The problem it solves: Traditional payroll runs in batches. Data waits behind a cutoff date, then everything processes in one big run – and any late change means re-running and reconciling before the numbers can be trusted.
Along the way, admins move through a long sequence of separate screens – inputs processing, inputs review, results review, payments, payments review, post-processing, and finally approval. Pay dates are keyed in by hand each cycle, and reports are triggered step by step. The result is slow month-ends, heavy reconciliation, and a process that quietly depends on a few experienced people knowing exactly which step comes next.
What we built: Instaroll – a continuous payroll run experience, built into the HR Blizz Payroll Admin Console. Payroll calculates automatically the moment the period opens and keeps itself current in real time as data arrives. The multi-step run collapses into one place to review pay and a single action to finalise it, with reports generated at the right moment and every version retained.
Crucially, the calculation engine, statutory rules and compliance logic are unchanged. What’s new is how the run works around them.
What this means for your team
No waiting for a cutoff
Calculation runs continuously – there’s no manual “process the run” step.
Always-current numbers
Every change recalculates instantly, so what you see is live at all times.
One approval, not seven steps
Finalising a run is a single, deliberate action.
No manual pay dates
Pay dates come from the Payroll Calendar and closure happens automatically.
Audit-ready by default
Every report is versioned on generation – nothing is overwritten.
Up to 60% less time
Spent processing a run – with no change to your compliance position.
How it works – one continuous run
Instaroll replaces the stop-start batch cycle with a single flow that runs from the moment the period opens.
The period opens and calculation begins
A run is created automatically and payroll calculates in batches of 25, with live progress. Gross-to-net and variance are ready as soon as everyone is calculated.
Data flows in, results stay current
Changes from the run, the employee card, or a connected integration are picked up immediately and recalculated. Review live insights and per-employee payslip previews at any point.
Review, then finalise in one action
When you’re satisfied, a single Approve & Lock finalises the run – freezing inputs, generating the bank file and statutory reports, and recording the action in the audit trail.
The run closes automatically
On the pay date sourced from the Payroll Calendar, an approved run closes on its own – no manual closure step.
What payroll admins can do
| Capability | Detail |
|---|---|
| Continuous calculation | Payroll begins calculating when the period opens, in batches of 25, and recalculates on every change. |
| Inline pay-data management | Add, edit or delete recurring and additional pay elements directly in the run. Load data in bulk with import and export a pending-inputs report. |
| Real-time insights | Calculation progress, input changes, net pay, employer contributions and total payroll cost update live as data changes. |
| Gross-to-net & transactions | Move between the gross-to-net breakdown and the underlying transactions without leaving the screen. |
| Dynamic payslip previews | See each employee’s payslip as soon as calculation completes – exactly as it will appear if approved as it stands. |
| AI validations | AI surfaces findings grouped by severity, with the employees involved shown against each. Add your own custom validations. |
| Approve & Lock | A single action finalises the run – freezes inputs, generates the bank file and statutory reports, and records the audit trail. |
| Unlock before pay date | Reopen a run for last-minute corrections; queued inputs are ingested and recalculated. Replaced by bank-file regeneration on or after the pay date. |
| Master-data hot-fix | Fix details like an IBAN and regenerate the bank file after approval – even after close – without reopening the period or a full recalculation. |
| Report versioning | Every report is versioned each time it generates; the full history is retained for audit. |
| Payroll Calendar pay dates | Set pay dates once for the year; closure happens automatically on the pay date. |
Report generation
Reports are grouped by when and how they’re generated.
| Reports | When they generate |
|---|---|
| Gross to Net, Variance | Auto on calculation As soon as all employees are calculated. |
| Bank file, Statutory reports | Auto on Approve & Lock Can be generated before approval, or automatically on approval – statutory where configured for the country. |
| All other reports | On demand Generate manually whenever you need them. |
Everything is versioned: Every report is versioned on each generation – nothing is overwritten, and the full history is kept for audit and compliance.
Payroll states
| State | What it means |
|---|---|
| Open | The period is live. Inputs are being collected and calculated in real time. |
| Calculating | Auto-calculation is running across employee batches. Reports update as each batch completes. |
| Approved & Locked | The run is finalised and inputs are frozen. Reports generate; unlock stays available until the pay date. |
| Closed | The pay date has been reached and payment processed. The period is fully closed. |
Important to know before activation
A pay date is required. A run can’t be approved until a pay date is set for the period in the Payroll Calendar. Configure the calendar for the year before your first Instaroll run.
Approval leads to automatic closure. Once the pay date passes on an approved run, it closes and cannot be reopened. Complete your reviews before you Approve & Lock.
Enablement (configuration consideration). Instaroll requires back-office enablement for your entity – including a dynamic payslip generator and updated report and outbound mappings. Your Mercans team configures this before activation; discuss the right setup with your Account Director.
Works well with: AI validations and versioned reports – together they give you a continuously validated run with a complete, audit-ready history.
Audience at a glance
| Role | Primary action |
|---|---|
| Payroll Admin | Review live pay data, edit inline, Approve & Lock, and manage the Payroll Calendar. |
| Payroll Practitioner | Review inputs and variances, make inline edits, and monitor real-time calculation. |
| Finance / Compliance | Rely on versioned, audit-ready reports and an unchanged compliance engine. |
| Employee (via ESS) | Receive payslips once the run is approved. |