Why This CRM Decision Matters in 2025

For years, many retirement plan consultants settled for generic CRMs. They were flexible, powerful, and familiar names in enterprise IT.

But 2025 looks different.

TPAs are navigating a competitive market where plan sponsors expect consumer-grade digital experiences, advisors want real-time collaboration, and compliance demands keep climbing. At the same time, talent is tight, and firms can’t afford systems that slow them down.

That’s why more TPAs are asking: is a generalist CRM enough, or do we need something built for our world?

What Microsoft Dynamics Brings to the Table

Microsoft Dynamics has earned its place as one of the most recognized CRMs in the world.

It’s highly customizable, integrates with Microsoft’s ecosystem, and supports complex workflows across industries. For global enterprises with large IT teams, it can be a powerful foundation.

But here’s the challenge: Dynamics isn’t designed with TPAs in mind. The data model doesn’t understand plans, sponsors, or payroll providers out of the box. The sponsor portal isn’t tailored for census uploads or 5500 signatures. Building those features requires consultants, add-ons, and months of configuration.

For TPAs, the question isn’t whether Dynamics is powerful. It’s whether that power translates into value—without draining budget, time, and staff resources.

What TPAs Need Most in a CRM

Before comparing platforms, it’s worth pausing on what really matters. When TPAs evaluate CRMs today, four themes come up again and again:

• Time to Value. Can we get live in weeks, or will we be waiting months for ROI?

• Cost Efficiency. Are we paying for multiple add-ons and consultants, or is it included?

• Openness & Roadmap. Does the platform connect with payroll, compliance, and trust accounting—and is its roadmap aligned with TPA realities?

• Sponsor Experience. Does it give sponsors a modern, unified portal—or another login they’ll complain about?

With those criteria in mind, let’s look at how Stax.ai CX and Microsoft Dynamics compare.

Why TPAs Are Choosing Stax.ai CX

Stax.ai CX was designed specifically for retirement plan consultants. Instead of retrofitting a general CRM, Stax.ai builds the workflows TPAs need into the foundation:

• Payroll automation with 200+ payroll connections plus AI file standardization for providers that don't have API support.

• Intelligent client pulse management capable of summarizing complex client communications and identifying clients with the most sensitive needs.

• Census scrubbing and validation tied to adoption agreements for accurate compensation definitions and mapping.

• Sponsor portals where payroll, census, 5500 signing, questionnaires, and secure messaging live in one place.

• Compliance hand-offs to FTWilliam, ASC, and others.

• Integrated reporting & dashboards with SLA tracking and sponsor insights.

The result is a system that goes live in weeks, not quarters. One mid-sized TPA reported being fully operational in under six weeks, cutting census review time by 30% and saving each admin 8–12 hours per week.

For TPAs who can’t afford long implementation cycles—or frustrated sponsors—this speed matters.

Side-by-Side: Stax.ai vs Microsoft Dynamics

For a full comparison of Stax.ai against other CRMs, read this article.

Why Sponsors Care More Than Ever

At the end of the day, it’s not just about your staff. It’s about what sponsors see.

Sponsors using Stax.ai reported a 29% lift in satisfaction within the first 90 days. In follow-up surveys, 89% said they preferred the new system over the prior year and would recommend other TPAs do the same upgrade. Many noted that the upgrade improved not only their relationship with their TPA but also with their advisor.

That sponsor goodwill isn’t just nice—it translates to referrals, retention, and growth. It’s the difference between being “another TPA” and being the partner sponsors rave about.

The Roadmap Factor

One of the subtle but crucial differences between Dynamics and Stax.ai is roadmap focus.

Microsoft Dynamics has to serve everyone—manufacturing, healthcare, retail, government. Its roadmap follows broad enterprise trends. If TPAs want new features, they often wait for a consultant to build them.

Stax.ai’s roadmap is entirely retirement-focused. That’s why upcoming features include deeper compliance testing integrations, enhanced sponsor engagement metrics, and expanded payroll partnerships. Every update is designed around the TPA workflow.

Additionally, Stax.ai is a high-growth venture-backed technology startup moving faster than ever to revolutionize the retirement administration industry.

For decision-makers, the question becomes: do you want to ride the wave of generic enterprise updates, or a roadmap aligned with your daily reality?

A Case in Point

One TPA that migrated from a generic CRM shared their experience candidly. Every year-end, their staff dreaded the census season. Payroll files poured in, each with different formats, requiring hours of manual cleanup. Sponsors complained about confusing portals and slow responses.

After moving to Stax.ai, they went live in weeks. The census validation process was automated, sponsor tasks were streamlined, and the firm reported fewer escalations from frustrated sponsors. The COO said simply:

Stories like this aren’t exceptions—they’re increasingly the norm for TPAs who make the switch.

Read this case study of how a TPA transformed their operations and leveled up their client experience in weeks!

The Bottom Line

Microsoft Dynamics will always have its place as a flexible, enterprise-grade CRM. But for TPAs, the tradeoffs are steep: longer implementations, higher costs, fragmented sponsor experiences, and a roadmap that isn’t built for your world.

Stax.ai CX, on the other hand, delivers payroll, census, compliance, and sponsor collaboration out of the box. It gives you faster ROI, happier staff, and sponsors who finally feel they have visibility into their plan.

In a competitive market, that’s not just an upgrade—it’s a strategic advantage.

Book a Demo with our team to learn more about the differences between Stax.ai CX and Microsoft Dynamics and learn how CX can help you succeed.