Today's third-party administrator (TPA) operations teams are juggling skyrocketing administrative costs, mountains of data, and a talent market that's tighter than your schedule during compliance season. This is a far cry from the days when the Chief Operating Officer’s (COOs) office was primarily responsible for directing back-office operations.

If you're a COO at a retirement plan TPA firm, you’re almost certainly feeling frustrated by manual processes and disconnected systems. They're also actively holding you back from the growth your company needs. When operational efficiency directly impacts everything from compliance to client satisfaction, "we've always done it this way" just doesn't cut it anymore.

Why efficient operations are important:

• Improved Profitability: Streamlining operations and reducing costs can improve a TPA's bottom line.

• Increased Productivity: Efficient workflows enable TPAs to handle more work with fewer resources.

• Better Service Delivery: Efficient operations lead to faster and more accurate service delivery.

Let's explore two transformative trends that can change your operations for the better in 2025 and beyond. They aren't just shiny new toys to add to your growing tech stack, though. They're practical solutions to the very real challenges you face every day.

Trend 1: AI Has Entered the Chat (And It's Ready to Work)

Remember when artificial intelligence (AI) was just something from sci-fi movies? Those days are long gone. AI-powered workflow automation is here and ready to be your helpful assistant, eager to take on all your repetitive, manual tasks and free up your time for more high-value work. It’s an easily accessible tool that's changing how TPAs handle day-to-day operations.

What It Really Means

To be clear, AI-powered automation doesn’t mean robots are taking over your office. These are intelligent systems that can handle repetitive tasks like data entry, document processing, and routine compliance monitoring. You know, all those time-consuming activities that keep your talented team from doing more valuable work.

Think about the hours your staff spends manually entering 401(k) census data or checking compliance thresholds. And now, imagine all that happening automatically, with greater accuracy and speed than humanly possible.

Why You Should Care

For TPAs specifically, AI-powered automation is a game-changer for compliance testing. Rather than discovering Actual Deferral Percentage (ADP) and Actual Contribution Percentage (ACP) test failures at year-end (surprise!), you can identify at-risk plans early and implement corrective measures before they become problems.

Imagine running daily compliance checks automatically and receiving alerts only when something needs attention. That would mean no more compliance fire drills and no more all-nighters during testing season. Just smooth, predictable operations with fewer errors and lower risk.

Your Next Moves

Ready to bring AI into your operations? Here's how to start:

• Do a Process X-Ray: Take a good, hard look at your current workflows. Which tasks are repetitive, time-consuming, and prone to human error? Those are your prime automation candidates.

• Shop Smart: Not all AI solutions are created equal. Look for robust TPA software solutions specifically designed for retirement plan administration that understand the unique compliance and data management needs of TPAs.

• Start Small, Win Big: Begin with automating one high-impact area to demonstrate value quickly. Success in one area builds momentum for broader implementation.

• Create a Response Playbook: Establish clear protocols for how your team should respond to issues flagged by your new automated systems to ensure consistency and accountability.

Trend 2: Breaking Down Data Walls

If you're like most TPAs, your client data probably resembles a digital version of the Winchester Mystery House. There are rooms that don't connect, staircases that lead nowhere, and plenty of hidden compartments where important information gets lost. What we’re trying to say is, unifying your data in a single platform is one of the most important steps you can take toward greater operational efficiency.

What It Really Means

A centralized client data ecosystem brings all your client information into one unified system. No more jumping between separate platforms for payroll processing (often requiring manual data transfer instead of seamless api payroll feeds), plan administration, trust accounting, and client communications. Everything flows through connected channels, creating that ever-elusive (but highly-desired) single source of truth.

Convenience might be the cherry on top, but it's really more about creating intelligent workflows where information moves effectively and efficiently between functions without manual intervention.

Why You Should Care

When your data is connected and centralized, magic happens, like:

• Fewer Errors: Data entered only once and flowing automatically between systems means fewer opportunities for mistakes and saving time not fixing them later.

• Better Compliance: Complete, consistent data makes regulatory compliance easier to monitor and maintain.

• True Scalability: You can take on additional clients without proportionally increasing overhead because your systems can handle greater volume without breaking a sweat.

• Cost Savings: Centralized data management can potentially reduce overall data center budgets, but the real savings come from the time your team gets back. This is time they can spend on strategic initiatives rather than hunting down information.

Your Next Moves

Time to break down those data silos! Once you're ready to get started, here's your roadmap:

• Map Your Data Flow: Document every system currently housing client data and identify where information has to be manually transferred between platforms.

• Connect What You Can: Before replacing systems, look for integration opportunities between your existing tools. Sometimes the right middleware can bridge important gaps.

• Consider Comprehensive Solutions: Evaluate platforms that offer unified data management (bonus points if they are or can be specifically tailored for TPAs). The best solutions will integrate with your current payroll providers and financial institutions.

• Plan Your Migration Carefully: Transitioning to a centralized system requires thoughtful planning. Develop a phased strategy that minimizes disruption to your ongoing operations.

Start Operating Like a Well-Oiled Machine with Stax.ai

These trends are practical solutions to the challenges you face every day. By centralizing your data and implementing intelligent automation, you can significantly improve operational efficiency and positively affect profitability, productivity, and service delivery.

The Stax.ai Client Experience (CX) platform is purpose-built to help retirement plan TPAs embrace these trends. Our AI-powered workflow automation and integration with over 200 payroll providers directly address the inefficiencies in managing client workflows, particularly in census data collection, payroll processing, and trust account reconciliation.