Technology isn’ t failing, implementation is
Technology has become one of the industry ' s biggest paradoxes. Firms continue to invest heavily in new systems and AI capabilities, yet many report little improvement in productivity. The issue is rarely the technology itself. More often, firms are struggling with disconnected data, overlapping systems and operating models that haven ' t evolved alongside their technology investments.
Owen James Pulse research suggests around 70 % of technology projects fail to deliver their intended outcomes, not because the software lacks capability, but because implementation, integration and behavioural change prove far harder than anticipated.
Too often, technology is treated as an add-on rather than a redesign- processes don’ t change, workflows don’ t adapt, and teams aren’ t properly trained. Then everyone wonders why productivity hasn’ t improved. Firms that get ahead won’ t be those with the most technology, they’ ll be the ones that use it properly.
And it is data that is becoming the real differentiator.
Clean, connected data underpins everything from client segmentation and personalised communications to workflow automation and management information. Without it, even the most sophisticated technology will struggle to deliver meaningful improvements.
" Can advice scale without losing what makes it valuable?"
An operating model under pressure
Individually, none of these challenges are new. Together, however, they point towards a more fundamental shift. The traditional advice model, built on trusted relationships and highly personalised service, is coming under increasing pressure from rising demand, increasing regulation and finite adviser capacity.
The challenge is no longer simply how firms attract more clients. It is whether they can serve more clients without compromising quality or significantly increasing costs.
This is the key question at the centre of this year’ s Festival: can advice scale without losing what makes it valuable?
If advisers don’ t have the time, if compliance continues to absorb it, and if technology isn’ t embedded effectively, then growth won’ t just be difficult, it simply can’ t happen.
Turning ambition into action
The industry ' s biggest challenges are no longer difficult to identify, with the recurring themes consistently being: improving productivity, creating adviser capacity, embedding technology more effectively and building more repeatable growth strategies.
August 2026 | 15