In this article by Luke Miles, Head of Development at Sprint Enterprise Technology, he makes the case for getting data in order before going further down the AI path. He looks at where advisory businesses most commonly come unstuck with data quality, and why feeding poor data into AI systems doesn’t just limit results, it can actively increase risk.

Luke also walks through a 12-point checklist covering data structure, governance, auditability and regulatory compliance – giving firms a practical way to measure whether their data is actually ready for what comes next.

If AI is on your roadmap, this is the right place to start.

Read the full article: Professional Adviser

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It’s contributions and withdrawals data, those crucial inflows and outflows that everything else depends on. Client reviews, suitability reports, the lot. The trouble is, this data is often incomplete, wrong, or missing altogether. And because it’s tucked away in practice management systems, firms naturally assume it’s all tickety-boo. It’s not.

What we found was a bit of a shock

We decided to dig into this properly, so we looked at 14 advice firms – over 10,000 policies and 200,000 transactions. The results were worse than we’d expected:

• A third of policies weren’t showing in the advisers back-office system at all
• Even when they were there, only 40% had contributions and withdrawals that actually matched
• Some firms were seeing reconciliation accuracy drop below 20%

Now, the firms we spoke to weren’t naive; they knew there would be some gaps. But this scale? Nobody saw that coming. And here’s the thing: when these mismatches work their way into annual reviews or cashflow calculations, they’re directly undermining the advice process. It’s a simple question: if the contributions and withdrawals are wrong, how can the client’s report be right?

This isn’t just a numbers game

Different firms handle this data differently. Some use it mainly for annual reviews, others push it directly into their financial planning tools. But here’s what they all have in common: they need this data to accurately reflect what’s actually happening with their clients’ money. Especially now, with Consumer Duty breathing down everyone’s necks around transparency and fair outcomes.

The problem is, plenty of firms are writing reports and making recommendations based on data that bears no resemblance to what’s actually sitting on the platform. Nobody’s doing it on purpose, but that doesn’t make the consequences any less real.

So, we built something to fix it

That’s where the contributions and withdrawals app comes in.

Transact commissioned it, and we developed it in the intelliflo office practice management software. What it does is pretty straightforward; it spots the differences between what’s on the investment platform and what someone’s manually keyed into their back-office system.

It’s been launched on the intelliflo store with the idea to give advisory firms a simple way to compare and sort out these discrepancies without creating yet another long-winded and complicated process to manage. We didn’t want to just point out the problem, we wanted to actually help solve it.

It comes down to trust

Here’s how we see it: sorting out this data isn’t really about technology; it’s about looking after clients properly.

These days, advisers need to back up their recommendations with solid data. They need to explain performance using data. They need to create personalised strategies that are actually based on what’s real. So, when the contribution and withdrawal records you’re relying on don’t match what’s actually happening, your advice isn’t just less helpful, it’s vulnerable. 

Getting this right starts with having data you can actually trust.

Find out more about the contributions and withdrawals app.

The post How can you write a compliant client report if the data is wrong? appeared first on Sprint Enterprise Technology.

What sits behind these outputs, however, is where the pressure is felt most. 

Advisory firms are still spending too much time fixing data

A significant number of respondents highlighted the effort required to reconcile information from multiple platforms and systems. Firms reported using combinations of CRMs, platforms, spreadsheets and manual collation to produce client-ready reports, with over half of respondents relying on ‘other’ tools outside mainstream systems, often spreadsheets or bespoke processes.

Free-text feedback reinforces this. Firms want less manual intervention, fewer workarounds, and more consistent data feeds. Comments such as “one size fits all software that can fit into all platforms/providers” and “more automation” were repeated themes. 

From our perspective, this is exactly what we see across the market: reporting quality is constrained not by firms’ intentions, but by the data they receive. Where platform data arrives incomplete, inconsistent or in different formats, firms have little choice but to correct it manually. This slows the reporting process and makes it difficult to maintain accuracy.

Automation is now an operational requirement

The survey also shows that automation is viewed as essential rather than desirable. When asked why they use investment reporting solutions, firms rated efficiency, accuracy and automation as ‘very’ or ‘extremely important’ across the board.

This reflects the reality that advisory firms need predictable, reliable reporting processes, especially at quarterly and annual review points. Manual reporting not only increases operational cost but also carries avoidable risk. Firms also noted challenges with legacy systems and the high effort needed to prepare data before it can enter a report, further reinforcing demand for automation. 

