There is no question that corporate knowledge workers are living in the golden age of technology designed specifically to help us be better at our jobs. The global tax management software market is projected to reach $40 billion by 2030, roughly double in size from just two years ago, and the legal technology market is projected to reach $64 billion by 2032. From AI-powered research and analytics tools to automated compliance and reporting solutions, the list of available resources designed to make corporate tax, legal, and risk and compliance professionals’ lives easier just keeps growing.
So, why does it feel like it’s harder than ever to get any work done?
Fragmented Workflows Limit Potential of New Tech
McKinsey recently dubbed this phenomenon the “GenAI paradox,” noting that despite investing some $62 billion in GenAI, the vast majority of companies implementing AI have seen no significant bottom-line impact from the technology. Put simply, there is a huge gap between the technological capabilities businesses can now access and the real-world experience of workers who are finding it hard to use.
The root cause of this problem is fragmentation. We saw this clearly in the recent Thomson Reuters Future of Professionals survey, which found that more than half of professionals said their organizations lack the required context to complete tasks that are part of cross-functional corporate governance and compliance workflows. Nearly half said they lacked a continuous, cross-functional view of data and insights and governance for workflows.
As corporate compliance challenges have grown increasingly complex, countless new technologies and point solutions have been introduced, creating a day-to-day reality in which many professionals find themselves wrestling with clunky technology bolt-ons and fragmented workflows that slow their operations and sap their ability to deliver timely insights.
The Hidden Toll of Distraction
Though most of us have gotten used to constantly swiveling back and forth between different software applications, research finds the negative effects of these broken workflows can have a very real impact on productivity and overall wellbeing. According to the American Psychological Association, this kind of task-switching can result in a loss of up to 40% productivity as our brains re-orient to each new operation. On average, it takes more than 23 minutes for a person to regain focus on an original task. Think about that next time you glance at your phone while working on a big project!
Beyond the screen fatigue, the sheer breadth of responsibility that is being shared by many of these core departments has multiplied dramatically. Economic headwinds, evolving compliance landscapes, technological implementations. The burden of these requires huge company-wide undertaking, often from departments extending beyond their core competencies. Chief compliance officers become de facto sustainability leads, and accounting teams are suddenly being asked to assist in AI implementations. Up is down, down is up. And there’s no clear concrete throughline to make sense of it all.
Identify and Codify
The phenomenon isn’t necessarily new, but the problems are becoming more acute, particularly as firms integrate more advanced technological solutions. In the race to acquire comprehensive data and cutting-edge AI solutions, many companies have found that simply adopting doesn’t mean thriving.
Forward-thinking companies are developing a more workflow centered approach to technology, which begins with a fundamental shift in mindset away from a focus on individual solutions to prioritizing enterprise-wide connectivity as the primary objective. Getting to that point requires companies to take an honest inventory of how their departments are using technology and spot the areas where workflows are breaking down.
For example, the Thomson Reuters 2025 C-Suite Survey found that despite the fact that 80% of C-Suite business leaders see cross-functional collaboration as critical, tax, legal, risk and compliance functions remain siloed and are often viewed as back-office cost centers rather than strategic drivers.
Clearly, there is a disconnect between what businesses want and need from their key enabling functions and what most are currently set up to deliver. Only by understanding current pain points and creating flexible technology solutions that can connect-the-dots between day-to-day workflow demands will business leaders be able to bridge these fundamental gaps.
Breaking Through the Noise
Fortunately, we’re entering a new era in the evolution of digital transformation where breaking down legacy silos and building connectivity between once disparate solutions is now more accessible than ever. The key is recognizing problem areas and addressing those friction points now, before new technologies exacerbate those challenges.
As we near 2026, business leaders will need to evaluate where they are making valuable gains from technology and where the buzz is simply distracting noise. Those that can limit the distractions and build holistic, comprehensive, end-to-end solutions will reap the benefits in the form of dramatically improved productivity and more satisfied employees.