Ask a flexible workspace operator what keeps them busy, and you’ll rarely hear “too little software.” The tools are there: space management, accounting, access control, CRM. The trouble is that they often don’t talk to each other. A new survey from OfficeRnD, reported this week by Allwork.Space, puts a number on it: 68% of operators say poor integration between systems is their biggest technology challenge.
That is up from 61% a year earlier. Operators are not struggling to find tools. They are struggling to make those tools work as one.
Plenty of tools, even more manual work
OfficeRnD surveyed 334 flex operators. Poor integration topped the list of tech concerns, ahead of implementation cost, which came second at 52%. The report suggests operators are using a more concentrated set of tools than before, but concentration hasn’t removed the manual work.
The repetitive tasks that eat the most time are the unglamorous ones:
- Invoicing and payments: 27% of responses
- Member communication and support: 21%
- Contracts, quotes and proposals: 20%
Larger operators feel the contracts and proposals burden most. That makes sense: the more locations and deal types you manage, the more places a number or a clause can fall through the cracks between systems.
Wanted, but not plugged in
The most telling finding is the distance between what operators want connected and what they actually have connected.
- Accounting: 57% call it an essential integration, but only 40% have it connected.
- Door access: 54% call it essential, but only 30% have it connected.
Every missing link is a person re-typing data, exporting spreadsheets or double-checking a figure. It also explains a second finding: 27% of operators now cite a lack of real-time data as a challenge, up from 17% last year. Among larger portfolios, the figure is around 40%. If occupancy, revenue and access data live in separate silos, no one has a live picture of the business.
There is a clear preference in how operators want this fixed. About two-thirds said they would rather improve connections between their existing tools than have their space management software absorb more functions. In other words, they don’t want a bigger all-in-one platform. They want a better-connected stack.
Why AI can’t fix data that’s stuck
The survey also shows a drop in AI enthusiasm. The share of operators actively using AI fell from 26% to 18%, while those ruling it out rose from 14% to 30%. OfficeRnD cautions that the comparison should be treated carefully, because the 2026 survey asked about specific AI functions rather than AI use in general.
Among operators who do use AI, the most common use cases are sales and lead management (14%) and operational automation (11%). Here the integration problem shows up again: two-thirds of AI users either copy and paste data manually or depend on developers to build connections. It is hard to automate a process when the data feeding it is stuck in separate systems.
Four steps to turn loose tools into a team
One caveat: OfficeRnD sells software to this market, so the findings should be read with that context. Still, the pattern matches what many operators describe on the ground. A few practical takeaways:
- Map your stack: List every tool, what data it holds and where that data gets re-entered by hand.
- Start with the essentials: Accounting and door access are the integrations operators rate highest and connect least.
- Measure the manual work: Track how many hours go to invoicing, member support and proposals. That is your business case for change.
- Fix the plumbing before adding AI: Automation only works as well as the data underneath it.
The real upgrade: software that works together
Flex operators don’t need more software. They need software that works together. The operators who close the integration gap will spend less time on admin and more on members and growth, and they will have the real-time data to run a growing portfolio with confidence.
Is your tech stack helping your team or slowing it down? Take an hour this week to audit where data is still copied by hand, and explore how connected flex workspace software could take that work off your plate.
