Case Study: Comerica Bank achieves near-perfect payroll accuracy and strategic HR transformation with ADP

Transforming HR with a strategic business partner

Comerica Bank, a Dallas‑headquartered financial services firm with about 10,000 employees, faced major HR outsourcing problems that undermined its payroll and employee support—five straight years of corrected W‑2s, frequent payroll reruns, incorrect call‑center information and vendor error rates reported as high as 89%. Frustrated by ongoing inaccuracies and operational strain, Comerica issued an RFP and selected ADP as its new HRO partner.

ADP implemented a standardized, best‑practice HRO model—reducing Comerica’s 32 customizations to six, centralizing payroll, recruiting, workforce management and reporting, and deploying comprehensive change management. The results: first‑pass payroll accuracy rose about 12 percentage points to roughly 98–99%, no ADP‑related W‑2cs in seven years, HR time spent on employee questions fell from over 30 hours a week to about 10 hours a quarter, payroll overtime dropped from $12–15K to ~$1K annually, HR headcount was streamlined, and time to fill complex roles shortened from nine to seven months, elevating HR to a strategic leadership role.

Comerica Bank

Catherine Garrett

Senior Vice President of HR Operations, Technology, and Compliance