When you enable the export of backups, payslips, or reports in your automated payroll recipe a location must be set to store these files.

How to set the file location

To set where you'd like your files to be saved, click the Automated Payroll tab in Sage Bureau Manager, then click Set File Location. The configuration window opens.

Ensure you have already created a folder to store files for all automated payrolls you run in your preferred location, then click Set Location and browse to this folder.
TIP: The file location can be on your computer or a server.

How are the files organised?

Automated Payroll automatically creates folders within your file location for each client. Within each client folder, Automated Payroll creates a folder for each payroll you run based on the process date used and the pay frequency. Within this folder, your software creates a new folder for Backups, Payslips, and Reports as required.

To illustrate this, let's look at an example.

In this example:

• The Set File Location is set to a folder named "BureauManagerData", on the C drive of the user's PC. The path to this is C:\BureauManagerData\
• The user has configured a recipe to export backups, reports, and payslips.
• The name of the company is Company 1.
• The pay frequency is weekly. 
• The user has run the recipe with the process date 31 January 2022.

Let's look at the folders automatically created by this payroll.

1. First is a folder to hold all files for this company. In this example, it's named Company 1. The path to this folder is C:\BureauManagerData\Company 1\.
2. Next, within the Company 1 folder, comes a folder based on the process date and pay frequency named 20220131 W. The path to this folder is C:\BureauManagerData\Company 1\20220131 W\.
3. Then, within 20220131 W, Automated Payroll creates folders for Backups, Payslips, and Reports. The path to the backups folder for example is C:\BureauManagerData\Company 1\20220131 W\Backups\.

These folders appear in File Explorer as in the image below.

In each subsequent Automated Payroll for a client, your software creates a new folder based on the process date and pay frequency which contains any files produced in that pay run. This process takes place for each client you process using Automated Payroll, ensuring your files and folders are organised.

Once you have set your file location, you are ready to configure your recipes and run an Automated Payroll.