WAN Payroll System Architecture for Large Organizations
This paper proposes and evaluates a WAN Payroll System architecture for a large organization with offices distributed across the United States, all connected to a central data center via a Wide Area Network. The paper identifies the architectural framework best suited to the company's scale and payroll needs, outlines its key components — including a client-server computing model and WAN connectivity — and describes the essential elements of the payroll program itself. It also examines the types of technology required, such as high-speed Internet connectivity and quality payroll software, and addresses potential ethical concerns including privacy violations, unauthorized data access, accidental data corruption, and infringement of employee rights.
- Introduction: Context for automating payroll at a multi-office firm
- Selecting the Right Architecture: Why WAN Payroll System architecture is chosen
- Components of the Architecture: Client-server model and WAN connectivity explained
- Key Aspects of the Payroll Program: Hours, taxes, and labor data in payroll design
- Technologies Involved and Their Purposes: Internet and software tools supporting the system
- Potential Ethical Issues: Privacy, access, and data integrity concerns
- Conclusion: Summary of architecture choice and ethical risks
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper logically ties architectural selection back to specific organizational constraints — company size, geographic spread, and WAN infrastructure — rather than recommending a solution in the abstract.
- Each section builds on the previous one, moving from architecture selection to components, then to technology, and finally to ethics, creating a coherent design narrative.
- The inclusion of a dedicated ethics section demonstrates awareness that technical systems carry social responsibilities, adding analytical depth beyond a purely technical treatment.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates applied requirements analysis: it establishes organizational criteria first (size, connectivity needs, payroll complexity), then evaluates architectural options against those criteria. This "needs-first" reasoning structure is a sound approach for technology selection papers and reflects good practice in systems design argumentation.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with an introduction establishing the organizational context and scope. It then moves through architecture selection, component description, payroll program features, technology requirements, and ethical considerations before closing with a summary conclusion. This six-section body follows a classic technical proposal structure: context → design → implementation → risk analysis → conclusion. The approach is appropriate for an undergraduate IT or business systems course.
Introduction
One of the most commonly automated business processes in recent years is payroll, which is also one of the most widely used human resource solutions. The increased automation of payroll is attributable to the need to reduce the time spent on payroll processes, making it one of the first functions targeted for automation in the workplace. Despite this trend, several companies have yet to migrate from spreadsheets to dedicated payroll software — including the large organization examined here, which operates offices throughout the United States. The company maintains one large data center with all offices connected through a Wide Area Network (WAN) and is now developing an automated payroll program. This process requires identifying a suitable architectural type, the technologies to be involved, and any ethical issues that could emerge with the new architecture.
References
Bragg, S. M. (2004). Accounting for payroll: A comprehensive guide. John Wiley & Sons.
Erisman, A. (2006, October 1). Ethical issues with a new payroll system. Retrieved November 16, 2015, from http://ethix.org/2006/10/01/ethical-issues-with-a-new-payroll-system
Fairchild, M. (n.d.). Payroll software selection: A strategic approach. Retrieved November 16, 2015, from http://www.payrolllab.com/payroll-software-selection-guide.php
Furht, B., et al. (n.d.). Internet architectures for application service providers. Department of Computer & Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Florida Atlantic University. Retrieved from http://www.cse.fau.edu/~borko/Chapter4_ic.pdf
Khan, M. A. (2009, September 25). Chapter 1: Introduction to WAN architectures. Network World. Retrieved November 16, 2015, from http://www.networkworld.com/article/2248736/lan-wan/chapter-1--introduction-to-wan-architectures.html
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