In this episode, Pete welcomes Anand Pandya, VP and GM of Specialty Solutions for SMBs at ADP, for a timely conversation on the rise of embedded technology and why payroll is becoming mission-critical infrastructure inside modern SaaS platforms.
Anand shares why small businesses are increasingly overwhelmed by fragmented back-office software, often juggling multiple systems for payments, accounting, cash flow, employee data, and payroll.
Pete and Anand explore why payroll is uniquely complex as an embedded financial solution, from employee data and tax jurisdictions to deductions, state registrations, garnishments, worker’s compensation, retirement mandates, and ongoing regulatory change. They also discuss why SaaS providers cannot treat payroll as a tech-only add-on and why the technology matters, but so do service, compliance support, onboarding, regulatory updates, and the ability to help small businesses when payroll gets complicated.
The conversation also looks ahead to where embedded payroll is headed next, including the growing role of AI, self-service support, real-time compliance prompts, and the movement toward SaaS platforms becoming the operational hub for small businesses.
Connect with Anand and ADP:
For C-suite and developers interested in exploring ADP’s embedded payroll solution: adp.com/embedded
For SMB’s interested in exploring ADP for their small business: adp.com/smallbusiness
Anand’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anpandya/
Pete’s e-book: ‘Payroll In The Flow of Business: How Embedded Payroll Is Becoming Mission-Critical for Modern SaaS Platforms’
*The annual Payroll Profession Confidence Index (PPCI) survey is open now through September 30, 2026. Payroll professionals and stakeholders interested in participating in the research can complete the survey at: https://www.payrollinfluences.com/ppci-2026.
Connect with the show:
LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/company/hr-payroll-2-0
X: @JulieFer_HR
BlueSky: @hrpayroll2o.bsky.social
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HRPAYROLL2_0
WRKDefined Podcast Network: https://wrkdefined.com/podcast/hr-payroll-20
Thank you to our marquee sponsors for powering the HR & Payroll 2.0 podcast forward!
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Thank you to our ‘wizard behind the curtain’ and show producer Ryan Kielma: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-kielma/
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