Time is a competitive advantage for advisors at small to midsize RIAs. Wearing multiple hats, from advisor to operations to tech manager to marketer, leaves little room for inefficiency. But outdated, disconnected systems can quietly eat up dozens of hours each month, slowing growth and making it harder to engage clients.

In a profession built on strong relationships and data-driven advice, operational slowdowns can cost more than time. They can lead to missed opportunities, compliance issues, and dissatisfied clients.

Here are the top five ways advisors lose time and how the right technology stack, like SS&C Black Diamond^® Wealth Solutions, can help you get it back.

1. Manual Reconciliation and Data Entry
Manual processes increase the chance of human error, data mismatches, and reporting delays, undermining client confidence. This repetitive work also diverts advisors from strategic tasks that grow the business.

An integrated platform like Black Diamond connects directly with custodians and third-party sources to automate reconciliation, billing, and performance calculations. Real-time data syncing means you can trust what you see and act on it quickly.

2. Switching Between Disconnected Tools
Many RIAs cobble together their technology: a standalone CRM, a separate performance reporting tool, a billing solution, and maybe a document vault. But this approach creates more problems than it solves. Disconnected tools lead to duplicative work, misaligned data, and increased chances for error. The lack of integration also hinders the client experience, forcing advisors to spend more time managing tech than relationships.

Black Diamond connects CRMs, planning tools, and custodians in one sophisticated offering, enabling seamless workflows from client onboarding through billing.

3. Inefficient Client Onboarding
First impressions matter and a clunky, paper-heavy onboarding process can signal disorganization and cause friction right at the start of the relationship. Yet, many RIAs still rely on manual forms and emailed PDFs.

With Black Diamond’s Client Experience Portal and digital onboarding features, new clients are guided through a personalized, tech-enabled experience. Secure document sharing, e-signatures, household-level views, and real-time status tracking ensure efficiency and transparency from day one.

4. Reactive Client Communication
Advisors spend too much time answering emails like “How’s my portfolio doing?” or “Can you send me a recent statement?” These are symptoms of reactive service models that can overwhelm growing firms. Modern clients expect proactive, on-demand information.

Black Diamond empowers advisors to deliver personalized, automated reporting directly to clients via the Client Experience Portal. With mobile access, customizable alerts, and rich visualizations, clients stay informed and confident, without picking up the phone.

5. Custom Reporting Takes Too Long
Quarterly reporting shouldn’t be a fire drill, yet many firms spend days or even weeks pulling together, formatting, and QA checking reports.

With Black Diamond’s flexible reporting engine, advisors can create branded templates, automate batch delivery, and easily tailor reports by client preference. Drag-and-drop dashboards and widgets make it easy to create customized reporting that’s both intuitive and impactful. The result? Less time crunching data, more time deepening client relationships and preparing for strategic reviews.

Time is the Invisible Currency of Growth
According to the 2025 Schwab RIA Benchmarking Study, the top 20% of RIAs achieved nearly double the revenue growth and 85% more new clients than their peers, highlighting how the effective use of technology can create capacity for growth.

Integrated technology platforms give advisors the visibility, automation, and control needed to eliminate operational friction and turn reclaimed time into meaningful client outcomes. Black Diamond is purpose-built for advisors who want to modernize operations, eliminate workflow bottlenecks, and deliver an elevated client experience.

Ready to see how SS&C Black Diamond Wealth Solutions can help you reclaim your time? Request a personalized demo, call 1-800-727-0605, or email info@sscblackdiamond.com today.