Client clarity remains central

Improving how information is presented to clients remains high on the agenda. Respondents want reporting that is simple, clear and able to demonstrate progress in a way clients can understand. Several firms stressed the need to show ‘where they started and where they are now, and the reasons why’, or requested stronger summary pages and flexible layouts. 

This is consistent with what we hear in the market. Data quality underpins a firm’s ability to present a coherent client story. Poor or inconsistent data forces advisers to add caveats or explanations, which can erode confidence. Under Consumer Duty, clarity is more important than ever, and advisory firms know this.

Sprint’s perspective

The findings reinforce our view that a modern reporting experience starts with better data. Our role, through our FINIO data hub and Fastrak reporting software, is to remove the friction that still exists between investment platforms, software systems and advisory firms. When firms receive reconciled, enriched and consistent data, they can produce accurate reporting at speed and focus their time where it matters, on client conversations. 

We see a clear demand for integrated reporting solutions, and the industry is now reaching a point where manual processes are no longer sustainable. Advisory firms want reliable data, efficient processes and reporting tools that reflect the standard of service they aim to deliver. 

*The survey is based on 40 replies from advisory firms in the UK.

The post Client reporting in 2025: What advisory firms told us, plus our view appeared first on Sprint Enterprise Technology.

• Transact Income Statement App
• Contributions & Withdrawals Compare App

The conversation sets out how these integrations remove manual effort, help reduce operational risk, and support consistent data between Transact and intelliflo systems. They also discuss why reliable data is essential for accurate reporting, meeting regulatory expectations, and supporting firms as they adopt more advanced technology.

Available on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

The post The Transact Platform Podcast – intelliflo & Sprint app integrations, income statements, plus contributions & withdrawals appeared first on Sprint Enterprise Technology.

Financial advisory firms live and breathe investment platform data. Whether it’s for portfolio management, client reporting, or staying on the right side of regulators, having accurate investment data isn’t just nice to have; it’s essential. 

Yet here’s what I keep seeing: advisory firms wrestling with inconsistent, error-prone information from multiple sources. Investment platforms, DFMs, software providers – they’re all pumping out data, but it’s often a mess when it comes together. This article breaks down why there’s a world of difference between simply collecting data and properly reconciling it, and why that distinction could make or break your business.

What is data aggregation?

Think of data aggregation as a bit like emptying several jigsaw puzzle boxes into one big pile. You’re collecting data from multiple sources and dumping it all in one place. For valuation and transaction data, investment platforms typically provide raw data feeds, which then get compiled into what looks like a unified view for your CRM systems, cashflow planning tools, and the rest.

On paper, aggregation sounds brilliant. It centralises everything from multiple platforms and means your team isn’t constantly logging into different systems. But here’s the rub, that data remains completely unverified. You could have duplicates, inconsistencies, gaps, you name it. Those discrepancies don’t magically fix themselves, which means someone on your team is going to spend their day manually sorting through the mess.

The fundamental problem? Aggregation doesn’t actually clean or structure the data. It just collects it and passes it along, creating what I call a false sense of organisation. You think you’ve got everything sorted, but you’ve really just moved the problem elsewhere.

Data reconciliation: A different beast entirely

Data reconciliation is where things get interesting. Rather than just collecting data and hoping for the best, reconciliation ensures your data is accurate, complete, and consistent across all your connected investment platforms.

This means: 

• Matching and cross-checking data across multiple sources (properly, not just a quick glance) 
• Hunting down and fixing discrepancies like missing or duplicated trades 
• Structuring everything in standardised formats so your reporting actually works 

The difference this makes is night and day. Your client reports become accurate without those embarrassing missing transactions or duplicates. More importantly, your team stops spending half their time playing data detective and can actually focus on what they’re paid to do, serve clients. 

Reconciliation essentially transforms raw data into something you can actually trust and use to make proper business decisions.

The hidden costs of getting this wrong

Here’s what happens when you rely on aggregated but unreconciled data, and trust me, I’ve seen this play out countless times: 

• Your staff become part-time data cleaners, wasting hours each week manually checking and fixing discrepancies instead of doing the work that actually grows your business. 
• Compliance becomes a nightmare. Incorrect reporting doesn’t just look unprofessional; it can land you in hot water with regulators and potentially cost you serious money in penalties. 
• Client relationships suffer. Nothing undermines confidence quite like handing over a report full of errors or inconsistencies.  
• Perhaps worst of all, you end up making business decisions based on flawed information. It’s like trying to navigate with a broken compass, you might get lucky, but you’re probably heading in the wrong direction.

