The results prove that integrated HCM platforms can deliver rapid financial payback and operational efficiencies, prompting enterprises to prioritize unified solutions over fragmented legacy stacks.
The Forrester TEI study positions Dayforce as a benchmark for the economic value of integrated human capital management solutions. By unifying HR, payroll, and workforce management, organizations eliminate the manual reconciliations that traditionally inflate administrative costs. The study’s composite model—7,500 employees across multiple sites—mirrors the scale of many mid‑size to large enterprises, making the 176% ROI and sub‑six‑month payback highly relevant for decision‑makers evaluating technology spend in a tight fiscal environment.
Beyond the headline financials, the data underscores how AI‑driven automation reshapes core HR processes. A 35% reduction in payroll staffing translates into $1.4 million saved, while a 60% cut in scheduling effort frees managers to focus on strategic workforce planning rather than rote shift assignments. These efficiency gains also drive qualitative improvements: employees gain self‑service tools, leading to a 20% decline in hourly turnover and lower compliance risk. In industries reliant on hourly labor—retail, hospitality, manufacturing—such talent retention benefits can materially affect service quality and revenue continuity.
For investors and corporate leaders, the study offers a compelling case to replace fragmented legacy stacks with a single, secure platform. Consolidating technology reduces licensing overhead ($2.6 million saved) and simplifies data governance, a critical factor as global compliance requirements tighten. As the HCM market consolidates around cloud‑native, AI‑enabled solutions, Dayforce’s demonstrated ROI provides a quantifiable yardstick for future vendor comparisons and underscores the strategic imperative of digital workforce transformation.
Dayforce, Inc. Announces Forrester Consulting Total Economic Impact™ (TEI) Study Results
Dayforce, a global human capital management (HCM) leader, reports a 176% ROI and $6.8 million NPV over three years, with payback in less than six months.

Dayforce, Inc., a global human capital management (HCM) leader that makes work life better, today announced the results of a new Forrester Consulting Total Economic Impact™ (TEI) study that quantifies the financial and operational benefits organizations can realize by implementing Dayforce. According to the study, customers achieved a 176 % return on investment (ROI) and $6.8 million in net present value (NPV) over three years, with a payback period of less than six months.
The independent study, commissioned by Dayforce and conducted by Forrester Consulting, evaluated how organizations with large, complex hourly workforces use Dayforce to bring together HR, payroll, and workforce management systems in a single, AI‑powered people platform. By replacing multiple disconnected solutions with Dayforce, organizations reduced administrative burden and turnover, improved payroll accuracy, and delivered quantifiable value at scale.
“Today’s leaders are under real pressure to justify the value of every dollar spent, while also managing increasing compliance complexity, enhancing their planning precision amidst uncertainty, and supporting the growth of their people,” said Chris Armstrong, Chief Customer Officer at Dayforce, Inc. “We believe this study reinforces what our customers tell us every day: every investment they make needs to deliver specific, measurable value in key business outcomes. Dayforce stands apart from fragmented competitors by delivering this value through a single platform built on a secure data foundation, with leading, scalable global compliance embedded at its core.”
For the purposes of the study, Forrester interviewed Dayforce customers and aggregated their experiences into a composite organization with 7,500 employees across multiple locations. Prior to implementing Dayforce, these customers relied on multiple legacy systems that required manual reconciliations, increased the risk of payroll errors, and limited workforce visibility.
Improved payroll efficiency: 35 % reduction in payroll resources (valued at $1.4 million) by reducing time and effort in reconciling data from multiple disparate payroll and workforce management systems, and by having fewer payroll inaccuracies to resolve.
Reduced attrition: 20 % decrease in hourly worker turnover (a cost saving of $2.6 million) by introducing a range of self‑service tools that give employees greater control over their schedules (such as requesting shifts, time off, and swapping shifts) and pay (including on‑demand access to earned wages before payday).
Improved scheduling efficiency: A 60 % reduction in scheduling time for frontline managers, delivering $4 million in savings, by utilizing template‑based scheduling, auto‑filling of shifts, and the ability for employees to swap shifts independently.
Simplified technology stack: $2.6 million in savings by consolidating the HR tech portfolio and retiring several legacy HR solutions.
Decreased administrative burden: $160,000 in HR time savings by automating tasks such as reporting, auditing, and onboarding new employees.
The study also identified qualitative gains from implementing Dayforce, including improved employee experience, lower compliance risk, reduced unplanned overtime, and greater organizational agility during periods of growth or acquisition.
“Dayforce has far exceeded my expectations. The technology works, the partnership is strong, and the impact on our business—from helping to reduce turnover and compliance risk to improving HR productivity—has been transformative,” said Brandy Garnero, Chief Human Capital Officer, Foundry Commercial.
From the information provided in the interviews, Forrester constructed a Total Economic Impact™ framework for those organizations considering an investment in the HCM platform.
The objective of the framework is to identify the cost, benefit, flexibility, and risk factors that affect the investment decision. Forrester took a multistep approach to evaluate the impact that the HCM platform can have on an organization.
Comments
Want to join the conversation?
Loading comments...