Getting clean, timely payroll and census data can feel like panning for gold. It's a foundational part of the job, and when a tool comes along that does it well, we all take notice. Dynamis has rightfully earned its reputation as a strong solution for this very challenge. It's a solid data pipeline, connecting to payroll systems to automate what has long been a manual, headache inducing process. And for that, we tip our hats.

But here's the thing, once that gold is in the pan, the work has just begun. Modern TPA firms are managing far more than data collection. Your challenges span your entire operation, from managing complex workflows and communicating with clients who expect Amazon-level service, to staring down compliance deadlines and trying to get a clear view of your firm's overall health.

This guide is for the TPA leader who knows that solving one problem is good, but transforming the entire business is better. We're going to compare Dynamis's data-focused approach with Stax.ai's all-in-one platform. Our goal is to show you how Stax.ai delivers greater holistic value by weaving intelligent workflow automation, a modern client experience, and complete payroll coverage into a single, unified system. The goal is to streamline your entire firm for greater efficiency and value.

From Data Pipeline to Intelligent Workflow

Dynamis excels at its core function of automating the collection of standardized payroll and census data and is adept at flagging basic errors. It's a powerful pipeline that delivers data to your doorstep.

However, its role largely ends there. Once the data is delivered, your team has to pick it up and carry it into other systems to manage the actual work. This approach means the work surrounding the data must be managed manually, which can create a disjointed experience where context is lost and your team wastes time toggling between screens.

Stax.ai's Approach: The All-in-One Command Center

Stax.ai builds the entire command center for your operations. We started with the premise that data is useless without context and action.

• Integrated Workflow Engine: Stax.ai integrates the data pipeline directly into a comprehensive workflow engine. When data arrives, it immediately triggers the next step in your process automatically.

• Smart Inbox: Let's talk about your inbox—the real command center for most firms. Instead of you manually reading emails and creating tasks, our Smart Inbox does it for you. An email from a client with a census file attached? Stax.ai reads it, identifies the client, creates the task, assigns it to the right person, and files the document. The manual step of translating communication into action is eliminated.

• Unified Platform: With Stax.ai, your CRM, project management tools, client communications, and data all live in one place. When you look at a client's record, you see every email, every task, every document, and every data point associated with them. This single source of truth eliminates data silos and gives your team the complete context they need to work efficiently and serve clients effectively.

The Critical Difference in Data Coverage

Every TPA firm leader has had that one client with the obscure, off-brand payroll system that breaks your entire automation dream. How a platform handles these exceptions is a massive differentiator.

Dynamis's Philosophy: API-Centric

Dynamis relies on its direct API connections to over 200 payroll providers. This is incredibly effective for the slice of the market—about 46%—that uses these systems. For those clients, the data flows beautifully.

But what about the other 54%? For the majority of plan sponsors using niche, legacy, or unsupported payroll systems, the automation comes to a halt. Your team is thrown back into the dark ages of manual data requests, spreadsheet wrangling, and reformatting. This gap means you can't promise a consistent, automated experience to all your clients, creating operational inconsistencies and a potential service bottleneck.

Stax.ai's Philosophy: 100% Coverage, No Exceptions

We believe that you shouldn't have to change your service model based on your client's choice of payroll provider. Stax.ai is designed to provide a "no-client-left-behind" approach to data automation.

• API Parity: First, we match Dynamis by connecting to the same 200+ payroll providers via API. You get all the real-time data syncs you expect for that 46% of the market.

• The Stax.ai Difference (Document AI): Here's where we change the game. For the ~54% not covered by APIs, your client can simply upload whatever payroll report they can get—a PDF, a CSV, even a funky-looking Excel file. Our Document AI reads it, understands it, standardizes it, and integrates the data just as if it came from an API.

This dual approach is your operational safety net. It eliminates the payroll data blind spot and empowers you to confidently and efficiently serve any client, regardless of their tech stack.

Transforming the Client Experience and Operational Analytics

Finally, let's talk about two areas that directly impact your bottom line and your firmʼs reputation: how you interact with clients and how you measure your own performance.

The Client Experience

Dynamis improves the client experience by making data submission less of a burden. After setup, the process is largely invisible to the client, which is a definite plus. However, it doesnʼt offer a centralized hub for all the other interactions, like document signing, task updates, or general communication.

Stax.ai provides a fully branded, modern client portal that transforms the relationship from a series of data requests into a transparent, collaborative partnership. Clients can log in to:

• Securely upload documents.

• Track the real-time progress of their tasks.

• Communicate with your team.

This provides a powerful retention tool and a tangible value-add that you can showcase to win new business, positioning you as a tech-forward partner who makes your clients' lives easier.

Analytics and Insights

Dynamis provides analytics focused on the data itself, like compensation trends. This is useful, but it's a narrow view.

Because Stax.ai manages the entire workflow from end to end, it offers much broader and deeper operational analytics. Our dashboards give you a true 360-degree view of your firm's health, answering critical questions like:

• What is our team's current workload and capacity?

• Where are the bottlenecks in our compliance process?

• Which clients are most and least responsive?

This is the kind of data that allows an executive leadership team to make informed strategic decisions about staffing, pricing, and process improvement.

Choosing Between a Feature and a Foundation

When choosing a platform, it's important to align the solution with your firm's strategic goals. Dynamis is an excellent tool that effectively automates the critical process of data collection. For firms whose primary goal is to solve this specific pain point, it is a strong contender.

For firms with a broader vision of building a scalable, hyper-efficient, and future-ready operation, a comprehensive software platform is essential. Stax.ai provides this foundation, transforming your business by unifying workflows, client management, and data integration into a single, intelligent platform that empowers your firm to orchestrate success at every level.

Schedule a demo to see if Stax.ai is right for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the primary difference between Stax.ai's all-in-one platform and Dynamis's data integration solution?

The simplest way to think about it is that Dynamis is a specialized "data pipeline" that automates the flow of payroll information into your other systems. Stax.ai is a complete operational platform that includes that data pipeline and also provides the integrated workflow automation, CRM, and client portal needed to manage the work itself, all in one place.

How does Stax.ai achieve broader payroll coverage than Dynamis?

Stax.ai uses a two-pronged approach. We match Dynamis by connecting to over 200 payroll providers via API for real-time data. Then, for every other provider, our Document AI allows clients to simply upload any payroll report (like a PDF or CSV), and our system intelligently reads and standardizes the data. This combination ensures nearly 100% coverage, so you never have a client you can't serve efficiently.

If our firm already uses a workflow tool, why would we choose Stax.ai over simply adding Dynamis for data automation?

That's a great question. While adding Dynamis can improve your data collection, it still leaves you managing and paying for multiple, disconnected systems. By choosing Stax.ai, you get the benefits of a truly unified platform:

• Eliminate Data Silos: All your client data, communications, and tasks are in one place.

• Reduce Complexity and Cost: You manage one vendor and one system, not two or three.

• A Seamless Staff Experience: Your team works faster without toggling between different applications.

• Deeper Insights: You unlock operational analytics that are impossible to get when your data and workflows live in separate worlds.