Close Close
Popular Financial Topics Discover relevant content from across the suite of ALM legal publications From the Industry More content from ThinkAdvisor and select sponsors Investment Advisor Issue Gallery Read digital editions of Investment Advisor Magazine Tax Facts Get clear, current, and reliable answers to pressing tax questions
Luminaries Awards
ThinkAdvisor
Kartik Srinivasan

Technology > Artificial Intelligence

3 Starting Points for Transforming Your Practice With AI and Automation

X
Your article was successfully shared with the contacts you provided.

We’re barely two years since ChatGPT was released to the public and there are already several artificial intelligence tools for wealth management in the market quickly gaining traction, with some attracting millions of dollars in funding.

What these developments should tell our industry is that “digital transformation” as a phenomenon comprises different aspects — be it a new technology, a more streamlined way of working, a new client demand — but regardless, once adoption begins, it spreads fast.

The question for advisory firms is, can you keep pace?

The answer is not only yes, you can — it is also a lot simpler than you think. To get started, focus on straightforward yet high-impact changes that will let you run your business more efficiently and deliver consistent levels of client service, while helping you grow faster, too.

I want to assure you that AI isn’t going to replace advisors any more than robo-advisors did. What will eat advisor jobs, though, is the reluctance of firms to embrace constant and neverending improvement — the so-called CANI principle.

Embracing the Transformation

There are multiple benefits to your firm in embracing AI and the broader digital transformation beyond just staving off disruptive competition. Let’s say you’ve swapped out a paper-heavy process with a digital-first automated approach, such as an online onboarding process. Instead of hours of paperwork and needing to come in person for signing ceremonies, your prospects can open and fund an account within minutes.

That’s not only a tremendous amount of time saved for your business. Your advisors, administrative employees and those new clients are all happier because they had a convenient, simple experience instead of slogging through a dated process. Your operations team has less headaches to contend with, too, because the process was centered in one place and integrated with the custodian, so all the information was sent according to their set standards and virtually error-free. And as the firm principal, you are happier because your firm can serve more clients as a result.

Ultimately, you’re solving problems for multiple people — maybe even before they realized they had an issue in the first place.

AI and Client Demand

AI is undoubtedly going to supercharge many of the practice management tools firms are using today. Prospects and clients pushed even the stodgiest firms to make virtual sessions standard even after the pandemic came to an end.

Soon, those same prospects and clients are going to have their own AI-powered assistants to handle their financial lives, including joining up with an advisor and monitoring their progress toward financial goals, and they’ll expect your firm to be able to interact with those assistants. Without a modern technology foundation, your firm will not be able to win that client.

3 Starting Points

If you’re wondering how to get that foundation in place, let me suggest some starting points that will produce quick wins in boosting efficiency and improving your client experience.

1. Automate Your Onboarding Process

One of the biggest time drains for advisors is client onboarding. By implementing automation tools that gather client information, send automated reminders, and streamline account setup, you can drastically reduce time spent on manual tasks. This gives advisors more time to focus on relationship-building rather than paperwork.

2. Use AI to Enhance Client Communication

AI-driven tools can help advisors stay ahead by automating routine client communications, such as portfolio updates or reminders of important financial dates. Personalized AI-generated insights can also provide clients with tailored financial advice, improving both engagement and client satisfaction with minimal effort.

3. Automate Workflows

Advisors often juggle many moving parts, from compliance paperwork to client check-ins. Workflow automation platforms can help by setting up automatic task reminders, managing deadlines, and triggering follow-up actions without the need for manual intervention. This allows your team to focus on higher-value work while reducing errors and oversight.


Kartik Srinivasan is President of Advyzon Institutional (www.Advyzon.com), a digital transformation company focused on building the most comprehensive tech platform for financial advisors and wealth managers.


NOT FOR REPRINT

© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.