Store Payroll Assistant

Problem

Small multi-store retailers often manage payroll through a collection of spreadsheets, messages, and memory. The calculation itself is only part of the risk. A reliable workflow must also make missing input, employee movement, store readiness, month-end confirmation, and recovery visible.

Store Payroll Assistant treats payroll as an operational workspace rather than a single form. It connects six views around one monthly state model while keeping the working data on the desktop computer.

Approach

The interface distinguishes estimated, confirmed, and closed amounts. Every employee must have valid, confirmed input before a store can close, and an all-store readiness view exposes incomplete work without requiring the operator to inspect each record manually.

Closing a month creates a stable snapshot. Unlocking a closed period requires a recorded reason so that corrections remain understandable rather than silently rewriting history.

Architecture

The React interface calls domain-focused workspace operations instead of writing directly to storage. A storage adapter keeps web development previews and the Electron desktop runtime behind the same contract.

Electron preload exposes a limited bridge to the local workspace store, protected backup routines, and automatic recovery points. Shared validation defines the backup format across the interface and desktop process.

Product Decisions

• Store and employee changes preserve historical month ownership rather than rewriting old reports.
• Invalid, unset, or unconfirmed payroll items block monthly close.
• Draft exports are visibly marked when a month has not been closed.
• Application locking uses a local PIN, while manual backups can be protected by a separate passphrase.
• Automatic recovery points complement, but do not replace, deliberate off-device backups.

Current Boundaries

Windows is the formal product target. The web build exists for local interface development and is not a supported payroll product. Public releases currently provide source code; a trustworthy installer still requires code signing and real Windows installation, upgrade, recovery, and uninstall verification.

All stores, employees, and monetary figures shown in the project are fictional demonstration data. The application is not affiliated with a retailer and must not be used as the sole basis for real payroll decisions.

Next Steps

The current roadmap focuses on commercial readiness: closing the remaining payroll workflow gaps, strengthening reporting and audit behavior, and completing the Windows release gates needed for a dependable unsigned trial before any wider distribution.