Robin Bevan, our CEO here at Sprint Enterprise Technology, put it perfectly:

“I was recently reminded of how poorly financial advisers are served in terms of data. We were doing some research that compared contributions and withdrawal data for around 10,000 policies on one of the leading CRMs with the corresponding data on one of the investment platforms concerned. Only 60% of the policies were on both systems. How can that meet their Consumer Duty obligations with data like that?”

Sixty percent. Let that sink in for a moment.

The FINIO data hub

This is precisely why we built the FINIO data hub. Rather than throwing data at the wall and seeing what sticks, FINIO takes a fundamentally different approach.

We fully reconcile data across all your connected investment platforms, no exceptions, no shortcuts. Everything gets standardised to ensure consistency, then enriched with additional value markers that actually help you understand what you’re looking at. Finally, it’s delivered through flexible connection options that work with whatever systems you’re already using.

The result? Advisory firms save time, improve client service, and stay compliant through one trusted data source. It transforms those complex, messy data flows into reliable information you can actually use to make better business decisions.

Why this matters more than you think

Look, data aggregation might seem good enough on the surface. It’s certainly better than manually logging into fifteen different systems every morning. But if you’re serious about running a professional advisory firm, reconciliation isn’t just nice to have, it’s essential.

When you invest in proper reconciliation, you’re not just organising data. You’re building a foundation of trust and accuracy that touches every part of your business. Your team works more efficiently, your clients get better service, and you sleep better knowing your compliance is sorted.

The difference might not smack you in the face immediately, but give it time. Firms with properly reconciled data consistently outperform those without it in efficiency, accuracy, and ultimately, client satisfaction.

Want to see what properly reconciled data could do for your firm? Get in touch and let’s have a chat about FINIO.

The post Data aggregation vs data reconciliation: what financial advisory firms need to know appeared first on Sprint Enterprise Technology.

These isolated systems (CRMs, investment platforms, planning tools) are unavoidable but problematic when poorly integrated. This data fragmentation creates inefficiencies beyond just rekeying information – it can lead to less informed client recommendations and inaccurate reporting that may violate FCA Consumer Duty rules.

“Having compared around 10,000 policies on a market-leading platform with the corresponding data in a market-leading CRM over a 12-month period, only 60% of the policies were on both systems, and of those that were on both systems, only 40% of them reconciled exactly.“

Robin recommends firms review their tech stack, prioritise platforms with robust integrations, and consider data hubs like FINIO to align information across systems and ultimately improve client outcomes.

Read the full article: Professional Adviser

The post Are data silos a necessary evil? appeared first on Sprint Enterprise Technology.

In the fintech world, we’re witnessing a profound transformation. Today, we’re in the midst of a data revolution that’s reshaping how financial advisers connect with, understand, and serve their clients.

Drawing inspiration from Gil Scott-Heron’s iconic The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, I’ll share insights about where I see data in wealth management is heading in the next few years.

Read the complete article on LinkedIn: The data revolution will not be televised

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By highlighting current inefficiencies in data integration and predicting a future of real-time, AI-powered analytics, the article emphasises the critical importance for financial advisers to develop robust data strategies.

Read the full article at Financial Planning Today: Why data is the new oil

The post Why data is the new oil appeared first on Sprint Enterprise Technology.

Drawing from decades of experience in fintech, Robin breaks down the complexities of modern data integration and reveals practical solutions for advisory firms of all sizes. Originally featured in Financial Planning Today, this article offers a blueprint for transforming how your firm handles data – from streamlining multiple integrations to achieving clean, actionable insights that drive business growth.

Read the full article at Financial Planning Today: My 6 top data tips for financial planners

The post Unlock the power of your data: 6 top data tips for financial planners appeared first on Sprint Enterprise Technology.

Gary highlights how advisers are looking for more control over their client experience and to help them, Sprint Enterprise is enabling advisers to make better use of their data, whether that’s through improved client reporting (Fastrak) or seamless data feeds (FINIO). 

There’s also plenty of industry insight about the future of adviser technology, and Gary offers some great advice for advisers looking to streamline their tech stacks.

Watch this episode to hear about Gary’s financial services journey and learn how Sprint Enterprise is helping advisers move towards a data-driven future.

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