Case Study: Williford Houston & Co. achieves streamlined payroll efficiency and expanded advisory services with ADP

Using Payroll to Grow Beyond Traditional Accounting Services

Williford Houston & Co., a 20-person CPA firm in Wilmington, NC, faced inefficient, inconsistent payroll workflows that caused errors, rework and an excess of after‑the‑fact payroll notices. Variable client processes created bottlenecks, made cross‑training difficult, and limited the firm’s ability to scale services.

The firm adopted RUN Powered by ADP (white‑label) after peer-group recommendations, using ADP’s digital onboarding and portal, cross‑training staff and partnering with a national brand for data security. Despite a 2–3 week onboarding learning curve, payroll is now processed more efficiently with fewer bottlenecks, 62 clients are on ADP RUN, and the firm has expanded monthly accounting, bookkeeping and consulting engagements.

Williford Houston & Co.

Carl Williford

Partner and CPA