How PayFit Restructured Its Commissions for Better RevOps Analysis | Customer Story
“When you have dashboards that update with every signature, it drives the sales team, it gets them to sign more, to feel that excitement of refreshing Qobra and seeing the live impact on their compensation.”
100%
reliable commissions
2
days per month saved
x2
sales motivation
They switched to Qobra
We had about 15 different Excel files, each with its own quirks. The number one problem with Excel is the lack of transparency in calculations, we were spending maybe 30 to 40 percent of our time just explaining how the bonuses were calculated.
It’s not just Sales and Sales Ops, HR and Finance are also involved in variable compensation, so Qobra lets you align everyone, which Excel never could.
A rapidly growing sales organization
At PayFit, variable compensation is a major driver of revenue generation. It represents a significant portion of sales teams' compensation and plays a central role in the company's overall performance.
In a fast-growing environment, where teams are being structured and multiplied, commission management must be reliable, transparent, scalable, and analytical.
Before Qobra, PayFit managed its commissions using around 15 separate Excel files. This model had reached its limits in terms of robustness, readability, and operational efficiency.
This case study illustrates how PayFit transformed its commission system into a centralized, analyzable, and strategic system.
Strategic and complex variable compensation
With several sales populations (AE, SDR, etc.) and specific compensation plans, PayFit had to manage:
- Multiple commission models
- Different rules depending on the team
- Regular adjustments
All via around fifteen different Excel files, each with its own specificities.
As the organization grew, this model became difficult to maintain.
Challenges encountered before Qobra
A high risk of calculation errors
The multiplicity of Excel files meant:
- Complex formulas
- Manual reprocessing
- Regular adjustments
- A constant risk of error
The system lacked uniformity and standardization.
A lack of transparency in calculations
One of the main problems identified was understanding the calculations.
“We had about 15 different Excel files, each with its own quirks. The number one problem with Excel is the lack of transparency in calculations, we were spending maybe 30 to 40 percent of our time just explaining how the bonuses were calculated.”
A significant portion of the Sales Ops teams' time was spent on:
- Explaining the calculation rules
- Justifying the amounts
- Responding to misunderstandings
AEs and SDRs regularly came back to their managers with questions about their bonuses.
An opaque system creates friction and distracts teams from sales performance.
A lack of visibility during the period
Historically, salespeople would consult the bonus file at the end of the month, often around the 23rd, when they were asked to check the amounts.
“Historically, sales reps would only look at the bonus Excel file on the 23rd of the month, when we asked them to check it, because there were often errors. They didn’t have an individual view, so it was much more complicated and far less readable.”
This led to several problems:
- The file was not always up to date
- Salespeople did not have a clear individual view
- Variable compensation was not tracked on an ongoing basis
Variable compensation therefore did not fully play its role as a daily motivator.
A significant waste of time for the Ops teams
Calculating bonuses could take up to two days per month.
The Sales Ops teams spent time:
- Reprocessing data
- Checking formulas
- Consolidating files
- Correcting errors
This process was time-consuming and difficult to scale.
The deployment of Qobra: centralize, structure, and analyze
Centralizing all compensation models
The first transformation brought about by Qobra is centralization.
All variable compensation plans are now grouped together in a single tool.
This centralization enables:
- A global vision
- Consistent rules
- Better governance
Compensation processes become clearer and less opaque for all teams.
Gaining autonomy and flexibility
One of the key points for PayFit was autonomy in configuration.
“We’re autonomous when it comes to configuration, we don’t systematically need a third party to step in for small fixes. We’re fully autonomous, the solution is flexible enough that we do it ourselves, and that’s a real added value.”
With Qobra:
- Teams can adjust the rules themselves
- Minor changes are made without external intervention
- The solution is flexible enough to support the evolution of plans
This autonomy is essential in a changing organization.
Moving from an operator role to a supervisor role
The time savings are significant.
The time spent calculating bonuses has gone from two days to half a day of verification.
“Before, it would take us up to 2 days a month to calculate bonuses across the different sales populations. Today it takes us half a day of verification, we’ve truly gone from an operator role to a supervisor role.”
Sales Ops teams are no longer in a manual execution mindset, but in a supervisory and control role.
The process becomes:
- More robust
- More readable
- More scalable
A lever for motivation and sales performance
Providing real-time visibility
Sales reps now have direct access to their data.
They can:
- See all deals taken into account
- Understand the impact on their variable compensation
- Track their progress as deals are signed
Real-time updates to dashboards fuel motivation.
When each signed deal is immediately reflected in estimated compensation, it pushes reps to go after additional contracts.
“When you have dashboards that update with every signature, it drives the sales team, it gets them to sign more, to feel that excitement of refreshing Qobra and seeing the live impact on their compensation.”
A monitoring tool for managers
Qobra is not just a tool for salespeople.
For managers, it is a powerful management tool:
- Monitoring individual performance
- Analyzing discrepancies
- Challenging teams on a daily basis
Variable compensation becomes an active management tool.
A tool for analyzing and auditing commissions
Structuring strategic thinking
Qobra also allows you to ask the right questions about compensation policy.
Teams can:
- Analyze the impact of rules
- Perform monthly exports
- Produce reliable data for Finance
The platform becomes a clear and traceable source of audit information.
If there are questions about a rule or history, the answers are quickly accessible.
Align all stakeholders
Variable compensation does not only concern Sales and Sales Ops.
It also involves:
- Finance
- HR
- Management
Qobra allows all of these teams to be aligned around a single source of truth.
Unlike Excel, information is centralized, shared, and consistent.
“It’s not just Sales and Sales Ops, HR and Finance are also involved in variable compensation, so Qobra lets you align everyone, which Excel never could.”
Strategic benefits for PayFit
Structure and secure growth
Centralizing plans strengthens the robustness of the system.
Drastically reducing operational time
The transition from manual calculation to automated supervision frees up strategic time.
Boosting sales motivation
Real-time updates transform variable compensation into a daily lever.
Strengthening cross-departmental alignment
Sales, Ops, HR, and Finance work on a common and reliable basis.
Conclusion: transforming variable compensation into a strategic analysis tool
The PayFit case shows that management via Excel quickly reaches its limits in a complex organization:
- Multiplication of files
- Risk of errors
- Lack of visibility
- High management time
With Qobra, PayFit has structured and professionalized its commission system.
Variable compensation becomes:
- Centralized
- Transparent
- Analyzable
- Manageable in real time
It ceases to be a time-consuming technical issue and becomes a real strategic lever for performance and alignment.
Qobra in figures
- 350+ client companies (Doctolib, PayFit, Spendesk, Go1, Make, CoachHub, SeLoger, Figaro, Agicap, etc.)
- 30,000+ users (Finance, Revenue Operations, Sales Operations, HR, Sales, etc.)
- International presence: France, United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Spain, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, and Czech Republic
