Building materials and hardware
Payroll software for hardware shop staff
A godown keeper who opens at seven, counter staff who stay till eight, a driver who asks for an advance every other month. Pay them from one monthly run that reads attendance and writes the books.
In short
SimpleERP is payroll software for hardware and building material shops in India. Counter staff, godown keepers and drivers get monthly payslips from structures and attendance, with advances recovered, a festival bonus and PF and PT deducted.
Illustration of a payslip with Basic, HRA, provident fund and professional tax lines and net pay of ₹27,660.
A payroll day at Krishna Cement and Hardware
Krishna has twelve people on the payroll: four counter salesmen, a godown keeper and his assistant at Gollapudi, two tempo drivers, a lorry driver, a cashier, an accountant and a supervisor. The godown opens at seven so contractors' trucks can load cement bags and TMT before the site day starts; the shop runs from nine to eight for masons and walk-in buyers. Unloading gangs are paid per tonnes moved and stay outside payroll.
Drivers and godown staff take advances often, usually before a family function or a festival. At month end the accountant generates the run, SimpleERP recovers each advance's monthly share and pro-rates pay for absences, and the owner approves after a look at the flagged rows.
What does a hardware shop's salary structure look like?
Each person gets a structure once: Basic, HRA, a fixed allowance where it applies, PF and PT. Changes take effect from a date, so a raise in April leaves March's payslips as they were.
- Percent of Basic for HRA and PF, fixed amounts for the rest.
- A preview of gross, net and cost to company as you build it.
- Sankranti bonus on the seeded Bonus component, paid in full.
| Component | Counter salesman | Godown keeper | Tempo driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shift | Shop, 9:00 to 8:00 with a 90-minute break | Godown, 7:00 to 5:00 | Godown, 7:00 to 5:00 |
| Basic | ₹13,000 | ₹14,500 | ₹12,500 |
| HRA at 40% of Basic | ₹5,200 | ₹5,800 | ₹5,000 |
| Fixed allowance | None | ₹1,000 for keys and opening | ₹2,000 batta |
| PF at 12% of Basic | −₹1,560 | −₹1,740 | −₹1,500 |
| AP professional tax | Amount the slab gives | Same | Same |
| Advance recovery | If any | If any | ₹1,500 a month until cleared |
How does the godown staff's early start count?
Put the godown team on a shift from 7:00 to 5:00 and the shop team on 9:00 to 8:00. Each shift has its own break and grace minutes, so the keeper checking in at 7:10 is on time and a salesman at 9:25 is late.
- Check in on the phone browser at the godown or shop.
- Mark all present, then fix the few who were absent.
- Sunday as the weekly off for everyone, set on the shift's working days.
Illustration of the daily attendance sheet on a phone with a Mark all present button.
How do I recover the drivers' advances?
Record the advance from cash or bank with a monthly recovery amount. Each run deducts it as its own line until the balance is cleared, and the driver sees what is left in self-service.
- Advances report with paid, recovered and due per person.
- Recovery stops itself once the balance reaches zero.
- A second advance can be given while the first is still being recovered.
What happens after I approve the run?
Approval posts salary expense, PF, PT and salaries payable to the ledger. Marking it paid from bank or cash clears what is owed, and every payslip opens on the employee's phone as a PDF.
- Payroll register per run with every component, exported to CSV.
- Add a line on the draft for overtime hours or arrears.
- A negative net pay stops approval until it is corrected.
One system
What it connects to
Attendance and advances feed the run, and approval writes salary expense and the payables to the books.
Building materials and hardware
Mixed-rate GST invoices, stock by godown and shop, and contractor credit with ageing.
See howGST billing for hardware shops
Bills in bags, lengths, kilos and litres with HSN on every line, contractor credit days and IGST for sites across the state border.
See howInventory for hardware shops
Cement, steel, pipes and paint by godown and shop, in their own units, at average cost, with a reorder level for every size.
See howAccounting for hardware shops
Contractor credit and ageing, dealer payables, cheque receipts and month-end checks, built from posted bills.
See howPayroll
Salary structures, monthly runs and payslips with PF, PT and TDS, posted to the books.
See how
Honest limits
What SimpleERP does not do yet
- Income tax (TDS) is not computed; you set the deduction per employee
- No preset ESI or gratuity; add them as components where they apply
- No biometric device integration: attendance is marked on the phone or entered by HR
- No per-load or daily wages: unloading gangs and hamalis are paid as expenses, not through payroll
- No overtime calculation from check-out times; add the overtime amount as a line on the run
Getting started
Start with payroll
Sign up with your phone
Name, phone number and a password. No card for the seven-day trial, and email is optional.
Tell us about the business
Type your GSTIN and the state fills itself. Accounts, GST rates, units, roles and numbering are seeded for you.
Add your people
Add the counter staff, godown team and drivers with their shift and joining date, then give each a structure with Basic, HRA, any allowance and PF.
Run the first payroll
Attendance and leave feed the run; payslips post to the books and staff see them on their phones.
FAQ
Questions, answered
Can I pay the unloading gang through payroll?
No. Payroll in SimpleERP is monthly and needs a salary structure. Pay gangs per load as an expense, with the slip photo attached, and the cost still lands in the P&L under the category you choose.
My driver wants another advance before the first is cleared. Can I give it?
Yes. Each advance has its own recovery amount, and each run deducts both until they are cleared. The advances page shows the two balances separately.
How do I pay the Sankranti bonus?
Add a Bonus line to each payslip in the January run, or to the structures for that month. Bonus is not pro-rated, so someone with two days of leave still gets the full amount.
Does SimpleERP compute Andhra Pradesh professional tax?
No. You set the PT amount per employee from the state's slab, and every run deducts it and posts it to PT payable. Paying and filing it stays with you or your consultant.
Related
Keep reading
Building materials and hardware
Mixed-rate GST invoices, stock by godown and shop, and contractor credit with ageing.
Read moreGST billing for hardware shops
Bills in bags, lengths, kilos and litres with HSN on every line, contractor credit days and IGST for sites across the state border.
Read moreAccounting for hardware shops
Contractor credit and ageing, dealer payables, cheque receipts and month-end checks, built from posted bills.
Read more
See how payroll works in SimpleERP for building materials and hardware
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