Compliance demands are evolving fast, and for many organisations, they represent a growing challenge that can strain resources while impacting customer experiences. Building on the many FCA Consumer Duty specific events we have delivered in the past, on September 17th FourNet hosted our first Competitive Compliance Community event in Manchester, extending the conversation to all organisations governed by a regulator. 

With discussions led by speakers from across sectors, the day highlighted practical ways to align data, people, and tools, all while keeping the focus on real human outcomes for customers and tenants.

The event kicked off with a deep dive into current market trends, where Alan Linter, Group Consulting Director at FourNet outlined what organisations are facing when it comes to regulation and technology adoption. One key theme was the shift from a defensive stance on compliance to a more proactive, offensive approach, as organisations realise the barriers to new technology are lower than ever. 

Jimmy Hosang from MojoCX emphasised this, noting that “the benchmarks or the cost of tech vs risk of non-compliance equals out”, and stressed the importance of benchmarking against competitors to stay ahead.

Another major discussion centred on vulnerabilities in customer interactions, particularly how traditional CRM systems often fail to capture multiple vulnerabilities with their binary options, leading to missed opportunities for support. Compliance is shifting attitudes in organisations, moving away from just focusing on results to ensuring customers get a service that truly suits them. Alasdair Skeoch from BPO Collections shared a case study on debt recovery, explaining that “they are less interested in the amount of cash collected and that it is affordable for the customer that matters.”

Manual QA processes came under scrutiny, with Alasdair likening them to “VAR arguing whether something was a compliance risk”, highlighting the subjectivity and inefficiency involved. Kevin Still, a consulting expert on Financial Conduct Authority, Ofwat, and Ofgem perspectives, highlighted how the FCA is actively looking at using advanced technology to improve their scrutiny, meaning organisations need to be ahead of them with robust QA frameworks and tech stacks. This means investing in AI-driven tools that can handle deeper analysis, reducing the risks of relying on limited sampling.

Big data emerged as crucial in this landscape, where understanding and leveraging vast amounts of interaction data can uncover hidden insights into customer behaviours and vulnerabilities. Without the right technology to analyse it, organisations miss out on details that could prevent issues from escalating, such as patterns in call tempo or confusion that affect outcomes. By building a comprehensive data foundation, teams can move from reactive fixes to proactive improvements, easing the burden on agents and enhancing overall service quality.

Kevin Still explained that we are entering an ‘evidence’ era of compliance, where regulators demand clear proof of adherence rather than just claims. As Kevin noted, there's been a determined move towards a 'show me the evidence' approach', questioning if organisations can truly back up statements like being 100% compliant. Alasdair reinforced this by stressing the need to evidence that the right actions were taken for the customer, while the panel discussed how the FCA’s access to data means they might scrutinise it more effectively than some firms currently do.

Real-time technology emerged as a game-changer for easing agent pressures and improving outcomes. Alasdair added a notable quote: “When approaching a decision around new AI technology, it's more important what you think about the people that you will be working with on delivery, than the technology itself to make sure they can help you realise the benefits.” Benefits included cutting wrap times in half with auto-summaries, which more than covered costs, and providing agents with relevant support on challenging calls. As Jimmy put it, “No matter how good the tech is, if you deploy it like a bag of spammers then it won't work.”

Looking at future-proofing through compliance by design, the panellists shared concise insights on staying resilient. Alasdair advised: "Don't rely on sampling" to ensure thorough coverage. Kevin emphasised: "Horizon scanning is crucial, take the time to get ahead of the game and take the time to see how something may affect  your business if not tackled straight away." Jimmy suggested: "Establish a compliance system of record – have a huge database of benchmarkable engagement data to unlock compliance overheads."

On the next wave of innovation in compliance, the group highlighted transformative shifts ahead. Jimmy pointed to the "removal of legacy systems from enterprise companies and it being focused more on having great conversations rather than huge tech cost." Kevin highlighted "being able to analyse huge volumes of data in great accuracy in insane times," while Alasdair noted the "speed of being able to deploy things."

In the current compliance market, costs continue to rise, with some sectors seeing a 33% increase since 2021, and UK organisations spending between £500,000 and £1 million annually on operations like manual monitoring and training. Regulatory pressures are intensifying, particularly in financial services, where the FCA’s AI Update 2025 embeds AI oversight into rules, promoting safe adoption while monitoring impacts on consumers and markets. Trends include evolving AI regulations, with the UK favouring a flexible, sector-led approach over prescriptive laws, and plans for new legislation in 2025 to address AI risks. The FCA’s tech-positive stance, including partnerships like with Nvidia, supports innovation while ensuring resilience against emerging threats.

A special thanks goes to MojoCX for partnering with us on this event, bringing their expertise in AI and customer experience to enrich the discussions and demonstrations. Their collaboration helped showcase how technology can support compliance from end-to-end, freeing teams for sensitive cases where empathy makes the difference.

At FourNet, we've long prioritised vulnerability mapping and compliance in ways that put people first, as demonstrated by our partnership with  Alzheimer's Society. Together, we created the UK's first 'Dementia-friendly' contact centre, earning gold at the 2024 European Contact Centre and Customer Service Awards for our innovative, supportive approach to those living with dementia and their carers. This cloud-based system ensures inclusive experiences, recognising signs of vulnerability early and adapting services accordingly, which safeguards both compliance and human impact. It's a real-world example of how technology can turn regulatory challenges into opportunities for better support.

If these insights resonate with your organisation's compliance journey, we'd love to help you take the next step. Register your interest in our 10,000 hours of customer interaction data analysis offer today, and let's explore how we can support your teams in building a more resilient, customer-focused operation.