Data Orchestration 101

What is data orchestration?

Running an efficient advisory business is hard. Most advisory firms collect a ton of data, but it’s often stuck in silos or formatted in ways that make it hard to work with.

Without an effective integration that connects to multiple sources, data remains fragmented in inefficient data silos. Orchestration helps streamline your workflows into a single configuration.

Simply put, data orchestration is the process of automatically gathering data from different systems, cleaning it up, and syncing it so everything stays consistent and up to date. Instead of manually exporting files or jumping between platforms, orchestration connects the tools you already use—like CRMs, planning software, custodians, and more—and makes sure client data flows smoothly between them.

It takes care of things like mapping fields, resolving conflicts, and standardizing formats, so your team can focus on what matters instead of chasing down errors or missing info. Whether you’re onboarding a new client or keeping systems in sync behind the scenes, data orchestration ensures that the right data ends up in the right place—accurately, securely, and without the busywork.

To put it in perspective, imagine a real orchestra. Without a conductor, each musician tunes their instrument independently—some playing too soon, others too late. You can hear the individual sounds, but there's no harmony. That’s what it’s like when advisory firms rely on disconnected systems for onboarding, planning, and account management. Data lives in multiple places, moving at different paces, and it’s tough to keep everything aligned.

A data orchestrator is the conductor. It brings all those systems—CRMs, custodians, planning tools, and more—into sync. With an orchestration layer your client data flows smoothly, your workflows are coordinated, and the entire experience feels seamless.

Instead of spending time on manual processes such as form filling and data entry, your team can focus on delivering great service, staying compliant, and growing the business with confidence. That’s what happens when everything plays in tune.

What is an orchestration layer?

An orchestration layer is necessary when you need to manage interactions across multiple API services. It lets you define how your connector communicates with third-party applications by creating instructions that coordinate those connections. Essentially, it functions as a single API endpoint that can trigger multiple calls to different services in response to just one request.

This layer also handles the behind-the-scenes work of formatting data between systems—splitting, merging, or routing requests and responses as needed. By introducing this layer of abstraction, the orchestration platform can manage communication between services more effectively.

What are the benefits of data orchestration?

Adding a data orchestrator to your tech stack provides many benefits, including:

• Facilitates end-to-end workflows
• Eliminates manual data entry
• Keeps all systems in sync
• Creates a centralized source of truth
• Manages third-party integrations
• Enables AI copilots and agents to take action

What type of workflows does data orchestration enable?

A common use case is new client onboarding. As discussed, this is often a lengthy process involving several software providers, a custodian, an investment manager (or two), several team members and a new client. Much like an orchestra, the process requires coordination between the various pieces. A centralized conductor who has visibility and control over the moving parts can cue up each step, hand it off to the right participant and automate the manual tasks.

Another common use case is advisor transitions. When an advisor moves their book of business to a new firm, there’s a long checklist: notifying clients, transferring accounts, generating new firm paperwork, collecting signatures, and syncing everything into the firm’s existing systems. It’s a process that’s often manual, error-prone, and time-consuming.

With a data orchestration platform, you can automate and streamline the entire transition. Client data flows smoothly to the new systems, forms are pre-filled and ready for e-signature, and key updates sync across the tech stack in real time. The result? A faster, cleaner, and more compliant transition—for both advisors and clients.

The software tools I use already have integrations. Why do I need a data orchestration layer on top of that?

Great question—and one we hear often. Here’s the thing: just because your tools are connected doesn’t mean they understand each other.

Think of a data orchestration layer like a modern-day Rosetta Stone. The original Rosetta Stone helped scholars decode ancient languages by showing the same message written in multiple scripts. A data orchestration layer works the same way—it acts as the translator between all your systems, making sure each one interprets and processes the data correctly, even if they “speak” different languages.

Your CRM, financial planning tool, and custodial platform might all have APIs or direct integrations, but chances are, they each have their own way of labeling fields, structuring information, or handling updates. One system might call it "Client Name," another says "Primary Contact," and a third just calls it "Full Name." Without orchestration, those systems might technically be connected—but the data gets lost in translation.

That’s where a common data model comes in. A data orchestration layer creates a standardized way of understanding and syncing information across every system you use. It doesn’t just pass the data along—it translates it, cleans it up, and keeps everything in sync, so your team isn’t stuck reconciling differences or chasing down errors.

So yes, your tools may be integrated—but with data orchestration, they’re finally speaking the same language.

Why do I want a third party to manage my integrations?

Managing integrations in-house sounds appealing—until you're in the weeds.

Companies often consider building their own integrations, but maintaining those connections across multiple vendors, custodians, CRMs, and planning tools is a full-time job (or several). APIs change, data formats evolve, and syncing client records across systems introduces risk if not handled carefully. Furthermore, unless you build a common data model, you will need to maintain one-to-one connections with each integration. Additional integrations quickly become challenging if you’re not operating under a one-to-many model.

