Five Questions That Expose Fake Integration Claims

The demonstration looks flawless. Every system talks to every other system.

Data flows seamlessly between platforms. Portfolio information updates automatically. Reporting happens in real-time across all your holdings.

Then you implement it.

Suddenly, the seamless integration requires manual data entry. The automatic updates need daily reconciliation. The real-time reporting runs three days behind.

You're not alone in this experience.

The Integration Theater Problem

Integration between products ranks as the top technology request among family offices. Yet most firms operate with patchwork systems that barely communicate with each other.

The disconnect creates operational friction that demonstrations never reveal.

Nearly three-quarters of family offices admit they are underinvested in operational technology. This underinvestment makes thorough due diligence on integration claims even more critical for avoiding costly mistakes.

When vendors show you perfect integration, they're showing you controlled conditions. Your operational reality will be different.

Here are five questions that cut through demonstration theater to reveal actual integration capabilities.

Question One: Show Me Your Worst-Case Scenario

Perfect demonstrations hide imperfect realities.

Ask your vendor to demonstrate what happens when systems fail to communicate. How does the platform handle incomplete data feeds? What occurs when third-party APIs go down?

Most vendors will pivot to their strengths. Press them on their weaknesses.

When family offices vet potential vendors, they should look for providers prepared to address stress conditions and edge cases. The vendor's response to this question reveals their operational maturity.

Strong platforms have built-in redundancies and error handling. Weak platforms require manual intervention when integration breaks.

Question Two: Walk Me Through Your Data Reconciliation Process

Integration claims often mask reconciliation requirements.

Every platform needs to verify that data flowing between systems remains accurate. Ask specifically about their reconciliation process. How often does it run? What triggers manual review?

If they claim no reconciliation is necessary, you've found a red flag.

Real integration includes robust reconciliation mechanisms. The vendor should be able to show you exception reports, variance analysis, and manual override capabilities.

Your family office deals with complex holdings across multiple jurisdictions. Simple integration claims rarely account for this complexity.

Question Three: What Happens When We Need Custom Data Fields

Standard demonstrations use standard data structures.

Your family office likely tracks information that doesn't fit standard templates. Private equity commitments, complex derivative positions, or unique family governance structures require custom data handling.

Ask the vendor to show you how their integration handles non-standard data fields. Can you add custom attributes? How do these flow between integrated systems?

Many platforms can display custom fields but struggle to integrate them across connected systems. This limitation only surfaces after implementation.

Question Four: Show Me Three Months of Integration Logs

Integration claims need operational evidence.

Request actual integration logs from existing clients. These logs reveal the true frequency of integration failures, data quality issues, and manual interventions required.

Most vendors will resist this request. They prefer controlled demonstrations over operational transparency.

Push for specific metrics. How often do integrations fail? What's the average time to resolution? How many manual interventions occur monthly?

These numbers tell the real integration story that demonstrations cannot reveal.

Question Five: What's Your Client Retention Rate for Integration Services

Integration satisfaction drives long-term relationships.

Vendors with strong integration capabilities retain clients who rely on these features. Ask specifically about retention rates for clients using their integration services.

Also ask about implementation timelines. How long does full integration typically take? What percentage of integrations launch on schedule?

High retention rates and predictable implementation timelines indicate mature integration capabilities. Low retention or extended timelines suggest ongoing operational challenges.

Beyond the Questions

These five questions create a framework for evaluation that goes beyond surface-level demonstrations.

The goal isn't to eliminate all vendors. It's to identify which ones can deliver on their integration promises under real-world conditions.

Your family office operates in a complex environment with unique requirements. Technology integration needs to support this complexity, not create additional operational burden.

Vendors who welcome these questions demonstrate confidence in their capabilities. Those who deflect or minimize them reveal integration limitations that will surface after implementation.

The best technology partnerships begin with honest conversations about both capabilities and limitations. These questions help ensure those conversations happen before you sign contracts, not after you discover operational gaps.

Your due diligence process should be as sophisticated as your family office operations. Integration evaluation deserves the same rigor you apply to investment decisions.

Start asking these questions in your next vendor evaluation. The responses will tell you everything you need to know about moving beyond demonstration theater to operational reality.