Global survey reveals fragmented coordination workflows have become a measurable business cost, signaling the need for more structured, AI-enabled client collaboration
BURLINGTON, Mass., July 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Progress Software (Nasdaq: PRGS), an AI infrastructure software leader, today announced the results of its State of Client Collaboration 2026 survey, revealing that professional services firms lose a median of roughly $60,000 (USD) annually to nonbillable client coordination work. The findings highlight a growing operational blind spot: while firms have invested heavily in modernizing 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. The full report is available here.
Based on responses from 355 firms across 10 industries, including accounting, legal, financial services and healthcare, the study shows that professional services have learned to absorb a surprising 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 $65 per hour, that translates to a median annual cost of nearly $60,000 in nonbillable client-service work.
The consequences do not stay internal. Nearly 70% of respondents said at least one out of every ten 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.
“Helping clients and providing positive client experiences is the primary goal of professional services firms. However, many firms are failing to deliver client engagement experiences that are streamlined, effective and efficient,” said Loren Jarrett, EVP and GM, Digital Experience, Progress Software. “For years, firms have accepted fragmented client coordination as simply part of the job. Our research shows these inefficient, manual processes are not only costly but also detrimental to the overall client experience."
To reduce nonbillable overhead while improving client experience and internal efficiency, professional services firms need to treat coordination as part of delivery, not the work around it. That means moving client requests, document collection, task management and follow-up into a secure, structured environment. With client experience now the top priority for nearly 60% of respondents, the case for modernizing these workflows is clear. As firms look to AI to improve and scale services, the survey suggests 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, organize 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, organize it for the team and deliver work with confidence. Too often, that loop breaks across disconnected tools. Progress® ShareFile® software helps professional services firms reduce collaboration overhead by bringing structure to how teams request, collect, organize and deliver client information securely.
To further explore the findings from the State of Client Collaboration 2026 survey, Progress will host a webinar on August 25, featuring insights from industry experts. Click here to register.
About Progress Software
Progress Software (Nasdaq: PRGS) provides the context and control organizations need to reliably extract value from AI—context drawn from an organization's data, content and workflows, and control over the security, governance and cost of their AI initiatives. Learn how hundreds of thousands of businesses, powering the work of tens of millions of professionals worldwide, realize value from trusted, enterprise-ready AI at www.progress.com.
Progress and ShareFile and certain product names used herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Progress Software Corporation and/or one of its subsidiaries or affiliates in the U.S. and/or other countries. See Trademarks for appropriate markings. All rights in any other trademarks contained herein are reserved by their respective owners and their inclusion does not imply an endorsement, affiliation or sponsorship as between Progress and the respective owners.
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