How Top Firms Choose the Right Tech for Growth

For growing advisory firms, technology choices define how smoothly the business runs. Every new tool affects visibility, collaboration and client experience. The challenge is knowing when to invest in a proven platform and when to build something custom to fit your unique workflows. The right decision shapes how your team scales, how efficiently it operates and how consistently clients are served.

When It Makes Sense to Build

Some firms want total control over their technology. Building an internal system can make sense in very specific situations, but it requires dedicated development resources, long timelines and ongoing maintenance.

1. Proprietary systems and control

Firms that manage specialized data or proprietary processes sometimes prefer to keep everything in-house. Building their own tools allows complete control over how data flows between systems. This approach can work for firms that already have developers and infrastructure in place, but it’s a significant investment to maintain.

2. Competitive differentiation

Building can offer an advantage if you need something unique to your business. Custom systems let firms design workflows, branding and client touchpoints that match their exact service model. However, staying competitive means constant upkeep and innovation to avoid falling behind established vendors.

3. Specialized tools

Some firms require tools that simply don’t exist on the market. For example, a firm serving a very specific niche might need account types or reporting structures that aren’t standard. Creating custom tools solves that problem but adds technical debt and limits scalability if the business changes.

When It Makes Sense to Buy

Buying software gives firms immediate access to proven functionality, faster onboarding and ongoing vendor support. It’s ideal for firms that want to improve efficiency without taking on the complexity of managing technology internally.

1. Back-office automation

Automation helps advisory firms do more with the same team. Automating workflows removes repetitive manual steps so advisors and staff can focus on client relationships. Building automation from scratch is difficult, while buying a system with automation built in lets you gain efficiencies right away.

2. Compliance and security

Compliance is central to every advisory operation. Vendor software is designed to meet strict security and audit standards, which reduces the burden on your team. Buying ensures your firm benefits from a system that’s continuously updated to stay current with evolving requirements.

3. Team onboarding and adoption

Introducing new tools can slow down productivity if your team isn’t supported. Vendor software comes with training, implementation resources and responsive support to help everyone get up to speed quickly. Building software internally rarely includes this level of structured onboarding.

The Best of Both Worlds: Customization on Proven Platforms

Many firms choose a hybrid approach that combines vendor stability with custom flexibility. This allows teams to take advantage of software that’s already proven while tailoring workflows to match their internal processes.

Collaboration between firms and technology providers often creates the most effective results. Firms share their operational insight, and vendors apply their technical expertise to create tools that fit real-world needs. This partnership approach leads to systems that scale easily and improve over time without the heavy lift of starting from scratch.

Why Hubly Fits

Hubly helps advisory firms scale operations with clarity and control. It gives teams visibility into every client relationship, accountability across tasks and automation that saves hours every week.

You can build workflows that match your firm’s process without the clunkiness of your CRM. Hubly ensures nothing falls through the cracks, improves onboarding capacity and provides insight into your firm’s operations so you can plan strategically and grow with confidence.

Hubly combines proven reliability with flexible customization to help you run an organized, consistent and client-focused firm. Start your free 30-day trial today to see for yourself.