For more than 20 years, Avenues to Community, Inc., a Dane County-based nonprofit case management agency, has helped people with disabilities live self-directed lives with a focus on serving others.
Yet payroll service was an ongoing source of frustration for Executive Director Kevin Keisling. Over two decades, Avenues to Community worked with six different payroll companies. The problems never seemed to go away.
“Each time we made a change, we hoped things would get better, but they never did,” he said.
Despite having a straightforward payroll with fifty full-time salaried employees, Keisling often spent hours reviewing payrolls, correcting errors, and communicating changes. The situation came to a breaking point late last year.
“The last company we worked with sent me seven different pre-processed payrolls to review for the final payroll of 2025. We almost missed the payroll for this last paycheck of the year.”
Looking for a better solution, Keisling turned to IPS after receiving a referral from a trusted insurance broker.
“I wanted someone I could talk to who understands how to process payroll.”
Initially, he was skeptical that any provider could fully appreciate the frustrations he had experienced. But IPS proved otherwise. The impact was immediate. Today, payroll takes less than an hour to review and approve.
“During a recent payroll cycle, I emailed IPS Senior HCM Specialist Mel Burton with two payroll changes. Fifteen minutes later, Mel sent it back to me. It was accurate and correct.”
“It’s like going from being frustrated with a company that just can’t do it right to doing it with one like IPS that can. I’m thrilled that I no longer stress about payroll.”
IPS’s Payroll Assist is a “next level” offering of payroll services. Rather than simply providing software, IPS becomes an extension of a client’s payroll department, helping finalize payroll, manage employee updates, and streamline administrative responsibilities. Many clients choose the all-in approach for even greater oversight and peace of mind. IPS provides payroll services to Avenues, including onboarding, benefits administration, and tax reporting. IPS is also implementing a flexible spending account solution for them in January 2027.
“I would strongly recommend that any employer looking at changing payroll companies start with IPS. Talk to them. You don’t need a large national payroll company. Look local and stay local with a company that can meet your needs.
“I wish I had made the change to IPS 20 years ago.”