MAKING PAYROLL FUN

BRISBANE start-up Tanda has won the 2014 qutbluebox Innovation Challenge, with their digital solution that simplifies the process of payroll.

The four founders Tasmin Trezise, Jake Phillpot, Josh Cameron and Alex Ghiculescu received the first prize of $60 000, which they will use to take Tanda global.

Tanda has turned repetitive data entry payroll into an automatic process, saving thousands of Australian employees time and hassle.

The idea was born after three of the founders complained about how long it took to manual process timesheets, while working as executive officers at QUT Student Guild.

"Our flatmate Alex, an IT major, said he had a potential solution for automation which he developed and we trialled with the Student Guild in late 2012,” says Trezise.

"A year and half on, more than 5,000 employees around Australia are clocking in and out of Tanda.

“Administrative staff tell us they actually look forward to payroll processing because what once took them up to eight hours to do manually now takes them about five minutes." 

The annual qutbluebox Innovation Challenge welcomed alumni to compete with staff and students for the first time, ramping up the prize pool to $100,000.

Director of innovation and engagement Brent Watts says qutbluebox is about turning business dreams into reality.

"Events like this play a key role in helping QUT alumni, students and staff have a significant economic impact through their innovations,” Watts says.

The second prize of $30,000 was presented to Boardcave, a web software connecting surf board manufacturers and retailers together online.

Third prize and $10,000 went to Haystack, an app that organises, shares and updates business cards.