BAIC

About BAIC

BAIC México is part of a global automotive group with roots in China and operations in several international markets. For more than ten years, the brand had been present in Mexico through an importer. Then, in 2025, the company made a bigger move: build a direct local operation. That was not just a small office update or a new logo on the door. It was a serious step. The goal was to have more control over growth, work more closely with dealers and customers, and make sure the Mexican operation followed the same standards as the global business. That shift marked a new stage for BAIC in Mexico. The company was no longer only participating in the market from a distance. It was putting down stronger roots in one of the most important automotive markets in Latin America. And when a global company starts building locally, the visible side is only part of the story. Yes, there are cars, dealers, customers, sales goals, and market plans. But behind all of that, there is the internal operation. Payroll. People. Compliance. Reports. Processes. The parts that do not show up in a showroom, but can absolutely make noise if they are not working well.

Today, BAIC México brings together local professionals and expatriate talent. That gives the team a mix of Mexican market knowledge and international experience. The operation supports Sales, Marketing, After Sales, Logistics, Finance, Legal, and Human Resources, while also coordinating a growing dealer network across the country. That is a lot of movement for a team of 50 people. More like a car engine with many small parts working at once. If one part gets loose, everyone hears the rattle. For that kind of setup, consistency matters. Internal control matters too. A growing automotive operation cannot rely on payroll processes that feel improvised or unclear. The company needed a clean structure from the beginning. Not later, when the mess had already grown a moustache and started asking for its own office. From the start.

What challenges were they facing with payroll?

Starting a direct operation in Mexico came with a big challenge: building a payroll structure from zero in a highly regulated market. This was not just about paying people correctly, although that alone is already important. BAIC México also needed to comply with SAT, IMSS, and INFONAVIT requirements. Every payroll cycle had to be clear, traceable, and properly documented. No guessing. No loose ends. No “we think this is fine” energy. The process had extra layers because the team included expatriate employees. That meant BAIC had to manage local payroll needs while also staying aligned with global corporate standards. Those two worlds do not always speak the same language. Local rules have their own rhythm. Global reporting has its own expectations. The company needed payroll to sit in the middle and behave like a grown up. Calm. Accurate. Easy to audit.

Every procedure had to be defined from the beginning. Who does what. Where information lives. How calculations are reviewed. How records are stored. How compliance is checked. Those details can sound small until something goes wrong. Then suddenly they become the whole meeting. In a company that was still consolidating its local operation, a payroll mistake could create financial, legal, or reputational risk. Not the fun kind of risk. The kind that makes people open spreadsheets with very serious faces. For BAIC México, payroll was never just an administrative task. It was part of the foundation for operating properly in the country. If the company wanted to grow with confidence, payroll needed to be stable, auditable, and compliant from day one. That meant finding a way to reduce manual risk, centralize information, and give leadership a clear view of what was happening in each cycle.

In what areas has Runa helped them?

Runa helped BAIC México build payroll on a more structured and reliable base from the start. The platform allowed the team to standardize processes, centralize information, and automate key calculations. That reduced the risk of errors and made payroll easier to manage. For a new local operation, that kind of order is a big deal. It means the team does not have to build the plane while flying it, which is never a relaxing activity. With Runa, BAIC México gained better visibility over critical payroll information. Leadership could see the process more clearly, and the Human Resources team had more control over each step. Payroll stopped being something that depended too much on manual checks or scattered information. The process became easier to follow, easier to review, and easier to trust.

One of the most valuable changes was traceability. Runa helped the company operate with auditable payroll processes, making it easier to monitor compliance, validate information, and support decisions with reliable data. That matters even more for a multinational company. Global standards are not usually satisfied with “it is somewhere in the folder.” They need proof, order, and clean records. Basically, payroll needs to show its work like a student in math class, but with fewer eraser crumbs. The implementation also benefited from close support from the Runa team. BAIC México needed a partner that understood the local context and the company’s international expectations. Runa helped adapt the process to Mexican requirements while keeping the structure aligned with the standards of a global organization. That gave the team a stronger payroll operation, ready to support future growth without losing accuracy or compliance along the way.

Why did they choose Runa?

BAIC México was not only looking for payroll software. The company needed a partner that understood how important payroll was during a key stage of its local growth. This was the moment to build things properly. The team needed technology, yes, but also guidance, support, and confidence that the process would be done correctly from the beginning. Runa stood out because it offered a strong platform, an easy user experience, and a clear fit with Mexican labor and tax regulations. That mix mattered. A payroll system can look powerful, but if it is hard to use or weak on compliance, the team ends up with a shiny problem. BAIC México needed something practical, solid, and ready for the reality of operating in Mexico.

The support also made a difference. As Dante Suarez, HR Manager, explains, “More than software, we needed an ally that understood the importance of this process and supported us every step of the way to ensure everything was done correctly from the beginning.” That is the point. The company was not trying to patch payroll. It was building a proper foundation. Today, Runa is part of BAIC México’s operational structure. It helps the company maintain precision, control, and compliance as it continues expanding in the Mexican market. For a global automotive business entering a new local stage, that stability matters. Cars need good engines. Companies need good internal systems. And payroll, even if it never appears in the showroom, is one of those systems that has to run without strange noises.