Sovereign Housing plans to implement a fully-integrated HR and payroll solution for its 600 employees by September 2009.

The housing provider is working with NorthgateArinso to introduce one single HR database to improve the efficiency and quality of its HR function.

The first phase of the plan, expected to go live by April 2009, will cover HR, payroll and staff expenses while the second phase will include recruitment, training and personal development. This will be in place by September next year.

Lynn Hanford-Day, group HR director at Sovereign Housing Group, said: "The solution can be scaled to our projected growth and will help us meet key business objectives."