Payroll Policy Miner Automating Legacy Rule Extraction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Configuring a payroll processing system is complex and time-consuming due to the need to identify and implement various policies from disparate legacy systems, often requiring technical knowledge and manual intervention, which can lead to inefficiencies and inaccuracies in payroll processing.

Innovation Solution

A payroll policy miner system that identifies and translates payroll rules from a legacy system into policy configuration options, allowing for the creation of policy instances that automate payroll processing, reducing the need for manual configuration and accelerating the onboarding process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If manual configuration methods are used to implement payroll policies in information systems, then policy implementation can be achieved, but the configuration process becomes complex and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepolicy implementation accuracyVSAvoidconfiguration time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables self-service by automatically extracting payroll policies from legacy systems through machine learning and natural language processing, eliminating the need for manual consultant intervention. The policy mining system autonomously identifies, translates, and configures payroll rules, allowing the organization to implement policies without external expertise while maintaining high accuracy through automated validation mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces manual mechanical configuration processes with automated intelligent systems. Machine learning models and natural language processing algorithms substitute human consultants' work, automatically translating legacy payroll rules into modern system configurations. This substitution dramatically reduces configuration time while maintaining reliability through automated policy validation and testing frameworks.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If consultants are used to identify and implement payroll policies, then accurate policy implementation is achieved, but the process requires significant manual intervention and technical knowledge

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepolicy implementation accuracyVSAvoidconfiguration simplicity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system empowers organizations to perform policy implementation independently without consultant assistance. The automated policy mining technology extracts, interprets, and configures payroll policies directly from legacy systems, making the process accessible to internal IT teams without requiring specialized external expertise. This maintains accuracy through automated validation while dramatically improving ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary policy mining system that bridges legacy payroll systems and modern information systems. This intermediary automatically translates and adapts policies between systems, eliminating the need for human consultants to manually interpret and reimplement rules. The intermediary maintains policy integrity while simplifying the migration process for end users.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Adaptability or versatility

If disparate legacy systems are migrated to a new payroll system, then system consolidation is achieved, but the onboarding process becomes complex requiring meticulous policy identification

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem consolidation capabilityVSAvoidonboarding complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The policy mining system provides universal functionality by handling multiple legacy system formats and structures through a single automated platform. It can extract policies from various sources (databases, flat files, legacy applications) and translate them into a unified modern payroll system format. This multi-functional capability consolidates disparate systems while simplifying onboarding by presenting a consistent interface regardless of source system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system segments the complex migration process into manageable automated components: policy extraction from legacy systems, policy translation to modern formats, policy validation, and system configuration. Each segment is handled by specialized automated modules, reducing overall onboarding complexity while maintaining the ability to handle diverse legacy systems through modular processing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS11276122B2Payroll policy miner

Publication Date: 2022.03.15 ADP INC

AI summary

A method, apparatus, and computer program product for configuring a payroll system. The method identifies a subset of rules from a group of payroll rules. The subset of rules correctly correlates payroll input data to payroll output data for a legacy payroll system of an organization. The method translates the subset of rules into a group of policy configuration options for a group of payroll policy templates. The method receives a selection from the group of policy configuration options to create a policy instance for the payroll processing system. The method configures the payroll processing system according to the policy instance.