In payroll management, which of the following is a major benefit achieved by implementing a computerized payroll system?

Introduction / Context:
This question focuses on the advantages of using computerized payroll systems. Organisations adopt payroll software to reduce errors, save time, and maintain compliance with tax and labour regulations. Understanding these benefits helps candidates appreciate why manual payroll processes are being replaced by automated systems in most modern workplaces.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- The organisation is considering or using a computerized payroll system instead of manual calculations.
- We are interested in genuine benefits that such a system can realistically provide.
- Options include both realistic and clearly exaggerated or impossible outcomes.

Concept / Approach:
Computerized payroll systems can automatically calculate gross pay, overtime, bonuses, statutory deductions, and net pay based on stored rules and employee data. This reduces manual calculation errors and speeds up processing. Such systems also help generate reports for management and regulators. However, they do not remove legal responsibilities, do not eliminate the need for input data, and cannot guarantee profits, which depend on many other factors.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the option that describes realistic operational benefits such as accuracy and speed. Step 2: Evaluate whether the system can remove legal obligations or audits; this is not realistic. Step 3: Consider whether payroll can function without employee or time data; this is impossible. Step 4: Select option A, which accurately states improved accuracy and faster processing as major benefits.

Verification / Alternative check:
Payroll professionals and HR managers frequently cite reduced errors, time savings, and easier compliance reporting as key reasons for adopting payroll software. Vendor documentation also highlights automation of calculations and reports, not the elimination of legal requirements or automatic profitability. This real world evidence confirms that option A reflects a true benefit of computerized payroll systems.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B is wrong because legal and audit requirements still apply, and in some cases become more demanding as records are easier to analyse. Option C is incorrect since accurate payroll still requires employee master data and time and attendance information. Option D is clearly incorrect because no payroll system can guarantee organisational profit, which depends on revenue, cost structure, and market conditions, not just on payroll processing.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to overestimate what technology can do and believe that software removes the need for basic controls or compliance. Another pitfall is to assume that automation means no human input, when in fact good payroll still requires accurate data entry, review, and approval. The safe exam approach is to select benefits that are operational and realistic, such as accuracy and speed, and reject options that promise impossibilities.

Final Answer:
The correct choice is Improved accuracy and faster processing of salary calculations and statutory deductions..