Until advisors can clone themselves, the only path to growth for them – and the firms for which they work – is to get more done in the same amount of time. Technology is part of the answer, but how that technology is applied is even more important.

Gartner has published a paper on the need for chief information officers (CIOs) to build stakeholder confidence. It focused on strategies required to develop trust, without which the success of an enterprise’s digital business transformation inevitably falls short.

Artificial intelligence (AI) seems to be everywhere these days, including (if they are lucky) at the fingertips of financial advisors. AI, when designed specifically for wealth management, can help advisors be more efficient, focus less on administrative tasks and more on actual client engagement. And AI continues to evolve and mature. In the next few years, advisors can expect AI to deliver even more highly intuitive, time-saving features that will free them to concentrate on what matters most in serving clients.

We recently caught up with Andrew Cant, Vice President of Financial Services Solutions for NexJ, to explore what’s next for AI in wealth management and what advisors can expect and look forward to:  

Who doesn’t want their team to work faster? And not just faster, but better as well? It’s what we all want. That’s why ‘increasing productivity’ is a key driver behind many front-office system upgrades. It’s also the reason so many vendors promise productivity improvements. So, how do you sort out the empty promises from the legitimate ones? The simple answer: do your research. Ask questions, and demand proof.

The Best Advisor Experience Starts With a Model

How many business leaders want to talk about technology when all that matters is understanding how it will drive growth, save money, improve operations or address a specific key metric? The answer is likely few to none. And it's a reasonable position to take, after all, why would anyone spend money if they don't believe there is a return on that investment regardless of how innovative the technology? Does understanding the mechanics of how a product works to drive ROI even matter? In most cases, the answer is no. There are times, however, when a technical approach is different enough that not appreciating it might lead to the wrong decision. We have written many blogs recently that address the business benefits of an Integrated Advisor Desktop, from the functional components including a client dashboard, advisor dashboard, customer engagement dashboard to application integration and data integration. What brings the whole thing together though, the engine that drives the value of the functional areas and even the integration, is the model.

From an advisor’s point of view, not all investors are created equal – in addition to the obvious differences in assets, age, employment and lifestyle, different people have different levels of receptivity to the advice and assistance an advisor can provide. At the same time, an investor’s position is not fixed: It changes with time and in response to outside influences. So how can an advisor best tailor the experience they provide to each unique and evolving individual, multiplied by the size of the advisor’s book?

Artificial Intelligence or “AI” may be a current buzzword, but as anyone in the tech industry knows, its been around in various forms for years. At NexJ, for years we’ve used various forms of AI to help industry-leading financial firms enhance the relationships their advisors have with customers.

But there is a transformation underway that makes it possible for AI in its many flavors to supercharge and transform client engagement in the financial industry. And it’s why NexJ today can offer some of our AI-powered capabilities as products that firms can essentially “wire” into their current platforms. We call these capabilities the Nudge-AI Suite.

But first, let’s back up a bit and define what we mean by AI.

We were lucky enough to sit down with April Rudin, Founder and President of The Rudin Group, Aawad Aamir, Analyst with Celent, and Andrew Cant, VP of Financial Services Solutions at NexJ Systems, about what truly improves the advisor experience. Throughout our conversation, we discussed the future of advisor efficiency, the current state of next best action, and how firms can implement tools to help advisors be at the top of their game.

“Money in motion.” It’s a phrase many advisors are familiar with. However, to capture that money is easier said than done.

Not only must advisors be clued into money in motion events, such as a client getting married (or divorced), having a child, inheriting money, selling a business, or changing careers or getting promoted, but they must be able to access that intelligence in real time with actionable ways to capitalize on the opportunities presented.

Artificial intelligence (AI) in wealth management is no longer a cutting-edge technology. Many firms now claim to leverage AI within their CRM systems. However, despite its broad adoption, the targeted application of AI toward very specific advisor needs remains a lofty, unrealized goal for too many wealth managers. In other words, AI needs to be practical and solve specific problems for it to drive efficiency and enhance the client experience.

Communication is key when it comes to building a relationship between wealth managers and clients, but how do you keep a consistent approach?