
Paychex, Inc.
Implementation was very smooth. The most cumbersome task was entering the current employees into the system during initial set up, but Paychex staff handled most of that and verified against prior system reports as well as internal reports provided to ensure 100% accuracy.
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SAP
I recommend implementing all workshops during the ERP selection that you need to know very well about the ERP software. It allows us to gather information to accurate the plan of the project implementation. Additionally, we must reach the high-level commitment to achieve the main goals, to define the RACI matrix and communicate to all project stakeholders.
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Alternatives Considered
Paychex, Inc.
We still use QB Desktop Pro to maintain a Check Register / Overall Balance for the company, but once having tried QB Payroll Online for about 3 months prior to finding Paychex Flex I can tell you that there's just no comparison. QB online is VERY EXPENSIVE and not so user-friendly. I hated every minute of those 6 payrolls we ran through QB online.
Read full review
SAP
ByDesign stacks up well against the competition. Companies that do multiple things are usually the best fit (manufacturing, distribution, and service). The more 'modules' used, the fewer competitors will be able to meet the company's needs. It is not inexpensive, but if the needs of the company have the complexity from either a global perspective and need localizations and foreign currency, or a volume perspective and need resources greater than what can be easily housed on-premise, ByDesign should be a top consideration.
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Scalability
Paychex, Inc.
Employees can log in at home and get up to date information on their FSA balance and any medical bill reimbursements they may have uploaded. At renewal time they have the ability to make changes to their FSA or for new employees star the enrollment.
Read full review
SAP
No answers on this topic
Return on Investment
Paychex, Inc.
  • I do not believe we have saved anything additionally. The time we've had to spend to get things to hopefully work is sad. This is the reason we've had to turn off all extra "products" of Paychex Flex. Time and Attendance is horrible. Benefits management is horrible. The user experience is horrible.
  • One thing I do not understand is why are updates for states, cities, counties, school districts, etc. not automatically updated? Should we not get a big red flag if we have an employee living/working, being paid in CA, but they aren't set up for CA sick time? If it is required to be on the paycheck stub to show the balance of the sick time, why would we not be notified that we are out of compliance?
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SAP
  • Positive - Access to the real-time reporting allowing for faster decision making especially when fixed price projects are heading into an over budget position.
  • Positive - Complex KPI can now be tracked and as a consequence intensive plans can be made to capitalise on this level of reporting. Staff also have clear visibility over their own performance.
  • Negative - We are a bit on the small side at 30 employees for a ByD solution so it was relatively expensive for us. It would be a much better value preposition above 50 employees.
Read full review
ScreenShots

Paychex Flex Screenshots

Screenshot of Screenshot of Screenshot of

SAP Business ByDesign Screenshots

Screenshot of With the embedded analytics of SAP Business ByDesign this is easily possible for key users or end users to define dashboards that contain tailored reports and KPIs for their roleScreenshot of Screenshot of SAP Business ByDesign comes with many reports pre-delivered by SAP. Customers can easily create additional reports or KPIsScreenshot of For each business document in ByDesign you can open the document flow, which shows you in a graphical the predecessor and successor business docuemnts as well as any associated accounting documents. This shows at what point you are in the entire business process.Screenshot of SAP Business ByDesign includes a Project Management module that is integrated with CRM to sell and bill projects, with HR to staff projects, and with SCM and SRM for procurement.Screenshot of The Financial Closing business scenario helps you to perform financial period-end closing activities to ensure correct financial statements, such as Balance Sheet, Income Statement, and Cash Flow Statement. The Closing Cockpit helps to minimize the risk of missing important steps or incorrect timing.