Every growing company reaches a point where payroll and HR work has outpaced the team running it. It’s rarely a software problem. Most teams already have the human capital management (HCM) software in place. The problem is that software doesn’t run itself. It takes people who know what they’re looking at, and most SMBs don’t have a deep bench to draw from.
Payroll prep eats a week every cycle. Multi-state rules shift faster than anyone can track them part-time. The one person who understands the account is out sick, or on vacation, or gave notice last month, and everything routes through them anyway. None of that gets fixed by better software. The software already works. What’s missing is the team that runs it.
APS Managed Services is built for that moment.
APS Managed Services is a payroll and HR service in which a dedicated APS payroll team and HR team work inside APS OnLine. You review and approve; APS does the work. It has two lines, Managed Payroll and Managed HR, sold independently, with no co-employment.
Key Takeaways: Managed Payroll & HR at a Glance
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Dedicated Teams:
APS Managed Services puts a dedicated payroll team and a dedicated HR team to work inside APS OnLine. You review and approve; APS does the work.
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Modular Structure:
Two service lines—Managed Payroll and Managed HR—are available separately. Optional add-ons layer on top of each line's minimum service level.
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No Co-Employment:
Unlike a PEO (Professional Employer Organization), you retain your own EIN (Employer Identification Number), your benefits relationships, and your insurance.
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Complimentary Audit Included:
Every engagement begins with a free 30-minute discovery call and includes a comprehensive audit of your current payroll setup before ongoing service begins.
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Built for Mid-Market SMBs:
Designed for companies with 25 to 250 employees (251+ handled via custom quotes).
What Is APS Managed Services?
APS Managed Services puts a dedicated payroll team and a dedicated HR team to work inside APS OnLine. You review and approve; APS does the work. Two service lines, sold independently:
1. Managed Payroll Services
Managed Payroll starts with Payroll Processing, a dedicated payroll team that owns the relationship from day one:
Batch prep and gross-to-net: your payroll team prepares the batch, APS OnLine calculates gross-to-net, and the team handles off-cycle and bonus runs as agreed upon.
Batch reconciliation: the payroll team reconciles the batch using attendance data within APS OnLine. (Active time card review, correction, and approval is available separately through the Time & Attendance Management add-on.)
Tax filing and remittance: the APS tax team files and remits federal, state, and local payroll taxes, and the payroll team administers garnishments and deductions.
Variance analysis: a prior-period comparison runs before every batch reaches you for review, so discrepancies get caught before submission, not after.
Professional tax services at no added charge: state ID applications, notice remediation, and filing amendments for payroll tax matters are included for payrolls processed with APS.
You review and approve each batch, and you name a primary contact and a backup so payroll can be finalized when your main contact is away. Managed Payroll has two optional add-ons that let you extend the line as your needs grow. Both layer on top of Payroll Processing, the minimum line of service for Managed Payroll, and can’t be bought alone.
Employee Data Management
Employee Data Management covers employee record data entry, so that work doesn’t fall back on your team.
Time & Attendance Management
Time & Attendance Management goes beyond batch reconciliation to active time card management within APS OnLine: reviewing entries for completeness, processing corrections, and handling approval and finalization. Before each payroll, we confirm there are no mispunches or anomalies and that time is approved.
2. Managed HR Services
Managed HR starts with HR Advisor, delivered through a dedicated HR team that your managers and employees can reach directly. A dedicated team, not a ticket queue:
Employee relations: performance conversations, a compensation “no,” a promotion denial, PIP construction, and termination sequencing, so your team isn’t building those alone.
Classification and pay compliance: Operational support on FLSA exempt vs. non-exempt status, contractor vs. employee classification, and overtime on bonuses. (You make the final classification and pay decisions)
Handbook and policy interpretation: day-to-day questions about what your own policies actually mean in a specific situation.
Manager coaching: coaching conversations for managers handling performance, compensation, and promotion decisions.
HR Advisor guidance is operational, not legal advice. Managed HR has two optional add-ons. Both layer on top of HR Advisor, the minimum line of service for Managed HR, and can’t be bought alone.
Benefits Administration
Benefits Administration takes on the benefits work that runs all year, not just at open enrollment: enrollment changes and terminations, employee coverage questions, COBRA administration, and ACA tracking and reporting. Enrollment and coverage changes stay current in APS OnLine, and APS works with your broker to support you.
Employee Lifecycle Management
Employee Lifecycle Management covers the onboarding and offboarding mechanics most teams never turn into a repeatable process: I-9 completion and reverification, background check and ban-the-box rules, offer letter language, final paycheck timing by state, separation agreements, verification-of-employment and reference requests, and workers’ comp and workplace-injury reporting mechanics.
It also covers leave administration, including FMLA eligibility and tracking, ADA accommodation conversations, PWFA, and intermittent leave, tracked in APS OnLine instead of in a spreadsheet.
APS Managed Services vs. PEO vs. Traditional Payroll Outsourcing
APS Managed Services is not a PEO. A PEO co-employs your workers; APS Managed Services does not. You keep your EIN, your benefits relationships, and your insurance. A PEO is a bundle priced and sold as a single package, whether you need all of it or not. APS Managed Services is modular: start with the line you need, add the rest when you’re ready, and never pay for expertise you’re not using yet. Add-ons work the same way: an add-on always layers on top of its line’s minimum line of service, so you’re never buying a piece of a team relationship that doesn’t already exist.
