Adviser tech confidence gap revealed as just 7% trust system outputs
20 May 2026
New research from Defaqto reveals a significant confidence gap in adviser technology, with just 7% of UK financial advisers saying they are very confident that their systems produce consistent outputs.
Based on a survey of 120 advisers, the findings point to a widening disconnect between investment in technology and the day-to-day reality of how advice is delivered, with many firms still operating across fragmented systems that require manual intervention, duplication and reconciliation.
Despite widespread adoption of digital tools, the research highlights persistent structural challenges:
- 89% of advisers use three or more systems within their advice process
- 67% frequently re-enter the same data across multiple platforms
- 89% believe disconnected systems create hidden costs across efficiency, time and risk
Manual data entry remains a critical pressure point. Industry benchmarks suggest a 1-4% error rate every time data is rekeyed. When information is entered across multiple systems, these risks compound, often resulting in inconsistencies that must be manually identified and resolved.
Daniel Boneham, Product Director at Defaqto, said:
“In practice, advisers are spending more time bridging the gaps between tools than the tools save them. The research shows that the gaps between systems - not the systems themselves - are now a major source of hidden effort, particularly where data doesn’t align and outputs need to be reconciled.”
The findings suggest that the industry is entering a new phase in its technology evolution. While firms have historically focused on adding and integrating tools, the challenge is increasingly centred on how those tools connect at a data level and whether outputs are consistent, explainable and reliable.
Daniel Boneham added:
“The real shift is away from tool accumulation and towards data alignment. Advisers need a consistent, shared data foundation that supports the entire advice process. Without that, firms are left reconciling differences rather than relying on their technology with confidence.”
The operational impact is inefficiency, reduced confidence in outputs, increased compliance burden, and added pressure on documentation processes.
The findings reflect a broader shift across the adviser technology market, as firms move beyond simply adding tools towards ensuring the data underpinning advice is consistent, connected and dependable.
In response, technology providers are increasingly focusing on how data, insight and workflow can be aligned across the advice process, rather than managed in isolation.
Against this backdrop, Defaqto earlier this year launched Defaqto Unity - a connected technology environment designed to bring together data, insight and workflow across advice firms, reducing duplication and improving consistency.
As adviser firms continue to scale and regulatory expectations increase, the challenge for the industry will be less about adding new tools, and more about ensuring systems work together in a way that reduces friction and supports reliable outcomes.
To help firms assess their own position, Defaqto’s report, The Hidden Cost of Disconnected Technology, includes a practical four-question workflow check-in - a self-diagnostic tool designed to highlight where firms sit on the “friction spectrum” and how disconnected systems may be affecting capacity, consistency and control.
Download the full report:https://www.defaqto.com/resources/hidden-cost-disconnected-technology and The-Hidden-Cost-of-Disconnected-Technology-Defaqto.pdf
Take the two-minute workflow check: https://www.defaqto.com/resources/adviser-workflow-friction-check