A third-party data orchestrator takes that burden off your plate. You get expert-built, maintained, and continuously updated integrations—plus automated data syncing, error handling, and field mapping—all without tying up your internal resources. It’s faster to implement, easier to scale, and far more efficient than going it alone.

What is the difference between data orchestration and process automation?

Process automation and data orchestration are both about saving time and reducing manual work—but they solve different problems.

Process automation handles small, repetitive tasks within a single system. Think things like assigning a task, sending an email, or updating a status field. It’s great for streamlining simple workflows, but it usually stays contained to one tool at a time.

Data orchestration, on the other hand, tackles the bigger picture. It connects multiple systems, keeps client data in sync across platforms, and ensures that workflows involving tools like your CRM, financial planning software, and custodians can actually run smoothly. It handles things like resolving data mismatches, formatting inconsistencies, and syncing updates in real-time.

So while process automation helps with individual tasks, data orchestration powers the full workflow—especially when that workflow crosses over multiple systems that weren’t built to talk to each other.

For example, think about onboarding a new client. You need to collect all the information required to open a custodial account, complete a financial plan or even just send their kid a birthday card. Then you need to enter all that information into the CRM, financial planning tool, billing and reporting software and custodial forms. Then you need to generate documents, collect signatures, initiate the account opening process and save completed documents to your file storage. This entire process spans various software systems and requires involvement from several people. While you may be able to automate some tasks, end-to-end workflow completion requires orchestration to cover every single step.

What is the difference between data orchestration and a data lake?

Data orchestration and data lakes are both important parts of a modern data strategy—but they solve very different problems. If you’re deciding where to invest your resources, it helps to understand how each one works and what role it plays in your firm’s tech ecosystem.

Data Orchestration

• A process that moves, cleans, syncs, and connects data across multiple systems in real time
• Helps ensure your client data is consistent and up-to-date across CRMs, planning tools, custodians, and more
• Designed to support active workflows and day-to-day operations
• Think of it as the engine that keeps systems in sync and talking to each other

Data Lake

• A storage solution that holds raw, unstructured, or semi-structured data in one place
• Used primarily for data analysis, reporting, or archiving—not live syncing
• Doesn’t clean, transform, or move data automatically; it just stores it until you need it
• Think of it as a giant bucket where all your data lives, whether or not it’s ready to use

In a Nutshell:

• Data orchestration is about movement and synchronization
• A data lake is about centralized storage

Is a data lake beneficial for a non-tech company?

Not always—and often, not right away.

A data lake can be powerful, but it’s typically more beneficial for data-heavy, tech-forward organizations that have a dedicated data engineering team to manage and extract value from it. For a financial advisory firm, a data lake might sound appealing as a centralized place to store everything, but without the right infrastructure, it can quickly become an expensive, underutilized dumping ground.

Why a Data Lake Might Not Make Sense:

• Requires technical expertise to set up, manage, and query
• Doesn’t automatically clean, sync, or structure data
• Doesn’t directly improve day-to-day workflows or client service
• Can become “dark data storage” without analytics tools layered on top

What’s More Practical Instead:

For most advisory firms, it’s more effective to focus on:

• Data orchestration to keep systems in sync and reduce errors
• Clean, structured operational data to power workflows and compliance
• Reporting and dashboard tools that surface insights directly from core systems (CRM, planning software, custodians)

Once your firm has mastered data flow and integrity, and has clear use cases for historical data analysis or advanced AI/ML models, then a data lake might make sense down the road—with the right team in place.

How do you choose a data orchestration tool?

Look for End-to-End Workflow Enablement

Choose a tool that supports your entire workflow from start to finish—not just syncing data, but also things like filling in every field on a form and making it easy for teams to pass work off to each other. If the tool skips key steps, you’re still stuck doing manual work.

Ensure True Bi-Directional Sync

Updates should flow in both directions across your systems. That way, your CRM, planning tools, and custodian platforms all stay current—no matter where the change happens.

Check for Error Handling and Auditability

Does the platform catch and flag issues like mismatched fields or formatting problems? Does it offer an audit log that tracks changes across systems and users? These are key features for troubleshooting and compliance.

Prioritize In-House, U.S.-Based Engineers

When handling PII and custodial data, knowing who’s behind the code matters. Offshore development can introduce security and compliance risks—especially with custodians that prohibit foreign access. In-house, U.S.-based engineers bring product expertise, accountability, and peace of mind.

Understand Security & Compliance Standards

Your orchestration platform should follow best practices for encryption, access control, and audit logging—and ideally, it should be SOC 2 Type 2 certified.

How Dispatch can help

We take data orchestration from concept to execution by enabling true end-to-end workflows for advisory firms. From automated data collection to intelligent form generation—including custodial forms and your firm’s own documents—Dispatch ensures no data is entered twice and nothing slips through the cracks.

We handle seamless data syncing across your tech stack, automate document delivery and tagging, and provide full auditability so you always know who did what and when. Whether you’re onboarding a new client or managing an advisor transition, Dispatch brings clarity, efficiency, and control to every step of the process.