With APS, nothing moves without your authorization. You review and approve every payroll batch before it’s submitted, and you make every employment decision. APS provides the guidance and does the operational work, but the call is yours. The division of labor is in writing before service begins, and you work with a dedicated team that knows your account from the audit forward, not a rotating queue of whoever’s available. Check out our full Payroll & HR Provider Comparison Guide to see how APS compares to other vendors.
| PEO | APS Managed Services | |
|---|---|---|
| Employment relationship | Co-employs your workers | Does not co-employ your workers |
| EIN, benefits, and insurance | Typically move to the PEO’s umbrella | You keep your EIN, your benefits relationships, and your insurance |
| How it’s sold | A bundle priced and sold as a single package, whether you need all of it or not | Modular: start with the line you need, add the rest when you’re ready, and never pay for expertise you’re not using yet |
| Add-ons | Included in the bundle | Always layer on top of the line’s minimum line of service, so you’re never buying a piece of a team relationship that doesn’t already exist |
| Who authorizes | Varies by provider | Nothing moves without your authorization: you review and approve every payroll batch before it’s submitted, and you make every employment decision |
| Your team | Varies by provider | A dedicated team that knows your account from the audit forward, not a rotating queue of whoever’s available. The division of labor is in writing before service begins |
How Does Getting Started with APS Managed Services Work?
Every engagement includes a comprehensive Payroll & HR Audit – a structured review of your current setup completed before ongoing service begins or during onboarding:
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Payroll Configuration Audit: Review earnings, deductions, tax configurations, pay controls, and employee records.
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HR Operations Audit: Review compliance posture, employee handbooks, policies, and hiring documentation.
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Actionable Roadmap: Receive a documented findings summary and an action plan. APS carries out agreed-upon adjustments inside APS OnLine.
Who Is APS Managed Services Built For?
APS Managed Services is built for companies with 25 to 250 employees, especially when:
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Payroll or HR admin is concentrated in one or two people with no real backup.
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Multi-state payroll adds complexity.
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The team is growing faster than its operational capacity.
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Adding a full-time hire isn't the right answer, but doing nothing isn't sustainable either.
APS Managed Services is a fit for organizations in healthcare, nonprofit, hospitality, professional services, retail, faith-based, and education. Companies with 251 or more employees are scoped individually with a custom quote.
Where Do You Start?
If payroll prep, tax filing, or garnishment administration is consuming your team’s week, start with Managed Payroll. If employee relations issues, classification questions, onboarding, leave, or HR admin work are what’s actually eating your time, start with Managed HR. You can add the other line later, and you can add individual add-ons later—nothing requires you to buy more than the line where the burden is heaviest, right now.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the same as outsourcing our payroll or HR?
Not exactly. You review and approve every payroll batch before it’s submitted, and you make every employment decision. APS performs the operational work, but you keep the authority.
Do we have to sign up for both Managed Payroll and Managed HR?
No. The two lines are sold independently. Start with whichever one solves your actual problem, and add the other later—or never, if you don’t need it.
What does Managed Payroll not include?
Active time card review, correction, approval, or finalization. That’s handled through the optional Time & Attendance Management add-on. Payroll Processing reconciles the batch using attendance data within APS OnLine, but doesn’t manage the time cards themselves unless you add that service. Employee record data entry is part of the Employee Data Management add-on.
Can APS give us legal or tax advice?
No. HR Advisor, delivered through a dedicated HR team, provides operational guidance—employee relations, classification questions, handbook interpretation—but legal, accounting, and tax advisory services are outside scope.
How much does APS Managed Services cost?
Pricing is calculated per employee, per month (PEPM) with a line minimum, depending on headcount and selected add-ons. You can explore our standard software baseline on our pricing page or book a discovery call for a custom managed services quote.
Will this replace our in-house payroll or HR person?
It’s designed as backup and bandwidth, not a replacement. A dedicated team means the work keeps moving even when your in-house person is out, overloaded, or transitions out of the role. We ask you to name a primary contact and a backup.
Is APS Managed Services a PEO?
No. A PEO co-employs your workers. APS Managed Services does not: you remain the sole employer and keep your EIN, your benefits relationships, and your insurance. A dedicated APS payroll team and HR team do the work inside APS OnLine, and you review and approve every payroll batch and make every employment decision.
What is Managed Payroll?
Managed Payroll starts with Payroll Processing. A dedicated payroll team prepares and reconciles each batch, APS OnLine calculates gross-to-net, and the APS tax team files and remits payroll taxes. The team also administers garnishments and deductions. You review and approve each batch. Optional add-ons are Employee Data Management and Time & Attendance Management.
What is Managed HR?
Managed HR starts with HR Advisor, delivered through a dedicated HR team. It covers employee relations guidance, classification and pay compliance questions, handbook and policy interpretation, and manager coaching. Optional add-ons are Benefits Administration and Employee Lifecycle Management. HR Advisor guidance is operational, not legal advice.
What add-ons are available?
There are four. Managed HR add-ons are Benefits Administration and Employee Lifecycle Management, which require HR Advisor. Managed Payroll add-ons are Employee Data Management and Time & Attendance Management, which require Payroll Processing. No add-on can be purchased without its line’s minimum line of service.
What does the audit include?
Every engagement includes an audit of your current setup: an HR Operations Audit, a Payroll Configurations Audit, and an Online Systems Configuration Audit. You receive a documented findings summary and a plan of action, and APS carries out the agreed items. Timing is flexible: before ongoing service begins or during onboarding.
We have more than 250 employees. Can we still use this?
Yes. Companies with 251 or more employees are scoped individually with a custom quote.
APS Managed Services provides operational guidance and administrative execution. Legal, accounting, and tax advisory services are outside scope.
