Progress Software: Professional services firms Lose US$60K a year to inefficient client coordination

Progress Software, an AI infrastructure software provider, has found professional services firms lose a median of roughly US$60,000 annually to non-billable client coordination work. The findings, from its State of Client Engagement 2026 survey, highlight a growing operational blind spot, Progress Software said. 

While firms have invested heavily in modernising service delivery, the day-to-day work required to collect information, manage requests and keep engagements moving has not evolved at the same pace. Critical client interactions still rely on manual workflows and disconnected tools, creating inefficiencies that burden teams, delay work and put client experience at risk. 

Based on responses from 355 firms across 10 industries, including accounting, legal, financial services and healthcare, the study showed that professional services have learned to absorb a significant amount of administrative burden as part of client delivery. Today, firms spend nearly 20 hours a week collecting documents and signatures, following up with clients, clarifying requests and tracking tasks. At an average billing rate of US$65 per hour, this translates to a median annual cost of nearly US$60,000 in non-billable client-service work.

The consequences do not stay internal. Nearly 70% of respondents said at least one out of 10 of their quarterly engagements are delayed by missing information or workflow-related issues. Yet firms still report high satisfaction with how they manage client work, even as they show strong interest in more structured platforms. This reflects a deeper market dynamic: many firms do not view client process fragmentation as a problem to solve, but as an accepted cost of doing business. 

“In a market like Singapore, where trust, responsiveness and service quality are critical differentiators, firms are increasingly recognising that the client experience extends beyond service delivery to every digital interaction. 

"The firms that stand out will be those that leverage technology to elevate client engagement, project a higher level of professionalism and governance, strengthen client confidence and enable secure, efficient collaboration. In doing so, they can foster stronger client relationships while supporting the compliance and operational expectations of a modern digital business environment,” said John Yang, VP, APJ, Progress Software.

To reduce non-billable overhead while improving client experience and internal efficiency, professional services firms need to treat coordination as part of delivery, not the work around it, Progress Software recommended. To do so, client requests, document collection, task management and follow-up should be moved into a secure, structured environment. 

With client experience now the top priority for nearly 60% of respondents, the case for modernising these workflows is clear, Progress Software said. As firms look to AI to improve and scale services, the survey suggested its value will come from being embedded where client work actually happens—not bolted on as a standalone tool.

“Professional services firms are growing fast, but the way work gets coordinated hasn’t kept up. Too much still depends on disconnected email, spreadsheets and informal processes, which creates delays, margin pressure and inconsistent client experiences,” said Amy Machado, Research Director, Content and Knowledge Discovery Strategies, IDC. 

“The market has demand for a better way to collect information, organise work, and deliver for clients with confidence. Progress has built a platform specifically to solve those challenges.”

At the core of any client engagement is a simple loop: request the right information, organise it for the team and deliver work with confidence. Too often, that loop breaks across disconnected tools. 

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The report is available at https://www.sharefile.com/resource/papers/the-hidden-cost-of-client-engagement

*Progress ShareFile software helps professional services firms reduce collaboration overhead by bringing structure to how teams request, collect, organise and deliver client information securely. 

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