As organisations continue to navigate increasingly complex global payroll environments, the ability to combine strategic advisory expertise with practical delivery has never been more important. 
With over a decade of collaboration between activpayroll and The LSC Group, this partnership provides a valuable perspective on how global payroll transformation has evolved and where it is heading next.
In this conversation, we speak with Lara Smart, Founder of The LSC Group, about her experience across payroll transformation programmes, the challenges organisations face today, and her view of a rapidly changing industry.
The relationship between The LSC Group and activpayroll began during a European tender process, where the need for a provider capable of handling complex, multi-country payroll environments became clear.
For Lara, what stood out was not only capability but approach:
Over time, this developed into a long-standing working relationship supporting organisations through transformation, re-baselining, and implementation support.
As Founder of The LSC Group, Lara operates across the full lifecycle of payroll transformation programmes, from early-stage due diligence and tender design through to remediation and implementation support.
Her work spans multiple engagement types, including:
Rather than a fixed role, Lara’s approach is defined by context. Organisations engage her at different stages of their journey, often when complexity, risk or misalignment requires specialist intervention and programme-level oversight.
In Lara’s experience, payroll transformation is rarely driven by a single factor.
Common triggers include:
Increasingly, payroll is being reconsidered as part of a broader business architecture discussion rather than a standalone function.
Across people, process, technology and governance, Lara highlights that organisations often underestimate the interconnected nature of payroll change.
Key challenges include:
A consistent theme is the need for end-to-end understanding across people, technology, data, controls and service, rather than isolated optimisation of individual components.
Reflecting on the evolution of global payroll over the past 25 years, Lara notes that while technology has advanced significantly, the fundamental challenges remain largely consistent, particularly around data quality, process integrity and operational alignment.
Key observations include:
Emerging trends such as earned wage access and pay on demand are also gaining attention, although adoption remains gradual.
For Lara, the future of payroll lies in elevating capability beyond administration.
This includes:
Her perspective challenges the traditional perception of payroll as a back-office function and positions it as a key element of organisational design and employee experience.
The long-standing collaboration between activpayroll and The LSC Group reflects a shared commitment to supporting organisations through complex payroll transformation journeys.
More importantly, it highlights the value of combining delivery capability with independent advisory expertise, particularly in a market that continues to evolve steadily over time.
To learn more about activpayroll’s partnerships and the services provided, visit our News & Insights page and use the Contact Us form to get in touch.