Located on the fringe of the Adelaide CBD, Lucent Advisory is part of the new generation of tech-smart, cloud-savvy business advisors.
Building better business, together
Lucent Advisory was born from a simple idea — that businesses perform better when finance, payroll, and HR work together.
Originally operating as two separate firms, Lucent Financial and Essential HR, we provided outsourced finance, CFO and tax services, alongside outsourced payroll and HR consulting. While the services were distinct, the challenges our clients faced were closely connected.
For founders Rachael Turner and Justine Pepper, the opportunity was clear. By bringing the two businesses together, we could deliver greater value through a more integrated, end-to-end approach.
So, in early 2017, Lucent Advisory was formed.
Today, we support small and medium businesses with practical advice, reliable systems, and data they can trust — helping them improve performance, streamline processes, and grow with confidence.
One integrated team, working in harmony
Our belief is simple: for a business to thrive, accounting, payroll, and HR must work in harmony, supported by the right technology.
That’s why our team brings together CA and CPA qualified accountants, accounting graduates, and experienced HR professionals. Together, we provide a connected view of your business — not siloed advice.
When paperwork gets in the way of progress
Too many SMEs are weighed down by manual processes and outdated systems. Paper forms, disconnected tools, and labour-intensive workflows still dominate — particularly in HR and payroll.
The result? Business owners stuck in day-to-day admin, with limited visibility over performance and significant compliance risk.
Pay rates, record-keeping, HR compliance — these are areas where gaps often exist, and many businesses don’t even realise they’re exposed.
We saw this pattern time and again. And we knew there had to be a better way.
Technology as a catalyst for better outcomes
From the outset, our mission was to partner with the right accounting, payroll, and HR technology platforms — solutions that genuinely simplify compliance and free businesses to focus on growth.
By using integrated cloud-based systems, our clients gain peace of mind that they’re meeting legislative obligations, while also unlocking productivity gains. Less time spent on administration means more time spent on revenue-generating and strategic work.
Partnering with Employment Hero
Choosing to partner with an HR platform was an obvious step. Finding the right one took time.
We set a high bar. The platform needed to be affordable, scalable, cloud-based, and powerful enough to automate the full employee lifecycle — without adding complexity.
The solution also had to:
integrate seamlessly with payroll
automate leave, timesheets, rostering, and onboarding
provide employee and manager self-service
manage alerts, deadlines, and compliance requirements
support digital contracts, workflows, and performance reviews
After extensive research, it became clear that Employment Hero was the right fit.
Its integration with KeyPay — our chosen payroll platform — and its evolving functionality gave us confidence that we could deliver a truly connected HR and payroll experience for our clients.
Expanding our services with confidence
Our partnership with Employment Hero has allowed us to expand and strengthen our service offering.
We now deliver a range of HR and payroll solutions that sit on top of robust technology platforms, including:
Payroll & Compliance services, powered by KeyPay
HR Manager packages, where clients are supported by a dedicated virtual HR Manager
People & Performance services, focused on strategic HR planning, engagement surveys, performance reviews, and employee relations support
These services support the entire employee lifecycle — from compliant onboarding to ongoing performance and development.
Making automation accessible
By delivering services through Employment Hero, we’ve been able to automate and streamline tasks that were previously manual, time-consuming, and costly.
This has made high-quality HR and payroll support genuinely accessible to businesses of all sizes — with transparent, per-employee pricing models that scale as businesses grow.
Why our clients love the platform
Clients consistently tell us they value:
streamlined onboarding
automated notifications
employee self-service
seamless payroll integration
Importantly, onboarding becomes a positive experience — not a paperwork exercise. Compliance requirements are handled early, allowing a new employee’s first day to focus on connection, culture, and contribution.
Serving real SME needs
Our partnership with Employment Hero has helped us clearly define — and elevate — what we offer.
We’re passionate about helping SMEs grow, become more profitable, and operate with confidence. Nothing is more rewarding than guiding a business through a major systems and process transformation, then watching them flourish.
By integrating Xero for accounting, KeyPay for payroll, and Employment Hero for HR, we deliver a connected, modern back-office solution that works.
Looking ahead
Today, Lucent Advisory is well positioned to support businesses not just locally, but nationally. Our technology-enabled model allows us to manage a client’s back office from anywhere — efficiently and securely.
Innovative technology, paired with forward-thinking advice, is no longer out of reach. It’s more affordable, more accessible, and more achievable than ever.
And we’re excited to help more businesses experience what better business really looks like.
