ADP®

ADP® Payroll Services

Sometimes it pays to be an early adopter. That was indeed the case with the company that became ADP®. In the 1950s, American businesses recognized the value of electronic computers. They installed them as quickly as they became available. ADP® followed suit and used computers to automate their payroll service. 

Over the years, ADP® grew and capitalized on all the innovations that technology had to offer. Today's clients range in size from tiny family businesses to huge corporate giants. It is a payroll provider for more than 64 million employees and 740,000 clients in over 140 countries.

ADP® Payroll at a Glance

Most ADP® processing happened on large mainframe computers in the early days. A current look behind the scenes shows that not much has changed. Today, the newest and best features are in the user-interface tools. Clients can:

  • Make payroll changes from a personal computer, smartphone app or telephone
  • Review standard reports online and print them as needed
  • Create custom reports and data files for advanced payroll analysis

The employees can view and manage various aspects of their payroll and benefits. They appreciate having immediate access without calling the payroll department. The payroll department likes that also.

One of the best features of the ADP® payroll service is that it doesn’t run on the client’s company computers. If there is a computer failure, flood, fire or another calamity, the payroll can still get out. The client only needs a personal computing device and an internet connection. Finally, data backups and disaster recovery plans for data protection are ADP®’s responsibility.

Overview of ADP® Payroll Features

With ADP® payroll, clients can mix and match their way to almost any combination of features. The section below describes the two configurations that ADP® recommends for payroll. It is important to point out that ADP® also offers robust HR capabilities for clients that require them.

ADP® Essential Payroll is the minimum recommended configuration for payroll. It includes the following:

  • Data input via Computer, Mobile App or Phone – Client does this
  • Direct Deposit – ADP® takes care of this
  • Payroll Delivery – Client mails the checks
  • Robust Reporting – ADP® makes quarterly and annual reports
  • General Ledger Interface – ADP® provides several formats supported
  • New-Hire Reporting – ADP® helps with state and federal compliance
  • W-2s and 1099s – ADP® creates and mails these, and files the W-2s
  • Tax Filing – ADP® makes payroll tax deposits
  • ADP® Employee Access – Employees can view their information
  • State and Federal Forms and Resources – ADP® helps the client meet federal and state requirements
  • HR Checkups – ADP® offers an HR best-practices evaluation
  • Health Care Compliance – ADP® helps the client stay in compliance with Health Care Reform
  • Insurance – ADP® offers all types of insurance for the business, owner, and employees
  • Retirement – ADP® can help make and implement a plan

ADP® Enhanced Payroll completes the list of recommended payroll features. This includes:

  • Check Signing and Stuffing With Secure Check – Client receives checks in a sealed envelope
  • Prepaid Debit Card – ADP® deposits to reloadable Visa card
  • Poster Compliance – ADP® enrolls the client in the ADP® Labor Law Poster Compliance Update Service
  • State Unemployment Insurance – ADP® handles all aspects of this
  • Garnishment Payment Services – ADP® helps manage garnishments
  • HR Tip of the Week and Newsletters – ADP® sends these

ADP® Payroll Pricing

The cost of the ADP® payroll service is only available from an ADP® sales representative. This payroll system is modular and, as such, does not have a straightforward price. Purchasers decide which modules to use and which to skip. The choice of modules and the number of employees determine the cost.

Some wishing to save money would choose fewer modules and take more responsibility. Others might choose more modules and leave more of the work to ADP®. A large part of the price hinges on how much work ADP® does on the client’s behalf.

The beauty of this approach is that, over time, the system can grow or shrink to whatever size the client needs. Flexibility is a significant benefit of modularized systems.

Bottom Line

ADP® can be an exceptional choice for large clients and those anticipating a growth spurt. It is also an obvious choice for clients who need comprehensive human-resource software. As with payroll, the HR features are module-based. Contact ADP® and add those HR modules to the payroll configuration. The result is a comprehensive payroll and HR system.

Small clients that expect to stay that way may not need all the capabilities that ADP® offers. Regardless of the company size, one fact is abundantly clear. ADP® knows payroll.